As most marketers know, advertising budgets are getting tighter, but the expectations are growing higher. So, how can you make sure that every dollar you spend is working as hard as it needs to?

In this episode of Spark the Space, ClearEdge’s CMO, Lesly Cardec, sits down with our Director of Digital Marketing, Jordan Blommer, to share what you need to do to do paid advertising right and on a budget.

Paid Advertising on a Budget with Jordan Blommer

Finding the Sweet Spot Between Paid and Organic

The conversation kicked off with one of marketing’s eternal questions: How do you balance paid and organic efforts? 

Blommer emphasizes that the relationship between the two requires constant attention since “over time, advertisers often end up paying for clicks that they should have gotten for free.” The key is vigilant monitoring to ensure your paid campaigns complement rather than cannibalize your organic traffic.

And remember: neither SEO nor paid advertising thrives on autopilot. This isn’t something you can “set and forget.” It needs ongoing optimization and a keen eye on how both channels perform together so you can get the most out of your investments.

Strategic Spending on the Right Platforms

Rather than spreading your budget thin across multiple channels, focus on platforms where:

  • Your target audience is active and engaged
  • The platform’s strengths align with your campaign goals
  • You can leverage ad scheduling to display ads when your audience is most receptive

Tactics like ad scheduling and platform selection ensure you’re not wasting precious budget showing ads when your target customers aren’t online or aren’t in a buying mindset.

Landing Pages: Where Conversions Live or Die

Landing pages are often as important as the ad itself, and sometimes they’re even more important. Blommer points out a common mistake: “Too often we find companies send people to a generic ‘about us’ page.”

Remember, “people aren’t there to learn your life story. They’re there to see how you can help them.”

Your landing page should directly address the problem your audience is trying to solve. Make the conversion path crystal clear, with forms and calls-to-action that are impossible to miss.

Practical Tips for Budget-Conscious Advertisers

For marketers looking to stretch their advertising dollars further, consider these tips:

  • Start small and test constantly. Don’t try to do everything at once—pick one or two key campaigns, test different variations, then invest in what’s working.
  • Focus on intent. Prioritize capturing audiences actively searching for solutions you offer. As Blommer shared, “You don’t need a huge budget to compete. You just need to show up at the right moment with the right message.”
  • Ensure proper tracking integration. Make sure your ad platforms are properly communicating with your analytics tools. If you can’t track what’s happening, you can’t optimize.

Ready to make your paid advertising deliver? We can help with that.

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