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Expressing A Strategic Value Proposition with Google Ads

by George Konetes | Aug 3, 2012 | Digital

If you have any experience with Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) then you probably know at least two things.

  1. It is very easy to get started with…
  2. …and very hard to master.

But you really must appreciate the depth and strategic capabilities of such a tool.  Couple that with the complex task of expressing a strategic value proposition and you are combining some of the most difficult elements of two marketing worlds.  Do it right and you may find yourself knee-deep in success.  Do it poorly and no one may ever find out (which is a marketer’s worst nightmare).

What is a Strategic Value Proposition?

This is a great question; the answer can be either simple or incredibly complex.  I’ll go with the simple version; this is a blog post after all.  A value proposition is the thing about your organization that is valuable to your target audience.  It is the one statement essence of your brand distinctives, of what you do well and what sets you apart.

It answers thousands of questions such as:

Why should I hire you instead of someone else?

Why should I spend time on your website?

Why should I visit or donate to your organization?

So a strategic value proposition is a calculated way of communicating your value to the right audience, the right way, at the right time.

What Two Marketing Worlds?

Google Ads is quantitative. It is numbers, data, and math driven.  It’s a science. A rigid and seemingly lifeless science at times.  (Don’t believe me?  Spend a few days coordinating your negative keywords with your location extension strategy).

Conveying a value proposition is a qualitative art.  It is about capturing the imagination of your audience and using the right words to connect the core of your organization to their hearts.  So we are combining data marketing with relational marketing.

What is the Big Picture?

Well, first you need to know what your actual strategic value preposition is, and that could require expert insight to develop and craft.  Second, you need to be a bit of an Ads wiz, which could require expert insight as well (or days of practice coordinating negative keywords strategies etc.) Then you need to find a way to integrate both of them in 95 characters or less.  Yes, Ads does give you three generous lines of text, but the total character count tops out at 95, which is much shorter than a tweet.

What Does the Process of Combining These Ideas Look Like?

This is where the art and the science have to meet.  The task is simple: you need to strike a chord in the user and connect with them in a way that influences them to select your link over millions of options.  You have a few milliseconds to grab their attention and precious few words to use.  So every word needs to be calculated.  You must express all that you have to offer in around 15 words.  Everything matters.  Even the shape of the letters needs to be considered in order to better grab that first glance.

The artist and the engineer need to grapple over each character.  You also need to test everything, test the data, and then test the people.  Just because you get a good click through rate does not mean you are effective.

What do users do once they click through? 

Are you appealing to the right type of user?

Are their expectations properly managed by your ad?

Have you set up the page that they land on with as much attention to detail?

These are the right kinds of questions to be ask.

The Take Away

Ads is not just about clicks, it is about conversions.  This all starts at the ad level and expressing the right strategic value proposition.  Just imagine what it would look like if even a third of the users who clicked through converted.

If you’re ready to take the next steps to mastering your Google Ads campaign for your organization, let’s talk today!

George Konetes

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