There’s no absolute recipe for success when it comes to ad copywriting but I’ve come up with 14 tips to improve your PPC ads.

1. Know your target audience

Learn to take your target audience’s needs into consideration by really putting yourself in their shoes. Demographic data is important to help shape your ads. If you can figure out a bit more about what problems they go through daily, then you can explain how your product or service solves these problems.

Examples of demographic data include:

• Age
• Location
• Language
• Interests
• Income

It’s also vital to consider the PPC networks you use. We’ve written plenty of pieces on how it’s vital for business success to diversify your marketing channels and we’ve also dug into the data about what the likes of Google, Microsoft and Facebook are able to give you that other networks won’t. Here’s a couple of good ones for you to look over:

• How To Choose The Best Digital Marketing Channel
  • In collaboration with the University of Cambridge, we analysed a sample of data to determine whether Microsoft, Google and/or Facebook ads is the best marketing channel for SMBs
• Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: Measuring Conversions, Clicks & Cost
  • We took a look at two identical campaign’s worth of data to see just how different the results across both the networks look.

2. Address users directly

Using the words “you” and “your” creates a friendlier relationship from the start and makes them feel like you’re speaking to them personally. This will make your audience feel more important and as if you were speaking to them personally. Attracting potential customers with a conversational tone can also help with the growing popularity of voice search.

3. Use PPC data to shape your copy

It’s really important to look at your PPC account and see what is converting well. But also, you need to cast the net wider and analyse external data.

Previously you had to perform a search query report or use external tools to find this kind of information, but these days with new technology like Adzooma, once you’ve connected your account to the platform, your ad copy is constantly analysed against the data to provide you with best practice Opportunities you can apply with just a few clicks. You can see an example just below.

4. Use SEO data to shape your copy

Use SEO data to create a copywriting strategy that will meet your audience’s demands. Identify what information or advice they are currently seeking, and position your brand at every touchpoint along the way. Analyse search trends to discover what you need to include to make your PPC copywriting richer and more appealing. Here are some SEO tools you can use to help:

• SEMrush
• Answer the Public
• Checkbot
• Advanced Web Ranking
• SEO PowerSuite
• Dashword

5. Emotional triggers

Using emotional triggers in your PPC copywriting is very effective. The most memorable ads are the ones that move or intrigue us. Appealing to both positive or negative emotions can work.

Simon Hall’s The Science of Emotions: What’s Behind PPC Ad Copy outlined the different emotions that could drive ad copy, including fear, trust, guilt, community, value, pleasure. Simon also suggested using persuasive language to elicit a response from users:

Your ad copy not only should elicit an emotional response from your audience, it should also encourage them to act on it. Once you’ve struck the right nerve and captured your audience’s attention, encouraging them to click is all about using persuasive language.

Simon Hall, The Science of Emotions: What’s Behind PPC Ad Copy

6. Maximise your space

Include as much information as possible in your allocated ad space. Create a custom URL using keywords, and ad extensions where possible. Fill any space leftover with detail and make the most of it.

Don’t forget your character limits. For Google Ads, they are:

Read: Is Writer’s Block Real?

7. Showcase your USP

Use PPC copywriting to set yourself apart from the rest. What is your unique selling point (USP)? Throw in detail about special offers as well, or anything that will grab attention. Try to highlight what makes you different or better than the competition. Marketing Donut has a great guide on developing your USP including some of the following tips:

• List of all the needs that your product or service could meet and compare them to trends and competitors.
• Ask how these criteria compare to your business’s strengths.
• Carry out market research within your target audience.
• Confirm you can truly offer the USP with conviction.
• Build your marketing strategy around it.
• Monitor trends and new competitors that may offer similar features.

And if you’re stuck, spice up your PPC copywriting with some inspiringly creative ads.

8. Use powerful CTAs

Ensure your call to action (CTA) is strong and clear. A good tip is to use time constraints like “Buy now, offer ends Monday”. Encourage users to get in touch and make the text really stand out with clever design techniques. Use strong verbs and avoid cliches where possible. Your potential customers need to be explicitly aware of what’s going to happen when they click that button.

But, again, don’t forget character limits. You can work this out using Excel or Google Sheets and the LEN formula or you could use Adzooma which comes with a character limit checker as standard.

9. Test, test, test!

Run regular split tests on your PPC ads. Try out different CTAs in different locations, for example, see what works best. Highlight various benefits of your product or service and see which draws the most attention. The data you collate from testing will help you to improve your marketing strategy in the future.

Split testing isn’t reserved for Google or Microsoft Ads. Kass Botts’s article Facebook Split Testing 101 gave some tips on what to use for split testing and when not to split test:

Split testing is a way to use a dedicated budget for a specified time period to gather learnings about your marketing initiatives. They are best utilized when you have a specific, measurable question for which you need a data-driven answer. Best practice, especially for creative split testing, is to test conceptual differences rather than minor variations. For these smaller tweaks, your resources might be better used by running multiple ads in the same ad set and analyzing performance, or utilizing more than one ad set in a campaign.

Kass Botts, Facebook Split Testing 101

Adzooma’s Automation feature is also great sidekick for your testing endeavours too – we have a list of templates for this exact reason.

Once you’ve created the ad you want to test, head to Automations tab in your Adzooma account, click “New Automation Rule”, then “Choose Template”, and go to “Pause Ads With Low CTR”.

This automation rule runs every 30 minutes to check whether your ads are performing, and if they’re not up to the standard you expect, they’ll stop. You can also do the same by using the template “Ad Pausing on Scale” or “Pause Advert” if the CTR is fine but the conversion rate is low.

This gives you complete peace of mind and means you won’t waste any spend on those ads you’re looking to test.

10. Include numbers (but don’t stuff them in where they don’t fit)

Ask any PPC expert and they’ll tell you figures and statistics can help to increase click-through rate (CTR). If it makes sense to use a number, add one in. But don’t use numbers that don’t make sense.

Example: You wouldn’t need to say something is 100% guaranteed, because if it’s not totally guaranteed, you shouldn’t mention it at all.

11. Write keyword-rich display URLs

Including keywords about your product or service in your display URL is an easy way to let potential customers know what your business is. You can modify your display URL to make it different from your final URL. Relate lead generation strategies to your PPC copywriting and make the most of those keywords.

12. Handle objections

Brainstorm any initial objections potential customers might have to your ad, and address them. By bringing up any possible reasons to reject your business, you can foster a sense of trust and legitimacy, which leads to customer loyalty and longevity.

The advantage of handling objections in your ad copy, where applicable, is it answers questions straight away and gives a user clarification about your product, service, and overall brand.

13. Avoid too much repetition

Keep your PPC copywriting concise, relevant, and specific – don’t repeat yourself. It wastes time and valuable ad space. Try to think of new and interesting information to support your main selling point. You’ll be given an allowance for ad titles and text, display, and final URLs, so try and use it wisely. Use single words instead of descriptions where you can, and lone verbs instead of verb phrases. Although it’s best to maximise your character limits, less can be more if you find yourself running out of space.

So don’t repeat yourself.

14. Enhance your ad extensions

Make the most of your ad extensions. These are little bits of information strategically attached to your ad when it appears in search results. Ad extensions can include:

• Sitelink extensions
• Callout extensions
• Call extensions
• Location extensions
• Message extensions
• App extensions
• Price extensions
• Promotion extensions

And that doesn’t include automated ad extensions either. We have a longer piece on ad extensions for you to read over to get a full understanding if they’re new to you.

Plus, through the Opportunities feature in the free Adzooma platform, you will also get regular reminders to include ad extensions so you can keep your ads optimised at all times.

Conclusion

Remember how everything is connected. The goal of your PPC ad is to ultimately lead people to your site and generate conversions. It’s important to be consistent and maintain the same level of trust and customer engagement from the first click to the final destination.

The issue many businesses have is that they look at what’s worked for other companies and try to replicate it. They follow templated strategies made with generic businesses in mind. If you’re looking for PPC success, your strategy needs to reflect your company, its unique needs and, most importantly, has to be more than just a short-term fix.

Here’s how to create a strategy that will bring you PPC success both now and in the future.

Follow a winning structure

I’ve got a strategy structure that I believe everyone can relate to. And I think its success lies in how easy it is to understand. It seems common now for ‘strategies’ to be confusing and convoluted – to the point where no one really knows what the objective is.

If you want your PPC strategy to succeed, you need to be able to sum up your goal in one sentence.

How do you think screenwriters write such banging series? Episode after episode, they’re working towards this grand finale, and when you watch it, you realise how all the pieces come together; it’s because they know what they’re working towards from the beginning.

Each scene in each episode in each series is working towards a bigger plot. The same should be true for your PPC strategy – your ads, ad groups and campaigns should all sing from the same hymn sheet.

You see this example come to life in the popular TV sitcom Friends. The overarching storyline? That Ross and Rachel end up together. You can see how the writers work towards this goal in every episode.

What’s your business’ story arc? If you want to tell a tale of a bakery who becomes known for the best fresh food in town, you need to ensure everything reflects that – anything that goes off-topic, get rid. Once you have an all-encompassing goal, you’ll find it easier to write your ads and strategy because you know exactly where you’re going.

Don’t limit yourself to one platform

It’s easy to think PPC is strictly advertising on Google Ads. But there are loads of alternative sites you can advertise on which are often cheaper and more specific to your industry. Check out this article about the 16 best PPC alternatives for inspiration of where to start.

By introducing variety, you can ensure your strategy has longevity and make your budget go further. For example, did you know Bing’s average CPC is $1.54, 33% lower than Google Ads?

Try creating a Microsoft Ads account today to make the most of the different features it has on offer – you might be able to find new opportunities for your strategy.

Why did your last PPC strategy fail?

It’s important to look at previous mistakes in order to avoid making them again. Understanding why things didn’t work is the key to making the best changes.

Your strategy might not have been a complete flop, but if you’ve been left feeling a little lacklustre, here’s what the issue may have been:

1. It lacked focus

Like the TV show analogy, it’s important you have a goal so you know where you’re going. Otherwise, you’ll just be driving around and getting lost. A single focus is really important: trying to achieve lots all at the same time means you execute it all poorly.

Your keywords need a focus: avoid broad match. If you know that a particular keyword performs well for you, don’t be afraid to make a Single Keyword Ad Group. SKAGs are a great way to really boost your results and see what your campaigns can do without the noise of other keywords.

2. The customer journey was confusing

Even the best-written ads won’t guarantee you a sale. Why? Because if that ad takes you to a landing page which isn’t up to scratch, a user is likely to click back.

It’s imperative that your customer journey is cohesive, clear and as simple as possible. This means, if you have an ad promoting a new lawnmower deal, you should build a landing page dedicated to that. Don’t abandon users on your homepage where there are a million things going on – the more hurdles between them and the shopping cart, the increased likelihood of you losing them.

3. You’ve ignored ‘the little things’

On a similar note, you need to do the basics well. The foundations of your business should be solid, not rickety – they won’t take the weight of your future endeavours.

Ad copy should be short and snappy, promoting the benefits of your business. Copying your competitors just means you become a replica. Your page load speed should be as quick as possible to avoid people leaving. Your budget needs to be suitable for your industry. Understanding what actually matters to your ROI is key.

4. You’ve treated it as a sprint, not a marathon

An ugly truth: PPC is slow and hard work. Unless you use free tools like Adzooma and its innovative use of AI.

But, at the end of the day, you’re not going to bag yourself winning PPC campaigns overnight. The most successful are borne of testing, tweaking and patience. Spend time sharpening your skills, understanding the bigger picture and remembering that, if you want your PPC success to not be short-lived, you need to start slow and build it up.

Outsource where possible

PPC is likely just one arm of your marketing strategy. Personally, I think managing your PPC campaigns yourself (with the help of some great tech) is the way to go; it’s the most cost-effective approach which allows you total control. You don’t need to be an expert to learn the ropes, particularly with so many handy guides out there.

The best way to spend your budget is to outsource things that you simply have no way of facilitating in-house: your SEO strategy, design work, e-commerce store.

Adzooma Marketplace is home to hundreds of award-winning agencies who specialise in all types of digital marketing. Take a look and see which would be the best match for your business – you don’t have to do everything single-handedly.

Chase conversions, not leads

It’s easy to think your PPC campaigns are working if they bring you lots of leads. After all, 17% of marketers use PPC ads for lead generation. But are they high-quality? Having spreadsheets full of user data is no good unless they’re likely to buy.

In your strategy, you should identify how you are going to qualify success. It makes sense for this to be conversion-based. Optimising your cost-per-lead (CPL) is all well and good, until you realise your leads aren’t your ideal demographic. It’s important to make sure you’re highly-targeting your customers so that they’re more likely to buy.

From there, you can build audience lists based on your high-value customers (HVCs) and replicate your success. Focusing on your cost-per-conversion will help you identify whether your budget is being spent wisely.

Make the most of technology

As I touched on previously, the Adzooma platform has a lot to offer PPC users. I’ll start by saying the best bit – it’s completely free of charge. Using machine-learning, our PPC software helps you to manage, automate and optimise your Google, Facebook and Microsoft ad campaigns.

Because you can manage everything from one screen, Adzooma makes seeing the bigger picture easy – something that is key for assessing the success of your strategy. It also has loads of features which enable you to tick things off your goals quicker: set up automation rules, identify optimisation opportunities, see and understand key metrics. Everything can be done in just a few clicks, making PPC advertising much easier than doing everything manually.

Try the platform free today and see what impact it has on getting your new PPC strategy off the ground.

Make it unique to your business

Hopefully, I’ve sparked some ideas of how you can spice up your PPC strategy. After all, your strategy is your map to success – without it, you’re just running around crashing into things.

Spend some time working out your objectives and breaking them down into manageable chunks. The most important thing is to make your strategy unique to your business. If you’re ever stuck, there’s loads of helpful information across the Adzooma blog.

And, don’t forget to sign up to the platform to give your campaigns that extra boost. It is free, after all.

Our latest exclusive deal is to celebrate our partnership with FinTech giants Revolut and gives you an easy way to reduce your ad spend. And it’s really simple.

You get money back on your Google, Facebook and Microsoft ad accounts when you pay for them via Revolut and connect them to Adzooma.

That’s genuine cashback on all your ad spend, so try our cashback calculator and see what you’ll save.

This exclusive deal is only available to Adzooma and Revolut users – you won’t find any other savings like this for your marketing campaigns. Luckily, anyone can become a user in three simple steps.

Better yet, it’s free to sign up to Revolut and free to use the Adzooma platform – so you have nothing to lose, and lots of cashback to gain.

Why we partnered with Revolut

With over 12 million users, 12,000+ daily sign-ups and $5.5 billion in monthly transactions, Revolut is the fastest-growing FinTech in Europe and a massively well-respected brand.

Seeing similarities between their goals and ours, back in April this year, Adzooma and Revolut partnered together to bring users new and exclusive deals.

Revolut provides a simple, innovative way to manage your money from one app. It has loads of forward-thinking features which give you a flexible and open way to deal with all your finances.

Using the app really feels like you’re in the future: stepping away from clunky designs, Revolut provides a slick, intuitive way to deal with what used to be a boring topic.

Everything you need is at your fingertips. Get instant spending notifications, set budgets and see weekly insights into your spending quickly and easily. They’re also 7x better at stopping card fraud than regular banks, so if security is top of your list, this is who you need to be with.

With minimal fees, Revolut also helps you cut unnecessary costs and easily manage your global finances. Letting you connect other accounts, gain unique discounts and earn daily interest all in one place, Revolut really is leading the way in the financial world.

Recognising each other as experts in our respective fields, we teamed up with Revolut because they too are searching for new ways to revolutionise the industry for their customers. Saving time, money, and making things radically better, are just a few things we both work towards every day.

Our latest offer brings you an easy way to save money on your online advertising in just 3 simple steps.

How it works

Everything about this deal is simple but incredibly rewarding.

To claim cashback on your ad spend:

1. Open a Revolut account: head to the Revolut sign-up page to open a new business account – for free.
2. Connect your ad accounts: then you’ll need to connect your Google, Facebook and/or Microsoft accounts to Adzooma. Again, this is free to do. (Important: you need to link your Revolut business card to your ad accounts to qualify.)
3. Enjoy your cashback: and that’s it! Once you’ve set up both accounts, you’ll get a monthly cashback statement with quarterly payments.

But, that’s not all…

Claim extra perks

We always like to give users a little bit extra where possible. So on top of great cashback for nothing, this offer also gives you:

Cashback Rewards

Earn a percentage of the purchase price back when you shop using your Revolut card at dozens of top brands including Amazon, TUI, National Express, Trainline and HelloFresh, to name just a few.

Discount Rewards

Get instant discounts at the merchant’s store when you pay using Revolut (either by card, online, or using Apple Pay/Google Pay).

200 Virtual Cards

This is HUGE! You can get up to 200 virtual payment cards in one account, making it simple to keep all your ad accounts separate and easily manageable.

Interbank Exchange Rate

Transfer money abroad in 30+ currencies with the interbank exchange rate, with a small 0.5% fee for anything above £1,000 each month. Send money all over the world instantly, without hidden fees. And send or request money, or split bills with friends and family instantly, whether they’re across the table or across the globe.

This offer is only initially to EU users. However, if you live in the USA you can still pre-register using our link and this deal is set to roll out in January 2021.

A huge move for paid advertising

Getting cashback on ad spend is something which hasn’t been seen before.

Reducing the cost of your Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns is something which businesses of all sizes are interested in, which is why we’ve brought it to life in such a simple way. Keep your eyes peeled for what we release in partnership with Revolut next – it’ll be big.

Making the most of this offer could be the best thing you do for your business all month. Sign up to Revolut and Adzooma for free today, to save money, boost your business and see what everyone is talking about.

They do this by removing irrelevant search queries from your ad groups, leaving you to focus on the keywords that matter. Refining your ad groups also means better targeting and an increase in return on investment (ROI).

In this guide, we look at how negative keywords work, why they’re important and how Adzooma can help you build powerful negative keyword lists.

What are negative keywords?

Negative keywords are keywords that stop your ads from appearing for certain search queries.

For example, if you sold trees and you added “Christmas” as a negative keyword, that would tell Google Ads to not show your ad for any searches containing the term “Christmas” such as:

• “Christmas trees”
• “Artificial Christmas trees”
• “trees for Christmas”
• “tree toppers for Christmas trees”

This also works on the Display Network, so your ad would appear less on sites where your negative keywords matched a site’s content.

Negative keywords can be added at the account, campaign, and ad group level and understanding how they work can really make a difference.

How do they work?

There’s often a tendency to target all types of keywords related to your business. But that’s not the smart way to use Google Ads. You only want ads to appear for relevant searches where the user is most likely to click and convert. Using negative keywords makes that happen.

With the Christmas example above, an advertiser may look for search terms that are similar to their chosen keywords, but might cater to customers searching for a different product.

Someone might be looking for garden trees but not want Christmas trees, which would be a more popular search term during winter. What’s more, if a business doesn’t stock Christmas trees, they wouldn’t want budget wasted during that time of year.

Note: according to Google, negative keywords don’t match to close variants. So if you exclude a negative broad match keyword “Christmas trees”, you could still appear in a search for “Christmas tree”.

Negative keywords work differently way in Display and Video campaigns compared to Search. There’s also a limit of 5,000 negative keywords and, in some cases, your ad appears may contain excluded terms (this depends on your other keywords in your ad groups and your targeting methods).

Why are they important?

Whatever your campaign goals are, negative keywords are crucial to achieving them. Why? Because they cut down on unnecessary ad spend.

Here are 3 important uses:

1. Avoiding competitor brand terms

There’s a lot of debate around whether advertisers should or shouldn’t bid on competitor brand terms. If you decide against it, negative keywords can come in handy. You could also argue that you don’t want to be associated alongside certain brand terms so Adding potentially sensitive keywords to your list could save you money and branding issues.

2. Specific ad copy for specific audience

Say you have gendered sportswear campaigns. You might not want to display ads for men’s sportswear to people searching for women’s sportswear and vice versa. So in your men’s sportswear campaign, you could include negative keywords such as “women’s”, “ladies” and “female”.

3. Targeting search terms with a higher ROI

A key benefit of negative keywords is to reduce wasted ad spend but it can also amplify campaigns targeting high-coverting keywords.

An example of this would be to add terms like “free”, “low cost”, “cheap”, “reduced” and “discount” to your negative keyword list as users often look for cheaper alternatives for products.

Types of negative keywords

There are 3 main types of negative keywords:

1. Negative broad match
2. Phrase match
3. Exact match

The table below explains them in more detail:

How to build a negative keyword list

In Google Ads Editor 

Open Google Ads Editor, ensuring that you fetched recent changes and scroll down to the ‘Manage’ bar until you reach ‘Keywords and Targeting’. 

Opening up the tab will bring up a wide range of keyword and targeting options, but for this task we want to click on ‘Keywords, Negative’.

1. Click ‘Add Negative Keyword’
2. Choose what level you want to assign the negative keyword to. Ad group level will assign it to the ad group selected only, with Campaign level assigning them to the campaign of choice. 
3. After selecting the level you want to assign your negative keyword to, you will be able to add and edit the type of negative keyword you would like to add. You will need to select the match type. For example: If you don’t want your ads to show for the term ‘free’ then you would want to add this as a negative keyword. 
4. Continue adding in negative keywords.
5. Once finished make sure you click ‘Post’ to push your changes live to your account.

In the Adzooma platform

Creating negative keyword lists in the Adzooma platform is much simpler.

Log into the platform and navigate to the ‘Management’ page. 

1. Next to ‘Negative Keywords’, click ‘+’

2. Simply pop your negative keywords into the box, along with the relevant match type symbols and click save.

Your negative keywords will now appear in your negative keyword list!

How to find negative keywords

If you’re struggling to figure out what negative keywords you should use for your Google Ads campaign, consider the following:

1. Use lists of common negatives

Do a Google search and you’ll find a host of lists featuring common negative keywords.

What negatives you uses depends on your industry and campaign goals but some general eCommerce keywords include:

• Free
• Used
• Cheap
• Low cost
• Bargain
• Bargains
• Deal
• Deals
• Discount
• Discounts

2. Analyse your search terms report

The best Google Ads data is your own data so make sure to study your search terms report to identify ad spend leaks.

The search terms report shows the terms that people searched for to trigger your ads. This data can give ideas for negative keywords, particularly if you spot unrelated terms in the report.

But remember: negative keyword match types don’t match to variants so make sure you factor that in when you add new negatives to your list.

3. Use Google Autocomplete

When I type in “tree” I get the following from Google’s autocomplete search feature:

• trees
• treesize
• treesize tool
• trees for sale
• trees for small gardens
• trees for life
• trees for sale near me
• trees for sale nottingham
• trees in pots
• trees online

Some of those terms are relevant but others aren’t. Manual searches find this immediately but the bigger your campaign, the longer it takes. So you have options to automate this process with a keyword tool like Mangools KWFinder or you could use SEMrush or SEO PowerSuite to find similar suggestions.

Need help? Let Adzooma manage your negative keywords

Negatives can be positives with Adzooma, with the inclusion of our negative keywords feature. It’s a fantastic way to manage your budget, make better targeting decisions, and boost your return on investment.

You can now add, edit and view all negative keywords at campaign and ad group level within the platform. Simply log into your account and find negative keywords in your management screen.

But if you’re not an Adzooma customer yet, there’s never been a better time to join as our platform is free.

Join Adzooma today.

These native ads are big on social media, with Facebook reporting over 86% of impressions on its Audience Network coming from native ads. But there’s so much more to native advertising than blending in on people’s news feeds – it’s just knowing which sites can offer you new types of customers.

What are native ads?

Native ads are the chameleons of the advertising word. Difficult to spot, these ads are a seamless way of attracting your target audience without being obviously ‘selly’. A native advert is an ad which blends in with a website’s surroundings. It matches the tone and topic of the place it is shown so that readers easily mistake it for organic content.

This style of ad is beneficial for both advertisers and the sites where display ads are shown: advertisers are more likely to get clicks because readers are already interested in their products/services, and websites don’t come across as though they’ve sold their souls for monetary gain.

Native ads can be difficult to spot due to the lack of guidelines surrounding them. With no defined labelling laws in place, it varies from site to site as to how things should look. What defines a native ad as such is that it avoids the traits you would expect from a typical ad; native ads move away from buzzwords such as ‘buy’, ‘sale’ and ‘subscribe’ and instead favour brand awareness as a common goal.

Taboola

What is Taboola?

Taboola is the world’s largest discovery platform serving 360 billion content recommendations to one billion people online each month. Companies like Taboola have partnerships with popular sites which you can gain advertising space on just by signing up. Because of the sheer size of Taboola, they cater for pretty much every niche out there. Their biggest partnerships are with the likes of Bloomberg, NBC News, MSN and The Independent.

How Taboola works

Taboola uses AI technology to feed native ads in front of users who are likely to be interested. It aims to put content and products in the paths of people as they’re browsing for entertainment – they’re not looking to be sold to. Because of the way native ads blend in, audiences don’t feel like they’re being bombarded with ads and are more likely to click.

Taboola has a strong relationship with thousands of top websites and apps. It has a ‘predictive engine’ which analyses your ads and matches them with ad space across its Publisher Network where it thinks you’ll see the best results.

Taboola’s algorithm is designed to learn from your results and make adjustments as it sees fit. It accesses user data including everything from browsing history, device, location, reading preferences and more and uses this information to drive more clicks.

There are lots of advanced targeting options and full data transparency so you’re free to go in and make your own tweaks as you like.

How much does Taboola cost?

Ads on Taboola’s network operate on a cost-per-click model so it’s difficult to say how much ads for your industry would be. Whilst there’s no free trial or soft-launch option, you can go down a self-service route which starts at $10 a day but is only available in certain regions.

If you think Taboola might be the right option for your business, you can sign up here.

Outbrain

Outbrain is very similar to Taboola. It runs on a cost-per-click system and is a content discovery platform which feeds native ads to relevant audiences. Whilst it works on the same basis, there are small differences – this comparison table tells you all you need to know.

There was talk of an $850 million merger happening between Taboola and Outbrain which ended up being unsuccessful, but that highlights the similarities of their business models.

Outbrain’s publisher base consists of well-known brands such as MSN, CNN, BBC and The Washington Post. One of the biggest things to consider when choosing between companies such as Outbrain and Taboola is who their client base is; whilst both offer a huge variety, your favourite platform may feature on one rather than than the other and help to sway your final decision. Microsoft, for example, works closely with Outbrain and so if you run Microsoft ads you might find it’s the easiest way to tie your strategies together.

Sponsored Content

Another interesting form of native advertising is sponsored content. This is where you pay a site to publish your advertorial; you write an article in the style of their specialist content so it merges in with its surroundings and subtly push your product or service.

To get this sort of content approved, you first need to build a relationship with the publisher. Most sites offer this service as it’s a good way for them to make money and diversify their content, so there might be a wealth of options to choose from depending on your industry. Once you know to look out for the ‘sponsored content’ tag, you’ll see advertorials all around you.

This is something we offer here at Adzooma. For a small fee, you can reach out to our monthly audience of 40,000 users – get in touch if this is something you’d like to do.

This example from Search Engine Land has clear labels showing it to be a sponsored article – other sites may be more subtle.

A huge advantage of advertorials is they aren’t blocked by ad blockers.

This example from The Mirror shows how the ad below the articles doesn’t show, but the sponsored articles do.

Another benefit is that sponsored content allows you to inform, entertain and engage with your audience which in turn strengthens your relationship – you’re much more likely to stick in their mind if they’re interested in reading your piece, in comparison to just a few seconds glancing at your ad.

The cookies are being eaten

Something to bear in mind is the fact Google plans on banning all third party cookies in the future. The move is designed to increase user privacy and follows what Safari and Firefox did way back in 2013. First-party cookies are safe – for now.

This probably isn’t shocking to most marketers as it’s a change which has been long-awaited. However, if you’re an advertiser that relies on third-party cookie data to analyse your visitor’s behaviour across other sites, then this change may impact your advertising strategy.

You won’t lose the tracking data of how users behave on your own site, but you will no longer be able to access the cookie trail they’ve left across the web.

Subtle advertising is the future

Users are a lot savvier these days – they know when they’re being sold to. Native PPC ads and sponsored content are great ways to appeal to your target audience in their natural habitat. Advertising on sites which offer similar content enables you to blend in and come across in a much more genuine way.

Subtle is the way forward.

Ready for more?

If you’re looking for other alternative ways to advertise than on Google, Facebook and Microsoft, check out the other articles in my PPC Alternatives series:

• 16 Best PPC Alternatives To Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Microsoft Ads
• Amazon vs. eBay vs. Etsy: Which Is Best For PPC Ads?
• Snapchat Ads vs. Twitter Ads vs. LinkedIn Ads: Which Is Best For Paid Social?

There’s a whole lot more to PPC than search engines, don’t miss out on potential customers by limiting yourself.

Events across the globe have been consistently cancelled since the start of the year. Like skittles in a bowling alley, plans get decimated as a problem after problem comes hurtling at speed. In an unknown environment, savvy brands have taken to hosting virtual events to save disappointing their audiences. Whilst online events previously may have been pretty lacklustre, the crowded market has now forced businesses to step up their virtual game.

The joy of grabbing coffee with like-minded strangers and networking in person may have been parked for the foreseeable, but there’s a lot of value in virtual conferences. In fact, the word conference is no longer suited: fun, omnichannel approaches are transforming what it means to discover new things in digital marketing. It’s exciting and easy to get involved in if you’d like to take your business to the next level.

The benefits of virtual events

Let’s take a minute to talk about the benefits of virtual events. We need to stop mourning for physical events and interaction and take what we can for now. As the virus settles in for winter, our industry needs to keep moving forward.

It’s likely we’ve all attended some pretty lacklustre events in the past. The first triumph of online means that we can exit things whenever we like. As soon as our attention wanders elsewhere, we can leave. Beautiful.

Secondly, virtual events open up information and networking to a whole new host of people. Time zones, locations and travel expenses are no longer factors in people’s decisions of whether they can attend. The focus shifts to whether they are interested in the subject, the speakers, the important stuff. By cutting away the impracticalities of in-person events, organisers now have more time and money to spend on the content – which can only be a good thing.

Furthermore, the opportunities are now astronomical for what events can become. Technology is not bound by the constraints of time and space; companies can now really think outside of the box when coming up with iideas. There are unlimited ways of engaging with audiences through a screen, and it’s a format which people don’t tire of. Sat in the comfort of their own home, drop-out numbers will plummet as there’s little reason for people not to attend. Everything just got infinitely easier.

Plus, when physical events return, the combination of digital and in-person conferences will change the course of networking forever. After learning what magic digital events can bring to businesses, they will serve as huge supplements to physical showcases when they’re allowed to happen.

Tips for hosting a virtual event

The more planning you put into your event, the smoother things will run, the more polished your brand will appear and the more you’ll get from it. In a nutshell: don’t change the fundamentals just because things are now virtual.

1. Going live vs pre-recording

One of the big decisions you need to make is whether you’re going to host your event live or not. Is there a specific reason for it being live? If not, it’s a safer bet to pre-record your content as this gives you time to script, re-record and edit things to put out a polished video. Doing things live adds a lot more complications and stress which may be unnecessary unless you need your audience to be interacting with you in real-time.

Similarly, you can’t assume that people will all want to tune in at the same time. By pre-recording things, you can open up your event to suit more schedules and reach more people. You can also offer a series of videos in an on-demand format to allow users to catch up on what they’ve missed and keep coming back for more.

2. Choosing the ideal platform

Deciding what platform to host your event on depends entirely on the type of business you are. Where do you interact most with your customers? What do you want to achieve with your event? Knowing the answers to these types of questions are not only fundamental to your success, but will help sculpt how your event should look.

Once you’ve identified your goal, you can look at the platforms on offer. For more intimate, engaging events, video conference software such as Google Meet or Zoom do the trick. For brand awareness, bigger sites like YouTube may suit your business better.

You should also consider an omnichannel approach to appeal to a wider audience. With the restrictions of physical events gone, you’re free to really make your event your own. Who says things have to take place on one platform? If a multi-platform approach makes sense for what you’re trying to achieve, go for it.

3. Laying out a clear user journey

Once you’ve got visitors inside your event, you want them to bounce around. Establishing an obvious path for them to follow makes it easy for them to do just that. If your UX is confusing or you haven’t provided the right supporting content, you’ll be wasting a valuable opportunity. Whether you want attendees to sign up for your newsletter, webinar, blog, product tour or something else entirely, you need to make your goal clear.

4. Measuring success

When it comes to measuring the results of your virtual event, you shouldn’t get hung up on the basic figures. Spending too long looking at the number of viewers will skew your vision of how ‘successful’ things have been. Focus on metrics such as watch time, engagement and impact. Judge it as a piece of digital media rather than an event; things have changed drastically and so should the way you measure things.

Some interesting future events

As well as potentially hosting an event, there are lots out there that are worth attending – if only to see how others are doing it. Logging into a virtual conference is also a great way to break up your working week. Working from home can easily make you feel stuck in a rut so networking with others, albeit via computer, is a good reminder of the wider picture.

Here’s a list of virtual marketing events which may interest you:

• Digital First – 25-26 November 2020
• Brand ManageCamp 2020 – 27-29 October 2020
• B2B Online Virtual Event & Expo – 28-29 October 2020
• Connect to Convert – 27-28 October 2020
• Ad World Conference – 2-4 November 2020
• Global Virtual MarTech Summit – 11 November 2020
• Web Summit – 2-4 December 2020

We also regularly host webinars here at Adzooma so keep your eye on our socials for the latest announcements.

Marketing your virtual event

Once you’ve got all the essentials nailed down, marketing your event in the right way will ensure you’re getting people to sign up. If you’re after some extra attention, consider outsourcing to an agency who can help you get extra eyes on your event. Whether you’re after help with digital PR, marketing, social media, email marketing or something else, all the best experts can be found on the Adzooma Marketplace.

Similarly, you can list your own company on there to get your brand amongst other professionals who get a steady stream of targeted leads. There’s lots on offer so be sure to check it out.

A promising future

Whilst the world of events was pretty empty just a few months ago, there’s a lot of excitement coming as companies find their feet again. This adaptation to online means that when physical events do return, they’ll be more innovative than ever before. Your business could see a lot of value in either attending or hosting a virtual event, so don’t dismiss them from your calendars just yet.

Let’s take a look at what’s recently gone down, who with and what it means for advertisers.

Apple vs. advertisers

The new IOS 14 update to hit iPhones has shaken the advertising world. Those with the new phone software will now be given the option to opt-out of tracking on other apps and websites. For most users, it’ll be a no brainer as user privacy is constantly a hot topic. However, this is worrying for advertisers who make a lot of money from user data.

Whilst Apple considers this a huge win for user privacy, the loss of this data means ad personalisation is no longer possible. Facebook has reacted by saying that this will create a big problem for developers and publishers as it saw a 50% revenue decrease when personalisation was removed from in-app Audience Network campaigns. This is true for any other company that utilises app tracking, such as Google (who are also kiboshing third-party cookies) so the foundations of ad functionality are set to change forever.

Apple has never been known for exploiting its users’ data, something which was emphasised in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal by their CEO; Tim Cook stated Apple would never monetise customer information because “privacy was a human right”.

Apple seems to be differentiating themselves for the better and bolstering its trusted customer relationships. But how can they afford to be doing this when this threatens to cripple companies like Facebook? Well, advertising data doesn’t really impact Apple as their profit is primarily made in hardware products and software licenses.

They have conceded slightly and pushed back the opt-in until the start of 2021 but that isn’t because they’ve changed their minds – even with the likes of Mail Online threatening to pull its app from the App Store. Rather, they likely don’t want to appear to be the dominating force they’re currently accused of.

Apple vs. Facebook

The instance above is just one example of how Apple and Facebook have butted heads. Zuckerberg recently called Apple ‘monopolistic’ and harmful to customers in a company meeting to 50,000+ employees. He stated that Apple has a “unique stranglehold” on what gets on phones.

Apple also reportedly refused to let Facebook notify users that they would take 30% of in-app purchases made through a new ticket-selling feature deeming it ‘irrelevant information’. Furthermore, the iPhone inventors made Facebook remove their Instant Games feature from Facebook Gaming to pass their strict App Store approval process. Facebook was unhappy about giving iOS users an inferior product to those on Android and joined in with Microsoft’s criticism of app stores.

Facebook and Apple have always been rivals and in a continuous cycle of one upmanship; feature by feature they have taken turns in being nose-length in front of one another. Whilst they once had a harmonious relationship, today they fight to be the most dominant corporation in people’s daily lives.

What this means for advertisers: this is interesting not only for those advertising on the App Store but those selling through their iOS app. If Facebook successfully put enough pressure on Apple regarding this issue, the 30% being cut would be great for advertisers.

Apple vs. Google

For years, Google has paid money to ensure it is the default search engine on Apple’s products. This is just one of the reasons why Google is under investigation for antitrust by the EU and has so far been ordered to pay over €8.2.billion in fines. Now, as the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority sets its sights on squashing the arrangement, Apple is said to be considering launching its own search engine… and you can imagine how well that will go down.

Ruffling feathers clearly isn’t an issue for Apple. In fact, neither is many things: they don’t need Google’s money, they’re hiring search specialists themselves, and their products are beginning to bypass Google altogether. They’ve also just launched their very own certification course: Apple Search Ads has been designed to teach developers how to become better app marketers and how to get the most from advertising on the App Store.

Apple seems to be playing a very clever game: their search engine would likely be a highly personalised, yet ad-free, data hub which would have complete privacy. With millions of users already addicted to Apple’s friendly UX, the contrast to its competitors could easily sway their habits – Apple has a lot to gain from creating a search engine whilst Google’s iron grip can only be weakened.

What this means for advertisers: an Apple search engine would mean most marketers would have to take action. SEOs would be forced to adapt and optimise; PPC managers would have to learn a new platform; advertisers would need to understand this new audience. That’s if Apple were to let advertisers on there at all.

Apple vs. Samsung

It’s quite easy to see how Apple and Samsung rub each other up the wrong way being the two main choices when it comes to buying a smartphone. Samsung devices run on the Android operating system, takes from the Google Play store and typically have better hardware specs. Comparatively, iPhones run iOS software, use the Apple App Store and arguably perform better. The main trade-off is between Apple’s intuitive design, sleek UI and overall superior quality with the affordability, customisation and freedom which an Android affords users.

With a seven-year-long lawsuit over patents, in which Samsung was ordered to pay $539m to Apple, it’s fair to say their relationship has always been one of rivalry. As the tension mounts between Apple and other tech giants, you can bet Samsung will be happy to stand by and watch the predators circle.

What this means for advertisers: the divide between Android and iOS only seems to be getting bigger. Soon, advertisers may have to devise entirely different strategies for selling apps on the two app stores as rules for both begin to become more tailored to each tech giant’s whims and fancies.

Apple vs. Epic Games

A debate which has headlined across the world is the recent fallout between Apple and Epic Games. The makers of fan-favourite Fortnite sidestepped the App Store rules by introducing a direct payment option inside their app. Its CEO, Tim Sweeney, described Apple as a “monopoly power”, accused it of “unfair and anti-competitive actions” and called its 30% cut on in-app purchases “exorbitant”. He then filed a lawsuit, going as far as saying that they had “become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation.”

Interestingly, Microsoft chose to enter the conversation and announced its support for Epic Games.

Apple has since come back at Epic Games to counter-sue them for damages citing them as a “multi-billion dollar enterprise that simply wants to pay nothing for the tremendous value it derives from the ‌App Store‌.” The battle continues to rage as all they have currently been able to agree on is that they should be tried by the court with a bench trial rather than a jury trial. Whatever the outcome, this is likely to be another frosty relationship for many years to come.

What this means for advertisers: advertisers can now see what Apple does to those that flout the rules. Their no-nonsense approach makes it clear that those who want to advertise on their App Store need to tow the line. This may be the big media coverage which finally forces advertisers to choose a side.

Upsetting every Apple cart

It’s clear that Apple’s choices go down as well as a fart in a lift when it comes to their competitors; publishers, advertisers, Samsung, Facebook, Google, and Epic Games are just some of the big names screwing their faces up at Apple’s decision making. But, as Apple makes obvious strides for user privacy, can its dominance be likened to Google’s? Big tech transparency is something which is frequently under fire, and for good reason, but whilst Google seems to be driven by data collection, Apple’s actions suggest they are on a more moral path.

As Apple goes up against the rest of the world, their vision of an ad-free, private world feels a lot more positive than that of its competitors. It’ll be interesting to see who they pick a fight with next, and how it plays into their future plans for tech.

Its impact on advertising is clear to see: Microsoft revealed they’d seen more searches for things such as organic cleaning products and electric cars during the pandemic. Veganism is no longer viewed as a fad and its industry is growing steadily in Search; “alternative to single-use” search terms have grown 137% when comparing 2019-20 with 2017-18. Google even has a non-profit grant scheme which gives charities an advertising budget of $10,000 a month.

In fact, British consumers would be willing to pay £3,654 more a year for eco-friendly household goods and services. There’s a huge calling for brands to be more sustainable, but is it possible for businesses of all sizes to answer that call in 2020?

Carbon neutral targets

We see a lot of good intentions being laid out by the tech giants: Facebook and Google have both recently set their carbon neutral targets as well as Amazon who have gone further, investing $100 million in reforestation projects around the world.

On paper, big brands seem to be leading the way. But as the world continues to burn around us, something inherent in our habits needs to change before a real impact can be made. Using technology to transform the way we prioritise what’s important when we shop could be a key contributing factor in making sustainable products successful.

For instance, Google appeared to be trialling material labels on its sponsored shopping ads back in the summer. This was just another test which was spotted by hawk-eyed users but it showcased Google’s experimentation with making product materials prominent in the SERPs. Prioritising and highlighting the fabric of a garment simulates the same in-store experience of being able to touch a product and read its label. If sustainable shopping is important to searchers, displaying its origins is a great step in an environmentally-conscious direction.

Fast fashion

The booming fashion industry is just one area where more sustainability could be introduced. Currently, the industry is responsible for 8% of carbon emissions with textile production contributing more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined.

Online clothes shopping is drastically on the rise too, with 86% of fashion purchases being made online in comparison to just 41% last year. The closure of physical stores has seen a big shift in consumer behaviour and the way we purchase clothing. As a result, we need to adapt to not only making online shopping easier but introducing initiatives which focus on sustainability.

A Google study stated that 55% of shoppers claimed sustainability was more important than value and quality. But, when this was compared against their buying behaviour, it showed sustainability on its own (59%) was substantially less important than value (84%), quality (84%) and style (83%). This gaping chasm between what users claim is important and what their habits show displays search’s inability to cater for their values. If sustainability is so high on their priority list, more can be done to shine a light on a product’s environmental impact.

Google argues that this research demonstrates that there’s a gap in the market for fashion brands who are “willing to innovate and provide transparency to engaged consumers around sustainability.” It can be argued that this vision can be applied to all industries and not just fashion. This idealism is bolstered by the fact 54% of adults feel joy when they do their bit for the environment and there is an eagerness, albeit a slightly naive one, to do more for the planet.

Whilst fast fashion is a significant opponent to a greener world, overhauling the entire way we approach purchasing products online is what’s needed.

What’s now expected of brands

Further Google data demonstrates how users expect brands to care about sustainability and social issues.

Once it was seen as novel for companies to do their bit for the environment – it was as though making their products out of recycled materials or contributing to a green charity made them ‘friendlier’. Today, things have moved past being voluntary acts of kindness. More than a third of customers demand businesses be more transparent about the sustainability of their products. In fact, 62% say that they cared about at least one sustainability aspect when purchasing online in 2020:

It’s clear that sustainability isn’t a hot topic which will fade into the background. As the net tightens on big tech transparency and the public demands more control over their user privacy, it won’t be long before they’re stomping their feet and boycotting brands which refuse to tow a sustainable line.

How to make your business fit

With an environmentally-conscious buyer at the forefront of new purchasing habits, how does your business adapt?

Firstly, you can ensure you’re doing all the moral things from a business-operations perspective: recycling where possible, reducing waste, ensuring fair working conditions and producing products in an environmentally-friendly way. These things need to be part of a bigger strategy as there’s lots of value in being social conscious – consumers choose brands based on how they align with their own core values.

There are lots of resources out there to show you how to adapt your business, slowly but surely, into being the best it can be.

When it comes to advertising, there are lots of ways you can ensure your business stands out for doing what’s right.

1. Showcase it in your ads

Just like Google’s material labels test (which may or may not become the future), making it easy for environmentally-conscious buyers to identify your product as sustainable will really set you apart. Whether you highlight the way everything is responsibly sourced in your text ads or simply label your materials in your shopping ads, every aspect makes you stand out for the right reasons.

2. Display your certifications

Make it quicker for people to identify your product as sustainability sourced through achieving certifications from trusted platforms.

For instance, an Energy Star or Fairtrade logo next to your products saves users a lot of time searching for whether you adhere to fair practises or not. It’s also added persuasion for the 55% of shoppers who claimed sustainability was the most important purchasing factor, but struggled to follow through on it.

3. Complete transparency

When people click through to your landing page, aim to be as transparent as possible about where your products came from. Avoid boring customers to tears with in-depth descriptions of your supply chains, but do make it easy for them to understand where everything is from, what’s been used and what the production processes are like.

By being transparent about your practices, potential customers are a lot more likely to trust your brand which goes a long way when it comes to purchasing decisions.

4. Communicate your beliefs

If you really believe in sustainability and making positive changes for the planet, tell your customers that. Build your sustainability beliefs into your dialogue and ask for their feedback. Use your social media pages to show what your working conditions are like; create content around the way you’ve implemented sustainable supply chains; engage with users about your future plans.

Whilst sustainable practices are something we all should be aiming for, not many people are doing so. Shouting about it now will position your brand as an industry leader.

5. Be specific

Rather than being wishy-washy and just telling people your products are sustainable, be specific with the details. Tell customers how your product will help them limit their carbon emissions and by exactly how much; tell them what the environmental impact of swapping to your product would be. People respond well to specifics and it will help your brand stick in their minds for longer. Plus, it’ll help make them feel great about doing their bit for the environment.

Sustaining sustainability

Building in sustainable practises and learning how to adapt your advertising to showcase that now can have a huge impact on your business. If you’re a non-profit organisation, be sure to apply for Google’s advertising grant to get your business in front of thousands of users for free.

There’s a real hunger amongst searchers for sustainable products and by catering to it when industry-related searches are rife, you’ll ensure you get a steady stream of environmentally-conscious buyers – both at this moment and for as long as this planet is alive.

Our teams have been working hard to create, migrate and promote this new aspect of the business. We thought we’d show you not just how it can help, but how we went from the initial concept to the shiny new platform we have in front of us today.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Concept

Taking things from an idea to a finished product often is easier than you think – it’s just about having the right strategy in place to get you there.

The Marketplace was created because our customers were asking us for services we simply couldn’t accommodate in-house. But, that wasn’t to say we couldn’t help them. This insight led us to work harder to fulfil all that was being asked of us.

And so the Marketplace is designed to house everything you need to succeed in digital marketing: from SEO, branding, app design and more. By collating all the industry-leading services in one place, our customers know exactly where to turn.

From there, we did some research as to what was already on the market and thought about how we could get the great agencies we already work alongside involved. It seemed there was a mutual need for leads on their side too, particularly with the recent impact of COVID-19. This bolstered our resolve to move things from concept to reality as soon as we could.

Expansion

After our initial launch, we realised there was a big demand for additional ways to browse the Marketplace. We wanted to give people more ways to explore the great things on offer, including discovering things they might not even know existed.

Along the way, we improved the UX based on tests we ran and added some new features. For instance, our new personal portal allows each advertiser to amend their business information, logo, gallery images and contact details at any time. This gives users more control and allows them to keep things up to date. It also means our team doesn’t have to get involved and has more time to scope out new feature requests so that the Marketplace continues to get better.

Better still, listings can now go live the same day they’re put forward to our team making Marketplace one of the quickest and easiest ways to get your business out there.

Other new features include the addition of ratings and reviews to help businesses compare service providers and make the best decision for them based on real, authentic testimonials.

Speaking to Rebecca Morley, the Project Manager for the Marketplace project, she told us what she’s most excited about:

“My favourite feature of the portal is the lead data. An advertiser can see exactly how many times their business has appeared in search results, how many clicks it’s had as well as clicks out to their website – all in real-time. Plus, there is an inbox feature where potential customers can send enquiries as they browse.”

We’ve also expanded our advertising offerings: freelancers and software providers now have their own category to display their services. This gives users a wide array of options out there and helps to show why online directories are still very much needed in 2020.

Reach

Advertising a new product is always difficult, particularly when you have no data to lead you in the right direction. Luckily, because we have the Adzooma platform and an established customer base, we had a strong sense of just how valuable the Marketplace would be.

Once we were happy with the Marketplace, we moved our thoughts to marketing it. Speaking to Paid Social Manager, Matt Hogan, he discussed how we started the ball rolling:

“Firstly, we identified two main audience types that we thought would be best suited and set about coming up ways to promote it to them. This was split into those who would want to advertise on the Marketplace and those who would want to use the Marketplace.

Paid social tends to always bring in a good amount of traffic if you build your audiences from good data. So, as well as this, we looked at other ways to promote the product and decided to branch out into display campaigns on various targeted sites in our industry. These sites are some of the biggest in the marketing space so we can safely presume that our target audiences would visit them.”

Here is just one of the display campaigns we’re currently running on sites such as Search Engine Journal. We included a strong discounted offer to entice people to check it out and went for striking creatives to stand out against the landscape of the different sites.

Here is just one of the display campaigns we’re currently running on sites such as Search Engine Journal. We included a strong discounted offer to entice people to check it out and went for striking creatives to stand out against the landscape of the different sites.

Matt concluded:

“The results we’ve had so far have been promising, but as always, we’ll continue to tweak things and make changes as the data points us in the right direction.”

Supporting content

To support our paid campaigns, our Content Team have been busy producing tons of creative content. Full of key insights and handy hint, the Adzooma Blog now houses lots of supporting articles to help businesses and agencies on their advertising journey.

If you’d like to read more about why now is the best time to hire freelancers, what else is free about Adzooma or more about the Marketplace, be sure to explore the blog.

Using the best resources out there

On a final note, Marketplace is the number one platform that connects services, agencies and freelancers with high-quality leads looking for their expertise.

It’s important to outsource where it makes sense for your business. For example, migrating the Marketplace to eDirectory required the skill set of their Brazilian team – and we think they’ve done a fantastic job. The Marketplace makes it easy to find those who are ready to help.

Make sure you take a look for yourself, share your feedback and find your ideal service or new customers on there today.

But there is something very different about this year – no prizes for guessing what. COVID-19 has changed buying habits forever and those who would usually be banging on shop doors to grab a bargain may be more hesitant.

Data also shows that more than a third of UK shoppers who normally shop in store for Black Friday saying they won’t this year. And it goes further than just impacting one holiday, with 61% saying the pandemic will affect how they’ll shop for all of them.

Knowing that things will be different this holiday season helps us to prepare for it. Here are some new holiday shopping predictions and how you can ensure your business is ready.

New habits

In order to cater to shoppers’ new habits, we first need to identify what they are. New doesn’t have to mean worse. In fact, now is a time full of opportunity for physical stores to combine their online and in-store strategies. By embracing change, businesses can thrive during this recession like many have done before.

Online shopping is set to be even more popular than ever before this season; with masks, queues and one-way systems to contend with, ordering things from your sofa is a much less-stressful alternative.

Let’s take a look at new holiday predictions:

1. Online browsing set to soar

It won’t just be online purchases that see a significant boost but the number of people discovering gifts online. As people feel less comfortable browsing in-store, over 70% of shoppers say they’ll be browsing virtually rather than in person.

2. More reassurance needed

Shoppers will be utilising online stock levels to add an extra sense of safety to their trips to physical stores: to avoid any unnecessary risk, 65% of users will go online to make sure what they’re after is definitely available before making a special trip.

3. A change to ‘peak times’

As crowds are now feared, shoppers who do want to go into stores are expected to go at off-peak times. However, as this seems a popular idea, it will create ‘new peaks’ – 68% of shoppers now intend to go earlier in the day.

4. Grab and go

When people do venture in-store, it will often be to pick up reserved items and leave. 80% of people plan to consolidate their shopping into fewer trips than they have done in previous years to reduce risk; 63% will choose stores that offer contactless shopping. With priorities changing, physical store interactions will also be reduced to functional exchanges that minimise contact with others.

5. Type of business

There’s a lot of opportunity for small businesses with 67% of shoppers saying they plan to shop more locally; people are keen to stick closer to home this season with searches for ‘available near me’ having grown globally by over 100%. Whilst giants such as Amazon will, of course, continue to line their pockets, SMBs will see increased support if they make themselves noticeable.

Find the right Amazon marketing agency for your business with Adzooma Marketplace.

An online-first strategy

These new habits aren’t specific to one holiday period – they’re here to stay. But what should you change in your marketing strategy to reflect this?

• Be aware – what would usually make you stand out from the crowd may not be what brings customers in this year. As contact-free and availability become top priorities, it won’t just be those who put on the best deals who’ll win customers.
• Be smart – make your strategy cater first and foremost for online users. This makes you more accessible to all types of customers and will help to future-proof your business. If you’re an SMB owner with a physical store/s, read our article on how you can benefit from the surge in online shopping.
• Be flexible – whilst shoppers always love a bargain, they won’t be as keen to queue for it this year. If your business doesn’t have the capacity for delivery, consider curb-side pick up slots. This would take relatively less effort to organise but provides a streamlined way for customers to feel safe.
• Be an industry leader – shoppers may be willing to spend a little more in exchange for convenience. Through being smart and understanding what people’s new priorities are, you can establish yourself as an industry leader.

A very Google Christmas

Just because we’re in unprecedented times, it doesn’t mean old data can’t point us in the right direction. Last year’s festive figures show that:

• 71% of British Christmas shoppers used 3+ channels to buy gifts
• 57% of British Christmas purchases were made online
• 86% of shoppers looked online ahead of in-store purchases
• 38% of British Christmas shoppers say they use their smartphone while in-store during the season

The long and short of it is that before COVID-19 the festivities were highly reliant on the search engines. All the trends point in one direction: online is just getting bigger and bigger. So now is the time to expand your online offering to get noticed.

Consider advertising channels that you may not have ventured into. One which is likely to be a good long-term investment is Youtube Ads. This is because video is storming to the top of the ROI charts – 60% of brands deployed pre, mid, or post-roll ads across social and digital platforms last year making it the most popular format.

Don’t discount things as being outside of your remit without at least doing some research – you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get things done. If you don’t feel confident doing things in-house, think about outsourcing to industry experts for a polished finish.

How to get your ads seen

1. Get your ads in early

More and more companies begin advertising around the holidays which means there’s a huge influx of ads and approval times can become a lot longer, especially on Facebook. It’s important to get organised so you know your ads will be live in time to bring in your best customers – don’t leave things until the last minute.

2. Use automation

Because of the sheer number of ads, ad placements become ridiculously competitive. With limited spaces, it can be more expensive and difficult to bag the premium ad spots. By turning on automatic placements and giving platforms like Google and Facebook the power to display your ad where they see fit, you can ensure your ads are agile enough to still get eyes on them.

Whilst these new placements may be out of your comfort zone, the AI-driven recommendations will help to keep a steady stream of customers even if your favourite spots are taken. You can also use custom automated rules to manage your campaigns 24/7 so you don’t miss a thing.

3. Test your campaign

The most successful campaigns are those that are planned really well. If you’re trialling something new, create a test campaign the week before and keep it in your drafts. Go through it and make sure you’ve ironed out any problems that could arise in the customer journey. You want to present offer-hungry users with polished, helpful ads rather than lack-lustre campaigns which you don’t have a handle on.

4. Tighten up your audiences

Now is the time to be going after those who are already receptive to your products; create audience lists of warm leads to maximise your chances of making more sales.

From this, use Facebook’s lookalike audience feature to target shoppers similar to your best type of customer. By spending a little time making your lookalike audiences super specific you’ll give yourself the best shot at bagging those high-value wins.

5. Check your maximum budget

If you know your target CPA and lifetime value of a customer, you shouldn’t shy away from bringing in as many new ones as possible. As long as you know your maximum capacity numbers, the holiday season should bring in some much-needed extra business.

Take the time to revise your maximum bids and maximum spend figures so that you’re not capped unexpectedly. Similarly, with holiday ads typically costing more per click, you’ll need a little more budget behind your campaigns than usual.

6. Find opportunities to improve

Take your PPC ads to a whole new level with free software like Adzooma. With a built-in Opportunity Engine, our platform analyses your account for ways to improve your ads. Any aspects that need improvement can be actioned in just a few clicks, leaving you in a good position to blow your competitors out the water.

Look for new ways to bring in new customers

With so much change to users’ buying habits advertisers need to make some adjustments too. Your strategies need to be agile, predominantly online and focus on the new concerns that shoppers have. Previously, sanitation and proximity weren’t even on people’s list of priorities; today, they are what makes people turn away from a brand.

Holiday shopping is no longer just about who has the lowest prices. A streamlined, organised approach is necessary to reassure customers that their safety is paramount. Whether your business is online or in a physical store, don’t be afraid of trying new ways to bring customers in. Those who are innovative in hard times are the ones who see success. Change doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities out there to make a profit this holiday season – it’ll just look different to last year.