It’s astonishing how many PPC marketers haven’t tried Quora. While more channels mean more work, shouldn’t we do everything to keep clients visible to their target audience? Shouldn’t we always test new marketing channels to lower CPAs? The answer should always be “yes,” so why not try Quora?

Adding a channel just because is not a cross-platform strategy. You want a channel that complements your existing PPC strategy and enhances its effectiveness. So, here are three reasons why you should consider Quora for your PPC strategy.

Reason #1: Quora probably hosts your target audience

One thing’s remained constant since Quora Ads beta: advertisers can sign up, add the pixel to their (or their clients’) website, and start building audiences without providing credit card information. I love this because clients often say, “My audience isn’t on Quora. We don’t need to advertise there.” Then I convince them to at least set up an account, install the pixel, and show them this…

Ignoring 1.4 million potential customers in six months? Unthinkable. This data is crucial for your marketing strategy. This is important because I’m increasingly seeing images like this in clients’ Google Analytics accounts.

Conversion paths in Google Analytics are getting longer. The length might be the same, but we can track more touchpoints as we expand to new channels. We see how staying visible impacts conversions. I’ve written about the Google Display Network’s biggest strength: brand awareness. Quora offers this too. While I get direct conversions from Quora (often cheaper than other paid channels), I also see many assisted conversions. If people aren’t ready to convert when they see my Quora ad, I’m still top-of-mind, influencing them to convert later through other channels.

Reason #2: Reaching your target audience on Quora is more cost-effective

Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario. While fictional, I’ve used this tactic successfully for clients because it simply works. Let’s say my client is a SaaS company with a product perfect for email marketers.

Looking at LinkedIn’s Member Skills, Member Interests, Member Groups, and Job Titles related to email marketing, no matter the campaign targeting (layered options using AND/OR or focusing on one attribute), the lowest US-targeted CPC was $6.43. Most times, it hit $7.14. For awareness campaigns, especially for smaller budgets, this is a tough sell. We might need new ways to reach these users. That’s where Quora comes in.

Quora lets you target down to the question level. You can place ads on any specific question, though volume might be limited. So, in the example above, I stuck with broader email marketing topics within Quora. I didn’t select every available option, just those suggested. Now, let’s see the CPC range for these specific topics.

Another thing I love about Quora is CPC transparency. When setting your CPC, Quora provides a range. For our email marketing topics, it’s $0.68 to $2.58. Quora shows actual bid ranges from other advertisers, helping you understand your position. Bidding higher enters you into more auctions, potentially leading to a higher CTR and lower actual CPC. Even at the maximum $2.58 bid, it’s still almost 60% cheaper than LinkedIn. You might be thinking, “The targeting options across these platforms are different.” True, but that’s not my point. You’ll likely use these channels to reach your target audience. If one is significantly expensive, why not try driving more affordable traffic with Quora first? If you’re not reaching your desired audience size, allocate remaining budget to pricier channels. If budget isn’t a constraint, then, by all means, run campaigns on multiple platforms concurrently! I’m not advocating choosing one channel exclusively. However, if you have budget limitations, start with the platform offering the lowest CPCs while delivering qualified users.

Reason #3: Leverage Quora’s targeting to build remarketing audiences

The same email marketing client wanted to target competitors on Facebook and LinkedIn, specifically those interested in MailChimp, Zoho, Constant Contact, SendX, Ontraport, and others. While we found relevant LinkedIn competitor groups with low CPCs, Facebook proved challenging, lacking some competitors as targetable interest categories. But with Quora…

…every competitor was a targetable topic. Our ads could appear on any question or answer categorized under these competitor topics, putting us in front of users actively researching or discussing our competition. That’s valuable traffic we might miss on other social platforms. Remember, users exploring competitor topics might not know our brand. They could be in early research stages, not ready to convert. That’s fine! We shouldn’t force a “sign up now” message. Instead, nurture these leads, just like on other platforms.

Using tagged URLs in your Quora Ads lets you create website visitor audiences in other PPC channels. If other platforms lack your desired targeting options, but Quora delivers, create remarketing campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google Display based on traffic from your initial Quora campaign. This multi-channel approach finds the right audience and stays visible across platforms until they convert. Instead of replacing existing channels, Quora enhances their performance and reach.

Enhance your cross-platform PPC strategy with Quora marketing

Don’t abandon Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. However, limiting your audience to just a few platforms is shortsighted. Explore other channels like Quora for a comprehensive cross-platform marketing strategy. Here’s a recap of why you should integrate Quora into your strategy:

1. Quora likely hosts your target audience.
2. Reaching your target audience on Quora is more cost-effective.
3. Leverage Quora’s targeting to build remarketing audiences. Quora keeps you engaged with existing users and helps discover new ones, building awareness and product interest—all for less than other channels. If you haven’t tried Quora yet and consider yourself a multi-channel strategist, now’s the time to start!