Search and Social Creative: Shaken, Not Stirred

Matt Umbro – Back to PPC Basics

Matt Umbro of Hanapin Marketing launched his presentation with an overview of search history. Wow, 2007 was so long ago! There were no ad extensions, no image search results in text searches, and the SERPS looked like yucky spam. In 2009, Google released ad extensions for locations, and sitelinks. The algorithms quaint. In 2011, extended headlines came on the scene, resembling organic results. The march was on as mobile became a force in 2010, “The Year of Mobile.”
In 2016, Google removed paid ads on the right rail, and showed 4 ads above organic, and 3 ads below. Product listings were still shown on the right side, but paid listings on the right became fully extinct.

Rule or be ruled – Google Adwords and Bing Ads No-Brainers

• Rule #1: Use all ad extensions available
• Rule #2 – Start with double headlines, make sure the rest of your ad compliments the text, remember you have 30 characters to burn in your double headlines.
• Rule #3 – Use countdown customizers –  Like “Offer ends in 3 days!”
• Rule #4 – Make your headlines stand out! Numbers in headlines are compelling – 70% off – $49 Shipping Fee!
• Rule #5 – Write relevant headlines, don’t obsess!
  Rule #6 – Use your call outs, sitelinks and extensions strategically

Umbro offered a quick rundown of key ad elements:

What are call outs? They are “aha” moments – like “loyalty discounts” or “30 Years Experience.” Sitelinks, being clickable, are the “Kings of ad extensions, delivering 78% of conversions. Structured snippets are”let me see a list” moments, always include two in each ad – this gives more information and adds to the stories. You might say, “10 location” or “Free parking” to give simple but important information.

Call extensions should include business hour, and price extensions shouldn’t always start at the lowest price, which can leave consumers with that awful  “bait and switch” feeling.
Promotion extensions are an easy win, and call and location extensions are pivotal for local businesses,

Follow Matt at @Matt_Umbro

Susan Wenograd

…. speaks as quickly as Facebook changes their algorithms. The fire hose can be tamed with a trip to susanwenograd.com for a romp through her blog. For those of you doing high-level, fast paced Facebook campaigns for e-commerce clients and enterprise companies, you are in the right place. Some highlights of today’s presentation:

• Make a list of your client/business assets that can be used for creative messages. Think beyond webinars, please. Consider how-tos, carousels, slide shows and video.
• Static images are cheap, but get decent conversions
• News you can use: slideshows don’t perform
• Carousels get great results and high interaction – but testing is critical
• Canvas ads are expensive and challenging for resultsFacebook ads are not just about what you sell – your goal is a “relevance score” (measured from 1-20) iwhich is determined by social interaction and click thru rate. The higher your relevance score, the lower your CPM. Bingo!What’s coming up? A change in WHERE your ad runs on Facebook.  As Facebook tweaks their platform to return to a more personal experience, The newsfeed is pretty full of ads.  They are now looking to Facebook messenger and the huge potential offering by immediacy. Facebook messanger is available now for advertisers.  Another trend is the rise of automated selling and chatbox.  Visit shopspring.com to see this in action.  Another emerging option is Facebook Marketplace where CPMs are inexpensive and are worth the investment.Follow Susan at @SusanEDub