In advertising, there are several key questions that are always bandied around: how are our ads performing? What’s the ROI like? Are we increasing brand awareness?

Marketers using Google Ads have been comfortable responding to these questions, often relying on the ‘average position’ metric but as of September 30th that metric is being fully retired to make way for ‘prominence metrics’, made up of Impression Share and Impression Rate, which have been being phased in since November 2018.

If this development fills you with panic and like the vast majority of people on the planet you’re initial response is normally to resist change, don’t worry! It is possible to transition from one metric to the other seamlessly and without impacting success.

Why is ‘average position’ being retired?

The ‘average position’ metric let advertisers know where their ads were in ad auctions compared to other ads- not necessarily on the SERP. In this old system, a position of one didn’t necessarily mean you were maximising an opportunity or that ads were showing up above the organic results or not, only the order versus other ads.

Without clarity advertisers have been left guesstimating ad performance and, with an increasing share of searches coming from mobile and new ad formats, the position isn’t as easy to define as it once was.

What is Impression Share and Impression Rate?

In a nutshell, Impression Share is the percentage of impressions that your ads receive compared to the total number that your ads are eligible to get. It’s a way of highlighting missed opportunities by indicating how often a particular ad showed up in the search results. 

Impression Share gives you a clear understanding of where your ads will actually show on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). These new metrics are specific and reliable indicators of page location, which is incredibly valuable.

There are three versions of Impression Share that all measure your impressions divided by the total eligible impressions for your ads, based on different locations on the SERP:

• Search (absolute top) IS: The impressions you’ve received in the absolute top location (the very first ad above the organic search results) divided by the estimated number of impressions you were eligible to receive in the top location
• Search (top) IS: The impressions you’ve received in the top location (anywhere above the organic search results) compared to the estimated number of impressions you were eligible to receive in the top location
• Search impression (share) %: The impressions that appear anywhere on the page

Impression % (or rate) shows you how often your ads are showing at the top of the search results page. This was a shortcoming of average position, as even an ad in position two might be at the bottom of the page.

The two metrics that are only based on your impressions, not the total number of eligible impressions are:

Impression (absolute top) %: The percentage of your impressions shown as the very first ad above the organic search results

Impression (top) %: The percentage of your impressions that are shown anywhere above the organic search results

How do I optimise for awareness?

Advertisers who are more focused on driving awareness than ROI should be targeting Impression Share. This ensures your ads are meeting a visibility threshold and helping to raise awareness of your brand.

How do I make the most of the new metrics then?

There are always a couple of different ways to skin a rabbit so the transition from ‘average position’ to Impression Share will vary depending on the skills and capacity within each team. If you choose to run your ads directly through Google, their advice is simply:

For those currently “using average position to understand the location of your ads on the page, it’s better to use Impression (Absolute Top) % and Impression (Top) %. If you’re using average position to bid to a page location, it’s better to use Search (Abs Top) IS and Search (Top) IS.”

The easiest way to set your targets is to look at recent performance for campaigns across the three impression % (rate) metrics and use this as a starting point. This will ensure the smoothest transition from targeting a position to targeting impression share.

The table below shows our default mapping from a position target to impression %. This should only be used for advertisers with limited historical data.

However, if like many advertisers who are still getting to grips with the change, you prefer the reassurance of a purpose tool which automatically sets bids to achieve your share Google Ads goal, there are providers out there who offer this. If you keep the following five points in mind when selecting a provider, you can’t go far wrong:

1. Goals-by-device: Independent device optimisation because user behaviour varies a lot between desktop and mobile
2. A responsive intraday bidding engine: Make sure you the tool you select uses the latest prominence signals and runs every few hours to make hitting targets easy
3. A holistic account strategy: The ability to apply bid strategies across multiple Google accounts within the same workflow, instead of individually
4. A single bid strategy: For easy comparison, make sure that the tool is compatible with both position-based bidding for non-Google publishers and Impression Share metrics for Google
5. Immediate setup and launch: With the September 30th deadline fast approaching, it’s imperative that advertisers can dive right in and begin targeting to Impression Share, without the need to upload historical data

The post Google Bids Goodbye to the Average Position Metric appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Instagram’s boom was one of the most exciting areas of digital advertising growth we witnessed in 2018. This year alone, Instagram has surged from 5% to 15% of customers’ Facebook spend and we only expect this trend to continue. Due to its rich ad format, deeper level of user engagement, and less crowded feed environment, advertisers are becoming more and more willing to pay a substantial premium for Instagram ads. So, why are so many advertisers turning to Instagram?

The audience

Instagram attracts a highly engaged global audience looking for inspiration. Unlike Facebook, where users come to connect with family and friends, the visual nature of Instagram lends itself well to influencer content. People come to Instagram looking to be inspired and discover the things they care about. This includes content from brands and businesses, with a third of the most viewed Stories coming from businesses, according to Instagram.

While Snapchat is the most popular platform for people aged 12 to 17, Instagram attracts a broader demographic and users across more life stages as 59% of internet users aged 18 to 29 are on Instagram. With Instagram Stories businesses can reach engaged users at scale.

The experience

The Stories format has taken the world by storm. Snapchat piloted it and after its initial success, we started seeing Stories everywhere – WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and, of course, Instagram.

There are a few reasons the format is so successful and it all boils down to the experience it offers. As people’s attention spans are shrinking due to content overload, Stories offers more information in a visual format and faster. It’s the format of the future.

Advertising on Instagram Stories allows brands to reach users when they’re engaged. Stories are designed for mobile viewing with a visual vertical image or video format. Unlike the Facebook feed, which is often silent, users’ view 60% of Instagram Stories with the sound on. This creates an immersive experience where brands have a chance to capture attention and showcase their products or services.

Top tips for advertisers

Being visual is key
There is no space for post copy or link description in Instagram Stories ads. The placement is all about looks so it’s crucial to use the best quality images and videos. An image from a stock photo library that may have worked on Facebook won’t grab user attention on Instagram Stories.

Grab attention quickly
As the video on Stories is only up to 15 seconds long, the first couple of seconds need to do the job. Consider including branding at the beginning of the video and not at the end. Use text overlays to add a call to action to the ad and influence clicks.  

Use sound
It’s become customary to recommend that advertisers design video for silent social media feeds. Instagram Stories is your opportunity to combine the visual experience with sounds as the majority of Stories are played with sound on.

Think about the environment
More than 50% of Instagram business accounts use Instagram Stories monthly, however, they won’t suit every brand and every objective. Be critical and evaluate if your brand suits the Instagram demographic, whether your creative assets are suitable, and if you really think what you’re doing will grab attention in seconds.

The post Why Are so Many Advertisers Turning to Instagram Stories? appeared first on PerformanceIN.

As Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page on January 4, “The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do — whether it’s protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent.” Along with this, Facebook will start to show users more posts from friends and family, and fewer from publishers and brands.

Although some are already portending doom and gloom, the reality will be a little less dramatic. Here are a few things that the industry can expect now that Facebook is focusing on a more quality and secure user experience (which, subtly, will require advertisers to pay more to reach desired audiences):

1. Feeds will be less cluttered

The industry has already noticed a significant decline in organic reach, focusing on friends and family will continue this trend. Advertisers will have to experiment, identify what works, and refine their marketing strategy accordingly to find the perfect mix of paid and organic. Do event photos work better than press releases? What do your users want to see in their Facebook feed?

Advertisers will need to maintain a clear view of what’s driving users to their brand. The declining influence of organic posts on Facebook means marketers will focus more heavily on paid strategies, especially video ads. They will also need to ensure a well-balanced cross-channel approach to their advertising strategy, uniting both paid and social advertising and allocating spend where it will drive the most return on investment.

2. However, ads may stand out more in a cleaner feed

With more content coming from users, high-quality professional ads may pop in a way they do not today. In this case, the increased incentives will force brands to look at their ad offerings to make them more appealing, more engaging, and better suited to a people-first platform.

Facebook’s spring cleaning fake news and high volume/low impact advertising will provide greater brand safety for advertisers on Facebook.

As a result, a simpler news feed can be considered a negative thing for advertisers; however, it could be a blessing in disguise. Less click bait and fewer attention-grabbing headlines create an opportunity for a brand’s message to rise above the noise of baby pictures and travel stories. It does mean that advertisers can expect the higher cost per clicks (CPC’s) but will reap greater engagement in return.

3. Video: red hot in 2018

Video represents the biggest opportunity for continued Facebook advertising growth, with its new and engaging paid media formats like in-stream video ads. And, expect to see growth of Facebook Live and Facebook Watch for organically reaching audiences with paid content versus organic posts.

Video is not just red hot due to its massive popularity. According to Animoto, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. With that statistic alone, it’s definitely time for advertisers to ramp up their video advertising if they have not already.

4. Facebook Messenger will keep the conversation going

Facebook Messenger now offers advertising solutions; with over 1.6 billion users, it’s the most popular mobile messaging app in the world, and Facebook’s news feed change won’t affect the emerging advertising opportunities that Messenger presents.

Note that a majority of Messenger users opt to have push notifications turned on. And, Messenger ads perform better than email, since they’re more personal and engaging.

Beyond the opportunity to expand the reach of paid ads, now businesses can use Messenger to engage in 1:1 personalised conversations with prospects and customers. For example, someone looking for a flight could click a few automated responses, such as, “Where are you going?”, and interact with a brand for a top-notch customer experience.

Facebook Messenger is just the beginning; thinking across channels, Google also provides a similar capability with click-to-message ads that prompt SMS interactions with customers. Plus, we can expect to see Facebook expand advertising into WhatsApp in the near future.

Lastly, companies can add a Facebook Messenger plug-in to their website that can serve as a direct customer service and lead generation portal. Hey Snapchat, Amazon, and LinkedIn – your turn to make a move.

In sum: not to fret…

As with all changes in the industry, advertisers who stay flexible and roll with the changes will be best equipped to benefit from them. My advice? Stay aware, refine strategy as needed, test and test again, and keep exploring new and meaningful ways to attract customers.

The post Does Facebook’s New Direction Mean Doom and Gloom? appeared first on PerformanceIN.