Highlights:

• Meta image ads come in multiple sizes for Facebook and Instagram, each designed to meet specific goals and audience engagement strategies
• Eye-catching, well-crafted images aligned with Meta’s specs make your ads stand out and drive higher engagement
• Limiting text on images keeps ads clean and compliant while focusing attention on the visual message
• Experiment with different images, CTAs, and styles to find what resonates best with your audience
• Ensure design and message match between your ad and landing page to build trust and boost conversions

Meta image ads are one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience on Facebook and Instagram. Whether you’re promoting products or services, the right image can grab attention, spark interest, and encourage action.

Specific industries see outstanding performance with Meta image ads. For instance, the Arts & Entertainment sector tops the list with a 2.55% click-through rate (CTR). Meanwhile, sectors with more complex messaging, such as Dentist & Dental Services, are challenged with a much lower CTR of 0.81%. These stats emphasize the importance of tailoring ads to your audience’s preferences and using the correct specifications to maximize results.

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to create Meta image ads that not only look great but also drive results. From ad specs to best practices, you’ll get the tools to run campaigns that convert.

What are Meta image ads?

Meta image ads use static images to grab attention and increase the engagement rates on Facebook and Instagram. The single-image ads typically appear in news feeds, stories, and the Marketplace. They include an image along with text, headlines, and clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons such as “Learn More” or “Shop Now.”

The combination of the text caption and image is designed to encourage clicks and drive conversions in an almost minimal manner. Advertisers can use compelling visuals to spark emotions and create an urge for action, which makes Meta image ads effective for both brand awareness and direct response campaigns.

When it comes to performance, Meta image ads are great for creating quick, impactful impressions. For instance, the Arts & Entertainment industries that rely on strong visuals, see high engagement rates and conversion rates above 2.55% on average with the ad type.

This Meta ad is effective because it highlights the product’s value by focusing on entertainment and connection. It features the intimacy card deck, designed to strengthen romantic relationships by offering thoughtful prompts, but it leaves users curious by encouraging clicks to discover more about these prompts. The ad combines a compelling caption and an intriguing CTA that motivates users to engage and take action, driving conversions.

Meta image ad specs and placements

Meta image ads come in multiple sizes and can be displayed across different placements on Facebook and Instagram. Each placement offers unique advantages, and choosing the right one depends on your ad’s goals, your target audience, and the type of engagement you want to encourage. By selecting the optimal placement and ensuring your ad specs are met, you can make your Meta image ads more efficient.

Here’s an overview of Meta image ad placements and their specs:

1. Facebook News Feed

The Facebook News Feed is one of the most common placements for image ads. These ads appear directly in users’ feeds, blending seamlessly with organic posts.

Recommended image size: 1200 x 628 pixels
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1

2. Instagram feed

Image ads on Instagram feed appear in users’ main scrolling area, offering a visually-driven experience.

Recommended image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels for square ads; 1080 x 1350 pixels for portrait ads
Aspect ratio: 1:1 for square ads; 4:5 for portrait ads

3. Facebook and Instagram stories

Meta image ads in Stories appear full-screen, offering a more immersive experience. These ads are perfect for quick, eye-catching visuals encouraging users to swipe up or tap for more information.

Recommended image size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Aspect ratio: 9:16 aspect ratio

4. Facebook Marketplace

Ads in Facebook Marketplace are displayed as users browse listings. These ads allow for effective product display and CTA engagement.

Recommended image size: 1200 x 1200 pixels
Aspect ratio: 1:1 aspect ratio

5. Messenger

Meta image ads can also appear in Messenger as sponsored messages. These ads are designed to look native to the conversation flow and are typically accompanied by the “Send Message” or “Learn More” buttons.

Recommended image size: 1200 x 628 pixels
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1

Source: Meta

Meta Image Ad Types

1. Single image ads

Single image ads are the most common type of Meta image ads. They have a single high-quality image, combined with a headline, description, and a call-to-action (CTA).

These ads are versatile, which makes them perfect for straightforward messaging and campaigns that focus on a specific product or service.

• Image size: 1200 x 628 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
• Text limit: 125 characters for the headline

2. Carousel ads

Carousel ads allow advertisers to showcase up to 10 images or videos in a single ad unit. Each image or video can have its link, making it a great option for highlighting multiple products or features.

• Image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
• Number of items: Up to 10
• Recommended text: 90 characters for each card’s headline

3. Collection ads

Collection ads feature a cover image or video, followed by several product images. When users interact with these ads, they open an Instant Experience, providing a more immersive experience. These are ideal for e-commerce brands showcasing a range of products in one ad.

• Cover image/Video size: 1200 x 628 pixels
• Product image size: 1200 x 1200 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 for product images
• Text limit: 90 characters for headline

4. Slideshow ads

Slideshow ads use a series of still images to create a video-like experience, making them a cost-effective alternative to video ads. You can use up to 10 images, and they can include music and text to add an extra layer of engagement.

• Image size: 1200 x 1200 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
• Maximum number of slides: 10
• Text limit: 90 characters for each slide’s headline

Source: Meta

5. Dynamic product ads

Dynamic product ads are personalized, targeted ads. They offer relevant products to users who have visited your website/app or shown interest in similar items based on data from your product catalog.

• Image size: 1200 x 628 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
• Text limit: 90 characters for the headline

6. Stories ads

Stories ads are full-screen vertical format ads that appear in the Stories feature on Facebook and Instagram. They offer an immersive, temporary experience, ideal for short-term promotions or limited-time offers.

• Image size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Text limit: 125 characters for the headline

Best practices for high-converting Meta image ads

To be effective, Meta image ads must be able to stop the users’ scrolling, communicate your message clearly, and encourage clicks.

Let’s break down the best practices for high-converting Meta image ads:

1. Use high-quality, on-brand images

An image is the first thing users see in your ad, so it needs to be high-quality and representative of your brand. Use clear, visually striking images that reflect the essence of your message or product.

2. Keep on-image text minimal

Meta recommends minimizing text on images to improve performance and comply with ad guidelines. Too much text can clutter the ad and lower click-through rates, so stick to a simple phrase or slogan that grabs attention. If you need to include more detail, add it in the ad copy itself. This approach keeps the image clean and lets users focus on your main message.

3. Write clear and concise ad copy

Make sure that the copy is straightforward and compelling. Keep the language engaging and relevant to make it easy for users to understand why they should take an interest and what’s the gist of the offer.

4. Include a strong call-to-action (CTA)

A clear CTA is essential for driving action. Whether it’s “Learn More,” “Shop Now,” or “Sign Up,” make sure your CTA directly encourages users to engage.

Use action-oriented language that creates a sense of urgency, but leaves room for refusing the offer like “Subscribe Now, Cancel Anytime.” A compelling CTA can increase clicks and lead users down the conversion funnel.

5. Test different ad element variations

Testing is key to finding out what resonates with your audience. Experiment with different images, ad copy, and CTA buttons, and track metrics like click-through and conversion rates to see what performs best.

Try different visuals, like lifestyle photos versus product close-ups, and adjust ad copy to find the ideal combination that drives engagement.

6. Link to a relevant landing page

Ensure that the landing page your ad links to aligns with the ad message and design. If your ad promotes a specific product, direct users to a page that features that product with clear purchase options. Generic homepages can lead to a drop in interest, whereas a targeted landing page maintains momentum and increases the chance of conversion.

Why you need to connect landing pages with your Meta image ads

If you’re running Meta image ads, adding a relevant landing page isn’t just helpful—it’s essential to getting a good return on your ad dollars.

The ad-to-page personalization experience is important because it helps you to:

1. Personalize the user journey

A personalized landing page that matches your ad makes the experience seamless and relevant for users.

For example, if your ad promotes a skincare discount, users should land on a page that features that product and the discount, not a generic homepage. When users see exactly what they clicked on, they’re more likely to stay and engage.

2. Create consistency and build trust

Aligning your ad visuals and messaging with the landing page reassures users that they’re in the right place, which builds trust.

If your ad’s tone is fun and conversational, use the same style on the landing page. A consistent experience feels genuine and inviting, while a disconnected page can quickly turn users away.

3. Boost conversions with relevant content

Users who click on your ad are already interested, so make it easy for them to take the next step with clear calls-to-action, easy navigation, and relevant information. If they see a targeted product in the ad, the landing page should continue that journey with details and an easy way to buy, sign up, or learn more.

4. Achieve better results through testing

Matching different ad creatives and landing pages allows you to find the best combination. Test variations to see which design, messaging, or call-to-action delivers the most conversions. A well-tested landing page can make a huge difference in turning clicks into leads or sales.

Mindway app demonstrates a clear message match between its ad and landing page messaging. The ad focuses on overthinking as a depression response and uses a CTA suggesting users to take a “Chronic Overthinking Test” proceeding to the Mindway app’s landing page.

Creating optimized Meta image ads isn’t just about using eye-catching visuals—it’s about making every part of your campaign work together seamlessly.

Start by setting clear goals, whether you want to boost sales, drive traffic, or build brand awareness. Then, choose the right ad placements and make sure your images and text meet Meta’s guidelines.

The ad-to-landing-page connection is equally important. When someone clicks your ad, they should land on a page that matches the ad’s message and offer. This consistency helps build trust and improves conversions. With Instapage, you can easily create personalized landing pages for every audience segment, ensuring your campaigns deliver results.

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Highlights:

• Creative advertising has stood the test of time because it’s engaging, memorable, and entertaining
• Find out how creative ads help you humanize your brand and convey authenticity
• Does TikTok really help brands sell more?
• See 19 examples of creative advertising at work

With the current state of things in B2B and B2C markets—every category is extremely competitive—this makes getting your brand noticed very challenging.

For example, while there are hundreds of mattress brands operating in the US, you might recall one particular brand for being comfy enough to cradle your soft spots while aligning your body—the mattress that passes the raw egg test.

Purple Mattress’ hilarious and product-focused YouTube helped the brand stand out and get noticed by its customer pool.

Choosing the right marketing approach for your brand can get tricky, as there are multiple trends and new ideas to keep up with. However, some approaches – such as creative advertising – have stood the test of time.

Investing in creative advertising helps you capture attention because it allows you to showcase how you’re different from your competition. Not only can you communicate your product’s features and benefits, but you can humanize your brand in an artful way, creating an opportunity to be memorable, entertaining, and connect with your target audience.

Let’s take a look at 19 creative advertising ideas to inspire your brand’s next campaign.

Create interactive content

Interactive content captures people’s attention and keeps them engaged longer than static content. By creating something that requires active participation, you’re not only increasing engagement but also making your brand more memorable.

For instance, consider incorporating quizzes that align with your product. BuzzFeed is well-known for its consistent stream of viral-worthy and engaging quizzes. Ads featuring quizzes also tend to get lots of clicks and engagement because they’re quick and easy to interact with.

Gamified content is also a popular approach, where users can interact with fun and simple games that are related to the brand’s product or service.

Contests are another great option and provide a good incentive for visitors to give their information in exchange for a chance to win an enticing prize. If you’re looking to increase your engagement and your reach, contests are an effective way to make that happen.

McDonald’s & Monopoly

Both McDonald’s & Monopoly tend to evoke feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and familiarity in people, so seeing them paired together makes sense.

McDonald’s saw an opportunity to turn the game everyone knows how to play into a live, interactive experience with the restaurants.

The more you visit McDonald’s, the more Monopoly pieces you’ll be able to collect, and the more pieces you collect, the bigger the prizes. People look forward to playing this game year after year, and it has kept both brands relevant and at the top.

Lay’s

Another repeat contest that has garnered an almost cult-like following is Lay’s ‘Do Us a Flavor’ contest, where they ask participants to create the next Lay’s chip flavor with a huge cash prize at stake. We can thank this contest for flavors like Crispy Taco, Cappuccino, and Bacon Mac & Cheese 🤭.

Participate in viral challenges

Viral challenges can be a game-changer for brand visibility. Used by nonprofits, corporations, charities, and even celebrities, they are a great way to raise awareness and reach new audiences.

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are ideal for viral marketing. Before creating a challenge, make sure your content aligns with your brand’s voice and values. Start your challenge or create your version of an already popular challenge to drive engagement and show that your brand is current and relatable.

Ice Bucket Challenge – The ALS Association

Who can forget the Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014?

In the challenge, participants had a bucket full of ice water dumped over their heads all in the name of a great cause – showing support for ALS awareness. It quickly became a viral sensation and moved the needle for ALS in a tremendous way. The awareness and funds generated from the Ice Bucket Challenge launched ALS research to a new level, paving the way for disease-eradicating discoveries.

Movember – The Movember Foundation

Also massively popular is Movember, the viral challenge that takes over every November.

Two friends in Australia started the Movember Foundation to raise awareness about men’s issues like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. Men are encouraged to grow their mustaches the whole month of November and share them on social media to raise awareness about these health concerns.

They offer free creative resources to help anyone spread the word and organize walks/runs in support, making it easy and enticing for people to get involved. Movember has raised over $700 million to fund thousands of men’s health projects.

Lid Flip Challenge – Chipotle

Chipotle is super popular amongst Gen Z, so when they wanted to promote their Cinco de Mayo offer of free delivery for digital orders, they turned to TikTokers to make it viral. The Lid Flip challenge began with YouTube star David Dobrik challenging viewers to flip a lid onto their burrito bowl without using their hands.

The result? Hundreds of thousands of TikToks and a record-breaking day of app downloads and digital sales.

Use pop culture to your advantage

Many brands like to stay relevant and create instant connections with audiences by leveraging pop culture in their creative advertising campaigns.

Referencing current events, popular movies, TV shows, music, characters, internet memes, or just cultural moments can make your content highly engaging, relatable, and shareable. People are likely to share content that references familiar or popular topics, which can help create a viral moment for you.

As with viral challenges, you want to make sure the content aligns with your brand’s voice and will resonate with your audience. Otherwise, sharing a pop culture reference can end up feeling forced.

Salesforce – Dude With Sign

Anyone who’s ever been on social media has seen at least one Dude With Sign meme.

It’s a guy holding up a protest sign about everyday things, and it’s hilarious. Salesforce capitalized on the recognizability of that meme to create their own ad promoting their services. It’s familiar, it’s simple, and it gets the job done.

Hulu sizzle reel

When there are so many streaming platforms to choose from, how do you make yours stand out? Hulu uses big stars, recognizable faces, and high-intensity scenes to encourage viewers to check out their content.

Featuring stars that are popular with their target audience and that resonate with the masses is a good way to come across as relevant, interesting, and binge-worthy.

Calvin Klein – #MyCalvins

In the 1980s, before the internet was a thing, Calvin Klein leveraged pop culture icon Brooke Shields in a jeans commercial that everyone was talking about. The viral moment led to a campaign that has been reimagined and re-released many times over the last few decades, always featuring celebrities and pop culture stars.

In recent years, Calvin Klein made #mycalvins TikTok famous. Their super successful campaign asked people to show off their outfits and used celebrities like Kendall Jenner, A$AP Rocky, and Shawn Mendes to kick it off.

Design interactive infographics

Interactive infographics are powerful tools for creative ad campaigns, as they offer engaging and meaningful content for audiences. Infographics allow users to explore a topic at their own pace, and the content can be tailored to a dynamic experience.

Clickable sections can be used to reveal information, sliders can compare data or scenarios, and animated elements guide users through content. All of these approaches serve to encourage users to interact and engage with the infographic.

Infographics are particularly effective when used in educational campaigns or complicated product descriptions.

Oxfam Ireland – Year in Review

Oxfam Ireland put out an impressive and sophisticated interactive infographic to recap ways in which their work impacted the globe. As you scroll, the infographic animates, reveals new information, and tells a compelling story.

University of Utah

The University of Utah put out a quiz in the form of an infographic to help people understand whether or not they’re at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

This takes a potentially daunting subject and turns it into something manageable and less intimidating to learn about.

Information is Beautiful

This brand is known for taking complex topics and transforming them into highly creative and visually appealing infographics and diagrams. This particular one records the world’s biggest data breaches and hacks. When visitors hover over each bubble, they’ll get more information about that incident.

Collaborate with influencers to use their reach and authority

Influencer marketing continues to be a popular tool, especially in creative advertising campaigns. By leveraging influencers’ creativity and audience connections, you can develop innovative campaigns that feel authentic and resonate with consumers.

The right influencer can bring authenticity and a personal touch to your audiences that may resonate more deeply than a traditional ad might.

The key is to collaborate with an influencer whose followers align with your target audience and who would be able to showcase your brand using their unique voice. It’s also important to let the influencers have a say in the creative process, as that will lead to a genuine and organic presentation of your product.

Fabletics

Fitness clothing brand Fabletics recently partnered with Khloé Kardashian for a capsule collection inspired by and curated by the reality TV star. Khloé is known for being dedicated to her fitness regime and often posts videos of her workouts.

Fabletics noticed she was wearing some of their pieces in her videos and approached her for a collaboration. The collab was so successful that the two have continued to work together.

Revolve

Fashion and Instagram influencers are a match made in heaven. Style & beauty influencer Lindsi Lane has hundreds of thousands of followers who often shop the products she recommends. Because of that, brands like Revolve have partnered with her to curate special collections that spike demand and sales for the fashion site.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ definitely has a reputation for being creative with their brand partnerships and one example of that is when the brand teamed up with rapper Ice Spice to promote their beloved Munchkins donuts.

Ice Spice has a song called ‘Munch’ and refers to her fans in the same way, so everything about her name, her followers, and her influence pointed to a winning campaign with Dunkin’.

Utilize UGC in unique ways

Word-of-mouth has always been a powerful way to build brand awareness. One way to translate that into an effective creative ad campaign is to utilize user-generated content (UGC). When content comes directly from the users themselves, it’s seen as more authentic and credible. If you’re a new brand, incorporating UGC from early product testers or influencers can build hype and trust around your new product launch.

You can encourage users to create and share content around a specific campaign theme or hashtag for a chance to be featured on your social platforms. That tends to drive engagement and get people excited to see themselves on your social channels.

UGC is a great way to build community and obtain a vast amount of creative material that can be used in your advertising campaigns, websites, and across your marketing channels.

Farrow & Ball

It’s hard to shop for paint online and visualize what the colors will look like in your own environment versus the well-lit, beautifully staged professional photos that they’re often shown in.

Farrow & Ball fills their website, social media pages, and blog posts with customer-captured photos of their paint-filled spaces, in an authentic and effective display of user-generated content.

Aerie

Aerie is well-known as a brand that is inclusive and highly engaged with their user base (just follow the #AerieREAL campaign), and also takes their UGC far. They have famously released creative ad campaigns that feature real women and followers in their content, versus professional models. As a result, they’ve amassed a loyal following and a reputation as an uber-respected brand.

Apple

Apple has one of the best examples of creatively utilizing user-generated content to their advantage. To showcase the superb quality of the iPhone camera, they’ve put up billboards all over the world that show real photos captured by real people’s iPhones.

The photography is beautiful, the quality of the photos is unmatched, and the thrill of potentially having your photos displayed on a massive billboard is very real.

GoPro

GoPro had an amazing idea when they decided to make a camera that captured a first-person perspective. The way they curate their Instagram profile and creative ads to show real customer’s photos and videos of their own GoPro experiences makes total sense.

It shows the adventures, unforgettable moments, and unbelievable sights that are enabled by the brand. And it’s all done in an authentic, credible way – with user-generated content captured by GoPo devices.

Bolster your creative campaigns with personalized landing pages

Capturing attention with your creative ads is an important first step on the path to a conversion. Next, you need to nurture and maintain that engagement, and using personalized landing pages is an impactful way to do that.

Landing pages should be tailored to the creative ads they were directed from, with message-matched copy and similar design elements to ensure a seamless user experience. Personalized landing pages can address the specific interests and needs of your audience, leading to higher conversion rates.

Instapage is a leading, conversion-optimized landing page builder that is intuitive, easy-to-use, and does not require any coding.

Customers like using Instapage because:

• The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to design and optimize your pages
• They can choose from 500+ customizable templates or start from scratch
• It integrates with popular CRM, email marketing, and automation tools like Salesforce, MailChimp, and HubSpot
• The AI-assistant can help generate content ideas, headlines, and more
• It’s easy to experiment with A/B tests and choose the variation that works best
• Business data and client privacy is protected using enterprise-grade security

Start building dynamic landing pages to boost your creative ads. Try a 14-day free trial of Instapage now.

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Highlights

• A formal product strategy acts as a north star for your product development
• It includes a product vision, clear goals, user personas, and USPs
• Learn the four business models that drive product strategies
• Find out how to pair your product strategy with a conversion-optimized marketing strategy

A product strategy is a high-level plan that defines what your product does and identifies who it will serve and how it will benefit them.

Not only does a product strategy define the direction of your product, but it also helps your team stay aligned with the company’s goals and customer needs and explains how your product will achieve those goals across its entire lifecycle.

In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into how to craft an effective product strategy, discussing its fundamental components and different business models that support successful strategies.

What is a product strategy?

A product strategy is a blueprint for how the product will fit into the market, what its unique value proposition will be, and how it will evolve over time.

A product strategy defines clear goals, a target audience, and unique selling propositions (USPs) that users will find beneficial.

For example, a product strategy for a company that sells solar panels will outline how solar panels will reduce homeowners’ energy consumption, what impact that will have on the environment, and how much customers can expect to save in costs over time. It would specify the USPs that set this company’s solar panels (or business model) apart from others, such as specialized technology, a green manufacturing process, or a competitive pricing strategy.

Why do you need to have a product strategy?

A product strategy serves as a helpful guide for organizations and is essential for long-term success. Here are the reasons why:

• Gives you alignment across the team: A product strategy provides clarity on the product’s vision, goals, and initiatives for the entire organization. It ensures that everyone, from the product team to marketing and sales, is aligned on the product’s purpose and direction. Without a product strategy, teams may be unfocused and unable to make impactful decisions.
• Prioritizes your roadmap: When resources are limited, it’s hard to decide how to allocate your budget. A product strategy allows product managers to make informed decisions on which features to prioritize.
• Helps with decision-making: Using the product strategy as a reference point, teams can make better tactical decisions throughout the product’s lifecycle. When internal or external changes occur, the strategy provides a framework for adjusting plans while staying true to the product’s core objectives.
• Magnifies customer focus: A product strategy grounded in user research and insights helps ensure that the product is designed to meet customer needs. It also allows the team to develop features that address specific pain points and differentiate the product from competitors.
• Increases likelihood of market success: By defining the product’s unique value proposition, target market, and goals, a product strategy increases the likelihood of achieving product-market fit. It guides the development of a product that resonates with the right audience, solves user problems, and is positioned well against competitors.

Key elements of well-crafted product strategies

Effective product strategies have several key elements in common. The best product strategists accomplish the following:
1. Define your product and market vision: First and foremost, they define a clear product vision about your product’s long-term mission. The vision should be aspirational and static, serving as a guiding light for your team. For instance, a fitness company may have a fitness app with a vision to “empower users to lead healthier lives through tailored fitness and nutrition insights.”
2. Understand your target market: Before developing a product strategy, market research must be conducted to identify and understand your target audience. Gather insights on user needs, preferences, and pain points. Create user personas to connect and empathize with your customers and tailor your product to meet their specific requirements.
3. Set clear product goals: Develop specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with your product vision. Your goals need to address key problems and provide a tangible way to measure progress. For example, a clear goal could be to increase customer retention by 20% year over year through improved onboarding and user experience. These goals not only guide your team but also provide a straightforward way to measure success.
4. Identify unique selling propositions (USPs): Determine what makes your product different from competitors in your space. Highlight your USPs that attract your target audience. This could involve innovative features, a superior user experience, or better pricing strategies.
5. Develop the right product initiatives: Translate your goals into actionable initiatives. These initiatives should be significant objectives that your team can break down into smaller tasks. For example, to improve the onboarding experience and achieve higher customer retention, you might introduce a rewards program or in-app incentives to encourage loyalty.

Product strategy business models

There are various business models that can inform the direction of your product strategy and drive growth and revenue. Companies may use one business model or a combination of two or more.

Let’s take a look at four different business models and the characteristics of each:

Product-led growth (PLG)

In the product-led growth (PLG) model, the product itself is the main driver for acquiring and retaining customers. The focus is on making the product so valuable and easy to use that it attracts users without significant marketing and sales efforts.

Key elements of PLG include:

• A frictionless user experience
• Popular, viral product features that are easily shareable
• Self-service onboarding and learning
• Product improvements based on user feedback

Companies like Dropbox, Slack, and Zoom have successfully used PLG to quickly scale their user bases and revenue.

Slack became a go-to tool for businesses and organizations by offering a user-friendly, feature-rich platform with a seamless onboarding process. Its success stems from a product-led approach, allowing users to explore most features for free while ensuring that large enterprises still receive hands-on support from Slack’s sales team when making big decisions.

Product segmentation

Product segmentation involves tailoring your product into different versions to satisfy specific user personas. Doing so allows you to optimize each version of your product to meet the unique needs of those specific customer segments.

Key elements of product segmentation include:

• Identifying different, specific user personas
• Tailoring product features for each segment/user persona
• Offering customized pricing models

During the pandemic, Zoom’s targeted segmentation helped it thrive by catering to diverse groups, from individuals and SMBs to large enterprises, education, and healthcare sectors. Its seamless integration with third-party apps made it a vital tool for remote work, virtual classrooms, and maintaining business productivity.

Freemium Model

Offering a free basic version of your product, also known as a freemium model, is a popular strategy for driving adoption, especially for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies.

It’s a way to attract customers to your product without risk. Users will get value from a basic version of your product and will be incentivized to upgrade to paid plans with premium features.

Many, many companies have used the freemium model to grow their user bases and convert free users into paying customers – a few examples include Spotify, Dropbox, and Slack. This model is best suited for products where the incremental cost of adding a user is low.

Since its launch in 2008, Dropbox reached 100 million users in just four years. Today, it boasts 700 million users and generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Dropbox’s pricing strategy, centered on the freemium model and a customer referral program, fueled its growth in the SaaS industry. By offering a free plan with generous storage, Dropbox attracted millions of users and turned them into advocates through word-of-mouth referrals, driving rapid user acquisition and brand growth.

While the freemium model attracted a large user base, Dropbox’s tiered pricing plans helped monetize and retain customers by offering different features and storage capacities.

Bundling

Bundling is a model where you package your product with complementary offerings to create a more compelling value proposition. Using this model can increase customer value, encourage cross selling or up-selling, and help you reach new audiences.

Key elements of bundling include:

• Identifying synergistic products or services
• Offering a discounted price for the bundle
• Ensuring that the combined offering creates a 1 + 1 = 3 effect for customers; in other words, the bundle should add value for the customer

You can bundle hardware with software or multiple software products together. For example, Microsoft bundles its Office 365 productivity suite with cloud storage, video conferencing, and other tools to drive awareness of and adoption of its broader ecosystem.

Previously, Windows was the go-to platform for running Office, but now users want flexibility to work on any device—whether Android, Mac, iOS, or the web. Microsoft’s focus has shifted to offering a cloud-based ecosystem through Microsoft 365 (M365), which combines management, security, and productivity features using Azure Active Directory. M365 also integrates with third-party solutions, managing devices like iPhones and Androids, while securing data with tools like Azure Information Protection.

Market your product strategy with conversion-optimized landing pages

Once you’ve created a solid product strategy, you’re ready to go to market. One of the most powerful ways to market your product strategy is through conversion-optimized landing pages.

These pages should be tailored to specific ad campaigns and should clearly and captivatingly highlight your product’s key benefits, USPs, and features.

If you start an ad campaign offering 10% off your product, you’ll want to link to a dedicated landing page with similar messaging and imagery to elaborate on the value of your product and make it easy for users to sign up. A well-designed landing page can significantly boost conversions.

Instapage is a leading landing page builder and is popular thanks to its drag-and-drop builder, intuitive interface, pre-built templates, powerful A/B testing, and plenty of customization options.

With a 14-day free trial, you can dive right in and see how easy it is to design conversion-optimized landing pages and increase leads. Start a 14-day free trial of Instapage today.

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between the product strategy, product roadmap, and product backlog?

A product strategy outlines high-level visions and goals for the product. A product roadmap breaks down a timeline for the product’s specific features. A product backlog is a list of tasks and improvements that the development team will work on.

2. How can product managers build effective product strategies?

Product managers need to invest time and research into building effective product strategies by understanding customer needs, defining clear goals that align with the company’s overall vision, conducting market research to understand the competition, building user personas, and involving cross-functional teams to ensure buy-in.

3. What should a product strategy include?

A product strategy should include the product vision, target audience, key goals and timelines, unique selling propositions, and actionable initiatives to guide the development of the product.

4. What are the different types of product strategies?

There are different business models that inform product strategies, including product-led growth (PLG), product segmentation, freemium models, bundling, and more. Teams can choose to use one business model or a combination of two or more.

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We’ve heard the saying time and again, “People don’t buy products, they buy experiences.” And while this adage is definitely true, it is somewhat incomplete. Yes, people buy experiences, but they don’t buy them from just anyone – they buy from brands they know, love, and trust.

Remember when Apple released the iPod and used the catchy line, “1,000 songs in your pocket,” to market it? It wasn’t just that line that drove sales. It was also the fact that the iPod was an Apple product – a globally recognized and loved brand that people were willing to wait hours in line for. The power of Apple’s brand is what really drove excitement around the release of the iPod. And that’s why branding is incredibly important.

So, what is branding, and what can it do for your marketing journey? Let’s explore.

What is branding?

Your brand is your story. More than just your logo and tagline, it encompasses everything that makes you unique and helps you differentiate yourself from your competition. Successful branding helps evoke certain perceptions and ideas in the minds of your potential customers.

Specifically, branding serves these critical functions:

• Differentiation. In today’s saturated market, companies need to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Branding – via messaging, tone of voice, brand story, and more – clarifies what makes a product or service unique and gives potential customers a reason to choose you over others.
• Customer loyalty. Strong branding fosters consumer trust and loyalty and encourages repeat business and long-term relationships. Companies like Nike and Coca-Cola have done a great job of building strong emotional connections to retain customers and increase customer lifetime value for the long haul.
• Market positioning. Effective branding communicates a company’s mission, values, and unique selling propositions (USPs) and is essential for establishing oneself in the marketplace. Your branding will help your customers understand what you stand for and will inform how they perceive your value.

Why is branding important?

A branding strategy is paramount to successful marketing. Below are some reasons why branding should be at the core of your marketing efforts:

• Helps influence purchasing decisions: A strong brand image can shape consumer perceptions, creating positive associations with quality and value. It can also lead to more profitability. According to a recent study, 46% of consumers would be willing to pay more for a product from a brand they trust.
• Solidifies your business identity: Branding provides a unique identity that extends beyond the products or services you offer. This identity helps consumers connect with the brand on a personal level, fostering loyalty, longevity, and preference.
• Enhances brand recognition: As humans, our memories are often tied to strong associations, like a certain fragrance, song, or visual. A well-executed brand has the same effect, increasing recognition in a crowded marketplace and tying your identity to positive experiences. Even reading the words “golden arches” or “swoosh” are likely to conjure up images of McDonald’s and Nike, right? That’s the power of branding.
• Builds trust and credibility: A well-crafted brand fosters trust and credibility with customers. Consistent messaging establishes a sense of reliability, encouraging customers to engage with the brand and recommend it to others. According to a survey conducted by Edelman, 81% of consumers need to trust a brand in order to consider buying from them.
• Differentiates from competitors: Building a strong brand identity helps businesses stand out in a crowded market by highlighting unique attributes and values. This differentiation is essential for capturing consumer attention and preference in competitive industries. A well-established brand will attract more attention than a generic, unbranded competitor.
• Increases customer loyalty: Emotional connections are a key driver of consumer loyalty, and strong branding fosters those emotional connections. Customers who feel a personal connection to a brand are more likely to return and make repeat purchases.

  Patagonia is an example of a brand that consumers form emotional attachments to, often sharing and advocating for the brand without any incentive whatsoever. Patagonia’s Worn Wear campaign offers a gear recycling program meant to extend the life of the brand’s products, reducing their impact on the environment.

  

• Generates long-term value: A well-established brand can enhance a company’s market value and provide a competitive edge. Strong branding can command higher prices, increase revenue, and lead to opportunities for expansion into new markets or diversified product lines. For example, Apple started off in computers, but expanded to dominate the digital space, excelling in everything from smart devices to streaming services.

Branding vs. marketing

People may confuse branding and marketing and think the two are synonymous; while they are related, there are important distinctions between branding and marketing.

Branding is your identity and who you are as a company. It’s your mission, values, the emotional and psychological relationship you have with your customers, and what sets you apart from your competition. Your branding evokes a specific experience with your customers.

Marketing is how you get your word out about who you are.

It’s how you build awareness about your brand and how you promote your products or services. Marketing encompasses the campaigns, tactics, and tools you use to sell your brand.

It’s important to understand these key ways that branding differs from marketing:

• Branding is for the long-term. Branding is the story that you build for the long haul and shapes how people perceive your brand. Marketing happens in the short term and is a tactic to drive awareness and sales.
• Branding builds emotional connections. While marketing campaigns can evoke emotions, their main purpose is more transactional. Branding is meant to form connections with prospects and create impactful experiences.
• Branding drives loyalty. Marketing campaigns are meant to drive results, while branding builds a foundation that will attract loyal, repeat customers. In essence, branding is what helps make marketing campaigns more effective.

How to create a compelling brand strategy

An important part of building a successful business is creating a brand strategy that works, and this involves more than just designing a logo or coming up with a tagline. Make the following considerations when building your brand strategy:

Determine your target audience

It’s important to know the demographics and behavioral patterns of the people you want to sell to. When it comes to your brand identity, you must also think about your target audience’s wants, needs, and values, and the types of experiences you’ll want to cultivate for them.

It is crucial to understand who you’re speaking to.

Nike is a brand that clearly targets athletes and fitness enthusiasts, but they wanted to tap into something beyond performance. Instead of just focusing on apparel and shoes that will enhance someone’s fitness game, they successfully tapped into themes of empowerment, personal achievement, and perseverance. Their “Just Do It” campaign motivates people to go after their goals and never give up.

Establish your mission statement

Your mission statement is the “why” behind your brand. Most companies list their mission statement right on their website, and it is meant to convey their values, what’s important to them, and what they stand for.

Patagonia’s mission statement is concise yet powerful: “We’re in business to save our home planet.” It reflects what many people already know and love about the brand, which is their commitment to environmental sustainability. That commitment resonates with and is shared by many loyal Patagonia shoppers.

Define your brand values

Brand values – sometimes also known as your core values – are the principles that guide a company and the actions that the company takes. A brand’s values are embodied by the employees of that brand and are reflected in that brand’s marketing campaigns. These core principles are what shape a brand’s personality and tone.

TOMS was entirely built around the value of improving lives and helping people. They became known for their business model, donating one pair of shoes for every pair purchased. Today, they give ⅓ of their profits to grassroots missions.

Define your brand voice

Your brand voice is how you present yourself across all communication channels. You may be informative, playful, inspirational, friendly, thought-provoking, professional, informal, empathetic, and so on. Whatever direction you take, your brand voice should align with your values and should be consistent across all your marketing channels.

Makeup brand Elf Cosmetics uses a fun, informal, and playful tone in its branding, appealing to a youthful and trendy audience.

Explain your features and benefits

While your mission statement, brand values, and brand voice go a long way in setting the tone for your customers and helping them decide if your brand aligns with their own values, you also need to clearly communicate how your brand will solve a problem or improve the lives of your customers.

You must explain the benefits of your offer and how it will address your customers’ pain points.

For example, Tesla doesn’t just sell modern, innovative cars. They sell the benefits of electric vehicles: eco-friendliness, sustainability, independence from fossil fuels, and high performance.

Create your logos and other visuals

An exciting part of building your brand is bringing it to life visually. The aesthetics of your brand should reflect your brand’s personality and, ideally, be easily recognizable.

Your logos, colors, images, and other visuals are elements that are memorable and help a user recall positive emotions associated with your brand.

Almost everyone can conjure up an image of McDonald’s simply upon hearing the words “golden arches”. The golden arches are one of the most recognizable symbols in the world and are associated with being welcoming, nostalgic, fun, and satisfying.

Market your brand

Once you’ve established your brand identity and voice, you need a strong marketing strategy to get the word out. It’s important to be consistent with your marketing and across all channels. From social media to digital advertising, your brand’s messaging should always be clear and cohesive.

Since its inception, Apple has used simple and sleek advertising, often with something as simple as their logo. They are effective at conveying that they are innovative and user-friendly, and this messaging can be seen across the board.

5 examples of strong branding done right

The reason why many brands are globally recognized and enjoy longevity is because those organizations have done a great job of knowing who they are. They’ve built their brand identity, stayed true to their mission and ideals, and have effectively communicated their message consistently and cohesively.

Let’s take a look at 5 brands that got it right.

1. AirBnb

Airbnb’s brand is all about customers feeling like they belong anywhere. Since the beginning, they connected with their audience by using storytelling to show that Airbnb creates authentic, local experiences for traveling, which sets them apart from traditional hotels.

2. Nike

Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan is an anthem for athletes around the world. The brand has been enormously successful in showcasing their brand’s value: their belief in human potential and their passion for fueling that potential. Year over year, their ads stay true to their messages of empowerment and standing up for all humans.

3. Coca Cola

Coca-Cola has evoked a warm and fuzzy feeling over the years by focusing on a message of togetherness. Coca-Cola wants to be there for your best moments, and they have managed to convey that consistently with their iconic and timeless branding. Whether a holiday campaign or a social media campaign, Coca-Cola promotes sharing, living in the moment, and staying classic.

4. Starbucks

Starbucks made the art of buying coffee a global phenomenon. They have created a unique and consistent experience that can be felt in any store in every corner of the world, and they’ve been able to do this thanks to their simple and effective branding.

Starbucks focuses on providing a high-quality customer experience, and this comes through in their branding.

5. Apple

No one can talk about branding success without referencing Apple. Apple has created a massively loyal fanbase. Have you ever been asked if you’re a “Mac or PC” person? Apple succeeded in creating a whole category of innovative products, a category in which they stand alone thanks to their consistent innovation, sleek branding, and emotional connection with their audience, which was made possible by their products.

Create brand awareness with personalized landing pages

Marketing your brand is a critical part of showcasing your identity and building awareness. It’s important to create a strategy that has consistent messaging, aligns with your brand’s values, and has memorable aesthetics.

Personalized landing pages are a powerful way to provide a tailored experience that resonates with your visitors and reinforces your marketing efforts.

Instapage is a leading landing page platform that is easy to use. You get a drag-and-drop builder, hundreds of templates, an effective way to A/B test landing page variants, plenty of customization options, and an analytics dashboard that makes it easy to see what’s working and where improvements can be made.

Ready to use landing pages to fuel your branding and marketing strategy? Try a 14-day free trial of Instapage today and take the first step in building an impactful, long-lasting brand.

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Most brands’ first advertising step is to try their luck with Google search ads.

And this is with good reason, Google processes more than 40,000 search queries every second, enticing advertisers and brands with increased visibility, high-intent traffic, and targeted reach.

Though Google ads campaigns are effective and popular, you must also ask yourself how much Google ads truly cost.

Let’s take a look at the real cost of online advertising with Google and how to get the most out of your advertising dollars.

What is the cost of Google search ads?

Advertisers who are accustomed to running Google ads (previously called Google Adwords) have noticed a change year over year: paid search advertising conversion rates have decreased while the cost of generating leads through search ads continues to increase.

This means the value of your ad campaign has gone down. You’re paying more for every lead that clicks on your Google ads, but conversion rates are decreasing.

Not really what you want to hear, right?

Google, which remains the largest paid search platform attributes this YoY increase in lead price to more competition and intensified monetization of Google SERPs.

Google ads pricing can cost upwards of $10,000 per month, with most advertisers paying $0.11-$0.50 per click on average for display ads or even more than $2.00 for search ads.

Advertisers must consider not only the actual cost of the ad but also what else can affect their ad budget.

Numerous factors can influence the cost of Google ads, including competitors, services, products, and industry. Understanding these and discovering ways to optimize your ad budget is important.

What factors determine your Google search ad cost?

A Google search ad does not come with one fixed cost anytime you want to begin an ad campaign. Numerous factors related to your Google ads determine what advertisers will pay at any given time, such as:

• Industry: The industry you’re in plays a major role in Google ads pricing. Highly competitive industries like legal, insurance, and finance tend to have much higher average costs per click (CPC) of $6-20 or more. Less competitive industries, like retail and travel, have lower average CPCs, around $1-2. The reason for this variance is that advertisers in competitive industries are competing for the same audience and have to spend more to get their attention and secure a conversion.
• Customer lifetime value: A higher CPC may be justified if acquiring a customer is worth a lot to your business. High customer lifetime values likely indicate that your ad budget will be able to cover a high CPC (like $50 or more). If you’re an advertiser who provides a high-value service, then you may fall into this scenario.
• Targeting and optimization: Carefully targeting your Google ads to the right audience and optimizing your campaigns is crucial to getting a high return on ad spend (ROAS). Poorly targeted or managed campaigns will drain your advertising budget pretty quickly.
• Average CPC: Google determines your average CPC even though you have set maximum bid limits. You will not always pay the maximum bid you set. High-quality ads that receive a high-quality score (based on ad content, relevant landing page, and overall landing page experience) typically have a lower average CPC than Google ads with a lower-quality score.
• Budget: Small businesses may spend $1,000-10,000/month on Google paid search campaigns, while large brands can spend millions running Google ads. It’s important to set an advertising budget that makes sense with your company’s goals but still allows you to bid on highly competitive keywords that you know your users search for. Your PPC campaigns should produce desirable search results while keeping your daily average budget in check, which you can track by maintaining a consistent budget report.

How to optimize your Google search ads to ensure your advertising dollars aren’t wasted

To maximize the cost of Google ads, you will want to take steps to properly set up your ad campaigns for success. We recommend taking the following steps every time you begin a campaign:

Add negative keywords

Negative keywords are an important aspect of your keyword strategy. Adding negative keywords prevents your Google ads from showing up in irrelevant searches. In other words, negative keywords are search terms for which you don’t want your ads to appear in search results.

Including negative keywords can save you money because it makes your campaign more targeted and attracts the highest-value users who are likely to convert since they are finding exactly what they are looking for.

If you own a flower shop, you may use phrases like “local flower store” in your campaign. However, if you do not offer arrangements for weddings and special occasions, you probably do not want to show up when people search for “wedding flower arrangements”, so you would add “-wedding flower arrangements” as a negative keyword in your keyword strategy.

Focus on long-tail keywords

To ensure you’re attracting the most qualified leads and reducing competition, target specific, longer search terms. Pinpointing what your leads need when they need it with multi-word phrases will increase your conversion rate and will keep your spending on Google ads on track.

Our flower shop in the example above would probably want to include long-tail keywords like “local flower shop near me”, “floral delivery near me”, “same day flower arrangements”, “Mother’s Day flowers near me”, “pink roses near me” and so on.

Don’t track vanity metrics

Avoid focusing on metrics that don’t directly impact your business goals. Be extra considerate of this if you provide regular reporting to executive-level stakeholders. If it does not matter to your bottom line, it probably is not worth tracking.

You’ll be much more efficient and successful if the metrics you track help you make informed, data-driven decisions that optimize your campaigns.

Vanity metrics can be measured and may be of interest to you, but ultimately have no significant effect on ROI or ROAS. Examples of vanity metrics include:

Focusing on actionable metrics like conversion rate, engagement rate, customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and churn rate is more helpful.

Optimize campaigns regularly

With online advertising, it’s important to continuously monitor and adjust your campaigns by analyzing data, refining keywords, and improving ad copy to maintain optimal performance. Enlist the help of a Google keyword planner, a PPC agency, a Google display network, or other resources that will help you reach your goals.

You’ll also want to consider that a Google ads auction will regularly occur and will influence your chances of a favorable ad placement. When a Google ad is eligible to appear for a search, it will go through an ad auction that will determine if it will receive the highest ad rank. The ad auction process is repeated for every Google search, so it’s normal that ad placement will fluctuate over the course of your campaign.

Automated bidding can help you win a higher position, especially if you’re using highly relevant keywords and ad content.

Utilize Google Analytics

Online advertising platforms typically give access to analytics tools that help you track your campaigns. Use a tool like Google Analytics to gain insights into user behavior, track your actionable metrics, and refine your targeting strategies for better results.

With Google Analytics, you can track your Google ads costs, and your ad spend, know what your ad rank is, and so much more.

Target specific audiences

Audiences are a powerful way to get the most out of Google ads campaigns. Using your audience as your primary focus, you’ll go after a type of person versus a type of search query.

Google separates audience targeting into four categories:

• Google’s segments: includes demographics, affinity segments, in-market segments, and life events
• Your data segments: includes website remarketing, app remarketing, social media remarketing, and similar audiences
• Custom segments: includes search term-based insights, types of websites people browse, types of apps people use
• Other options include combined segments and optimized targeting

With deeper audience targeting, you’re more likely to hit your conversion goals.

Improve Quality Score

Google’s Quality Score is a tool meant to give advertisers a sense of how well their ad quality compares to competitors’ Google ads. It uses a scale of 1 to 10 and tells you how relevant your ad and landing page are to someone searching for your keyword compared with advertisers.

For flower shops competing for the search term “Mother’s Day flowers near me”, a Quality Score would indicate what your user’s experience is like when searching for that term.
A Quality Score is calculated by weighing the expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.

Quality Score can be used as a general indicator of ads, keywords, or landing page elements that need to be improved.

Improve landing page experience

Advertisers may think that getting their ad right is the priority. However, it is crucial to create personalized, dedicated landing pages for each of your search ads so that you can increase your chances of conversion.

Google ads that have dedicated, message-matched landing pages increase the likelihood of turning ad clicks into conversions because they’re focused on specifically what your ad offers. On the other hand, ads that direct users to a product page or a homepage can confuse users and discourage them from taking a desired action.

A user who clicks on an ad from Forrester about a new research report that is available is taken to a landing page where they can preview the report and download it on the spot.
Had they been taken to Forrester’s homepage, they would have had to search for that specific report and risk downloading the wrong one or abandoning the site altogether before finding what they wanted.

Use the AdMap™ feature to keep your Google Ads costs down

We’ve learned that there are many factors that influence how much enterprises and small businesses spend on Google ads, and can agree that optimizing ad campaigns is a smart way to keep Google ads pricing down.

Instapage is a powerful landing page builder designed to drive conversions. It helps advertisers create dedicated landing pages for each of their Google ads. Beyond its ease and intuitiveness, Instapage offers a wide range of features to help advertisers visualize and optimize their campaigns.

AdMap™ provides a visual layout of the pre- and post-click stages of ad campaigns. With AdMap™, it’s easy to identify which ads and audiences are missing relevant landing pages and quickly solve the problem with personalized pages that are optimized for conversions.

You can see your campaigns, ad groups, and ads, create new pages, edit and update connected pages, and serve the best experience to the right audience at the right time.

Plus, Instapage’s AI content generator helps you scale your landing pages with AI-made headlines, paragraphs, and CTAs. You can automatically create variations for your pages so you can A/B test various elements to understand what resonates most with your audience.

And, you can create personalized experiences for different segments of your audience, offering highly-tailored content that speaks to the needs of your leads.

Get the most out of your Google ads budget by integrating with Instapage. Try before you buy with a 14-day free trial.

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One of the primary goals of all marketers is to get their brand noticed. Brand recognition increases traffic and converts customers.

And one of the most effective ways to do that is with PPC ads.

PPC ads, or pay-per-click ads, are a marketing strategy in which advertisers pay every single time a user clicks on one of their ads. Common forms of PPC ads include Google Ads, Meta Ads, and Bing Ads. The goal of the ads is to appear higher up on a search engine results page when a user types in a keyword.

PPC advertising is popular and effective because results tend to be quick, and marketers tend to see a high return on ad spend (ROAS). Its popularity can be seen in numbers – global ad spend was projected to be north of 600 billion dollars in 2023.

However, running successful campaigns requires proper PPC management, including optimizing keyword research, adjusting budgets, and performing competitive analysis.

Here, we will explore optimal PPC management techniques and specific aspects you should oversee throughout the life of your PPC campaigns.

What is PPC management?

Pay-Per-Click or PPC management refers to the strategies you use to oversee and optimize your PPC ad campaigns and includes supervising and managing the following aspects:

• Keyword analysis
• Audience research
• Ad targeting
• Ad creation
• Budget optimization and monitoring
• Landing page optimization
• Performance reporting
• Ongoing campaign optimization and testing

PPC management can be done by an expert dedicated to that role, via PPC management software, or even by hiring a digital marketing agency (or PPC management company) to manage your campaigns and other aspects of your marketing strategies. We’ll discuss this further later on in the article.

Why PPC management is important

Effective PPC management uses keyword analysis and channel strategy development and helps you gain the following advantages:

Improved ROAS and efficiency of PPC campaigns

Careful scrutiny of PPC campaigns allows you to make adjustments to optimize your campaign, effectively allowing you to improve your return on ad spend (ROAS) and to run more efficient campaigns.

The ability to gain complete control over PPC budgets and timing

PPC ads function by requiring advertisers to pay every time a user clicks their ad, right? Knowing that, it makes sense that advertisers would want to be especially conscious of their budgets and their keyword bidding strategies. The most effective way to do that is through PPC management.

Reaching highly targeted audiences and building remarketing audiences throughout the sales funnel

PPC campaigns typically help you reach the ideal audience; by properly managing campaigns, you can gain the insights needed to not only reach your target wherever they are browsing but also use remarketing strategies to meet your audience anywhere they are along their customer journey.

Faster results compared to traditional advertising tactics

Traditional advertising works, but it can take time to see favorable results, and it is challenging to get granular insights. With PPC ads, marketers can begin seeing results as quickly as the next day, with deep insights available after just a few months. Best results rely on PPC campaign management, including overseeing campaigns to see what’s working and what isn’t and adjusting budgets to favor the best ads.

Complementing SEO efforts with PPC campaign data helps you with keyword strategies and drives traffic to your SEO-optimized pages

Most marketers know that there isn’t one silver bullet that gets you all the incredible results you seek in one shot; usually it takes a combination of strategies to bring winning results to your campaigns. Using PPC campaigns in tandem with SEO efforts helps boost relevant keywords, optimize search engine results, and drive targeted traffic to SEO-optimized landing pages.

Extensive tracking and attribution capabilities allow you to accurately measure the impact of PPC campaigns

A PPC management strategy is incomplete without PPC reporting tools which give advertisers deep insights into the results of their campaigns; often, using a tool like Google Analytics helps you analyze the impact of your ad spend and make iterations where necessary, which leads to optimal results.

Opportunities for experimentation and optimization through A/B testing of ad variations

Fine-tuning any marketing strategy is a must, as advertisers learn plenty after publishing a campaign. You can test messaging, copy, ad placement, the efficacy of Bing ads versus Google ads, budget, and ad timing.

A/B testing various elements of your campaign can help you figure out which version works best so you can focus on that ad. Working with a PPC tool that allows for A/B testing and experimentation will drive far better results than just relying on intuition.

How to effectively manage your PPC account

PPC management takes expert skills and the ability to interpret and analyze many pieces of data.

As part of your PPC strategy, here are specific steps you should take to monitor and manage your own PPC campaigns to fully enjoy the advantages listed above.

Keyword analysis

Before you launch your PPC campaign, it’s important to conduct keyword research to ensure you’re bidding on the most relevant keywords (and you must continue to do so after you’ve launched your campaign). Pay-per-click ads can get pricey if you spend too much on unnecessary keywords, so you must examine your data and know which keywords and search terms are most applicable to your target audience.

Part of your keyword analysis will include assessing which negative keywords to include in your ad spend. Negative keywords are search terms and phrases for which you don’t want your ads to show up, and including them in your campaign can save money.

For example, if you are a bakery, you probably use a phrase like “cupcake shop” in your campaign. However, if you do not offer gluten-free items, you likely do not want to show up when people search “gluten-free cupcake shop”, so in your campaign, you would add “-gluten-free cupcake shop” as a negative keyword.

Keyword optimization tools and PPC management software like Google Ads, Semrush, and PPC Entourage can help you.

Audience research

Before spending money on ad campaigns, you want to know who you’re going after. Conducting audience research will help you understand the key demographics of your potential customers and will help you maximize your marketing efforts.

Audience research involves knowing information like age range, gender, and location, as well as behavior across sites. What websites are your target users visiting, and what are they interacting with on social media? By observing these behaviors, you will learn what your potential customers find valuable, what their preferences and interests are, and what they are most likely to engage with.

Google Analytics, Google Adwords Audience Insights, and social media tools like Meta’s Audience Insights can help you gather this information.

Ad targeting

Ad targeting is what happens as a result of conducting audience research. This is how advertisers focus on reaching their desired audience, which is based on demographics, psychographics, consumer behavior, and browsing insights.

When ad targeting, careful considerations should be made, such as:

• Delivering content consumers will care about
• Making your ads creative and appealing
• Avoiding bombarding your target audience with the same ad everywhere they go
• Using the right ad on the right platform (i.e., Meta versus Microsoft ads)
• Creating custom ads based on personalized customer data
• A/B testing different ad variations to see what is most captivating
• Tracking metrics to ensure you’re targeting correctly

We like this targeted ad from Slack because it is totally relatable for anyone who has ever had a job. At some point, most workers have felt that meetings are a time suck, a feeling that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

Slack is going after people who have felt that way by offering up a seemingly appealing and fun way to communicate that will result in less meetings. It is eye-catching, audience-appropriate , and delivers a value proposition in its message.

Ad creation

Once proper keyword analysis has been done, audience research has been conducted, and ad targeting is in place, the creative work begins. Putting the actual PPC ads together requires testing out various iterations of copy, design, CTAs, and ad placement.

By paying specific attention to the CTA versions used, advertisers can figure out which call-to-action gets the most clicks and use that data to optimize and get the most out of their monthly ad spend.

Sometimes, the difference between “Learn More ” and “Shop Now” is a higher ROAS.

Quip’s Meta ad uses the “Shop Now” CTA while the ad copy urges them to upgrade their brushing game.

Budget optimization and monitoring

When a PPC campaign has been turned on, constant monitoring is required to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Advertisers want to make sure each keyword they are bidding on falls within their company’s PPC ad spend budget. Their budget optimization strategy may also involve competitive analysis to understand other companies’ terms and phrases and bid on those critical keywords before someone else can get to them.

A tool like Adpulse can help marketers managing multiple campaigns see how much of their budget is allocated toward each campaign and can deliver insights and recommendations to optimize those campaigns.

Landing page optimization

Ideally, PPC ads will lead users to dedicated landing pages that match the messaging and the aesthetic of the ad they just clicked. Driving to a landing page versus a website page provides more value to audiences and helps increase conversions.

In addition to helping deliver more conversions, landing pages help marketing managers understand their customers better and track their journey after clicking on an ad.

That being said, landing page optimization is a must. If ads are adjusted due to A/B testing, budget optimization, or keyword analysis, then changes to a landing page must be made accordingly.

Quip’s landing page clearly demonstrates the product’s benefits and credibility (via reviews on Time, GQ, etc.), and it includes a CTA to purchase the product. The minimalistic approach is direct, not overwhelming, and easy to navigate.

Performance reporting

You’ll want to decide on a reporting cadence with stakeholders interested in your ad campaigns’ results. This may be weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Performance reporting is an important part of PPC management because it gives insight into what is working, helps align short-term and long-term goals with the company’s overall mission, and helps you attribute revenue and sales to specific ads and tactics.

Popular metrics to analyze in performance reporting include impressions, cost-per-click, click-through rate, conversion rate, and quality score. There are many PPC performance measurement tools on the market, including Google Analytics, Google Adwords, Spyfu, Adalysis, and Adespresso.

Ongoing campaign optimization and testing

A PPC campaign can have a long shelf life if it performs well and delivers the desired results. As long as you’re keeping your campaign running, you must continue to optimize and test to keep your ad relevant and to maximize efforts.

As part of your optimization efforts, you’ll want to set long-term goals, continue to monitor ad spend, plan long-term campaigns based on high-quality ads, create more landing pages, and continue keyword optimization strategies.

A/B tests can be valuable at any point in your ad campaign’s lifecycle, especially as consumer needs change.

PPC management – in house or with an agency?

PPC management requires focus, expertise, time, and dedication. Marketers may use an in-house advertising team to handle PPC management or they’ll hire a PPC management agency to get the job done.

A PPC management company is usually a digital marketing agency that specializes in PPC campaign management. They can offer guidance on SEO and search engine tactics, relevant keywords, budget allocation, long-term strategy, and so on. Based on data analysis, especially regarding metrics like cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition, a PPC management agency can make financially sound recommendations that can save money in the long run.

It is wholly possible to manage PPC campaigns on your own or with an in-house advertising team as long as you’re prepared for plenty of trial and error and potential financial mistakes along the way. PPC management tools will help you be more effective, so invest in the right tech stack before you launch any digital ad campaign.

Budget can be a factor when deciding whether to use a PPC management company or handle it on your own, so be sure to clearly understand your budget allocation before getting started.

Using PPC Management Software like Instapage AdMap™

Instapage is a powerful landing page builder that helps marketers secure more conversions. But it doesn’t just stop at landing pages. Instapage AdMap™ helps PPC marketers to contextually visualize their advertising funnel and create personalized, optimized post-click landing pages that resonate with audiences.

With AdMap, advertisers can align their page experiences and ads with an easy-to-use point-and-click interface. Advertisers use AdMap to:

• Import account details from your ad platform and generate a Postclick Score to evaluate ad-to-page relevancy
• Visualize campaigns, ad groups, and ads within Instapage to figure out where personalized pages may be useful
• Create new pages using the AdMap flow and seamlessly connect each ad in a campaign to a relevant post-click landing page
• Make quick edits and updates to post-click pages that match changes made to ads
• Automatically sync ad mapping updates between the ad network and Instapage
• Deliver a custom experience in real-time to the right audience for each ad in a campaign

No other platform offers this technology, which makes Instapage a popular choice for marketers who want to create a seamless user experience between landing pages and ad campaigns. Plus, advertisers who use AdMap tend to see a higher advertising ROAS than those who don’t. Try it for yourself for free for 14 days.

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Marketing teams spend a great deal of time coming up with strategic approaches to increase engagement and campaign conversion rates. Strategies include digital marketing, omnichannel marketing, direct marketing, social media marketing, integrated marketing, and more.

In this article, we will delve into integrated marketing – what it is, why it is important to marketing teams, and how to implement an integrated marketing strategy for your campaigns.

What is integrated marketing?

Integrated marketing is a strategy that aligns all marketing channels to deliver a consistent message across all customer touchpoints. It aims to provide a seamless experience and avoid mixed messaging or a disjointed brand voice. Rather, integrated marketing campaigns have the same tone and same direction across all channels.

This marketing approach ensures that every aspect of your campaigns, including digital ads, print ads, PR tactics, blog posts, social media posts, and even TV commercials all share consistent messaging.

In 2017, the New York Times launched a campaign centered around one message: “The Truth is Hard”. Their integrated marketing strategy used multiple channels (a combination of billboards, video ads, social media posts, and print ads) but conveyed the same message—they are an organization based on integrity and that it takes a lot of work to deliver the truth.

The strategy resulted in the publication increasing their subscriber base and improving the public’s perception of them as a credible news source.

Why is an integrated marketing strategy important?

According to a recent report, 62% of business buyers feel like they are getting mixed messages from companies. Marketing leaders combat that by using customer data to personalize, optimize, and differentiate their marketing campaigns, ultimately communicating unified messages that seem to speak for their company as a whole. They do this by choosing an integrated marketing approach.

Integrated marketing works and multiple factors tell us why:

1. Brand recognition and trust: By delivering a consistent message across various platforms, you can increase brand recognition and trust with your target audience
2. Reaching more audiences: Using multiple channels, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, and social media, broadens your reach, helps you pull in new customers, and ensures you’re hitting your target demographic
3. Better results: As the approach ensures all marketing efforts are aligned, and various channels are working towards the same goals, you’re likely to increase customer interactions, deliver a better customer experience, and overall enjoy better campaign success
4. Cost-effective: Integrated marketing campaigns tend to be more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, as they eliminate the need for separate campaigns on different channels; your entire campaign can use similar creative assets on all your channels
5. More collaboration: The method encourages collaboration and teamwork between different departments and brings channel managers together to meet marketing needs
6. Diversity: You can reach different demographics through various channels, ensuring that a diverse audience hears your message and feels connected to your brand

Difference between integrated marketing and integrated marketing communication

Let’s take a look at the subtle differences between integrated marketing as a whole and the more granular communications aspect of integrated marketing.

Key elements of integrated marketing campaigns

As you develop your integrated marketing strategy, you will consider various channels that will serve as your communication tools for your entire campaign.

There are six key elements in most multi-channel approaches, but please keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and there may be other channels you can opt to use.

1. Advertising
2. Sales Promotion
3. Personal Selling
4. Direct Marketing
5. Public Relations
6. Consistency and Complementary Use of Media

You’ll want to use a mix of channels in order to reach the widest possible audience and to identify your most effective channels. If one channel is not delivering the results you’d like, you can add new elements to the mix, A/B test your current elements or remove the element altogether.

Integrated marketing strategies and best practices

The best integrated marketing campaigns start with intention and are constantly analyzed to ensure they’re providing a positive customer experience and are delivering desired results.

Marketing teams who aim for successful integrated marketing campaigns should consider the following best practices:

1. Define goals: Determine the goals of your campaign to help focus on what you want to achieve. It’s always best to set benchmarks for your integrated marketing campaigns to help understand what success will look like for you and how well or how poorly you are meeting your goals.
2. Choose your marketing channels: Select the most effective channels for your product or service to reach your target audience and make sure your marketing messages are aligned across the different channels.
3. Craft buyer personas: Understand your target demographic’s needs and preferences to tailor your message accordingly; correctly addressing the needs of your buyer personas can go a long way in a customer’s brand loyalty and increased engagement.
4. Create a compelling Idea: Create a memorable and engaging idea that ties back to your brand values—you’re more likely to be remembered when you are authentic, loyal to your brand ethos, and focused on integrated campaigns that communicate an aligned message.
5. Align your marketing materials: Ensure all marketing activities are consistent with your brand’s message and values. Your content elements should have the same direction—use the same tone, and use similar ads across all channels to make sure your brand’s message remains consistent.
6. Use content personalized for each channel: Tailor your content to the strengths of each marketing channel to maximize impact. For example, a TV ad should focus more on visual images, whereas a print ad should emphasize copy— a billboard should quickly capture someone’s attention with bold design and copy, whereas a landing page should be optimized for SEO and conversions. There will be overlap between your channels, but be mindful about what goes where.
7. Monitor KPIs: Establish metrics to track the success of your campaign and make data-driven decisions. Key performance indicators such as traffic, engagement, top content, lead generation, and sales can provide important insights that help you make decisions that will ultimately impact your bottom line.
8. Iterate and improve: Continuously monitor and adjust your campaigns based on performance data to optimize results. This gives you an opportunity to better understand your customer’s journey and how you can best meet their needs.
9. Collaborate internally: Break down silos between teams to ensure a unified approach to marketing—meet with channel managers, align on a strategy and a main marketing message, collaborate on creative assets, and time the activation of your assets appropriately. Integrated marketing campaigns require input from all stakeholders to work.

7 successful integrated marketing campaign examples

1. Think Small by Volkswagen

Towards the end of the 1950s Volkswagen was struggling to sell its Beetle model. In the US, the trend was leaning towards sleek, stylish cars, which the Beetle was not.

VW’s ad agency DDB crafted a simple ad campaign that positioned the VW Beetle as a small, dependable car and a bold, smart choice for American consumers.

The message was simple, and it worked.

After a successful run in print ads and newspapers, they adapted the campaign for TV ads, billboards, and radio commercials, turning it into a highly successful integrated marketing campaign.

2. Microsoft and Carlsberg campaign

Few things surprise and delight users more than an unexpected pairing. The connection between Microsoft and Carlsberg, a massive beer brand, is not obvious. However, they pulled off a successful integrated marketing campaign in 2017.

Microsoft teamed up with Carlsberg to promote its AI capabilities by showing how the technology was being used to brew new beer flavors. The normally lengthy process that requires humans to physically taste samples was taken on by Microsoft’s AI technology, which was able to detect new flavors almost instantly and brew new beer.

The integrated marketing campaign included ads that were run on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and in print publications like the Financial Times.

3. Waze’s “On the Road” campaign

Waze partnered with the New York Times to create an interactive campaign that was based on real data from the app.

The campaign was centered around the fact that in 2017, Americans had driven 1.3% more than they had in 2016, and it wanted to uncover where they were driving and why.

Along with the New York Times, an interactive page was created where users could answer quiz-like questions and uncover interesting data points.

The graphics were catchy, and the content was informative, interesting, and easily shareable across multiple channels.

4. Chicago’s Field Museum campaign

In 2018, the Chicago Field Museum wanted to create a holistic marketing campaign to promote their new exhibit focused on mummies.

They used a mix of traditional advertising, like billboards with social media posts and videos showing patrons interacting with the exhibits.

The campaign was successful in generating interest and bringing people to the museum to check out the exhibits.

5. O2’s “Be more dog” campaign

O2 is a mobile network in the UK that was experiencing some tough competition from rival networks like EE, who had secured a big name like Kevin Bacon to appear in their ads.

To gain market share and captivate new and current customers, they knew they needed a successful integrated marketing campaign.

They creatively used humor as the basis for their campaign, and it paid off in a big way.

They launched a campaign featuring a cat – known for being a moody, low-energy creature—deciding to live life more like a dog (more enthusiastically). By embracing a dog’s life, the message is that people who embrace technology can get more out of life, too.

Ads were shown on YouTube, in TV spots, and in outdoor and digital apps.

It was a unique campaign, and it worked.

6. Budweiser Superbowl campaign

It was the year 2000, and people everywhere could be heard saying “Whassup” to anyone who would listen. Raise your hand if you know what we’re talking about.

The phrase was a result of a smashingly successful integrated marketing campaign by Budweiser, originally airing at the Superbowl that year. It showed friends calling each other and greeting each other by saying “Whassup” over and over again while enjoying a Budweiser.

It was so catchy and so well-received that it quickly made its way into pop culture and stayed there for quite some time, attracting hordes of people to Budweiser’s website to learn how they could say “Whassup” in more than 30 languages.

7. Wells Fargo’s “Re-Established” campaign

In 2017 through 2019, Wells Fargo, the third largest bank in the world, was hit with fraud claims and was looking to rebrand itself as a way to win back confidence with its loyal customers as well as new customers.

They decided to use an integrated marketing strategy to help sway the perception of its audience.

Their strategic approach was to show how their innovative technology and personalized experiences differentiated them from other competitors.

Using video, traditional advertising, and social posts, they highlighted their financial services and their strengths and ultimately regained the trust of their target audience.

Landing pages optimized for integrated marketing campaign strategies

Landing pages are an important component of well-rounded integrated marketing campaigns. With an intuitive drag and drop builder, near instant page loads, reusable blocks, and hundreds of ready-made templates, Instapage makes building landing pages a fantastic experience.

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Have you ever abandoned purchasing a product online because it’s a next-paycheck purchase? Only to later discover that the product is stalking you everywhere you go—you see an ad for it on Facebook, Instagram, and news websites. That’s direct response marketing in action, and here’s what it is.

What is direct response marketing?

Direct response advertising is a marketing strategy that aims to prompt immediate action from audiences, such as making a purchase, signing up for a free trial, or making a reservation.

This type of marketing is measurable, accountable, and highly targeted. It taps into what Nobel Prize laureate Daniel Kahneman called System 1 thinking—the fast, intuitive, and emotional part of our brain. Direct response ads trigger quick, spontaneous reactions to get consumers to act impulsively before their more analytical System 2 thinking can take over.

Direct response marketing vs. brand marketing

While direct marketing aims to elicit a specific immediate action that can be measured, brand marketing helps brands make long-term image and emotional connections with their audience. These two strategies work hand in hand: the trust and recognition built through brand marketing ads enhance the effectiveness of direct response ads, and insights drawn from direct response activities can fine-tune overall brand strategies.

Direct response marketing strategy must-haves

Crafting a direct response strategy that resonates with potential customers isn’t a simple, cookie-cutter process. It demands a blend of tried-and-tested techniques tailored to your unique audience. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Personalization

Customized advertising that speaks directly to distinct groups can significantly boost engagement—91% of consumers are drawn to brands that recognize their preferences. Think about who your audience is. Pin them down by factors like income, device usage, or hobbies. The more precise your audience profiling, the better your chances of hitting the mark. But there’s a fine line to walk. Tread carefully around personal details to avoid overstepping, as was the case with Target’s marketing misstep.

Target’s customer tracking technology, developed by a marketer named Andrew Pole, once revealed a teenage girl’s pregnancy her parents hadn’t known about. In a Target near Minneapolis, a father was furious when he received coupons for baby items addressed to his high school daughter. He accused the store of encouraging teen pregnancy. The manager, initially confused, confirmed the coupons’ contents and called the father to apologize a few days later. In a phone conversation with the manager, the father admitted his mistake, saying that his daughter was indeed pregnant, but he hadn’t known about that at the time.

2. A sense of urgency and scarcity

Let’s admit it: we often purchase things driven by a flash sale rather than by necessity. Urgency leverages our instinct to value time-sensitive opportunities over product benefits. Scarcity, on the other hand, can make an item seem more desirable, just like Birkin bags by Hermès.

To amplify urgency and scarcity in your marketing:

• Set deadlines with a prominent countdown timer on the site and in an email: “Sale ends in …. hours!”
• Highlight price increase: “Prices go up tomorrow!” notices on product pages
• Use time-related copy in email campaigns with phrases like “Last chance to save!”
• Show real-time updates about the product: “10 customers have added this item to the shopping cart”
• Add a notification in the shopping cart with an image of an item: “These are selling fast!”
• Display the number of items available: “Only 3 left in stock”

These are just some examples of how to encourage customers to act quickly to avoid letting a potential benefit slip away.

3. Focus on the offer and its value

Being offer-centric in direct response ads means the ad is built around a strong value proposition that clearly communicates the benefit to the customer. The offer is the star of the show; it’s what catches the eye and hooks the potential customer’s interest.

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The CTA (Call to Action) is the direct response part—it’s the ‘what now’ that guides the customer on how to take advantage of the offer. Use sharp, benefit-focused language tailored to speak directly to the customer’s needs or desires.

Customer-centricity

Gone are the days of the dry, serious sales pitch—today’s consumers want to feel valued, not just sold to. It’s about creating a connection that goes beyond the transaction.

Here’s how to put your customer at the heart of your communication:

• Embrace storytelling: Stories transform plain information into something personable and engaging. For example, use testimonials to show how your product or service has improved someone’s life or addressed a challenge they faced.
• Highlight the product positives: People resonate more with what they stand to gain. Rather than listing the features of your product, emphasize the benefits. Shift from “Our hotel rooms include free Wi-Fi” to “Enjoy the convenience of staying in touch with complimentary Wi-Fi.”
• Demonstrate empathy: Make it clear you understand and care about your customer’s needs. For instance, “Morning rushes are hard. That’s why our fast-brew coffee maker delivers quality coffee quickly—so you can focus on taking on the day.”

Direct response advertising types

Email campaigns

Direct response advertising can be super effective, especially with email campaigns. Ensure your emails are engaging, on-point, and persuasive enough to cut through the noise of the cluttered email box.

Consider these tips for fine-tuning your email campaigns:

• Be concise: Your email should be short and sweet, ideally not extending beyond the length of two screens.
• Message up front: State your offer or message right at the start. Highlight the benefits early on to grab attention.
• Reader-focused writing: The email should speak to how it benefits the reader’s life, not just how great the product is.
• Visually pleasing layout: Employ bullet points and short sentences, and include plenty of white space for easier reading.
• Clear CTA: Make the next steps obvious, whether it’s downloading an ebook, confirming attendance, or visiting your store. Use compelling verbs like ‘grab,’ ‘discover,’ or ‘explore.’
• Apply psychology: Leverage tactics like the fear of missing out (FOMO) or the attraction to ‘free’ offerings to boost engagement. Keep options straightforward to prevent decision fatigue.

Landing pages

Offering clients too many options, like we often see on a homepage, can impact their decision-making process. Psychologists refer to this as the paradox of choice. So, what’s the best strategy for getting them to focus on something specific?

Use the power of landing pages.

A landing page is a dedicated webpage designed to drive a specific action, such as a product purchase or newsletter signup. Landing pages focus on converting visitors into leads or customers and feature a single, clear call to action.

There are two main types of landing pages:

• A lead generation page for gathering visitor info in exchange for something valuable.
• A click-through page for nudging users toward a specific action on another page.

Best practices for high-converting landing pages:

• Craft concise headlines that directly state the value of your offer
• Use high-quality visuals that capture attention and align with your product or service
• Include testimonials or client logos to build trust and credibility
• Keep your text brief and focused on the benefits, using bullet points for clarity
• Use an action-oriented CTA like “Download Now” or “Join for Free”
• Remove unnecessary elements that don’t contribute to the main goal of the CTA
• Optimize your page for quick loading, which is crucial for retaining visitor interest
• Ensure the page looks great and functions well on mobile devices

Retargeting vs. Remarketing

Retargeting is a direct response marketing strategy that targets website or social media visitors with online ads to encourage them to complete a conversion after moving away from it.

It uses tracking pixels (code snippets for monitoring user behavior) to gather visitor data, enabling more personalized and effective advertising.

There are two main ways to target ads: behavioral and contextual targeting. Behavioral targeting is based on collecting information about a customer’s past online actions—it’s very detailed because it uses a lot of personal data.

Conversely, contextual targeting is more about fitting the ad to the current webpage or content. Choosing in favor of behavioral or contextual targeting depends on what you’re aiming to achieve with your ads and how your audience feels about privacy.

While retargeting focuses on engaging potential customers, remarketing is essential for re-engaging those already familiar with your brand. Popular remarketing techniques include email campaigns and paid advertisements. Interestingly, with a 16% drop, email inboxes aren’t as packed these days.

This also opens up an excellent opportunity for businesses to reach out and remind previous customers about what’s great about their products and tempt them with new deals.

Native ads

Almost 40% of users in the U.S. utilize ad blockers. And this isn’t a hot take—it’s common knowledge that people don’t like annoying and repetitive ads that may invade their privacy.

What’s great about native ads is that they’re sponsored content that blends in with the platform’s regular content, offering a sales message with a direct CTA once the reader is already engaged.

These are some of the best practices for creating native ads:

• Ensure the content is readable and resonates with the target audience
• Highlight what the product can do for the reader rather than just its features
• Sweeten the deal by offering helpful info, fun facts, or freebies
• Use actual customer stories and testimonials to boost trust
• Add a hint to check out the website or snag the product

If you’re struggling with writer’s block and could use some help crafting persuasive and native copy, you can use AI-assisted tools like Instapage’s AI Content Generator.

QR Codes in advertising

QR codes made a major comeback during the pandemic, and they’ve stuck around as a valuable tool in direct response ad campaigns. Their magic lies in streamlining the customer journey, swiftly bringing potential customers from the physical realm to where you want them: a website, a landing page, or even a spot for a free download.

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your QR codes:

• Place QR codes where your target audience is most likely to scan them. (print ads, on product packaging, or at event booths)
• Briefly guide users on how to scan the QR code, especially if your target demographic is not very tech-savvy
• Ensure your QR code takes a user to a specific action like signing up for a newsletter or availing of a special offer
• The destination page must be optimized for mobile viewing since QR codes are primarily scanned with smartphones
• Offer incentives for scanning the QR code, such as discounts or valuable information

If you think that QR codes are not attention-worthy in the eyes of potential customers, check out a growing trend of QR code art. You can easily transform these functional squares into visually appealing pieces that don’t just direct traffic but can also be used creatively to stand out.

Exit-Intent Pop-Ups

Pop-ups usually show up on a website when you do certain things to grab your attention or tell you something important. A study using eye tracking found that users typically glance at a pop-up within 1.3 to 1.5 seconds and then immediately close it.

No wonder some people see them as overly intrusive and annoying. In this light, relying on exit intent pop-ups is better. They give you a last-second opportunity to engage with users just as they’re about to leave your website.

Here’s how you can use a respectful approach to designing exit intent pop-ups that users won’t be tempted to skip:

• Create content that’s directly relevant and present it within a design that’s straightforward and clear-cut in its message
• Time your pop-ups thoughtfully to avoid interrupting the user’s experience
• Implement A/B testing to determine which pop-up connects more effectively with your users
• Guarantee that your pop-ups can be easily closed if the visitor chooses to do so
• Make your pop-ups mobile-friendly, ensuring they are as functional as they are on desktops
• Be mindful of various privacy regulations, like GDPR

Otherwise, you can consider alternatives to pop-ups, such as slide-ins, banners, or embedded CTAs within the content, which can be less disruptive but still effective.

How to track your marketing campaign success

In 2024, with all its upcoming economic twists and turns, it’s super important to keep tabs on some key metrics to get a handle on how your direct response marketing is doing:

• Conversion Rate: Look at what percentage of your website visitors are taking action—like buying something or signing up. If this number is climbing, your campaign is hitting the mark.
• Response Rate: This is all about how many people are engaging with your campaigns compared to how many you’ve reached out to. It’s a straightforward way of seeing if your messages are making an impact.
• Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Keep track of what you’re spending to win over a new customer, considering your ads, tech tools, and the effort of your team
• Average Order Value (AOV): This tells you how much money customers typically spend on an order. It’s a great indicator of how well your marketing is driving higher-value sales
• Return on ad spend (ROAS): ROAS helps you see if the money you’re putting into your marketing is paying off in terms of revenue
• Lifetime Value (LTV): LTV predicts the total revenue a customer will bring in during their time with your company. By understanding LTV, you can make smarter decisions about how much to spend on getting new customers and keeping the ones you have.

With a clear eye on these metrics, you can sharpen your campaigns and aim for better outcomes. Remember, the key to marketing success is to watch, learn, and constantly improve.

Direct response advertising examples

Filmsupply (landing page)

The Filmsupply landing page is offer-focused and features potential savings of up to $40,000 on production costs.

This is a significant incentive for filmmakers and creates a subtle sense of urgency by nudging visitors toward taking immediate advantage of the offer. The page features a clear call-to-action with the Find Your Footage button, which is strategically placed to encourage immediate engagement from visitors.

The nostalgic visuals add aesthetic appeal and resonate with the craft of filmmaking, potentially reminding visitors of the industry’s rich history and the value of high-quality production footage.

Banana Republic Factory (a pop-up notification in the cart)

This banner pops up after customers browse the shopping cart for a few seconds. The message creates a sense of urgency and scarcity. It informs the potential customer that the item added to the cart is almost sold out, encouraging immediate action to avoid missing out.

The discounted price is clearly displayed and backed up with a CTA. The notification is easy to close and doesn’t irritate users if they’re uninterested in the purchase.

IMAGE Skincare (email remarketing campaign)

The IMAGE Skincare ad combines urgency and personalization, declaring “TWO DAYS ONLY” for a “10% sitewide” discount and addressing a customer as an “IMAGE loyalist.”

The offer is placed to capture immediate attention and reinforced by free shipping and a clear “SHOP NOW” CTA button. Visuals of the product, together with vibrant oranges, underline the brand’s vitality and natural ingredients. At the same time, options like Afterpay and interactive elements, such as a skin quiz, can further engage the customer and potentially allow for collecting more data for future retargeting or remarketing efforts.

Good Ranchers (pop-up)

The header “UNLOCK FREE CHICKEN FOR A YEAR!” alongside the subtext “CLAIM THIS $189 VALUE TODAY” creates a sense of urgency for the user to take immediate action.

The value proposition is shown upfront, and the offer targets a specific audience—customers interested in regular meat purchasers. There’s a clever use of reverse psychology with the message “No Thanks, I Hate Free Chicken” for opting out. The pop-up has a mouth-watering image of cooked chicken, enticing the user.

Get started on your direct response marketing campaigns

With direct response ads, you get to actively engage users, sparking a direct and immediate response from them. Targeted, personalized advertising techniques help transform casual browsing into decisive action.

With that in mind, check out the Instapage AdMap feature. And, if you want to connect your ads to personalized experiences and elicit that conversion action, you need to try Instapage’s AdMap® feature. With the feature, you can connect page experiences to ads you’ve already created or build new personalized pages from within the feature.

AdMap® helps you manage campaigns more efficiently by visualizing all your ads and matching landing pages in one place, increasing conversion rates, and decreasing cost-per-acquisition by improving your ad-to-page personalization ratio like the Farmer’s Dog did with their ad and landing page.

Want to start creating more personalized experiences? Give Instapage and AdMap® a try. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today, and make every click count.

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