The big ideas in this part of the notebook, one line each.
Smaller corners of PPC, each with its own page.
Google Ads put you at the top of Google when someone searches for what you sell. You pay per click, so the trick is paying only for searches from people ready to buy.
Meta ads show your stuff on Instagram and Facebook to people who weren’t looking but might want it. Meta’s automation does a lot of the work, and you’re still responsible for what it runs.
Paying to be seen
Meta’s Brand Summit (15 Oct) pushed Ads Super Burst, First Impression Ads (US test), and broader Reels Trending Ads. Today (28 Oct) product browsing turns on in existing ads unless you opted out. Here’s the plain-words tour with a doodle for each format.
Paying to be seen
ChatGPT ads are chosen by matching your ad to the conversation, then auctioned. 100,000+ advertisers are already in. For most small businesses, watch for now, and don’t move your budget yet.
Paying to be seen
Google Ads is rolling out controls to say which channels get your budget first, plus a one-click test of AI Max. Both are useful, but all channels default to high priority, so nothing changes unless you change it.
Paying to be seen
Meta's new business terms let it crawl websites tied to your business, even if you don't buy ads. It dropped the word 'train' from the clause, and moved the start date from 30 October to 20 November. Review the terms and your robots.txt.
Paying to be seen
Google ads catch people who are already searching for what you sell. Instagram ads show your stuff to people who weren’t looking but might want it. If people search for your thing, start with Google. If they need to see it first, start with Instagram.
Paying to be seen
Meta’s new terms make advertisers solely responsible for whatever its AI tools change in their ads. Due 30 October, now 20 November. From 28 October it plans to switch on product browsing in existing ads unless you opt out. Check your AI settings now.
Paying to be seen
Paid ads mean paying Google, Instagram or Facebook to show you to people. They work fast and stop the moment you stop paying, so they’re best for testing and quick wins, not as your only plan.
Paying to be seen
Start with a small daily budget, a handful of specific search phrases, and a page that answers the search. Then check the search terms report every week and block the searches that waste money.
Fancy terms. Simple ideas.
If someone pitches you one of these, walk away.
four questions, one honest answer
Answer four yes/no questions and find out if paid ads make sense for your business right now, or what to do first.