In the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking (and writing) on the topic of building brand awareness through PPC.
Why is this topic so often overlooked?
I suspect it’s partly because so many of us are focused on account performance.
Performance is important, of course. We’re all keenly interested in performance metrics, such as leads, conversions and sales.
But if your sole focus is performance — to the detriment of brand awareness — then you will lose opportunities, jeopardize long-term performance and even put the health of your entire business at risk.
Therefore, let me continue to bang the drum of brand awareness by recapping some of my most recent articles:
The PPC “Dirty Secret” That No One Talks About
When budgets get cut, PPC activities that build brand awareness are often the first things to get the boot.
In this article, I explain what makes brand awareness such an easy target for budget cuts — and what can happen when you do.
And I illustrate with a real-life example that might stop you in your tracks.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Brand Awareness in PPC
In this article, I detail the metrics you can use to measure brand awareness, such as traffic, engagement and form completion metrics.
And I discuss what these metrics might look like in reality, using one of our clients as an example.
Brand Versus Non-Brand Goals in PPC Campaigns
The debate of performance versus brand awareness can also bleed into your campaign goals.
Should you only set goals that relate to leads and sales? Or should you also set goals that relate to brand building?
In this article, I talk about the need for a balanced approach, using financial portfolio management as a metaphor to illustrate.
5 Ways to Build Your Brand with Google Ads
Once you accept that building brand awareness is important, the next question is how to do it.
Fortunately, Google Ads gives you lots of options you can test, such as sitelinks, non-branded search text ads, remarketing, GDN and video.
In this article, I walk you through each of these options and provide you with tips and examples.
Brand Awareness is Your Insurance Policy Against Dirty Tricks in PPC
Not long ago, Jason Fried, the CEO of Basecamp, took issue with how Google Ads allows competitors to bid on company branded keywords that aren’t their own.
His complaint sparked a big online conversation about what constitutes a dirty trick in PPC and what doesn’t.
In this article, I argue that there’s a rarely a good reason to bid on a competitors’ branded keywords. Not only can it backfire, but it’s also not necessary.
And if you find yourself a “victim” of someone bidding on your branded keywords, brand awareness is your best defence.
Make “Build Brand Awareness” Your Resolution for 2020
If you’ve been wary of putting budget towards brand building activities in your PPC campaigns (or the PPC campaigns of your clients) then make 2020 the time to start.
And use the above articles as motivation — and ammunition!
