Digital Advertising

Digital Strategy Bootcamp

by Kelly Kubrick on February 20, 2020

On March 10th,2020, join myself and IABC Ottawa (the International Association of Business Communicators Ottawa chapter) members at the University of Ottawa for their digital strategy bootcamp.

Learn how to take control of your digital platforms and develop targeted, accessible campaigns that help you achieve your organization’s goals. Kelly will explain:

  1. Why you need a mix of paid, owned, and earned media,
  2. How to integrate digital advertising into your media mix and determine your cost to click/conversion rate, and
  3. Ways to measure success.

At the end of the bootcamp you’ll be given a case study to put your knowledge to practice and walk away with a one-pager highlighting the key takeaways.

Event details:

  • When: Wednesday, March 10th, 2020 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
  • Where: Unversity of Ottawa, Social Sciences Building, 120 University Private, 15th Floor, Room FSS-4004, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
  • Cost: $30.00-$45.00 and includes an assortment of appetizers

Register here

This event is brought to you by IABC Ottawa: “The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) provides a professional network of over 15,500 business communications and marketing professionals in over 80 countries. Members of IABC Ottawa can tap into a wealth of resources and opportunities that will help increase your value as a communicator. IABC Ottawa brings communications, marketing and creative professionals together to grow in their career and succeed in their jobs.”

See you there!

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Kelly KubrickDigital Strategy Bootcamp

Webinar: Which Type of Google Ad is Right for Your Tourism Business?

by Kelly Kubrick on October 23, 2019

Upcoming Webinar: November 7th, 2019 at 2PM EST

Please join me, Kelly Kubrick, online at eLearningU.com for a one-hour webinar:

Webinar title: Which Type of Google Ad is Right for Your Tourism Business?

Search vs Shopping vs Display & Video/YouTube?

In this session Kelly Kubrick will talk about the different types of Google Ads and help you determine which ones are right for your tourism business. She will give tips, techniques, tactics that will improve your performance in each. During this session, Kelly will ensure attendees

  • Understand the differences between the various types of Google Ads;
  • Compare the characteristics of each to determine how best your business can leverage them;
  • Learn how to plan budgets, typical costs, typical returns and expected results to determine which Google Ad is right for your business; and
  • Ensure you know how best to succeed at this challenging, but proven advertising network.

If you are interested in learning more about Google advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickWebinar: Which Type of Google Ad is Right for Your Tourism Business?

Webinar: Spur Tourism Event Registrations using Facebook Advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on September 17, 2019

Upcoming Webinar: October 3rd, 2019 at 2PM EST

Please join me, Kelly Kubrick, online at eLearningU.com for a one-hour webinar:

Webinar title: Spur Tourism Event Registrations using Facebook Advertising

In this fast paced session Kelly Kubrick will show you, with real life examples, how to enhance the experience of attendees at live events by pairing it with a digital equivalent. Your advertising campaign objectives should include securing attendees to either or both events. In this real life case study, learn:

  • The inventory and necessary interplay of digital marketing assets – web, Facebook & email – you’ll need prior to your Facebook advertising campaign launch;
  • 3 critical audience segment you should organize your Facebook media spend by;
  • Key advance actions needed to coordinate the IRL (‘in-real-life’) and digital teams; and
  • How to put content to work to anticipate campaign impact prior to, during and post launch.

Creative for organic Facebook posts for the RCMP Horse Auction 2018

Learn more about this amazing event here:

If you are interested in learning more about Facebook advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickWebinar: Spur Tourism Event Registrations using Facebook Advertising

Dispel complexity with educational content using Google paid search advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on April 30, 2019

Campaign Objectives

The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) wanted to promote the availability of a new ebook developed to explain its government-to-government (G2G) offering to Canadian manufacturers.

The Plan

In advance of the paid traffic campaign, CCC developed landing pages in English and French, containing an offer to download the ebook in exchange for providing contact information.

Where Digital Fit

In addition to its regular organic social media and email newsletters, CCC approved a paid search media buy on Google Ads. Online Authority was tasked with advising the internal team with how to plan the campaign, including how to undertake keyword research and how to structure its Ad Groups.

Online Authority provided advisory services to the CCC team on creative – copy and image treatments, and recommended keyword bid adjustments after an initial period in market.

ebook search ads english and french

Results:

Within days of launch, significant insights into the strongest keywords – as well as those worth excluding as negative keywords – were identified for CCC providing critical insights into the opportunities available to CCC’s business development efforts going forward.

If you are interested in learning more about paid search advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickDispel complexity with educational content using Google paid search advertising

Target prospects in key industries with LinkedIn advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on April 30, 2019

Campaign Objectives

In its strategic plan, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) identified key sectors of interest for expansion in its business development efforts. In addition to its significant trade show involvement, the CCC was executing a digital lead generation effort through content marketing.

The Plan:

To drive qualified traffic to its newly developed content marketing assets, the CCC approved a LinkedIn media buy, targeting industries that mapped to its sectors of interest.

In advance of the paid traffic campaign, the CCC developed blog post landing pages in English and French explaining its unique service offering to those particular industries.

Online Authority worked with CCC’s marketing team to set up the its LinkedIn Campaign Manager account, then identify and quantify potential ‘Audiences’ – narrowed by CCC’s targeting criteria – to pursue.

Next, Online Authority undertook the necessary technical implementation for a LinkedIn media buy for CCC, including:

  1. Generating the LinkedIn Campaign Manager Insight Tag;
  2. Installing and configuring the Insight Tag via the client’s content management systems account to ensure it was published to all templates;
  3. Setting up conversion tracking; and
  4. Advising on naming conventions for Google Analytics UTM tracking codes for use later in the campaign.

Online Authority provided advisory services to the CCC team on creative – copy and image treatments, activation and launch, and reporting throughout the duration of the campaign.

Aeroppace and Clean Tech ads

Results:

Within days of launch, the highest-performing audiences, by key sector, were identified for CCC providing critical insights into the opportunities available to CCC’s business development efforts going forward.

If you are interested in learning more about LinkedIn advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickTarget prospects in key industries with LinkedIn advertising

Increase awareness of funding availability with Google search advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on April 10, 2019

Campaign Objectives

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) wanted to increase the number of municipal capital project funding applications initiated in its lead generation process.

The Plan:

In advance of the paid traffic campaign, FCM developed landing pages in English and French containing links to supporting documentation describing the funding application process.

Where digital fit:

In addition to its regular organic social media and email newsletters, FCM approved a paid search media buy on Google Ads. Online Authority was tasked with advising the internal team with how to plan the campaign, including how to undertake keyword research and how to structure its Ad Groups.

Online Authority provided advisory services to the FCM team on creative – copy and image treatments – including adjustments after an initial test period in market.

FCM Signature Projects Search Ad in English

Results:

The campaign launched ran for the duration of the funding season and additional tests were planned.

We can help

If you are interested in learning more about launching your Google paid Search campaign, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickIncrease awareness of funding availability with Google search advertising

Achieve funding application targets with LinkedIn advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on March 31, 2019

Campaign Objectives

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) needed to secure a particular number of municipal infrastructure funding applications, by a specific deadline, from a particular geographic segment.

The Plan:

In advance of the paid traffic campaign, FCM developed landing pages in English and French, containing links to supporting documentation describing the funding application process.

Where digital fit:

In addition to its regular organic social media and email newsletters, FCM approved a paid media buy on LinkedIn. Online Authority was tasked with advising the internal team how to structure its test plan to determine optimal placements and audiences. Online Authority supported the team’s efforts by researching, building and ‘saving’ additional pockets of target audiences on LinkedIn.

Next, Online Authority undertook the necessary technical implementation for a LinkedIn media buy for FCM, including:

  1. Generating the client’s LinkedIn Campaign Manager Insight Tag;
  2. Installing and configuring the Insight Tag via the client’s Google Tag Manager account to ensure it was published to all templates in the client’s content management system;
  3. Setting up conversion tracking; and
  4. Advising on naming conventions for Google Analytics UTM tracking codes for use later in the campaign.

Online Authority provided advisory services to the FCM team on creative – copy and image treatments – including adjustments after an initial test period in market.

LinkedIn Advertising MAMP

Results:

The campaign launched with alternative placements, and as the most effective ones were identified, the campaign was rolled out for the duration. Data proved the LinkedIn campaign contributed directly to the total applications received by the deadline.

We can help

If you are interested in learning more about LinkedIn advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickAchieve funding application targets with LinkedIn advertising

Drive product sales with Google Shopping advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on February 2, 2019

Campaign Objectives

MyLiberty.life, a Canadian online retailer, wanted to know if Google Search advertising could outperform Google Shopping in terms of product sales conversions.

Google Shopping vs Google Paid Search

Google Shopping allows retailers to run advertising campaigns to promote their product inventory. It all starts with the retailer sending, automatically, its product details to Google via Google’s Merchant Center offering. Once the product information has been uploaded, the retailer / merchant can create a Shopping campaign in Google Ads to display its wares.

Shopping ads placements are different from traditional text-only search ads, as they include a photo of the product, product title, price, store name, and more.

“Instead of keywords, Shopping ads use the product attributes you defined in your Merchant Center data feed to show your ads on relevant searches.” Source: Google

The Plan:

MyLiberty.life used a free application to automatically send its product data feed — stored in its ecommerce platform — to Google Merchant Center. From there, the Google Shopping campaign was created in Google Ads. Nearly all of the content for the ads is provided automatically through the data feed.

Here are screenshots showing an example of the creative for Google Shopping ad for Women’s underwear vs a traditional text-only search Google Paid Search ad vs another Google Shopping ad for Men’s underwear:

Example Creative Google Shopping vs Google Paid Search

 

For launch, Online Authority worked with MyLiberty.life to customize its Google Shopping ads to organize product groups using Custom Labels, reflective of their product collections.

Over several months, MyLiberty tested the performance of its Shopping campaign vs its Search campaign to see which drove the most conversions.

Results:

The Google Shopping Campaign delivered 3x the conversions of Search. Wow!

Armed with this critical data, MyLiberty.life re-allocated its budget accordingly and continues to devote a significantly higher proportion of its media spend to Shopping Ads versus other Google placements.

We can help

If you are a retailer with an ecommerce website and interested in learning more about Google Shopping advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickDrive product sales with Google Shopping advertising

Spur Event Registrations using Facebook advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on November 16, 2018

Campaign Objectives

The RCMP Foundation, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police‘s charitable arm, sought registrants for its first-ever online horse auction. Those same registrants were also welcome to participate in a sister event, an in-person horse auction: “See inside the RCMP Foundation’s horse auction” from CBC News.

The Plan

In advance of the campaign launch, the RCMP Foundation developed English and French landing pages announcing details for each auctions, and encouraging visitors to register to bid on any of the 30+ magnificent Hanovarian horses available for sale.

Where digital fit

In addition to securing traditional media coverage including PR and advertising in horse industry magazines, see examples below:

and publishing organic social media content and distributing email newsletters, the RCMP Foundation approved a paid media advertising buy on Facebook.

While researching potential audiences to target on Facebook, Online Authority oversaw the technical implementation needed for a Facebook advertising campaign as undertaken by the RCMP Foundation’s agency:

Following that, in the client’s Facebook Ad account, Online Authority created targeted Website Custom Audiences (WCA) based on past buyer lists and website visitors. Online Authority also developed necessary naming conventions for Google Analytics UTM tracking codes to track the impact of email efforts vs the Facebook ad buy.

In its research, Online Authority identified 65 possible target audiences within Facebook for review and approval by the client. Those were narrowed to 23 optimal choices for launch. Online Authority created each as unique Facebook Ad Sets in order to monitor the performance of each audience against one another.

As the landing page continue to evolve, Online Authority finalized the paid media creative, including copy treatment, and the campaign was activated. Below are three sample placements of the creative that ran, and some of the response generated:

RCMP Foundation Horse Auction sample Facebook Ads

Campaign Results

All 23 ad sets launched simultaneously and performance of each was monitored on a daily basis. Within one week, the ad sets were narrowed to the top performers.

By the number of auction registrants, the approach proved so successful that the campaign was paused at the two-week of a planned six-week campaign. The best news for this fundraising effort? Further, all horses were sold with revenue targets exceeded.

If you are interested in learning more about Facebook advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickSpur Event Registrations using Facebook advertising

Email capture of critical potential customer segments with Facebook advertising

by Kelly Kubrick on December 1, 2016

Campaign Objectives

MyLiberty.life, a Canadian online retailer, wanted to increase the number of email subscribers interested in a particular category of products.

The Plan:

In advance of its Facebook media buy, MyLiberty.life developed an informative, long format blog post that spoke directly to the needs of the particular customer segment.

In addition to the relevant content provided in the post, MyLiberty.life created a highly-value downloadable product comparison chart – a lead magnet – which they offered to readers in exchange for signing up for their email newsletter.

The blog post acted as the paid traffic campaign landing page, with calls to download the comparison chart incorporated repeatedly throughout the text.

Where digital fit:

Given the profile of the customer segment, MyLiberty.life elected to focus its paid media efforts on Facebook. In addition to researching potential audiences on Facebook, Online Authority undertook the necessary technical implementation, including:

  1. Creating and configuring the client’s Facebook Business Manager Account;
  2. Creating the client’s Facebook ad account;
  3. Creating the client’s Facebook Pixel and installing it the ecommerce platform; and
  4. Setting up Website Custom Audiences (WCA) within the client’s Facebook Ad account, including a) Traffic to unique content sections of the website, b) An audience unique to its email subscriber list;
  5. Developing naming conventions for Google Analytics UTM tracking codes for use later in the campaign.

As the landing page evolved and the lead magnet was finalized, Online Authority developed the paid media creative with MyLiberty.life. This included identifying a theme, which in turn drove the copy treatment and three possible approaches to the imagery.

The campaign launched with alternative creative tested in weekly rotation:

Results:

As the most responsive target and custom audiences were identified, Online Authority expanded MyLiberty’s ad sets to include ‘lookalike’ audiences.

“A lookalike audience is where you give Facebook a seed audience and then it uses this to match people with very similar characteristics.” Source: AdEspresso

This service is offered to Facebook advertisers, and uses technology to ‘look for’ Facebook users who exhibit similar profile characteristics of your already-know-to-be-ideal users. This allows you to access a uniquely qualified audience that you might not otherwise be able to uncover.

The approached proved so successful for email capture that to this day, MyLiberty runs periodic flights of the campaign so as to continually boost subscriptions of this segment to its list.

Updated: MyLiberty has replicated the approach for additional customer segments and intends to continue rolling out new ones as they are identified:

Examples of Facebook creative for Digital Advertising campaign

 

To learn more about Facebook advertising, contact Online Authority today.

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Kelly KubrickEmail capture of critical potential customer segments with Facebook advertising