Paid Advertising: The Basics for Entrepreneurs and Online Teachers

The arena of paid advertising and marketing can be very confusing, especially for those just starting a business. In this blog post, I will outline ways that online teachers and entrepreneurs can utilize paid advertising most effectively. The purpose of this article is to highlight the informative and important points discussed in Chris Rush’s YouTube video on the topic.

As many entrepreneurs and business owners know, ads can make or break a business. Whether it is a local business or an online business, ads are extremely important— they attract new customers and clientele! Unfortunately, ads are not often utilized in the best way possible. Continue reading and check out the video below to find out the ways that online teachers and entrepreneurs can use paid advertising to boost their business presence and reach desired outcomes. 

What to consider when creating advertisements 

First things first, you must determine why you are making the ad in the first place. There are three main components to analyze, along with questions, that you should consider when determining how to utilize paid advertising: 

1. The audience: who are you advertising to? What is your target audience/ demographic? What is important to them? Why do they need your product/service?
2. The ad: what do you need to include in the ad? Is the copy/text relevant? Is the image effective/visually appealing? Did you test your images? What images will you include?
3. The funnel: where will your ad take prospective customers? Is there a final destination that you want potential customers to reach? 

Though these three components seem simple to define, it’s important to know that they are inherently connected. When creating your paid ad, you must have a clear trajectory of who your ad is targeting and how you will present your ad to them so they will “land” where you want. 

The funnel

The funnel is one of the most difficult and confusing parts to master when developing paid ads. The reason being is that it’s hard to convert clients into a buying stage when they are only in the learning stage. So for some teachers or entrepreneurs, this funnel or landing page could be a website, for others, this could be a simple lead capture page.

One of the major things to remember is that people in the learning stage do not want to make major commitments. For example, if you are an online ESL teacher and you immediately offer a free trial lesson, it is going to be extremely difficult to convert potential based on ads. Instead offer them something with a lower commitment but high value in return, like a free lesson plan or homework sheet. Simply ask for an email in return. This is where communication will begin with your prospective client; the exchange is in motion. As you develop a better relationship with this potential customer, the more likely they are to invest in your product/service. 

Tip: if you have a website with many click options, send the customer to one landing page so that this issue is circumvented. 

Moving forward with paid advertising

Contrary to popular belief, marketing is a giant task especially for an independent teacher or small business. With that being said, do not overwhelm yourself or expect every ad to be perfect. 

Here are some things you can do when starting to utilize paid advertising: 

1. Take advantage of Facebook Ads: it has incredibly robust audience analysis tools that will help you hone in on your desired audience. 
2. Use Facebook as a platform: create a Facebook Page or Group. Be sure to connect your other websites to it if you can!
3. Keep learning: this is the most important piece of advice. Make time to learn, even if it is just an hour to investigate the basics of marketing and paid advertisements. 

The key to paid advertising is to gain more insight into your customers and what they need so that you can serve them better. Remember, progress can take time and don’t give up. If you have utilized paid advertising in any way, Off2Class would love to hear in the comments below. We want to hear what worked for you and even what didn’t. Be sure to join the Off2Class Facebook Group and subscribe to the Youtube Channel for all the latest teacher tips.