“…Brands now have a need to consider every online touch-point and how they can influence purchase decisions beyond the virtual front door of their corporate website”
Quote from the “The Search and Social Media Report” from the IAB and Microsoft Advertising
In a social media obsessed industry the cold hard fact remains that search engines are still the most influential gatekeepers of links (that you can directly influence!) between your brand and consumers.
The brilliance of search engine marketing is that behind every search query is a person that fits into a well defined segment based on their motivation to search at that time.
As a refresher it’s good to think about the concept of the “intent” behind a search query.
Remember that ultimately (in a commercial context) your motivation to use a search engine is as a gateway to find:
- A product/service that you know you want
- Something that you like, need or desire
- A trusted source or an expert to help you make a better purchase decision
As a marketer I can utilise various research methods to understand this intent:
Persona Modelling
Who are the people that I want to target? What would motivate them to buy my product? Who influences them?
Keyword Research
From data sources such as Google, Hitwise and Compete.com you can understand what words are being utilized to find your products\services. If people rely on expert opinion to make a more informed purchase then how do they find these experts online?
For example:
If somebody is looking for the “best digital slr cameras” on Google then I know that this person is:
a. in the market for a digital slr camera!
b. probably hasn’t decided (or is unsure of) which model to buy
c. looking for some help in making that decision. i.e. They’re trying to find somebody (an expert or the wisdom of the crowd) to help them make a better buying decision
With this type of insight brands can plan how they might intersect and influence a consumer right at the moment when an intention is translated into a search. This is achieved by defining your target audience, researching the potential ways that they might engage with search, and then connecting those consumers with relevant influential content. This influential content might be:
- A relevant & useful content rich page on your website
- Your facebook group, twitter feed or blog
- An external positive mention of your brand (generated from your own online PR)
- An external positive mention of your brand (from happy brand advocates!)
To help illustrate the above concepts further I’ve mocked up 5 examples of how brands could build their brands and influence consumers.
1. Connecting consumers with “expert sites” that carry positive brand mentions
From research we know that consumers are looking to find experts by pre-ceding search queries like “best”, “which”, “recommended”, “top rated”.
I’ve mocked up the example below with the electronics giant Samsung in mind. They could launch a Google UK advert connecting UK based consumers searching for “experts” (using a term like “Best LCD TV”) with the positive reviews of Samsung LCD TV products found on www.consumersearch.com.
2. Targeting an audience by keyword association & useful content
Here’s a mock-up of how Kellogg’s could extend their “Personal Plan” campaign to target a relevant audience as determined by the keyword intent. The search term “walking for weight loss” gives a clear signal of the target audience who would be considered a viable target for Kellogg’s Special K cereal and their associated “Personal Plan” campaign.
3. Connecting potential customers to Earned Media using Paid Search
Here is one way the skin cream provider Aveeno could amplify the positive online PR coverage it received from the lifestyle magazine Chic Today. By virtue of the fact the searcher has used the word “best” it indicates that they are looking for a 3rd party opinion.
4. Associating your Brand with relevant search terms to your product
For brands that do not sell directly online (or sell through more complex distribution channels) using search as a “pull” brand marketing technique might be a new concept. Let’s use the tent manufacturer Vango, a company that does not sell directly through their website as an example. One particular range of tents that they sell has been designed to withstand extreme conditions.
Why not use search to make people who are looking for this functionality aware of their brand. i.e. A consumer searching for “Stormproof tents” is likely to be interested in what Vango have to offer. Even if the final purchase happens on-line or offline through a distributor this campaign has raised awareness of Vango to meet a specific need.
5. Utilising Paid search to promote Social Media activity
With brands increasingly utilising social media spaces to host campaigns and build communities why not utilise paid search to connect relevant people to them? This is actually a real tactic that we utilised to promote the official London West End twitter feed to great effect.
Points to Remember..
In summary a well thought out campaign can:
- Drive top of mind awareness
- Influence a consumer’s brand consideration set
- Connect consumers with “expert” 3rd party recommendations of your brand
- Connect consumers with advocates of your brand
But don’t forget…
A search campaign in isolation is never going to build a brand. I’m guessing that this statement won’t really come as a shock to many people but it is a point worth making.
People use search engines as a gateway to content, so common sense dictates that for any paid search ads you launch against a keyword - there has to be something relevant and useful at the end of the click. Sounds like a simple statement, but you’d be surprised about how many people get this bit wrong!
Tags: Brand Engagement, Gary Preston, keyword research, Persona Targeting, Search
