March 5, 2007

Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Overall, most seasonal events, whether Mother's Day, Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl, Easter, Christmas or anything in between, can present considerable opportunities for pay-per-click advertisers. On average, Internet searches around these events tend to increase considerably. This means potentially a lot more customers visiting any given Web site.

How can an Internet marketer tap into, and really benefit from these seasonal events?

Potentially, here are five good tips you should consider when developing seasonal pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns:

Adjust keyword strategies
Over the past few years, a lot has been said on the important benefits of generic versus specific keywords and this issue becomes increasingly important when planning seasonal campaigns. As a general rule, you should only bid on more generic terms while seasonal events are still far away, then bid on more specific terms as the events draw nearer.

Keep in mind the typical buying process of your potential customers. If you’re a TV retailer, for example, you should bid on more generic terms such as “TV” or “television deals” while people are still at the early stages of searching for specific gift ideas. Then you should shift to more specific terms such as “low-cost Sony TV” as people get closer to the point of acquisition.

Despite the natural cut-off imposed by seasonal events, people will still shop at different speeds. Bid on a variety of search terms throughout your campaign, but weigh your keyword strategy towards more generic or specific terms depending on how close the specific event is.

Also, you should add seasonal-specific terms into your existing keyword portfolios. A florist, for example, should bid on “Valentine’s Day flower delivery” or “Mother’s Day flower delivery” rather than simply “flowers or flower delivery.” This small change could help drive down your bid price and, in turn, increase your ROI at the same time.

Focus on your ad copy
In addition to keywords, be certain that you also focus on the title and description of all your ads. Include seasonal tidbits to help add relevance, a level of urgency and to increase the association of your brand with the particular seasonal event. Consider also using your ads to turn negative market perceptions into positive ones by developing campaigns that guarantee flower delivery before Valentine’s Day.

Or, maybe you can reassure potential customers about exchange policies after the Christmas period. Monitor press clips to pick up on these issues and be ready to amend your ad copy accordingly. As seasonal events approach, competition for share of voice online typically increases. On particularly competitive keywords, be prepared to include special offers or promotions within your ad.

A well-worded offer can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity! Specifically, pay a lot of attention to your landing pages. With pay-per-click, ad and landing pages should work together seamlessly to help drive optimum results.

To be sure, when planning seasonal PPC campaigns don’t just think about your keywords and the ad itself. Think and focus on your landing page for that specific keyword. Consider adjusting and 'fine-tuning' landing page copy to highlight particular seasonal offers.

Overall, this helps add synergy between your ad and your Web site, and will go a long way to further strengthen your brand’s association with whatever seasonal event you want to implement.

A lot of hype surrounds the ups and downs in peoples’ search behavior and eCommerce habits in the days and weeks leading up to seasonal events. While these statistics can be useful to inform your seasonal strategies, be careful of turning your back on your own sales data!

Historic tracking figures and sales data should form a central part in shaping your PPC strategy, from initial keyword development to the tone of your ad copy and the scope of any special offers.

Pay-per-click’s direct response power means that you should closely integrate your marketing, sales and fulfillment divisions to ensure campaign effectiveness and brand awareness.

Once you’ve developed your pay-per-click strategy, don’t stick to it. This may sound strange, but be certain you use the flexibility of the PPC model to constantly adapt and enhance your seasonal campaigns. Look at how sales and stock levels are developing and be aware of your competitors’ actions.

Take all the necessary time to carefully optimize your campaigns accordingly and this will go a long way to pave the road to success.

Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Source: DM News