5 Ways You Can Improve the ROI of Your Next Display Ad Campaign
It’s not unusual for a digital marketer to attempt to justify negative ROI on a display network by showing the boss, or client, how display efforts help to improve search advertising campaigns. It’s not wrong to do so. In fact, we know from proper attribution modeling that a good display campaign can produce some very positive results for search campaigns.
However, it is no longer correct to assume that you’re going to generate a negative ROI on your display campaigns and just learn to live with it. We have found that by giving a great deal of attention to certain aspects of your display advertising, you can actually begin to lower your cost per acquisition (CPA) implement repeatable processes to improve daily conversions.
What is important to remember about this is that, without a tool doing the work for you, you really need to pay close attention to each one of these aspects very closely. It can’t be said enough: daily maintenance is absolutely necessary to be successful. But, if you follow these five rules, you’ll be able to find success through this channel alone.
1. Make and Test Keyword Lists
Creating keyword lists is, obviously, a very important part of getting started. Testing lists against each other to get the most out of them is key to helping to get proper placement and reaching the right audience.
Creating keyword lists is, obviously, a very important part of getting started. Testing lists against each other to get the most out of them is key to helping to get proper placement and reaching the right audience.
Put together lists of at least 20 keywords each and let them duke it out for keyword supremacy. Give them at least two or three days to gather enough click (or non-click) data, and pause any that are under-performing.
2. Manage Ad Placements Daily
As good as the intentions are of the nice people at Google, their algorithm is imperfect and ads can get shown on domains or pages that really have no business being there. This is a simple fact of display advertising that we all have to deal with, and the sooner we do, the better.
As good as the intentions are of the nice people at Google, their algorithm is imperfect and ads can get shown on domains or pages that really have no business being there. This is a simple fact of display advertising that we all have to deal with, and the sooner we do, the better.
Sometimes a URL will surprise you and start to produce results where you never would have thought it would have been possible, but the reality is that we generally see the best results on the pages that are most relevant to your offering.
Keep a close eye on your placements and add those that perform well to your Managed Placements list, and discard those that are either not generating clicks, or are generating lots of clicks with few conversions.
3. Watch Those Bids
You’ve taken the time to start elevating your Quality Score by careful attention to placement and keyword maintenance. Now it’s time to be sure that your bid prices are correct. This is something that you can, and should, do throughout the day. In fact, adjusting your bid prices hourly to attempt to find your sweet spot is highly recommended. By digging in, rolling up your sleeves and really concentrating efforts on this, you can start to slowly (or, in some cases, quickly) lower your CPA.
You’ve taken the time to start elevating your Quality Score by careful attention to placement and keyword maintenance. Now it’s time to be sure that your bid prices are correct. This is something that you can, and should, do throughout the day. In fact, adjusting your bid prices hourly to attempt to find your sweet spot is highly recommended. By digging in, rolling up your sleeves and really concentrating efforts on this, you can start to slowly (or, in some cases, quickly) lower your CPA.
4. Test Ads, Then Test Again
We have a fun acronym around here: ABC (Always Be testing your ad Creative). It’s a bit of a joke, but it’s also something that we take very seriously. Good creative is critical to good campaigns. But how do you find out which creative is best? You let your audience decide. They’re the ones who, ultimately, will give you all of the information you need, but you won’t get that information without providing them with the means to make that decision.
We have a fun acronym around here: ABC (Always Be testing your ad Creative). It’s a bit of a joke, but it’s also something that we take very seriously. Good creative is critical to good campaigns. But how do you find out which creative is best? You let your audience decide. They’re the ones who, ultimately, will give you all of the information you need, but you won’t get that information without providing them with the means to make that decision.
When you’ve got a winner in a creative battle, don’t stop there. Keep adding more and attempting to find the best one. It’s a never-ending process. ABC. Don’t forget.
5. Deny Daily Budget Suckage
Every now and then, one of your campaigns will start to get more attention and will generate more impressions and clicks than the others. If it’s not generating revenue for you, then you need to be ready to pull budget away from it so that you can dedicate more of your working capital to the campaigns that are giving you good performance. The racehorse with the most wins gets the most oats to keep it heading towards the winner’s circle.
Every now and then, one of your campaigns will start to get more attention and will generate more impressions and clicks than the others. If it’s not generating revenue for you, then you need to be ready to pull budget away from it so that you can dedicate more of your working capital to the campaigns that are giving you good performance. The racehorse with the most wins gets the most oats to keep it heading towards the winner’s circle.
Marc Poirier is a professional Internet Marketer with more than a decade experience in the Search industry. He is Co-Founder and CMO of Acquisio where he leads all sales and marketing activities.Prior to his position at Acquisio, he was founder and president at Canalytics, a boutique SEM and SEO agency which was widely regarded as one of the most active Google Analytics Authorized Consultants in the world.