Last week, the White Label Dating® Partner team headed to Google HQ to gain access to exclusive insights about the latest Google product updates. This was a particularly momentous visit as it was our first meeting with Google since we became an official Google Partner!
First on the agenda for the day was a presentation from Industry Manager, Cecile, and Industry Head, Harry Walker. The day covered exclusive insight into optimising Search and PPC campaigns, but also placed a key focus on YouTube, as we learnt the best ways to make video content more discoverable and discussed the pros and cons of TrueView, in-search, and in-stream ads in detail.
We also analysed case studies from brands who have seen a lot of success with YouTube advertising to identify how the techniques used could be replicated for dating brands. Dove’s real beauty campaign (so emotional it reduced a few Partner Managers to tears… Naming no names – Dave Adams), Dollar Shave Club and Reed.co.uk are all worth checking out for inspiration. The main consensus was that the key to creating a successful ad is to build an emotional connection with your audience; content that generates an inspirational or emotional response typically achieves the most post-view actions. Create ads with a human element to achieve the best return on investment.
Cecile shared some great advice on more creative ways to bid for keywords when it comes to search advertising; don’t just focus on generic dating keywords and phrases, but also invest in less conventional terms that tie in with key moments in your target demographic’s day. This could be any time when you have an opportunity to engage with a user online; take a look at this video for an example of when that could be. When implemented correctly, this style of bidding can result in lower acquisition costs and a better return on investment, as users who do click-through will have a higher propensity to convert.
After the presentation, the Partner team split into three groups to develop a search strategy to coincide with the launch of a new niche dating site for people interested in sport. The strategies included details about the target demographic (their age range, lifestyle and location) and a list of three key moments throughout their day when they could engage with your ads; these could have been on their commute, at lunchtime, or when they searched for a local pub showing a football game.
As part of the pitches, the team created comprehensive search and remarketing strategies before filming their own TrueView in-stream ads to support them. Most of the team created a 30 second ad, while one group took an innovative approach in shooting a Vine style video. All of the videos created used the techniques for engaging users learnt throughout the day.
Each team pitched their strategy to Harry, Cecile and Kevin Mathers, Google’s County Sales Director at the end of the day. Huge congratulations to Tamsin, Frazer and Alex who won the best pitch for their SportLoverDate campaign.
After a jampacked day of actionable insights, we headed to Soho to unwind with an evening of Urban Golf and a private viewing of the World Cup opening game.
Aaron Holland, Marketing Assistant at White Label Dating®