If contextual advertising doesn't work: alternative traffic channels

Contextual advertising is one of the most popular ways of attracting customers. However, it happens that the invested funds do not pay off, requests are too expensive, and traffic does not bring the expected results. What to do in such a situation? You should not panic! Instead of endlessly raising the rates in advertising auctions, it is worth paying attention to alternative sources of traffic. Let's find out why context sometimes doesn't work, and what channels will help you attract customers more effectively.

Why context sometimes doesn't go in and what to do about it

Contextual advertising is a powerful tool, but not a panacea. There are many reasons why it may not bring the expected results:

• High competition - In high bid niches, context becomes too expensive, especially if you have a limited budget.
• Configuration errors - The wrong keywords, incorrect audience segmentation or poorly designed adverts can nullify the effectiveness of a campaign.
• Unsuccessful landing pages - If your site does not meet the expectations of users or does not motivate them to leave a request, then even the most clickable ads will not yield results.
• Low conversion rate - If the audience is not ready to buy or the offer does not meet their needs, the advert will work in vain.
• Quickly exhausting the audience - If the demand for your product is limited, context can quickly "burn out", leaving you without new customers.

What to do about it? You can delve into analytics, test different ads and improve the site. But if even after optimisation there are no results, it's time to look for alternative traffic channels.

SEO, social media, referral marketing - where to find customers

When context does not bring the expected results, it is worth switching to other sources of customers. Here are some effective channels that will help you get traffic consistently and without huge costs.

 SEO - free traffic for the long term

If your website is not optimised for search engines, you are losing a huge swathe of potential customers. SEO (search engine optimisation) is a way to get organic traffic without spending on advertising.

• Optimise pages for key queries.
• Create useful and unique content.
• Work on the technical optimisation of the website.
• Develop your link mass - the more quality links to your site, the higher its position in search.

SEO takes time, but in the long run gives you a steady stream of customers without advertising investment.

 Social media is a powerful engagement tool

People now spend hours on social media every day. That means your business needs to be where your customers are. What formats can you use?

• Targeted advertising - If context doesn't work, try social media advertising. It can be cheaper and more effective.
• Personal brand - Expert posts, stories and live streams help to gain the trust of your audience.
• Content marketing - useful articles, videos and guides attract potential customers without intrusive advertising.
• Collaborations with bloggers - reviews, mentions and native advertising can bring in a large flow of customers.

Referral marketing - customers who bring in customers

Recommendations are one of the most powerful marketing tools. If your customers are happy, they can recommend you to others. How to use it?

• Create referral programmewhere clients will receive bonuses for recommendations.
• Run it partnership programmes - attract influencers and partners who will promote your product.
• Collect testimonials and cases - it builds trust in your brand and motivates new customers to buy from you.

How to work with content marketing for steady traffic

Content isn't just articles and posts, it's a powerful customer engagement tool. Good content builds trust, engages your audience and motivates them to interact with your business.

What do you need to do?

• Develop a content strategy - identify what topics your audience is interested in and create useful content.
• Use different formats - articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, infographics. The more formats, the wider the reach.
• Publish regularly - consistency is important. If you publish once a month, your audience will simply forget you.
• SEO Optimisation - promote articles on search engines to attract organic traffic.
• Recycle content - one piece of content can be turned into multiple formats: an article becomes a video, and a video becomes a series of social media posts.

An example of content marketing in action:

• You wrote an article about how to choose a product.
• Optimised it for SEO - it now attracts organic traffic.
• Created a video based on it and put it on YouTube.
• Published a social media post with key thoughts from the article.
• Started an email newsletter with this topic for your subscriber base.
• Prepared a checklist or guide and offered it in exchange for contacts.

In the end, one quality piece of content turns into a powerful customer engagement tool that works for you for months to come.

If contextual advertising does not bring results, this is no reason to spend even more money. It is important to look for alternative traffic channels: SEO, social networks, referral marketing and content strategy will help to attract clients steadily and without exorbitant budgets. The main thing is to test, analyse and find the approach that works best for your business. Develop your marketing in an integrated way, and then you won't have to depend on a single channel of promotion!