Google
Ad Words: Like Playing The Lottery
Google AdWords: Like Playing The Lottery
A "dollar and a dream," is all you need said the television
commercial. The lure of the Lottery is a seductive one: plunk down
a dollar and you might become a millionaire for life. The promise
of "pennies from heaven" makes the Lottery a daily habit
for millions. People flock to convenience stores every morning to
buy a newspaper, a cup of coffee, and a lottery ticket.
I see that same kind of passion and unrealistic dreaming among
Google AdWords advertisers. Why? Because they heard they can "strike
it rich" with Google Adwords. It doesn't help matters any that
Google makes it ridiculously easy to get started with their pay-per-click
program. All you need is "five dollars and a dream!"
Google doesn't advertise that message of course. However, for most
advertisers, it's still a huge gamble nonetheless. Do advertisers
make money with Google AdWords? Some do, yes. However, the vast
majority of advertisers might as well blow their money on lottery
tickets.
Is Google AdWords to blame for so many advertisers losing their
money? That depends on your point of view. Are lotteries responsible
for people gambling and losing their money?
In my opinion, the answer to both questions is yes and no. Lotteries
would never admit this, but their whole purpose for being is to
entice people to gamble. I mean, c'mon. That's why they exist. If
people didn't gamble, there would be no lotteries.
Yes, lotteries hide behind legislation and the pretense that the
money they generate goes toward education and other laudable endeavors,
and for the most part that's true.
However, it's also true that there are people barely living above
poverty level, spending money they can't afford on lottery tickets.
They get sucked in, because like the television commercial said,
it's only a dollar. However, those dollars tend to add up pretty
quickly, when you're spending ten or twenty dollars a pop on lottery
tickets.
It's the same with Google AdWords. People who wouldn't ordinarily
advertise get sucked in, because it's only five dollars to get started.
But when Google charges $500 to their credit cards every couple
of weeks, and they haven't made any money, the harsh reality of
the situation sets in. It's not nearly as easy as they thought or
heard it would be.
Of course, it's easy to blame Google AdWords. However, most of
the blame has to fall on the shoulders of the advertisers. The majority
of Google AdWords advertisers, simply don't have a clue about what
they're doing. They read some e-book about how to make money with
Google AdWords, and instantly think they're ready to conquer the
world.
It's just not that easy, people. You still have to have some fundamental
knowledge of advertising, in order to succeed with Google AdWords
or any type of advertising for that matter. You have to educate
yourself first.
And the best way to educate yourself is by reading "real"
advertising books like "Scientific Advertising," by Claude
Hopkins and "How To Write A Good Advertisement," by Victor
Schwab and "Advertising Secrets Of The Written Word,"
by Joseph Sugarman.
Educate yourself first, and then lay down your money. That's how
it works. To do otherwise, you'd be better off playing the lottery!
About the Author Dean Phillips is an
Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions?
Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net.
Visit his website at: http://www.lets-make-money.net
|
