A “dollar and a dream” is all you need, said the television commercial. The appeal of the Lottery is seductive: shell out a dollar and you could 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 dreams among Google AdWords advertisers. Why? Because they heard that they can “get rich” with Google Adwords. It doesn’t help 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 big bet. Do advertisers make money with Google AdWords? Some do, yes. However, the vast majority of advertisers could also spend their money on lottery tickets.
Is Google AdWords to blame for so many advertisers losing their money? It 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 sole purpose is to entice people to bet. I mean, come on. That’s why they exist. If people didn’t play, 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 is also true that there are people who barely live above the poverty level, spending money they cannot afford on lottery tickets. They get sucked in, because like the TV commercial said, it’s only a dollar. However, those dollars tend to add up pretty quickly, when you spend ten or twenty dollars on lottery tickets.
It’s the same with Google AdWords. People who wouldn’t normally advertise get sucked in, because it only costs five bucks to get started. But when Google charges their credit cards $500 every two weeks and they haven’t made any money, the harsh reality of the situation sets in. It’s not as easy as you 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 advertisers. Most Google AdWords advertisers simply have no idea what they’re doing. They read an ebook on how to make money with Google AdWords and instantly think they’re ready to take on the world.
It’s not that easy, people. You still need to have some basic advertising knowledge to be successful with Google AdWords or any type of advertising. You have to educate yourself first.
And the best way to educate yourself is to read “real” advertising books like “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins and “How to Write a Good Ad” by Victor Schwab and “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word” by Joseph Sugarman. .
Find out first and spend your money later. Is that how it works. Otherwise, you better play the lottery!