Each advertising platform wants to give its users value specific to their needs and desires, that’s congruent with users’ expectations of the platform.
Let’s look at two examples — Google search and Facebook.
Google exists primarily to match questions to relevant answers. We use Google when we have a question and don’t know the answer. (My daughter turned eighteen recently, and I wish I had $1 for every question she asked me that Google answered for both of us.)
To give Google what it wants, we need to make sure that our answers are appearing for the most appropriate questions, and that we’re creating a positive experience for the questioner.
For example, one of the reasons Google opposes thin-content squeeze pages is that they put a barrier between a question (search) and an answer. Requiring someone to opt-in to get the answer undermines Google’s reason for existing (even if that answer is world-class, well-researched, and beautifully designed).
Specificity also is important with Google search. So important that Google is not a straight cost-based advertising auction. Instead, Google assesses a quality score that affects where your ad ranks and your cost to advertise. It’s entirely possible to be in the first advertising position while paying significantly less per click than advertisers in positions two and three. Many factors contribute to quality score — if you look at those factors from a 30,000′ perspective you’ll see that they’re all about relevance and user experience.
When choosing keyword phrases for Google (and Bing) search, ask yourself “is my [business, offer, product, service] highly relevant for this search?” If the answer is “not really”, or “I’m not sure”, reconsider advertising for that phrase. (At least until you’ve exhausted every search phrase where you can say yes definitively.)
Facebook, on the other hand, is a social platform that was not designed originally for marketing or commerce. When you advertise on Facebook, your ads are appearing in news feeds with posts from friends and family, specific interests you’re following, and ads based on those interests and behavior.
Facebook is designed primarily to entertain.
To advertise effectively on Facebook, think in terms of edu-tainment. Create ads that are interesting to your audience, perhaps with a perspective they haven’t considered yet. Avoid the quicksand of overly direct language with big promises. Current events can be a timely angle (if that fits with your offer/business).
My favorite approach to Facebook ads are those that change perspectives. Demonstrating a new way to think about something prospects are already thinking about, or providing expert insight / commentary are effective options.
The single most important question I ask when reviewing ad copy is “how likely is it that someone will want to share this ad?” (Pro tip: create ads that make your prospects look smart / informed when they share those ads with others.)
Your homework for today has two parts. First, identify 2-3 questions you’re well-qualified to answer (professionally). Or, a slightly different way to think about it, what are the 2-3 perfect questions you wished prospects would ask you? These questions should be the starting point of an effective paid search campaign. You may have to rephrase them to better match how prospects search — that’s OK. What matters is that you’re thinking in terms of questions and answers because that’s how search works.
Second, take the Facebook ad you wrote on day five and look at it through the lens of edu-tainment and shareable value.
- Is it interesting to read? Conversational?
- Have you clearly articulated a few insights that aren’t common, conventional wisdom for people interested in your expertise?
- Is your ad intriguing — does it capture the reader’s interest?
- Is it authentic?
- Is there an “ah ha” moment in it where the reader is shown a different perspective?
Pick 1-3 of these questions and frame your ad copy from those perspectives.
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