by Ashleigh Bunn from fairmarketing

There are no magic beans for online marketing.

It’s tragic but true. Online marketing takes a lot of time, energy and strategy. But done correctly, you can reap the rewards of your giant online marketing presence (that for the sakes of this article will look surprisingly similar to a bean stalk).

I’m not here to tell you how to do it (we’ll save that for another article), but I am here to help you start. Let’s, for just one minute, pretend that you do happen to come across a handful of magic online marketing beans (yes, I know I just told you they don’t exist – and they don’t – but again, for the sake of this article we’ll pretend that they do).

So, you’ve got these beans, these beautiful search marketing beans…magic PPC beans, in fact! It’s a miracle!!! Let’s PLANT them and grow a beautiful online marketing presence…er… beanstalk!!!

But wait…

WHERE are we going to plant these magic beans?

Google sounds nice, doesn’t it? Especially with 66% of the search market share. But how about Yahoo? Or Bing? What if my beanstalk needs to be social? Should I try Facebook, Linked In and now even Twitter?

The answer to all of the above is MAYBE. Magic beans are tricky and sometimes you just need to plant them and see how they grow.

If you only have a few beans, you might try starting where the market share is largest. Not only is Google one of the largest landscapes for magic bean cultivating, but the tools and resources for hitting your growth goals are quite sophisticated. Google definitely wants to see your beanstalk thrive.

That being said, Yahoo and Bing are fertile ground, as well. And if you have enough beans, it’s probably worth your while planting a few on AdCenter. Your beanstalk may be a bit smaller there but it might grow greener, stronger and with sweeter fruit.

As for Facebook, Linked In and Twitter? These markets have their place, too.

You must first ask yourself:

• Do I want my beanstalk to grow tall and fat?
• Or maybe I’m looking for a stalk with many more vines?
• Will my vine bear fruit or is it merely an item of beauty and branding?

The bottom line here, in case you’ve completely missed my analogy, is that when it comes to selecting a platform for your paid marketing ads, it’s important first to understand your marketing goals. From there, you can make the right decision regarding where to put those magic beans…er…dollars.

But don’t be afraid to change your mind. You just might be surprised what you might find on a smaller, less popular search engine. Without sounding too cliché…I’m encouraging you to branch out (beanstalk and all!).