Does Facebook Advertising Assist PPC?

Do you advertise on Facebook? How about PPC (Google AdWords and Bing Ads)? If you’re a digital marketing professional, the answer is most likely a huge “Yes!” Both channels (Facebook/social) and also PPC are great on their own. However, have you ever wondered, does my Facebook advertising impact and assist my paid search? Many of us believe so, but have never performed a formal study to prove the correlation.

Thanks to Kenshoo, the leader in Bid Management Software and Social Advertising Platforms according to Forrester, I’m thrilled to share some answers. Kenshoo recently published a free whitepaper that proves a correlation between Facebook and PPC: Facebook Advertising Boosts Paid Search Performance.

I’m a huge fan of Kenshoo; They are all about tracking, analytics, technology, and innovation. Long story short, they are perhaps the best company to do this type of study. They have deep roots in this type of analysis, and that’s something I respect incredibly about Kenshoo.

Some high level findings (download the free whitepaper to learn more about the particular experiment, and how it was conducted):

+30% ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
+24% AOV (Average Order Value)
+7% CTR (Click Through Rate)
-4.5% CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)

Figuring out budgets and media allocation for 2014? Make sure to set aside some extra funds for Facebook advertising (knowing the positive impact it has on core PPC), and don’t forget to reserve funds for amazing technologies such as Kenshoo!

Image in this post © Kenshoo

Sharpen Your Remarketing Skills With 3Q Digital

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Jan 5 2

I’m an incredible fan of remarketing (also known as retargeting). Those who have already visited your site are incredibly valuable. Perhaps they started researching your product, but were not ready to purchase. Perhaps they want to buy your product, but did not have their credit card ready. Perhaps they completed a transaction on your site, and are looking forward to coming back and buying more. Whatever the reason, it’s absolutely fundamental to your digital marketing success (and overall company success) to engage (and provide value to) those who have already visited your website. It’s all about targeted display, search, and even social media remarketing campaigns.

I’m also an incredible fan of 3Q Digital, Silicon Valley’s Digital Marketing Agency. These guys are the experts, and deliver amazing results for their clients. They work with many of the most successful startups and brands in the Silicon Valley. They are good people, and add so much value to our industry.

To kick off the new year, I wanted to share with you a free, new eBook from 3Q Digital: The Complete Guide to Advanced AdWords Remarketing. If you’ve been reading PPC Ian for a while, you know I’m a big fan of free eBooks and whitepapers. I like to read as many as possible, and always post my favorites here. This new eBook from 3Q Digital is definitely one of my favorites. They not only cover the basics, but also spend 15 pages going into advanced AdWords remarketing topics such as Remarketing Lists for Search (RLSA), Search Companion Remarketing, Similar Users Remarketing, YouTube Remarketing, and Using Google Analytics for Remarketing. I especially enjoyed the section on Remarketing Lists for Search and wrote down a new idea I’ll be sure to try.

Thanks 3Q Digital for starting off the new year with an amazing new eBook! Readers, simply click banner below to visit 3Q and download your free copy. On the landing page, make sure to choose the remarketing whitepaper and any others that interest you (3Q offers an extensive library of whitepapers)!

Image of The Complete Guide To Advanced AdWords Remarketing © 3Q Digital

PPC Associates Must-Have 2013 Facebook Ads Guide

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Jul 24 0

I’m a huge fan of PPC Associates Digital Marketing Agency. I’m personal friends with their co-founder and CEO, David Rodnitzky. I’m also great friends with their several other team members at PPC Associates including Hillary Read, their Director of Marketing. I truly appreciate their breadth of experience across all channels of digital marketing. I also truly appreciate the fact that they know how to market their own agency, the sign of a truly passionate marketing team. As just one example: PPC Associates runs one of the greatest digital marketing blogs on the Internet.

Today, I wanted to share with you the brand new PPC Associates 2013 Guide To Facebook Advertising. I thought it would make perfect sense given that Facebook just announced their second quarter earnings and beat estimates handsomely (thanks to digital marketing professionals like you and me). Right now is the time to advertise on Facebook, and PPC Associates is there to guide you every step of the way with their free tutorial.

I really like this guide, and here’s why:

It’s jam-packed with 24 pages of free insights.
It talks about all the possible objectives of advertising on Facebook. Facebook is a lot different than traditional search marketing. Perhaps you’re looking to drive brand awareness. Perhaps you’re looking to generate likes. Perhaps you’re looking to drive direct response conversions. PPC Associates covers all of these objectives, and discusses the different types of ads and how they relate to each objective.
PPC Associates goes into incredible detail to educate the reader about all types of Facebook ads. I’m talking about marketplace ads (marketplace standard ad, marketplace event ad, marketplace like ad, and marketplace application ad), sponsored stories (page likes, check-ins, and page posts), mobile advertisements (mobile sponsored stories, mobile promoted posts, mobile page posts, and mobile app install ads), premium ads (photo, video, question, status, event, link, app ad, video app ad, standard ad, and video standard ad), sponsored search results, and Facebook Exchange Ads (FBX). Wow, that was a looooong list! I wanted to list it all out, however, to show you the comprehensiveness of this great resource.
This guide also dives into a ton of other topics: targeting options, custom audiences, metrics, and more.
It’s written in a logical, easy-to-follow format. It’s a true reference that you can share with your entire team.

When it comes to digital marketing, I really enjoy learning from agencies. They get to see so much, across so many different verticals. PPC Associates’ amazing wealth of knowledge comes through in their guide and I highly recommend downloading your free copy.

Image in this post © PPCAssociates.com

Kenshoo Search Trends: Insightful Whitepaper

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Jun 3 0

I’m a huge fan of Kenshoo Digital Marketing Technology. Kenshoo provides one of the most amazing search marketing platforms in existence. Approximately three billion dollars of annual digital marketing spend is managed via Kenshoo, and they were named the leader in bid management buy Forrester.

Today, I am thrilled to share Kenshoo’s new Global Search Advertising Trends whitepaper. It’s free and a true must-read. I’m a real fan of Kenshoo whitepapers and have covered several here on PPC Ian. One of my other favorites is the Kenshoo SmartPath whitepaper, all about Kenshoo attribution modeling (truly advanced stuff).

So what’s Kenshoo’s latest whitepaper all about? Global Trends aggregates billions of dollars worth of data and illustrates really interesting trends in the digital marketing landscape. We’re talking about trends in budget/spend, CPCs, clicks, click-through-rates, impressions, and more. We’re talking about trends across region – US, UK, and EU. We’re talking about device-specific trends.

I personally rely on such whitepapers and trends to understand the bigger picture. I found the insights Kenshoo shares about spend/budget to be particularly insightful. Thanks, Kenshoo, for another awesome whitepaper! I recommend downloading this free whitepaper and leveraging the insights at your company.

Image in this post © Kenshoo

Kenshoo SmartPath Attribution Whitepaper

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Apr 5 0

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted here on PPC Ian. The last several weeks have been incredibly busy (in a good way). I’m now back into the swing of things and wanted my first new post to highlight a truly remarkable whitepaper: The Conversion Attribution Revolution by Kenshoo. If you are a serious online marketer, you absolutely must stop everything and read this whitepaper right now, or at least sometime this weekend/early next week. It’s 18 pages of pure education on the topic of conversion attribution. Most importantly, it will change the way you look at conversion attribution and unlock opportunity for you and your company.

Conversion attribution is a hot topic in our industry and a very important lever. At the end of the day, accurate data drives great results. Accurate data powers everything we do! At its core, Kenshoo’s whitepaper introduces their SmartPath technology, a machine learning algorithm that dynamically applies appropriate conversion credit to media sources in the conversion funnel. No longer do you have to apply the same conversion attribution model across the board. SmartPath takes things to a whole new level and dynamically applies appropriate credit based on the particular customer flow in question. Kenshoo rounds up their whitepaper with two practical case studies (complete with real numbers) that drive home the power of SmartPath.

I’m not going to do this whitepaper justice by writing too much more here, so I urge you to head on over to Kenshoo and download the whitepaper for free. Also, I recommend contacting Kenshoo to see how they can help your company. Kenshoo has been a true leader in conversion attribution for years and I’m incredibly impressed with their latest invention, SmartPath.

Images in this post © Kenshoo

Amazing Free YouTube Advertising Guide

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Jan 8 2

Do you have a YouTube channel? Do you advertise on YouTube? In my opinion, you should! YouTube is a wonderful top-of-funnel channel that can help build brand awareness, therefore increasing the effectiveness of all marketing channels. Moreover, YouTube presents a great opportunity to identify target customers and remarket to them via display ads. (You may want to check out this helpful Google support FAQ on Remarketing To YouTube Viewers.)

Even if your company is not ready to advertise on YouTube (perhaps you don’t have budget just yet), you should still become a YouTube advertising pro. These days, online marketing professionals are required to go well beyond paid search. We are managing a diverse portfolio of online advertising channels, with video advertising (YouTube) being toward the top of the list. This is a must-have skill for your repertoire.

With YouTube advertising evolving quickly and being a bit newer, how can a PPC pro learn all about this exciting channel? Easy: Our friends at Silicon Valley’s SEM Agency, PPC Associates, have written The Marketer’s Guide To YouTube Ads. This FREE 25 page eBook is a true must-read. You will learn about the benefits of advertising on YouTube, YouTube’s two advertising platforms, ad types, targeting options, and so much more. I particularly enjoy the examples/screenshots in this eBook and the careful inclusion of “who should use it” and “who should not use it” throughout. It’s a new year and I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of diversifying your online marketing skill set. I highly recommend downloading this free eBook and very much enjoyed reading it myself! (And, when you’re done, make sure to check out the PPC Associates Impression Sculpting eBook as well.)

Image in this post © PPCAssociates.com

PPC Associates Impression Sculpting eBook

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Dec 2 3

Have you heard of PPC Associates? They are one of the absolute best SEM agencies around. I’m personal friends with many employees over at PPC Associates (they are all awesome) including their CEO, David Rodnitzky. Search engine marketing is a very difficult and complex field. Its agencies like PPC Associates, those that truly “get it”, that raise the bar. Today I’m thrilled to review and share with you the latest free eBook from PPC Associates, Impression Sculpting: Master GDN Advertising. This is a true must-read eBook, make sure to download it today!

Do you advertise on the Google Display Network? When launching new GDN campaigns, most start with a keyword-driven architecture. These contextual campaigns allow you to show up within relevant articles about your product/category. If you’re selling car insurance, you get to show up within articles about car insurance. However, there are only so many articles about car insurance on the Internet. What if you want to go bigger with your display advertising efforts but are out of ideas? That’s the purpose of today’s eBook.

Will Lin, Co-Founder of PPC Associates, introduces a new concept called “Impression Sculpting”. This technique allows advertisers to go big, while still driving cost-effective conversions. It allows you to drive effective display programs, even on websites/articles that are not directly about your product/category. Impression sculpting hinges on the new Google AdWords demographic targeting launched to all accounts in July, 2012. I know I have found success with this strategy and highly recommend downloading this free eBook.

Image in this post © PPCAssociates.com

SEM Conversion Attribution Whitepaper

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Nov 4 0

Kenshoo has a new 16-page whitepaper and I highly recommend. It’s all about one of the most relevant and important topics within online advertising right now: conversion attribution. I read Kenshoo’s whitepaper at length this weekend, and highly recommend you download and read Conversion Attribution: Choosing The Right Model For Your Search Marketing Campaigns.

When I started in search engine marketing, it was all about the last click. However, as the marketplace gets more competitive, consumers get increasingly savvy, and SEM technology platforms get more sophisticated, the last click model is just a basic starting point these days. Kenshoo has always been thinking about conversion models, from day one. Over the years, Kenshoo has maintained their stronghold on conversion attribution and has been a true pioneer in this field. Following are just a few of the exciting topics in Kenshoo’s whitepaper:

Primer and the evolution of attribution practices in digital marketing. The state of attribution has evolved tremendously over the past 10 years.
Common attribution models, including first-click, last-click, linear, u-shaped, time decay, and more. I learned about some new attribution models and really enjoyed this part of the whitepaper.
Three separate case studies, highlighting the application of attribution models. Specifically: Moving off a Single Click Model, Selecting a Prefer-last Model, and Considering a Multi-channel Approach. It’s always easiest to learn through example and I very much enjoyed these helpful case studies.

Once again, Kenshoo has put together a seriously helpful whitepaper and I hope you enjoy it!

The Power of Search and Display Advertising

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Oct 28 0

Have you heard of Acquisio? They’re the performance marketing platform of choice for agencies. I’m a huge fan of Acquisio because they have an amazing platform and also because they truly “get it” when it comes to both search and display advertising. Their CMO, Marc Poirier, has been a search marketing conference speaker for as long as I can remember. And, he always has amazing presentations about display advertising (from which I’m constantly learning new strategies).

I’m a big fan of display advertising and view it as the natural extension of search engine marketing. Display has evolved tremendously over the years. It’s more measurable, more performance driven, and more like search than ever before. More than anything, display and search run in parallel help reinforce each other.

Today, I’m thrilled to share with you Acquisio’s brand new FREE eBook: Selling Display To Search Clients. If you work at an agency, this is a must-read eBook. I have worked with many agencies over the years and I always appreciate those agencies that understand both search and display advertising. However, even if you’re a direct advertiser, Acquisio’s eBook has equally valuable lessons. It will help you understand the value of display and implement a successful display program for your company. The situation of running both search and display is a true win-win for your company and your online marketing career!

Following are just a few of the exciting topics that are covered in Acquisio’s free eBook:

Display’s outstanding growth rate and it’s impact on search, with some really helpful statistics.
The current state of display advertising technology and metrics, the evolution of display into more of a search-type channel.
How you can achieve a lower CPA by combining your search and display efforts.
How to get started with both site and search retargeting, very cost effective advertising channels.
How display advertising (via branding) can generate incremental demand for your business.

Cross Channel Marketing eBook By Acquisio

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Oct 16 1

I’m always blogging about SEM automation and SEM platforms here on PPC Ian. In the corporate world of SEM, the right SEM platform can truly transform your program. How can you get even more out of your SEM platform and overall SEM program? Great data integration and a solid cross channel marketing strategy. I personally view cross channel marketing as one of the most fundamental strategies within online marketing in 2012 and beyond. Today, I’m thrilled to share a can’t-miss eBook from our friends at Acquisio called Cross Channel Marketing: A Primer For Search Agencies.

While Acquisio’s eBook is targeted towards agencies, this eBook is truly relevant for any online marketer developing (or improving) their cross channel marketing strategy. Some of my favorite parts of Acquisio’s 8-page eBook include:

Learn the difference between multi-channel and cross channel marketing. Learn how you can take your multi-channel strategy to a true cross channel marketing strategy.
As an agency, learn how to navigate across different marketing channels with different stakeholders.
I’m a huge fan of retargeting. Retargeting is taking our industry by storm this year. Learn how retargeting is evolving in a cross channel context.
Learn about attribution paths and how to assign value to different touch points in your funnel.
Learn about the automation of cross channel attribution and how Acquisio’s tracking and attribution technology can help

There’s a lot of great information in Acquisio’s free eBook and I highly recommend downloading and reading it today! Thanks, Acquisio, for providing such incredibly helpful whitepapers and eBooks. You rule!