SPARKS
November 2023
The Ultimate Tag Team: TV Ads and Google Search for Maximum Brand Impact
In today’s dynamic digital landscape, businesses must adopt a comprehensive marketing strategy that combines various channels to effectively reach their target audience.
By integrating the power of Google Search with TV advertising, brands can unlock exceptional results in terms of brand visibility, engagement, and conversions.
In this month’s Sparks, we’re exploring the value of this integration and delve into how brands can optimise their TV ads to drive product discovery and capitalise on the subsequent search behaviour.
Maximising Brand Visibility and Driving Immediate Reactions
TV advertising holds immense potential for generating immediate reactions and inquiries for brands, particularly considering that a significant number of users engage with a second device while watching TV.
A study from Manhattan Research reveals that over 70 percent of viewers have a second device at hand during TV consumption. It is crucial to consider both branded and unbranded efforts when allocating advertising budgets, as mature brands have witnessed a 20-30 percent increase in search traffic due to TV ad buys, while new brands or markets can experience even higher numbers.
It’s worth noting that not only branded searches rise, but also unbranded searches related to the product category.
By integrating Google Search Advertising with TV campaigns, businesses can effectively capture the surge in branded and unbranded traffic. This combination allows brands to leverage the immediate reactions generated by TV ads and convert them into meaningful engagements.
Proactive planning and allocating additional budget to capture the extra brand searches enable brands to take full advantage of the increased brand awareness.
Optimising Ad Content for Maximum Relevance
To fully leverage the diverse set of users engaged with TV ads, it is crucial to review the creative content and generate highly efficient keywords. Users may turn to search engines with specific queries related to the TV ad, such as describing elements like characters or scenes.
While the volume of these long-tail keywords may be relatively small, they can significantly impact conversions. Including unique taglines or calls to action from the TV creative as keywords enables businesses to capture additional relevant traffic.
This approach increases the chances of reaching users who are actively searching for information related to the TV ad they have seen, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the campaign.
Maintaining Consistency in Messaging
Relevance plays a pivotal role in capturing searches activated by TV ads. To ensure a cohesive and memorable brand experience, it is essential to align search ads with the messaging used in the TV advertisement.
Whether it involves incorporating a discount offer or a new brand slogan, maintaining consistency across channels enhances brand recall and increases click-through rates (CTR).
Users who have seen the TV ad and subsequently conduct a related search are more likely to engage with search ads that mirror the messaging they have already been exposed to, resulting in higher conversions.
Tracking and Optimizing Performance
One of the significant advantages of combining Google Search Advertising with TV advertising is the ability to track and measure campaign performance with precision.
By utilising tracking parameters and analytics tools, businesses can assess the impact of their integrated marketing campaigns. This allows for measuring the lift in brand awareness, analysing the increase in branded and unbranded searches, and tracking the conversion rates driven by these efforts.
Close monitoring and analysis of data enable businesses to optimise their campaigns in real-time. They can identify TV ads that generate the most search interest and tailor their search ads accordingly. This iterative process empowers businesses to refine their messaging, bidding strategies, and targeting to continuously improve performance and achieve better results.
Driving Product Discovery through Optimised TV Ads
Understanding consumers’ natural impulse to search for items they see advertised on TV immediately after the ad airs provides valuable insights for brands. By capitalising on the searches that follow TV ads, brands can enhance the impact of their advertising efforts.
Additionally, crafting effective calls-to-action and making use of shopping ads can ensure that people who search for a specific product receive the most relevant and useful information.
Research shows that a majority of smartphone owners search for products they’ve seen in commercials, and every TV campaign experiences a lift in product discovery after its ad airs. To unlock the full potential of TV ads, brands can implement the following recommendations:
1. Utilize End Tags to Prompt Viewers to Search:
The final screen of a TV ad serves as an invitation to learn more, presenting a valuable opportunity for brands.
By incorporating custom calls-to-action that prompt viewers to search for their products, brands can significantly increase search queries.
2. Craft Compelling Calls-to-Action:
Carefully designing the calls-to-action in TV ads is crucial for optimising the subsequent search behaviour.
Consumers who follow TV prompts and search for a product are often in the discovery mindset and not yet ready to make a purchase.
By providing product information instead of focusing solely on immediate sales, brands can cater to these consumers’ needs and encourage further engagement.
3. Prioritise Mobile-Friendly Experiences:
A significant percentage of consumers who search for additional information following TV ads do so using mobile devices.
Brands should ensure that their websites offer excellent mobile experiences, including optimised images and user-friendly interfaces. Speed is also crucial, as research shows that mobile sites taking longer than three seconds to load can result in abandoned visits.
Additionally, exploring mobile-centric ad formats, such as carousels of larger images, can enhance the browsing experience for users.
4. Present Comprehensive Product Information in Search Results:
Consumers who search for products they’ve seen on TV are eager to access detailed information, such as specifications, features, photos, and reviews.
Brands should prioritize showcasing this information in search results, leveraging tools like the Google Merchant Center to ensure accurate and up-to-date product data and high-quality images.
By delivering the desired information, brands can continue to engage potential customers even if they are not yet ready to make a purchase.
In today’s multi-faceted media landscape, combining the power of Google Search with traditional TV advertising creates a holistic marketing strategy that maximizes brand visibility, increases engagement, and drives meaningful conversions.
By capitalising on consumers’ natural inclination to search for products they see on TV, optimising TV ads to prompt search behaviour, and providing relevant and comprehensive information, brands can enhance their advertising impact and tap into the potential of integrated marketing campaigns.
By tracking and optimizing performance in real-time, businesses can continuously refine their strategies and achieve exceptional results in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Embracing this integrated approach empowers brands to confidently navigate the digital realm and achieve their marketing goals effectively.
Do you need help with your digital strategy or have a specific topic you want us to cover?
If there’s anything you want us to cover in our future Sparks Roundups, or if you need help planning and implementing your digital marketing campaigns, just pop judy@h-c.ie an email, and we will be happy to get back to you.
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