Google AdWords: The good, the bad, and a few surprises

This past week, we set up our Google AdWords campaigns, and for our blog, we’re breaking down the good, the bad, the under performing and the surprises we’ve encountered while working in AdWords for the Google Online Marketing Challenge.

The good

Our ads are receiving clicks! Of course we knew we would get some, but there is always an element of fear when engaging in paid search. What if your keywords are horrible? What if no one cares?  Fortunately, we have seen some action.

We’re seeing some decent click through rates on our very specific ads when compared to the more general search terms.  However, we’d like to see our click through rates improve, so we have some tweaking to do.

The bad

Some of our negative keywords are suppressing our keywords from search. With an organizational name like CHEST, we’re of course, doing battle with some seedy ventures, so we’re trying to avoid getting those results. However, we’re learning it is a fine line and need to adjust and course correct as we go along, so we don’t miss valuable traffic!

Moreover, Google Adwords does not allow listing the keyword that contain pharmacy-related content.  Therefore, we cannot list the keywords contain “medicine”, such as “pulmonary medicine board” and “American Board of Pediatrics Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine”.  Our solution is to remove the sensitive words, so the keywords became “Pulmonary board” and “American Board of Pediatrics Pediatric Pulmonary”

Surprises

One of our ads is performing well, and we have been prompted by AdWords to up our budget for that campaign in order to not miss out on clicks. As a group we are now deciding how to handle this information.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the need for flexibility, or testing, just as we’ve learned in our Internet and Interactive Marketing course.

The Mobile "Sweet Spot"

This week in my Internet and Interactive Marketing course at DePaul University, we talked about the “sweet spot” for consumers. Let’s face it- marketers know a lot about us. But, if they reveal too much of what we know, it gets, well. . .creepy.

With the introduction of mobile, marketers know even more- where we are now or where we were yesterday, who we take photos of, perhaps apps you’ve downloaded. But, crossing that line can make consumers uncomfortable.

So, how can marketers properly think about mobile in a way that isn’t intrusive?  And should marketers consider jumping on the mobile bandwagon?

I say marketers should spend significant time understanding how consumers are using mobile devices. Consumers are able to filter much of what they see and do on a personal device. Unlike a billboard on I-55 that the consumer must drive by on the way to work, or a commercial during the awards show, consumers can pick and choose.

·      Consumers are accessing the Internet from their device more and more. Data shows us that mobile devices are becoming front and center. In January 2014, comScore reported that consumers accessed the internet via a smart phone and tablet more than they did with a PC. This was the first time in history. Clearly, this should tip off marketers who haven’t already gotten the memo.

·      Apps rule. An interesting fact from Nielsen shows that 89% of media time is spent in apps- social media, email and news are being accessed in on mobile devices.

Image: Smartinsights.com

·      Content is king. I feel like a broken record, but I think quality content wins again. If your content is engaging, people are more likely to tune in. For instance, for a curated, personalized radio station on Pandora, a consumer is likely to listen to the 30-second ad every three or four songs.

In my mind, mobile is a new challenge for marketers- how do you properly reach consumers in this channel? And, how do you do it in a way that doesn’t feel obtrusive and big brother-ish? I think it takes a dedicated marketer committed to creating good content and upping the ante on the sweet spot for consumers, because mobile intrusiveness can feel really creepy. Definitely a challenge and interesting to see how organizations will develop this channel.

So, what is your organization doing in mobile? Have you found the sweet spot?

Three tools for a social media arsenal

For our assignment this week, we were asked to identify three social media dashboards for our client. The three tools topping our list were Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Bit.ly. All offer great features for managing a successful, smart and informed social media presence. However, there are many other tools in a social media professional’s arsenal.

Here are a few honorable mentions; the tools that make our lives easier!

Afterlight (Free): All social media people worth their weight in gold understand how valuable great photographs are to a social media strategy. A tool for making even the must mundane photos something special is Afterlight, free cousin of Afterglow. This photo editing app is packed with features and is available free of charge in the app store. Beyond filters, the app allows for adjustment of saturation, brightness, color levels, and clarity. It also features advanced cropping tools.

(Image: Socialexaminer.com)

Hashtracking (Prices vary, but you can track you first hashtag for free): Tweeting around a hashtag campaign or meeting? Have no budget but want to see the results of your hashtag including sentiment, timestamps, and impressions? Hashtracking might be the thing you’ve been looking for. The tool offers some of the same smart analytics offered by the big guys, but for a much smaller price tag.

(Image: Firstsiteguide.com)

iRig Mic for iPhoneand iPad ($46.99 on Amazon): Sadly, it appears that this little gem is being discontinued by the manufacturer, so swoop your mic up while you still can. This microphone, in addition to a low-cost tripod and iPad adapter can make you a one-man video show. Pair it with iMovie on your mac and you have a nice quality set up for under $100! With the increasingly important role video is playing in social right now, this is an essential item for your toolkit.

(Image: Amazon.com)

Any “must have” tools in your social media toolkit?