How to Boost Leads with Paid Ads Through Google, Facebook & More

In today’s digital era, a garage door dealer, installer, or service business needs an online presence to reach the widest possible audience. However, having a website isn't enough to make your business visible if a consumer searches Google for “garage door installers.” Paid ads are the most straightforward method for your business to be visible on a Google search results page, but the setup can be challenging to navigate without the proper knowledge. That's why Action Industries is here to show you the ins and outs of paid advertising. Read on to learn about ad platforms, ad types, and campaign options to generate more inbound leads (and ideally more sales). 

What is Paid Advertising & Why Invest? 

Paid advertising campaigns can dramatically improve your business’s visibility online by getting it in front of those that have a need for your garage door repair and installation services. Roughly 14.5% of Google searches are related to researching information before completing a transaction, so getting your business in front of people in the research stage of their buyer's journey can cement you as a viable option for them early on. Paid ads are also a great starting point for businesses that do not have a high level of brand awareness.  

With paid advertising, a business purchases ad space from an advertising platform that puts the ad in front of potential customers. Advertisers like you will bid against others in real time to show up on search engines, social media, blogs, or other advertising platforms. The main advertising model for paid ads is known as pay-per-click (PPC) where an advertiser pays a platform each time their advertisement link is clicked.  

The platform you choose to run your ads is largely dependent on what internet sphere the platform specializes in and if those pages cater to your primary audience.  Afterall, a kid scrolling through the Roblox wiki isn’t going to care about your garage servicing ad! A platform will help you find someone looking for garage door repairs or a new garage door opener and target those people. Some common ad platforms are as follows: 

Google Ads: 

By far the most popular choice, Google Ads has a massive reach via Google Search & Display networks. Google processes billions of searches per day, so your ads will be where the internet traffic is. The Google Display Network reaches across millions of websites, including YouTube and Gmail. Not to mention, people on Google are already actively searching for solutions, which means they’re further along in the buying process compared to those scrolling through social platforms. With Google, you're targeting intent, not just demographics or interests. 

Targeting people who are actively looking into your service offers more success than going after an audience who may not have an immediate need for your business. Roughly 46% of all searches on Google involve local intent that dealer businesses thrive on; and about 28% of these searches result in a purchase.   

Google can run your garage door installation promotion when a consumer searches for nearby garage services versus you running an ad on Instagram to consumers who may not be actively searching for the service.  

Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads): 

Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) is great for businesses targeting a more mature, affluent audience. It leverages Bing, Yahoo, and AOL search traffic, but the search market share is smaller than Google's, which can limit the potential audience reach.  

Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads: 

These platforms are owned by Meta and are great for smaller businesses. They offer advanced targeting options and cost-effective campaigns. Instagram ads are more visually focused, while Facebook provides excellent targeting options and analytics to maximize the effectiveness of your ad campaign. These ads can assist with brand building and recognition, but may not always lead to direct sales. 

Paid Ad Types 

After choosing the platform to run your ads, you’ll need to know what type of ads to run. Advertisements come in many forms, and the main ones you’ll encounter are search ads, shopping ads, display ads, remarketing ads, and social ads. The price to run these ads largely depends on the industry, with the cost per click (CPC) ranging from $1 to $5 and sometimes even more. Ads can be either text-based, image-based, or more than likely a combination of both. 

Search Ads 

Search ads are one of the most common types of paid advertising. They can appear at both the top and bottom of a search engine’s results page. Search ads lack visuals and only contain text. They appear on search engine results pages based on the keywords entered by users in the search bar. Advertisers are charged each time the ad is viewed or clicked, depending on which option is chosen during campaign setup. 

Shopping Ads 

These ads are popular for advertisers who sell products and make it easier for people to find your products when they search for them on Google. Shopping ads appear just under the search bar on search engines and can show information such as a product image, name, price, promotions, and who the product is sold by. 

Display Ads 

Display ads emphasize visuals and contain an image or video alongside text. They are housed on search engine partner websites and catch the eye of a consumer far more than mere text can. The quality of these ads will often make or break a sale. If you slap some misspelled text over a blurry garage image, no one is going to engage with your business. Cheap looking visuals can even leave customers questioning your legitimacy, which is why you should always consult with a graphic designer or someone with a visual communications background or similar marketing qualification to create a proper ad. 

A Note about AI 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a great place to get ideas and inspiration for your business. While it can be tempting to use a generative search engine to create ads and other visuals, this is not ideal. The legality of AI in marketing and commercial use is constantly evolving and your company could be sued if the AI uses copyrighted material you are unaware of. Also, AI lacks a human touch and can appear unrealistic or uncanny to the naked eye. If a customer realizes that the weather seal in your ad does not exist and is just a product of generative AI, they may question the legitimacy of your business. Because of this, it is always important to leverage a real person with tried and true experience  instead of relying solely on the quick convenience of AI. 

Remarketing Ads 

Remarketing ads target people who previously visited your website but did not purchase any service. This type of advertising encourages potential customers to revisit your website. The ads focus on the product, brand or service that the potential customer has previously viewed to remind them to finish their purchase.  

Social Ads 

Social ads are one of the most common methods for advertising thanks to the high number of users across social media. They are placed on social media feeds across different social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn where the ads are targeted at a specific audience.  

Now that you know what type of ads are available, how do you choose which one to go with? The ideal ad for your business will reach the largest possible target audience with the most relevant and timely information. Learn how to identify them below. 

Identify Your Target Audience 

The Internet is full of people, and the sad truth is that many aren't in the market for your business offerings. College students living in apartments with no garage are going to ignore your garage door opener promotion, so focus on ads on sites frequented by homeowners.  

A successful advertisement focuses on reaching the people most likely to be interested in your product or service. This group, known as your "target audience," will vary based on what your business offers. Once you've identified who they are, you can tailor your ads to appear in the online spaces they are most likely to visit. 

Your target audience consists of whoever is buying what you're selling! You can identify them based on customer feedback and market research. 

The garage door industry generally targets residential clients such as homeowners, property managers, and those in commercial industries including warehouses or factories. See below for a brief breakdown of these audiences: 

• Residential  
  • With the average homeowner being around 56, consider ads on Facebook and YouTube, which have a large demographic of 50+ individuals. Bing is another great site, as internet users aged 45-64 are more likely to use it than Google, not to mention the majority of Bing’s traffic comes from the United States. Avoid social media sites such as TikTok and Snapchat, as they cater to a far younger audience. 
• Commercial 
  • The website LinkedIn is great for reaching a professional audience within the commercial industry as well as direct business to business marketing. Websites and blog posts dedicated to discussing common challenges faced by commercial clients regarding garage doors is another great option! 

 

Practical Example 

Now that you know the basics of paid advertising, let's illustrate some of these steps in ACTION! 

Jim’s Garage Repairs is a new garage door service & installation company that is trying to gain market share in their city and surrounding area. After soliciting customer feedback, they find that their target audience is older retired male homeowners in colder climates seeking to improve their garage insulation. Since Facebook is the main social media channel for retirees, Jim’s Garage Repairs chooses Facebook as their primary platform to run ads, and hires a graphic designer to create a professional flyer showing weather seal capabilities. They also pay Google Ads for exposure on websites hosting garage door insulation foam, as customers already interested in insulating their windows and walls will likely want to do the same with their door. From there, Jim’s Garage Repairs makes a point to monitor their campaign through Facebook Ads to identify trends and focus in on their target audience to improve their marketing.  

With 87% of shoppers now beginning their searches online, paid ads are an excellent tool in a digital marketing campaign that will get your services in front of potential customers where they’re most likely to be. Take the steps to start dominating online for your dealer business. For a broader view on digital marketing in the garage door industry, check out Action’s extensive how-to guide!