Creating your first PPC ad campaign can be nerve-wracking — especially if you haven’t had any real-world experience yet. These Mimic Pro tips will help you use the simulation to better prepare you to enter the field with experience and confidence.
Mimic Pro is an amazing way for students to apply what they learn in their internet marketing courses in a controlled, simulated environment, without risking real money.
And Mimic Pro not only teaches the skills needed to create a successful PPC ad campaign — it reinforces those skills through state-of-the-art, hands-on simulations of real-world situations that you’re likely to face in your career.
So, let’s get right to it. Here are five ways to help you dominate in the Mimic Pro simulation, and in the real world.
Mimic Pro Tip 1 – Better Keyword Research
Having the right keywords is critical to the success of your PPC ad campaign, so don’t EVER underestimate the importance of keyword research. How do you perform good keyword research?
First, consider putting yourself in the searcher’s shoes. Think about what the searcher’s intent is, then categorize your keywords into three main groups: buyers, researchers, and browsers.
Next, select keywords in those categories that best fit the goal of your campaign.
Finally ask yourself this question about the keywords you are considering using: If searchers click on my ad after searching for that keyword, will they find what they are looking for?
Expert Tip: Getting It Right With Keyword Research with Perrin Carrell (Expert Session)
Keyword Research 101 – Part 1 with George Do (Expert Session)
Keyword Research 101 – Part 2 with George Do (Expert Session)
Mimic Pro Tip 2 – Relevancy
Your keywords, landing pages, and ads, all need to be consistent and relevant to each other.
For example, if you use “canon camera” as one of your keywords, you’ll want to make sure that phrase appears high on your landing page content because your SEO ranking improves each time Google’s GoogleBot (spider) finds those keywords at the top of your page.
Consistency with your landing page also means delivering what you promise in your ads. If your ad says you sell Canon cameras, offer free shipping, or discount 10% off all purchases over $200, then you better make sure those offers are easy to locate on the landing page your ad is linked to.
One last tip: Your landing page should avoid using keywords that are not directly related to your ad. For example, if potential customers click an ad for GoPro 7, and are directed to all GoPros instead of that specific model, they will be less likely to convert — which hurts you in terms of sales and revenue.
Expert Tip: 7 Principles of Conversion-Centered Design with Oli Gardner (Expert Session)
Google Ads: Writing Ad Copy for Clicks vs. Conversions with Sara Emerson (Expert Session)
Mimic Pro Tip 3 – Never Stop Testing
Internet marketers test new ads, landing pages, and keywords — and then they test them again, and again, and again. You’ll soon find that effective advertising relies heavily on trying new things to see what works, and then making adjustments and testing some more.
The Mimic Pro simulation has built-in features that allow you to create several ads for one ad group, just like you would in Google AdWords. Make sure to take advantage of this key feature — testing your ads in this way will improve your ad copy and landing page content.
Another tip to help you dominate Mimic Pro may seem old-fashioned, but you’ll soon realize that the advice is timeless. Keep a notebook handy while you play through the sim, and use it to take notes about which ads you’re testing for which campaigns. Keep track of the results, and take more notes about what’s working, and what isn’t.
This approach will not only help you stay organized while managing multiple campaigns, it will also help you notice themes and patterns that will elevate your marketing game in powerful ways.
Expert Tip: Read the CopyHackers blog, and follow Joanna Wiebe on Twitter.
Mimic Pro Tip 4 – Know What The Data Represents
Make sure you understand what everything means in the data produced from your PPC ad campaigns.
If you are unfamiliar with terms or phrases, don’t just skim past them. Look up unfamiliar words, learn what they mean, and use that new understanding to improve your campaigns.
Expert Tip: How to make data-driven decisions with PPC with Zach Olsen (Expert Session)
Why Digital Marketing Analytics? With Nathan David (Expert Session)
Mimic Pro Tip 5 – Use Your Resources
Taking the time to go over the resources given to you in the Mimic Pro simulation is absolutely essential.
Watch the introduction videos to help you get familiar with the platform. Read all of the content and directions given to you in the simulation, and read them THOROUGHLY. All of these materials contain valuable tips and tricks that will help you succeed, both in the sim and in the real world!
There are also many industry resources and excellent third-party tools to help you with keyword research and analytics. Some of these third-party tools include:
- SEMRush.com (see how you and your competitors currently rank on the keywords you’re using)
- KeywordTool.io (type in a seed keyword like “fishing” to generate a list of similar search terms)
- KeywordSpy.com (find out who your competitors are)
Expert Tip: Check out more industry-related news and tips on the Stukent Blog (Click on the Industry tab!)
Bonus Domination Tips
These are just five of the many things you can do to dominate in the Mimic Pro simulation and in a real PPC ad campaign.
And to prove we really DO want you to dominate this sim experience, here are two additional bonus tips:
BONUS TIP #1: Sell brands that are profitable, not just popular.
BONUS TIP #2: Always keep your budget in mind. You should assess your budget priorities frequently to make sure that you can allocate more budget to PPC ad campaigns that are performing well.
Now, we want to know what you have done to dominate in the Mimic Pro simulation. Share some of your tips in the comments below!
