Several years ago, I helped build the National Cattlemen’s Association into one of the most powerful trade associations in the United States (now known as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association). Actually, I motivated its membership to turn the organization around.

Trade associations are unique in the membership world. They typically work for an entire industry, not just members. Conveying membership value to all stakeholders is critical. If the members don’t perceive the benefits and the value, convincing them to renew their membership will be a challenge. Since it is easier to renew a member than to recruit a new member, let’s start our research and planning in this arena.

Engagement Improves Membership Retention

Prior to my record-breaking membership program for the cattlemen, approximately 30 percent of its members were dropping out and leaving the organization each year. Until we understood the disconnect, we suspended most recruitment campaigns and targeted the dropped members with surveys. We begged for feedback and opened the door for their return. We learned about their objections and we adjusted the messaging to members during the renewal campaigns. 

Thanks to membership research and engagement, the drop rate eased to less than 10 percent within six months. We renewed thousands of dropped members within the first 12 months.

Finally, we improved membership engagement opportunities with continuing education, certifications, leadership training, tours and more. An engaged member is more likely to serve the association and renew their membership.

Membership Recruitment Requires Market Segmentation and Targeting

Once you have a firm handle on membership retention, you will have much more success with membership recruitment. As with the membership renewal campaigns, the membership recruitment campaigns were refined for better targeting and messaging. We procured membership lists from all state affiliates and targeted those prospects since these targets were already joiners. We sent these prospects custom materials that stressed the value of membership at the state and national level. We also deployed members from these affiliates to reach out and invite their friends and neighbors to join the national association.

We also had a massive database of prospects around the world. We sorted the database to find prospects who were most likely to join, such as prospects who were on more than one source list. We also found those who were on more than two, three, four and five lists. I called these prospects joiners and we targeted them aggressively. It was a very productive list.

I also sorted the prospect database for files that contained key words to distinguish large operators from the smaller ones. Names that included “Land & Cattle Company,” for example were responsive targets who typically paid more in dues.

“We also encouraged all members to recruit a new member,” said Gary Chandler, CEO Of Crossbow Communications. “We provided them with incentives, recognition and outreach materials. This was the most cost-effective recruitment tactic in the toolbox.”

Messaging

During our outreach to dropped members, we found that the most common objection to overcome was regarding a new industry “tax” on producers that was being imposed to fund a campaign that promoted beef consumption. The funds did not go to the association, but most producers did not understand the difference, so we added that important message to the campaigns.

We encouraged non-members to sample the publications produced by the association. The publications were the only membership benefits that non-members didn’t receive (industry advocacy benefits members and nonmembers alike).

After 24 months, we set a new membership record of 41,000 members. The growing membership base provided the organization with vital financial strength and political leverage.

Membership Outreach

Before launching your next membership campaign, audit your website. Make the content resonate with search engines so that more membership prospects find you. Make sure that the membership story is complete, yet concise. Is there a call to action? Is there enough information for a current member to recruit a new member? Do you have a blog to add fresh content and targeted content that will help attract stakeholders? Invite industry experts to post a blog.

Of course, there are many avenues available to reach membership prospects and current members. There are no silver bullets, but direct mail is still important for trade associations and email is a critical part of the marketing mix. LinkedIn is a productive platform when used strategically. Facebook and X also can boost your visibility, while positioning your association as a leader. YouTube and a YouTube channel will probably make sense within your marketing plan. 

Attending and exhibiting at industry events is still important, plus these events are fuel for social media.

Most importantly, don’t forget the power of news. A Leading trade association should be a newsmaker. Plus, news is more credible than marketing and news helps fuel your social media machine.

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Best Practices In Membership Marketing appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

Artificial intelligence is shaking up the marketing world. Generative AI is proving itself as a source of content, copy, speeches, audio and video presentations and more. What else can we expect in 2023?

• Authenticity will matter most on social media. Consumers are more discerning than ever before, and they can spot a fake from a mile away. In 2023, brands that want to connect with consumers on a genuine level will need to focus on authenticity in their social media marketing. This means being transparent about who they are and what they stand for, and avoiding any hint of inauthenticity.
• Visuals will reign supreme. With attention spans shrinking and information overload at an all-time high, visuals are more important than ever in advertising. In 2023, brands will need to create eye-catching and visually appealing ads that will capture attention and stand out from the crowd.
• Artificial intelligence will shape strategies. Artificial Intelligence is already being used in a variety of ways in marketing, and its use is only going to grow. AI can be used to automate tasks, target ads more precisely, and even create personalized content for individual consumers. Brands that want to stay ahead of the curve will need to embrace AI and incorporate it into their marketing strategies.
• Voice search optimization will become more important than ever. As voice search becomes more popular, brands will need to optimize their websites and content for voice search. This means using natural language and conversational keywords that people are likely to use when searching for information.
• Mobile-centric campaigns will continue to dominate. Mobile devices are now the primary way that people access the internet, and this trend is only going to continue in 2023. Brands that want to reach their target audience need mobile-friendly ads and websites.

In addition to these trends, there are a number of other factors that will shape the future of advertising this year. These include the rise of social commerce, the increasing importance of data privacy, and the growing demand for sustainability. Brands that are able to adapt to these changes and trends will be well-positioned for success in the years to come.

Data privacy laws are becoming increasingly stringent around the world, and this is having a major impact on marketing.

In 2023, marketers will need to be more mindful of how they collect, use, and share data about consumers. They will also need to give consumers more control over their personal information. Here are some of the key data privacy laws that marketers need to be aware of today:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): The GDPR is a comprehensive privacy law that applies to all businesses that process the personal data of individuals in the European Union. The GDPR gives individuals a number of rights, including the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data. It also requires businesses to obtain consent before collecting or processing personal data.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): The CCPA is a similar law that applies to businesses that collect the personal data of California residents. The CCPA gives consumers similar rights to those under the GDPR, and it also requires businesses to provide consumers with a way to opt out of the sale of their personal data.
• Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA): The VCDPA is a new privacy law that applies to businesses that collect the personal data of Virginia residents. The VCDPA is similar to the GDPR and the CCPA, but it has some unique provisions, such as a requirement for businesses to conduct data protection assessments.

In addition to these specific laws, marketers should also be aware of general data privacy principles, such as the need to collect data only for legitimate purposes, the need to keep data secure, and the need to delete data when it is no longer needed.

Marketers who fail to comply with data privacy laws could face significant fines and penalties. They could also damage their reputations and lose the trust of consumers.

To comply with data privacy laws, marketers need to:

• Conducting a data privacy audit: This will help businesses to identify the personal data that they collect and process, and to assess how they are using that data.
• Putting in place data privacy policies and procedures: These policies and procedures should outline how businesses will collect, use, and share personal data. They should also outline how businesses will respond to data breaches.
• Obtaining consent from consumers: Businesses should obtain consent from consumers before collecting or processing their personal data. This consent should be clear and unambiguous, and it should be specific about how the data will be used.
• Giving consumers control over their personal data: Businesses should give consumers the ability to access, correct, and delete their personal data. They should also give consumers the ability to opt out of the sale of their personal data.
• Keeping data secure: Businesses should take steps to keep personal data secure, such as using encryption and access controls.
• Deleting data when no longer needed: Businesses should delete personal data when it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected.

By taking these steps, marketers can help to ensure that they are complying with data privacy laws and protecting the privacy of consumers.

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Digital Advertising Trends Evolving appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

One of the major reasons that businesses fail is because they fail to plan. Marketing is no exception to this rule. Even a simple marketing plan is better than none. A marketing plan can help us identify issues and opportunities. It can help us identify allies and critical success factors. It can help us overcome objections. It can help us identify our biggest competitors–including their strengths and weaknesses. It can help us identify our unique selling proposition and our own strengths and weaknesses.

Just follow these simple steps to create your next marketing plan. Adjust it and refine it as your company evolves and as the market evolves:

1. Define your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your marketing plan? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Once you know your goals, you can start to develop specific objectives that will help you achieve them.
2. Analyze and segment your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your marketing plan? What are their needs and wants? Once you understand your target audience, you can tailor your marketing messages and strategies to resonate with them.
3. Research your competition. What are your competitors doing? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Understanding your competition will help you identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and stand out from the crowd.
4. Choose your marketing channels. Where will you reach your target audience? There are a variety of marketing channels available, including social media, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, earned media, and paid advertising. Choose the channels that are most likely to reach your target audience and achieve your goals.
5. Create your marketing messages. What kind of content will you create to reach your target audience? This could include a media release, blog posts, infographics, videos, social media posts, email campaigns, and more. Your marketing content should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience.
6. Promote your content. Once you have created your marketing content, you need to promote it so that your target audience can see it. This could involve sharing your content on social media, running paid digital advertising campaigns, or submitting your content to relevant websites and directories.
7. Track your results. It’s important to track the results of your marketing plan so that you can see what’s working and what’s not. This will help you make adjustments to your plan and ensure that you’re achieving your goals.

Create An Effective Marketing Plan

• Be specific and measurable. Your goals and objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Be flexible. The marketing landscape is constantly changing, so it’s important to be flexible and adaptable with your plan.
• Be realistic. Don’t set unrealistic goals or expectations.
• Be collaborative. Work with other departments within your company, such as sales and product development, to create a cohesive marketing plan.
• Be consistent. Stick to your marketing plan and don’t give up. It takes time to see results from marketing efforts.

“Creating a marketing plan might sound daunting, but it’s an essential part of your success,” said Gary Chandler, CEO of Crossbow Communications. “By following these steps, you can create a plan that will help you achieve your marketing goals cost-effectively.”

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Write A Powerful Marketing Plan appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

Personalized marketing campaigns are more important than ever, and B2B companies must continue leveraging data for innovation and cost-effectiveness. The growing use of AI and automation in marketing is demonstrating the potential of creating more effective campaigns, but they will never replace the human element completely. While these technologies can help companies create more personalized and engaging marketing experiences, they must be used responsibly and ethically. While AI and automation have become helpful tools, businesses must not overuse them. Human judgment and creativity are still important components of effective marketing efforts.

Einstein, Salesforce’s AI-powered marketing platform, helps companies target customers more effectively. Einstein identifies trends and predicts future behavior by analyzing customer data. This insight helps businesses create targeted marketing campaigns that are more successful, due to personalization, predictions, and automation. Thanks to AI, Salesforce can help generate lead scoring and lead nurturing, which allows marketers to focus on strategy and innovation. This allows businesses to generate more customer engagement and more revenue, while controlling costs. To meet the expectations of customers for a seamless and personalized experience across all touch points, companies must invest in creating a great customer experience.

Here are some of the top marketing trends:

• Video and live-streaming. Video is already a powerful marketing tool, and its use is only going to grow in 2023. Marketers will increasingly use video to tell stories, showcase products and services, and connect with customers on a more personal level. Live-streaming is another trend that is gaining momentum, as it allows brands to interact with customers in real time and provide a more immersive experience.
• Social commerce. Social commerce is the process of buying and selling products and services directly through social media platforms. This trend is expected to grow significantly in 2023, as more and more consumers turn to social media to research and purchase products. Marketers will need to make sure their social media presence is optimized for commerce if they want to succeed in this space.
• Data-driven marketing. Data has always been important in marketing, but it is becoming even more critical in 2023. Marketers need to collect and analyze data to better understand their customers and create more personalized marketing campaigns. This data can be used to track customer behavior, identify trends, and target marketing efforts more effectively. It also can help develop new revenue streams
• Influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that involves partnering with influencers to promote products or services to their followers. This trend is expected to continue to grow in 2023, as more and more businesses see the value of working with influencers to reach their target audiences.
• Omnichannel marketing. In today’s digital world, consumers are using a variety of channels to interact with brands. Marketers need to create omnichannel marketing campaigns that reach customers across all of their preferred channels. This includes traditional channels like TV and print, as well as digital channels like social media and email.

“These are just a few of the marketing trends to watch in 2023,” said Gary Chandler, CEO of Crossbow Communications. “Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity will continue to influence the landscape for digital marketers. Data collection and data analytics are evolving rapidly.”

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post B2B Marketing Tips appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

Google has revolutionized the marketing world over the past 20 years. Shotgun marketing, mass marketing and traditional advertising have been pushed aside by the digital revolution, which allows advertisers to focus like a laser beam on people’s recent search history.

In 1998, the founders of Google offered to sell the company for $1 million. Today, Alphabet, Google’s parent company has a market capitalization of $1.25 trillion thanks to the advertising empire and the industry that it founded.

Since Google’s search results are viewed by billions of people every day, its search engine is king of the hill. The company now controls approximately 90 percent of the search market and 40 percent of the digital advertising market. Digital advertisers can’t afford to ignore Google and they can’t ignore best practices that will make their advertising campaigns more cost-effective.

Google advertisers should use Value Rules to prioritize audiences for optimal targeting and maximum impact.

Value Rules allows marketers to segment markets based on location, device or audience interests. It’s a way to tell the algorithm which market segments are the most valuable to the advertiser, which can improve the relevance of your ads and boost the cost-effectiveness of your ad campaigns.

Don’t confuse Value Rules with conversion values or location targeting, which also are important tactics.

In my experience, most advertisers understand conversion values, but fail to establish them properly. Most advertisers understand location targeting, but very few are employing Value Rules. It’s simple, resourceful and powerful way to make sure that your Google ads reach the right person at the right time with the right message. It’s a way to gain a competitive edge over your competitors, while making your campaigns more cost-effective.

To learn how to put Value Rules to work for your company or cause, please contact us.

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Improve Google Ads With Value Rules appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

Google Analytics (known as Universal Analytics) was replaced by Google Analytics. What is the difference?

• GA4 tracks users across multiple devices—mobile, tablet and desktop. Universal Analytics (UA) sees them all as unique visitors to your website.
• Helps advertisers comply with evolving data privacy laws around the world.
• Start banking data in GA4 now, so that your advertisers have relevant data to help optimize their accounts and campaigns next July and beyond. Without linking GA4 now, that data will be lost forever.

Universal Analytics set a new standard for how user data is collected and organized. Introduced in 2012, Universal Analytics is almost obsolete due to data privacy regulations across the U.S and around the world.

Google Analytics 4 is the next generation of data and measurement. It collects event-based data from both websites and apps to better understand the customer journey. It uses event-based data instead of session-based. It includes privacy controls and behavioral and conversion modeling. Next July, it will be the only game in town.

The GA4 Setup Assistant wizard does not migrate historical data to your new GA4 property. Your GA4 property only collects data going forward, which is why it’s important to link now. To see historical data, use the reports in your Universal Analytics property. You’ll be able to see your reports for an unspecified period of time. However, new user data will only flow into your GA 4 properties.

To link your Google Ads account, go to Tools & Settings on your dashboard. Under Measurement, click on Audiences. Scroll to the left side of the page and click “Your Data Sources.” Just follow the prompts to share and link.

If you have any problems, this link can help. Otherwise, call 1-866-2-Google.

While you’re at it, switch your account over to Data-Driven Attribution to capture full-funnel data and all touch points. Measurement is the foundation of machine learning and optimization of the algorithm. Better data also promotes better decisions.

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Advertisers Evolve With Google Analytics 4 appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

In the past 20 years, Google has revolutionized the marketing world. As the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the trend toward digital commerce, Google helped advertisers reap the rewards.

Marketing budgets rebounded sharply in 2021. Though all forms of advertising including traditional media are making gains, the comeback was driven primarily by increases in digital and alternative ad spending.

In 2021, Marketers fueled double-digit growth in streaming audio and video advertising, digital video game advertising, digital product placement, social media advertising and influencer marketing. Traditional advertising isn’t going away, but digital and alternative channels offer advertisers effective ways to reach their target markets.

As the online marketplace evolves, Google still has unparalleled reach. Most of us use the most popular search engines, including Google, Bing and Yahoo. Despite the options, Google handles 87 percent of the US market share and 92 percent of global search traffic. Google processes 6 billion searches every day to help people find what to do, where to go, and what to buy. Google ads can appear when someone is looking for products or services. The right ad at the right time can turn searchers into customers.

People want fast, relevant, seamless and positive experiences on the Internet. Google now delivers a more assistive experience and a more personal experience, but the premium is still on relevance. It will continue to offer more video, more voice-activated searches, and a more immersive experience in the future. The online marketplace continues to evolve and Google continues to lead the way.

Marketing objectives and measurement are the foundation of every Search Campaign. Each campaign and each ad group usually have a different objective. The objectives usually dictate the key action that we want a person to take after seeing and reading our advertisement. Each objective should be meaningful and measurable.

Building A Great Google Ads Campaign

Keywords and Audiences: Keywords are the foundation of campaign success. The words and phrases that a person uses while searching determines what ads show in the search query results. Keywords are words that advertisers use to specify which user searches/user queries they want to trigger their ads. Those keywords will trigger the ad auction for that search. Keywords are words/phrases the advertiser bids on based on their Marketing Objectives. What keywords do our top prospects (by segment) use when talking, researching or shopping for our product or service? Machine learning can help advertisers identify important keywords. Being too precise might hurt the campaign. General keywords often work best for new campaigns, depending on your objectives. Negative keywords can exclude keywords from search results.

Before campaigns are launched, advertisers can use Google’s Keyword Planning Tool to find how many searches include each term under consideration. This tool also helps identify potential keywords that an advertiser may have missed. Once a campaign starts running, Google will make suggestions for optimization.

Broad Match: Covers all possible business-related searches. It can help advertisers identify new keywords. Serves upper funnel, long-tail queries. Usually includes misspellings, singular/plural, roots/derivatives, abbreviations and accents. Maximizes reach.

Phrase Match: Finds users who have intent (value) and gives advertisers more more control.

Exact Match: High value customers with intent. Maximum performance, but fewer clicks.

Customer Match: Enhance your data with Google. First-party cookie search audience solution. Helps you reach the right people at the right time with the right message. Seamless and personal is critical. Target or exclude segments uploaded to Google.

Does the advertiser have customer and prospect data that can be uploaded for Customer Match (data enhancement by Google). It can take up to 48 hours to upload and run the match. Customer match can help exclude targets, too. Customer Match can help an advertiser reach their current customers on the web. Customer Match can help generate Similar Audiences.

Similar Audiences: Google can compare the prospects/customers on an advertiser’s list and scan its database for other prospects that have similar profiles. This allows for targeting, while expanding reach. Does the advertiser have lists of people who should be excluded from the campaign?

Remarketing Search List Audiences (RSLA): A powerful tool that can improve an advertiser’s reach, relevance and performance. RSLA uses site data to improve campaign performance. Sometimes referred to as “stalking.” RSLA uses an advertiser’s data to keep after shoppers and customers for purchases, upgrades and accessories–they already have their wallet out). It can keep influencing prospects who have taken micro steps along their online journey (viewers, clickers, subscribers, form-fillers, callers, etc.) RSLA allows advertisers to refine bidding, messaging and keywords. RSLA also enables Google to find similar audiences for added reach and efficiency. On average, RSLA reduces CPA by 44 percent.

Ad groups can be based on common denominators, including age, location, products, and life events. There are many ways to split the ad groups. Within an Ad Group, you can have multiple Ads, Audiences, and Keywords. Does the strategy target age, demographics or product lines?

We have the right keywords and the right audiences, what do we want the audience to see? What’s the call to action: Who do we want to do what? What is the value proposition? Most advertisers target needs, wants or fears. What keywords must be in the ad copy? The text portion of the ad should be specific, relevant, attractive, appealing, empowering, and action-oriented.

Ad Quality: The call to action should be the first thing that the user sees. Always work to improve CTR. Ad scores are based on relevance, the user experience and the landing page experience.

• Be specific in the ad;
• Test calls to action;
• Highlight unique benefit;
• Create time- and location-specific ads;
• Add negative words;
• Be specific on mobile;
• Be local (language/locations); and
• Include relevant search terms in the ad copy.

Ad Rank: Better ads and campaigns earn better positions. The highest ad rank usually earns top position in search. Your ad rank impacts your cost per click. Factors include:

• Bid Rank;
• Ad score;
• Expected impact of extensions in ad;
• Expected click-through rate;
• Ad relevance in the search;
• Landing page experience (relevant, original and helps customer find solution);
• Action-time ad quality. Make the landing page the right page. Be consistent, transparent, trustworthy. The page should be fast and clear; and
• Rethink mobile strategy.

Optimization Score: An index and automated guide that offers recommendations to improve your campaign quality. The tool estimates the impact of the changes (if implemented) on the campaign.

Headline: The first impression. Gain attention and a desire to read more.

Ad Description: Use to build interest and offer more detail (90 characters). Write specifically for each ad group. Be direct, clear and concise. About 75 percent of an advertisement’s impact is determined by creative quality. An ad must be seen to be great.

Extensions: Ad extensions are extra layers of clickable or non-clickable information that extend the length of an ad. They allow users to see more information. Some let them interact (click) on more information such as phone numbers, maps, etc.

By being intentional about keywords, crafting powerful text ads, and leveraging ad extensions – not only are you inviting your target consumer to engage with your brand, but you’re also deterring non-relevant users from clicking through. An advertiser should have at least 4 extensions in an ad to optimize ad score, ad ranking and CTR. Extensions give the ad more real footprint on the page and can impact the customer journey. Extensions make the search ad more effective and more competitive. Google will estimate and monitor the impact of the extensions and alter your ad score and ad rank accordingly.

Keep ad extensions fresh and relevant. Enable all extensions that make sense (Google will select from those):

• Ad extensions increase ad visibility by 10-15 percent for each extension added;

• Ad extensions boost conversions;

• Google will determine which extensions to display in the ad;

• Manual set-up for most extensions;

• No cost to include; and

• Ad rank must be high enough for Google to add them to the ad.

Campaign Settings: Settings, such as location, language, start and end date dictate when and to whom the ads will show. 

1. Make ads mobile-friendly for maximum impact.

2. Establish a start/end date for the campaign.

3. Determine what regions of the world/country/state the ads should appear. Select the language(s) to feature. Once complete, the campaign will be marked as “Available to Show.”

Bid Strategy: The bid strategy must align with the marketing objective. Bidding is the governing body of the campaign. The high bid doesn’t always get top spot. Smart Bidding allows advertisers to focus on higher value tasks and let machine learning do what it does best.

Smart Bidding: Automatic-bid management helps find the highest value conversion for advertisers. Unlocks growth with machine learning. Proactive optimization that finds the right conversion for every auction. The key is to adjust bids on each user’s market signals. Every auction is analyzed for value to the advertiser. Smart campaigns can do the heavy lifting. They let advertisers choose their business goals and where they want to advertise. Google then uses machine learning to deliver results tailored to those goals. These campaigns use smart technology to monitor and improve the performance of your ads continuously, so you can spend more time on other business tasks.

Dynamic Search Ads (DSA): An automated campaign that blends machine learning, and the best features on Search campaigns. DSA use the power of automation to capture incremental coverage in a simple way without having to build out keyword lists and multiple ad copies. It can help advertisers optimize results and capture search results that they might have been missing. Advertisers supply a landing page and a two-line description and Google will dynamically generate the headlines and URLs for search queries. Keywords automatically pulled from advertiser’s web page or categories. Advertisers should include one description per ad group. Google will create and place your ad when relevant. Reduce effort and cover gaps that you have missed.

DSA automates your search for new customers by providing incremental reach. Google will automate responses to long-tail queries that are relevant. It provides more keyword coverage and greater reach. Exact match will serve if relevant. Broad match and phrase match compete with DSA. All advertisers can benefit from DSA campaigns. Companies with too many products to list can benefit. Helps with budget management, too (tight budgets). DSA’s generate 35 percent  more CTR and 30 percent lower CPA. DSAs can target URLs, page feed, categories, landing page or an entire website.

Performance Planner: Helps with planning budget allocation/optimization for search campaigns. On average, advertisers who use the performance planner generate 43 percent more conversions. This tool helps advertisers identify the ideal budget amount for incremental conversions and maximum growth. It also predicts campaign performance. It helps advertisers auto-predict and pursue incremental conversions and optimum spend in pursuit of optimal growth. It helps plan ad spend in a changing landscape. The Performance Planner helps advertisers with:

1. Real-time optimization;

2. Seasonality;

3. Monitor the competition/industry (keywords, hot market segments, etc.);

4. Growth;

5. New opportunities in a dynamic market;

6. Effective planning;

7. Performance monitoring; and

8. Keyword analysis/estimates.

Tool applies to the last 7-10 days of data (needs click history to forecast). It can help advertisers boost CTR without overspending.

Optimization Score: This is a new tool. Google generates an Optimization Score for campaign quality and search performance. It’s an automated guide to help advertisers maximize their impact through campaign optimization. The tool also estimates the impact of making the changes. The score updates every 7 days and are based on 28 days of data. Campaigns should run for at least two weeks to generate meaningful data.

Auto Applied Recommendations: This is a powerful tool that generates real-time recommendations for campaign optimization.

A 10 percent increase in the Optimization Score generates a 14 percent increase in conversions

Performance Max: This is Google’s newest campaign type. Based on automation and machine learning, this integrated campaign generates 13 percent more conversions. It includes budget allocation and data-driven attribution for omni-channel business models.

• Finds more conversions;

• Generates more value/results from ad spend;
• Based on rich/transparent insights; and
• Best of Google Ads optimization (auto-creative and auction-time based).

Display Ads: Image and video ads that pop up during normal online activity and stays. Always includes a good photo. Can be used to complement Search Ads. Reach customers on 3-4 million websites. Thousands of formats (different sizes and placements. Display ads increase site visits by 17 percent and conversions by 8 percent. Display ads used with search ads generate 11 percent more search conversions. Display ads used in combination with YouTube generates more impressions, CTR and conversions.

Can be fully optimized to acquire new/relevant customers who are likely to convert (who might have been missed). Select “Audience Signals” on dashboard. Optimization requires:

1. Healthy budget;

2. Smart bid (target max conversions, target CPA, target ROAS);

3. Responsive Display Ads (at least five images, headlines, description, two logos, video); and

4. Optimized Targeting.

Shopping Ads: Very visual. Always have an image to compete with Amazon. Include price, reviews and description.

YouTube: More than 70 percent of those who watch YouTube say that videos increased brand awareness. Half of all shoppers have been influenced to make a purchase because of online video:

• 70 percent of those who use YouTube bought a brand after seeing it on YouTube;

• Online video reaches more teens and young adults than mainstream media; and

• YouTube users spend an average of 84 minutes per day watching videos.

True View ads are for reach and scale. Bumper ads offer a large reach and a low CPM. True View In-Stream allows skipping and True View For Action is to promote a key action step.

“Advertisers can’t ignore Google’s domination of the search engine market,” said Gary Chandler, CEO of Crossbow Communications. “It delivers relevant results and a seamless search experience. Keeping up with best practices can build your brand and your bottom line.”

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

The post Best Practices With Google Ads appeared first on Crossbow Communications.

Marketing is a process that begins before you start your business plan. It requires vision, determination and planning. Strategic planning is an investment that separates the leaders from the losers. Unfortunately, many small- to medium-sized businesses and advocacy organizations fail at strategic planning and even fewer invest in market research. Those two lapses can be fatal as you follow in the footsteps of the proven market leaders. Failing to plan is the same as planning to fail. Don’t fall into that trap or others. The following tips can help you avoid critical steps, while helping you maximize your return on your marketing budget:

Investment Or Expense: Many businesses think of marketing as an expense not an investment. Many fail to prepare a marketing plan, which includes an adequate marketing budget. Some organizations hire under-qualified people to staff the marketing department, under pay them and then expect miracles. This approach promotes a revolving door marketing department that will never maximize its impact on the bottom line. As such, the company’s marketing department will struggle to build market share, margins and its brand.

Market Research: In marketing and new product development, in particular, speed kills. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so get it right the first time. That goes for your product or service, its price, promotion and point of purchase. Who is your prime prospect? What problem are they trying to solve? What is their solution now? What do they know about you? What do they need to know about you? If you can’t answer these questions, your marketing department is living on a prayer. Faith and hope are not the cornerstones of market leadership.

Strategic Plan: If done thoroughly and strategically, your market research will pave the road for strategic planning. The strategic plan will help you set revenue goals that are consistent with your business plan, while adding in the strategies and tactics necessary to reach those revenue goals. It will identify your top market segments, what they need to hear and how to reach them. Identify obstacles, objections and competition. Is your marketing budget big enough to tackle the job? Will you need outside assistance to handle the work? What is the first deadline?

Without a strategic plan, you are shooting in the dark, compromising your brand and discounting shareholder equity.

Prioritize Market Segments: After finalizing the strategic plan, we begin developing the critical messages for each market segment. Then we develop the most important tools and channels to reach our prime prospects. Once you gain momentum in your top market segments, we start rolling out the plan to secondary target audiences.

Convergence, Integration and Influence: The digital age has accelerated the convergence of all stakeholder communications. Marketing, public relations, government relations and customer relations must be integrated for consistency, credibility and synergy. Convergence can raise your online profile and overall influence. Seamless messaging improves your chances of building awareness, understanding and support among influencers and stakeholders.

Relationships Matter: New technology and emerging channels have not replaced the importance of relationships. In some ways, our over-reliance on emerging technology has discounted the value of meaningful facetime and real conversations. Much is being lost in translation.

Data Mining and Information Science: The days of mail and email are far from over. In fact, for business conversations, they are still critical components of your marketing plan. Are you building your database on your current and prospective customers? Are you putting it to strategic use? Are you segmenting that list based on key variables, such as demographics, past purchasing activity, etc. Build your database so that you can customize and even personalize your outreach for maximum impact.

Social Media: Social media is an X factor for most businesses and it’s rarely a silver bullet solution. Some have it down to an art and science, while others fail to engage prospects or customers. Social media is essentially a free weapon in your arsenal, but it takes time and consistency. It also requires someone who knows what they are doing and who they are doing it for. Ignorance and incompetence on social media can not only waste your time, it can tarnish your organization’s reputation. Don’t put the new intern in charge of social media. Prepare a strategic plan. Prepare a media calendar. Define your key search terms across all audience segments. Include powerful visuals and use strategic hashtags to tie your post to keywords and important conversations.

SEO and Online Visibility: If the Internet isn’t working for you, it’s probably working against you. If you aren’t generating your share of business from the Internet, your competitors are picking your pockets. What keywords and search terms are people using when trying to find a business like yours? Use Google’s keyword tools to find the answer. Then audit your website to find opportunities to strengthen the copy and overall content to help generate more traffic from allies and potential customers.

Earned Media: Generating news is an important part of most marketing plans. Mainstream news is still a major influencer and people find the news more credible than an advertisement. Industry leaders are newsmakers, so don’t let your competitors steal your glory.

As you generate news, you are creating fuel for your social media campaigns.

Crisis Aversion: Crisis management is an important part of branding and reputation management. Failing to prevent crises can destroy an organization’s operations and reputation. Forming a crisis aversion team can help spot these issues before they develop. Saving lives, property and reputation is a critical success factor for all organizations. Just ask Boeing, which has lost billions in stockholder equity and airplane orders in the wake of two jet crashes that might have been preventable.

Crossbow Communications is an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

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