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7 Signs Your PPC Program Is Being Mismanaged

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Most experienced PPC specialists will recognize the telltale signs of PPC mismanagement.

But if you’re not a PPC professional – maybe you’re a business owner or marketing director – you might overlook those indicators.

This is a problem because now, more than ever, it’s important that your PPC program is managed skillfully.

You have to be careful in interpreting those indicators and not jump to conclusions.

No one practice or setting can tell the whole tale.

And maybe your PPC managers have a good explanation for the small anomalies you see.

But when you see an accumulation of things in your account that are odd or even bizarre, you can start to conclude that the account is being poorly managed, whether due to lack of expertise or indifference.

So what are the signs of mismanagement that you should look for?

Here are seven of the most common ones.

1. Campaigns Have Incorrect (or Absent) Audience Targeting

I’m amazed at how often I’ll come across campaigns with incorrect targeting – or no targeting at all.

For example, I recently audited an account and found Display campaigns that were named “custom intent” but didn’t have custom intent audiences.

I’ve also seen the same problem with remarketing campaigns.

Just because your managers name a campaign “custom intent” or “remarketing” doesn’t make it so.

They have to actually set up the correct audience targeting.

2. Campaigns Have Hundreds of Ad Groups & Duplicate Keywords

Let’s start with the problem of having hundreds of ad groups.

As a general rule, your managers should only have about seven to 10 ad groups per campaign (and only 20 or so keywords per ad group).

Yes, there are exceptions.

But they certainly shouldn’t be creating hundreds of groups within the same campaign.

When they do, the groups become unwieldy and impossible to manage.

Duplicate keywords are also a problem.

Years ago, it was common practice to have plural and singular forms of keywords (“car” and “cars”), but that was a long time ago.

And if you see them in an account now, it’s a major warning sign.

Here’s what Google has to say about duplicate keywords:

“Duplicate keywords happen when one of two or more of your ads are using the same keyword list. It’s best to avoid having duplicate keywords in your account. Google shows only one ad per advertiser for a particular keyword, so there’s no need to include the same keywords in different ad groups or campaigns. It’s okay to have the same keyword in different match types in the same account if you want to use different bids or creatives.”

3. Location-Based Campaigns Have Incorrect Ad Extensions

While some PPC mistakes are only obvious to people who have access to the account, some are obvious to everyone when ads are displayed.

Mismatched locations and ad extensions are one of those errors.

For example, one account I looked at was a law firm with three locations: Boston, Chicago, and New York.

The firm had ads targeted to those three geographic regions, but the extensions weren’t matched correctly.

So ads that impressioned in Chicago, for example, had extensions with information about the Boston office.

4. Reporting Focuses on Unimportant (or Misleading) Metrics

Some signs of mismanagement don’t become obvious until you look beyond the Google Ads account itself and examine what managers are reporting to executives.

Unfortunately, it’s not unusual to see a reliance on less important metrics with misleading conclusions as proof of the program’s success.

For example, I’ve seen reporting that equates number of page visits to number of conversions where the goal is to generate leads.

Obviously, this is misleading.

You could have millions of page visits, but if you’re not getting any conversions (whether that’s making a sale or getting a lead), then you’ve got a problem.

5. Account Strategy Doesn’t Align With Broader Marketing or Business Goals

Sometimes mismanagement isn’t evident until you examine the account in the context of your company and its goals.

When you do, you discover that your goals aren’t supported by the PPC strategy.

For example, I talked to a business owner who told me that an important component of his business was brand awareness and development.

But then I found that 60 percent of his $93,000 budget was going to Shopping campaigns, 37 percent to search and only three percent to remarketing.

Shopping campaigns are great for making sales but not so great for brand awareness.

Remarketing, however, is great for brand awareness.

So what gives?

Shouldn’t these percentages be split more evenly?

Also, I was surprised by the absence of GDN campaigns as they would have been a perfect fit here.

When you see this kind of mismatch, it can be a warning sign that the account managers either don’t know what they are doing, or they’re applying the same strategy to all of the accounts they’re managing.

6. Post-Click Elements Are Ignored

Maybe the PPC account is set up perfectly and the CTR is amazing.

Great!

But if post-click elements – such as landing pages – aren’t carefully designed and in place, that’s a problem.

For example, I was recently auditing the PPC accounts of a business that sells an expensive, personalized service.

It’s the kind of service that requires a lot of thought, research and trust before someone will buy.

When I checked out the landing page, I was shocked to discover that it only had some stock photography and a contact form.

It had no contact information, no reviews, and no testimonials.

They didn’t even have a link back to their home page.

If someone had never heard of this company before, and landed on its landing page, would they buy?

I really doubt it.

Instead, they’d keep looking and researching, which is a lost opportunity.

7. Using Google Ads Optimization Score as a Crutch

Google Ads’ optimization score has gotten a lot of attention recently.

Google has been promoting it as an easy way to see how well your account is being managed and get recommendations on how to improve it.

If only it were so simple.

Unfortunately, Google’s assessments and recommendations aren’t always in your best interest.

Your managers should take them with a healthy dose of skepticism.

So when your PPC managers use a high Google Ads optimization score as proof that everything’s going great, that’s a strong indicator that problems lie below.

Most PPC pros (including this one) agree that getting a 100% optimization score shouldn’t be your goal.

Are some of the recommendations helpful?

Sure.

Should you accept them across the board?

Definitely not.

What Should You Do When Your Account Is Being Mismanaged?

The question of what you should do when your PPC account is being mismanaged depends on whether your account is being managed in-house or by an agency.

If your accounts are being managed in house, talk to your account managers and get their perspective.

They may already be aware of the issues and know what they need to correct them.

Maybe you’ll need to invest in more training and/or work with a PPC pro in the short term to bridge the gap.

If an agency is managing your accounts, consider getting a second opinion from another agency via an account audit.

This is common practice in the industry, and your current agency shouldn’t object to it.

However, most agencies appreciate being given a heads up and having the opportunity to respond.

Most of all, recognize that having your accounts managed well (either in-house or through an agency) comes at some expense.

But isn’t it better to put a portion of what you’re currently spending on Google Ads towards better PPC management?

Not only will you get better ROI, but you’ll also miss out on fewer opportunities.


Image Credits

Featured Image: Dreamstime.com

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YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]

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YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples

Introduction

With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.

Types of YouTube Ads

Video Ads

  • Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
  • Types:
    • In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
    • Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.

Display Ads

  • Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
  • Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).

Companion Banners

  • Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
  • Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.

In-feed Ads

  • Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.

Outstream Ads

  • Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.

Masthead Ads

  • Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.

YouTube Ad Specs by Type

Skippable In-stream Video Ads

  • Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
  • Resolution:
    • Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
    • Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
    • Square: 1080 x 1080px
  • Aspect Ratio:
    • Horizontal: 16:9
    • Vertical: 9:16
    • Square: 1:1
  • Length:
    • Awareness: 15-20 seconds
    • Consideration: 2-3 minutes
    • Action: 15-20 seconds

Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads

  • Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
  • Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
  • Resolution:
    • Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
    • Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
    • Square: 1080 x 1080px
  • Aspect Ratio:
    • Horizontal: 16:9
    • Vertical: 9:16
    • Square: 1:1

Bumper Ads

  • Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
  • File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
  • Resolution:
    • Horizontal: 640 x 360px
    • Vertical: 480 x 360px

In-feed Ads

  • Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
  • Resolution:
    • Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
    • Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
    • Square: 1080 x 1080px
  • Aspect Ratio:
    • Horizontal: 16:9
    • Square: 1:1
  • Length:
    • Awareness: 15-20 seconds
    • Consideration: 2-3 minutes
  • Headline/Description:
    • Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
    • Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line

Display Ads

  • Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
  • Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
  • File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
  • File Size: Max 150KB.
  • Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.

Outstream Ads

  • Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
  • Logo Specs:
    • Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
    • File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
    • Max Size: 200KB.

Masthead Ads

  • Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
  • File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).

Conclusion

YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!

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Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists

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Why We Are Always 'Clicking to Buy', According to Psychologists

Amazon pillows.

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A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots

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A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots

Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.

To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.

Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots

Salesforce’s evolving architecture

It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?

“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”

Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”

That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.

“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.

Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”

Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot

“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.

For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”

Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”

It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”

What’s new about Einstein Personalization

Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?

“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”

Finally, trust

One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.

“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”

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