In the manufacturing world, PPC can often be confused with Production Planning and Control. However, in this guide, we’re focusing on Pay Per Click advertising—a digital marketing strategy that can significantly improve your business’s visibility and sales.

What is PPC? Pay Per Click (PPC) is an online advertising model where businesses pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. It’s a way to “buy” visits to your site rather than earning them organically.

Advertisers bid on specific keywords, and when potential customers search for those terms, the ads are displayed at the top of search engine results or on relevant websites. This allows manufacturers to get in front of potential customers at the precise moment they’re searching for solutions. With effective PPC strategies, you can drive targeted traffic, increase visibility, and generate more qualified leads.

This guide will help you understand the best PPC strategies for manufacturers, covering how to set goals, choose the right platforms, create compelling ads, and track your results to improve both visibility and sales.

Why PPC matters for the manufacturing industry

PPC is an essential strategy for manufacturers aiming to boost their visibility and increase sales. The B2B manufacturing industry is unique, often dealing with niche markets and long buying cycles. This makes targeted advertising critical to reaching decision-makers.

PPC helps manufacturers address two key challenges:

• Boost Visibility: Using high-intent keywords—terms that indicate a potential customer is close to making a purchase—and targeting specific audiences allows manufacturers to appear at the top of search results, increasing exposure among the right prospects. For example, a high-intent keyword might be “buy industrial machinery” as opposed to a more general search like “types of industrial machinery.”
• Drive Sales: By focusing on keywords that indicate purchasing intent, PPC can drive more qualified leads, resulting in increased sales opportunities.

PPC is highly effective for solving challenges like low website traffic and low conversion rates, ultimately boosting sales for manufacturers.

Red-Fern worked with a security provider and generated leads from ppc within the first month. But more than that, leads that lead to pitches and sales won deals.

Setting clear goals for your PPC campaign

Successful PPC campaigns start with clearly defined goals. The right goals will guide your strategy to improve both visibility and sales.

Common goals for manufacturing PPC include:

• Increase quote requests for custom projects.
• Drive demo requests for machinery or other manufacturing solutions.
• Boost brand awareness among key industry audiences.

It’s also essential to include conversion offers that provide value and align with your goals, such as downloadable spec sheets or guides. This strategy not only captures leads but also nurtures them through the sales funnel, thereby improving sales outcome.

Choosing the right PPC platform

Selecting the most effective platform is critical to maximising the impact of your PPC campaigns. However, the decision can be challenging, especially when manufacturers have varying goals such as boosting awareness, promoting specific products, or increasing conversions.

Each platform has its strengths, so it’s important to match your business objectives with the right advertising channel. Here are a few options depending on your goals:

• Google Ads: Best for reaching prospects actively searching for specific manufacturing solutions. This platform is ideal if your goal is to increase visibility during the consideration stage when buyers are evaluating their options. It’s highly effective for driving qualified leads, but the competition for keywords can be fierce, which may drive up costs.
• Microsoft Ads (Formally Bing Ads): With fewer businesses competing for the same keywords, the cost per click (CPC) on Microsoft Ads can be significantly lower, allowing for more efficient use of your advertising budget. This platform is particularly effective for businesses looking to reach high-intent users, but you might face challenges if your goal is broad awareness, as Microsoft has a smaller search market share.
• LinkedIn Ads: Ideal for targeting decision-makers such as CMOs and procurement managers. If you’re focused on B2B outreach or want to build relationships with key decision-makers, LinkedIn is a strong choice. However, LinkedIn Ads can be expensive, so if your goal is primarily awareness or you have a limited budget, other platforms might be more cost-effective.
• Facebook Ads: A good platform for increasing brand awareness and remarketing to potential customers who have already interacted with your business. While it’s excellent for generating new sales opportunities, it might not be as effective for directly reaching decision-makers or users with high purchase intent, which could be a challenge if your focus is on conversions.

Red-Fern adopted an integrated approach for a UK leading metrology specialist. Combining high-intent google ads with cost effective Microsoft ads lead to a reduction in blended CPA by over 50% . LinkedIn advertising was also leveraged for seasonal effect, providing both visibility and conversions for this brand.

Creating compelling Ad copy for manufacturing PPC

To improve both visibility and sales, your PPC ads must resonate with your target audience no matter where they are in their buying journey. Here are some strategies for ads that drive conversions:

• Address the pain points by speaking directly to the challenges that manufacturers face, such as optimising efficiency,reducing production costs or increasing margins.
• Use specific language Incporate terms like ‘bespoke manufacturing’ or ‘custom production’ to show your expertise and credibility.
• Showcase offers that drive action. Whether it’s offering a free consultation or a demo, make sure your ad clearly communicates the next step a potential customer should take.
• Be as specific as possible with your copy and include social proof. Text such as ‘pays for itself within 6 months’ is highly motivating for an ops manager as they can visualise the ROI. Similarly, cost per use can be a good motivator along with social proof. 
• Don’t be afraid to also call out your target audience in your ad copy so that it is clear who is meant to see your ad. For example, ‘Supplying companies with 50+ IT users’ clearly helps to identify the niche you serve, positioning your brand as experts.

Highlighting key differentiators

Manufacturers need to communicate their Unique Selling Points (USPs) effectively to drive leads and sales. Consider emphasising:

• Certifications: Highlight industry certifications such as ISO or CE, which can build trust and increase conversions.
• Special offers: Include offers such as ‘Free Quotes’ or ‘Custom Solutions’ to encourage leads to engage.

Providing targeted conversion offers, like downloadable CAD files or a request-a-quote option, is a proven way to increase lead quality and drive sales

Managing your PPC budget effectively

For manufacturers, managing the PPC budget effectively is key to driving visibility and sales without overspending:

1. Start with testing: Allocate a portion of your budget to test various keywords and ad copies. This will help you determine what works best for improving visibility.
2. Scale successful campaigns: Focus more of your budget on ads that yield the best results, driving both exposure and conversions.
3. Monitor cost per lead (CPL): Tools like a CPC Calculator can help determine how much to spend per click to maximise sales

Tips for maximising PPC ROI

We understand that getting the most out of your marketing budget is critical, especially when it comes to maximising return on investment (ROI). You want to ensure every penny is working towards driving results, and there are several ways you can fine-tune your PPC campaigns to make that happen:

• Using A/B testing: Continuously test different versions of your ad copy to determine which one drives the most engagement. This allows you to refine your message and focus on what resonates best with your audience, ultimately increasing clicks and conversions without overspending.
• Optimising landing pages: Ensure your landing pages are directly aligned with your ad copy. When users click on an ad, they should be taken to a page that answers their needs and mirrors their search intent. This alignment can significantly improve conversion rates and help boost sales, while reducing wasted ad spend on uninterested visitors.
• Targeting high-intent keywords: Focus on keywords that indicate users are ready to take action, like “manufacturing equipment quote” or “order industrial machinery.” These high-intent terms bring in prospects who are more likely to convert, helping you achieve better ROI by targeting users who are already far along in their decision-making process.
• Vital design considerations: Optimised landing pages are a must. Sending users to dedicated pages that are tailored to their search intent can improve conversions and reduce costs, driving both visibility and sales. The more relevant and seamless the experience, the better your PPC campaigns will perform in terms of ROI.

By following these strategies, you’ll ensure your ads are performing at their best, driving the results that matter most for your business.

Measuring the success of your PPC campaign

To evaluate the success of your PPC campaigns, it’s important to go beyond just traffic and impressions. While those metrics show how visible your ads are, there are a few more critical indicators that will give you a clearer picture of your campaign’s effectiveness:

• Click-through rate (CTR): A higher CTR indicates that your ads are relevant to your target audience, improving both visibility and engagement. If your CTR is low, consider revisiting your ad copy to make it more compelling or relevant. Testing different headlines or value propositions can help. Additionally, ensure your keywords align with user intent to drive more qualified clicks.
• Conversion rate: This metric shows how well your campaigns are driving the intended action, such as filling out a quote request or signing up for a demo. If your conversion rate is low, tools like Hotjar can provide insights into how users are interacting with your landing pages. Are they scrolling past the form? Are they getting distracted? These insights can help you refine your page design, optimise for conversions, and improve the user experience.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): CPA helps assess the efficiency of your ad spend in acquiring new customers. If your CPA is too high, ask yourself if the cost is justifiable for a new customer. You might need to review your bidding strategy or refine audience targeting to ensure you’re getting the most value for your ad spend. Sometimes, a higher CPA might be worth it if the lifetime value (LTV) of the customer justifies the cost.
• Quality score: Google assigns a Quality Score to each of your keywords based on the relevance of your ad copy, landing page, and expected CTR. A higher Quality Score can lower your cost per click, meaning you get more visibility for less money. Regularly improving the relevance and user experience of your landing page and ad copy can help boost this score.
• Return on Ad spend (ROAS): ROAS measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on ads. It’s a key indicator of how profitable your campaigns are. If ROAS is low, you might need to reconsider your overall strategy – whether it’s the audience you’re targeting, the ad copy, or even the product or offer itself.

Recommendations for optimisation:

• If your CTR is low, try A/B testing your ad copy and consider revising your value proposition.
• Use Hotjar or similar tools to understand how users interact with your landing page and where you can improve conversion rates.
• Regularly review your CPA to ensure you’re spending efficiently and that the cost is worth the acquisition of new customers.
• Reassess your bidding strategy and audience targeting if you’re not hitting the desired ROAS.

By keeping an eye on these key metrics and making strategic adjustments, you can continuously improve your PPC campaign performance, driving better visibility, conversions, and overall ROI.

Common pitfalls to avoid with manufacturing PPC

There are some easy mistakes to make that could be costly to your budget, but are easy to fix and ensure your campaigns run smoothly.

 Here’s some common mistakes that can be avoided:

• Neglecting negative keywords: These prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches, helping you control costs and improve quality leads.
• Ignoring Landing Page Optimisation: Every click should lead to a targeted landing page that matches the user’s search intent, increasing conversion rates and sales opportunities.

Avoiding these pitfalls helps to maximise the value of your PPC campaigns, driving more qualified leads and sales.

How to get started with your PPC campaign today

Ready to leverage PPC? Here’s how you can get started:

1. Identify high-intent keywords that align with your offerings.
2. Set a realistic budget based on your sales goals.
3. Launch targeted campaigns with clear calls to action.

PPC is a powerful tool for manufacturers looking to enhance visibility and boost sales. By defining clear goals, choosing the right platforms, creating strategic ad copy, and focusing on optimisation, you can create campaigns that deliver measurable results.