How To Improve Facebook Ad Performance and Measurement

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Per ususal, the last quarter of the year is a busy one and a very important time for businesses like yours. For 2021 in particular, you are most likely attempting to execute paid social media strategies with Facebook ads and digital marketing plans while navigating through a sea of privacy and platform changes across the entire online advertising industry.

Facebook estimates that in aggregate they are underreporting iOS web conversions by approximately 15%. however this is an overarching number with a broad range for individual advertisers. Facebook claims that the conversions occurring in the real world, like sales and app installs, are higher than what is being reported for many advertisers. Onimod Global experts are here to help you understand these changes, specifically in Facebook ads, and optimize performance in this new environment.

Actions to Improve Facebook Ad Performance and Measurement

As you build your campaigns, try to keep these Facebook advertising best practices in mind:

  • Before you analyze performance, allow some time: Delayed data is a real pain. Due to the fact it’s almost inevitable as well as modeled reporting, we advise waiting a minimum of 72 hours or the full length of the optimization window selected before evaluating the performance for campaigns that are optimized for conversions. Daily assessment is of course still possible for campaigns and should be monitored, but waiting to analyze and report will ensure you get the most accurate picture of performance.
  • Analyze at the campaign level, not the creative level: Where it’s possible and makes sense for your analysis, analyze reporting at the campaign level. While you can always assess performance at the ad set and ad level is possible, some estimated conversions are aggregated and reported with a delay. We advise to take this into account when assessing ads performance.
  • Enable Aggregated Event Measurement: This essentially means to choose the web events (like a sign-up or a purchase) that are most aligned with your core business outcomes and are frequently used as the events to optimize against in your campaigns. If you are running ads optimized against events that have not been prioritized in Events Manager, it may potentially effect your results negatively.
  • Set up the Conversions API: The Conversions API creates a simple, reliable and privacy-safe connection between your marketing data, such as website events and offline conversions, and Facebook. Adding the Conversions API to your existing setup will help you optimize your ad campaigns, decrease cost per action and more accurately measure campaign outcomes while offering the same privacy protections we’ve put in place across our other Business Tools. Many advertisers are already seeing success with Conversions API, and you can check out their stories here.
  • Use the learning phase help Facebook discover the best way to deliver your ads: One tip we recommend to be able to exit the learning phase sooner is to consolidate your ad sets, expanding your audience or choosing an optimization event that occurs more frequently. Another way you can make the most of the learning phase is reducing the frequency of manual edits or expand your audiences, so there are more opportunities for people to complete your optimization event.
  • Take all available tools into account: You may also want to consider all measurement solutions available to you, on Facebook Ads platform and off. During this period of transition, it’s crucial to review all measurement solutions to identify potential underreporting that may be occuring for your business.
  • Continue to test and learn: Through testing new bidding, format and audience strategies, you can identify what is working today and evolve over time as Facebook Ads continue to improve. Testing new creative and marketing strategies is essential for improving your performance over time.

Final Thoughts on Facebook Ads

When there’s even more to take into account in terms of making your Facebook Ads perform better, it’s important to know how each will benefit you and drive results. We will continue to share case studies and considerations to help you drive your business. Our goal is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success.

At Onimod Global, we have endless experience and expertise when it comes to all things Facebook advertising, general social media advertising, and digital marketing. Got questions about Facebook advertising or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today.

Google Ads Will Combine Smart and Standard Display Campaigns

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As your trusted Google news source, here’s the latest update: Google is set to combine smart and standard display campaigns into a single option, announced yesterday Wednesday September 15th. And to add another change into the mix, Google also announced they will be introducing optimized targeting to Display campaigns.

 

Smart and Standard Display campaigns 101

Smart campaigns were unveiled four years ago, and they were created to help users have a simpler way to reach your audience across millions of sites and apps. Smart Display campaigns are set apart from other forms of campaigns through using automation to find new and existing customers, tailor your creative and set optimal bids.

Following up Smart campaigns, the standard Display campaigns have beneficial features such as responsive display ads and automated bidding. The point of combining the two types of campaigns means that advertisers will have the opportunity to test even more types of ads.

The new Display campaign overview

Bonnie Pericolosi, the director of product management for Google Ads says, “In this new Display campaign experience, you’ll have all of the reach and performance you’re used to, with the ability to choose the level of automation you prefer in bidding, creatives and audiences.” Now while setting up campaigns, advertisers will have the ability to choose what to automate or control manually, and they can change their automation choices at any time without having to create a new campaign.

Ginny Marvin, Google’s ads product liaison, discussed the update on Twitter, “No action is needed: Existing Smart & Standard Display campaigns aren’t affected by this change at this time. Once this update is rolled out in your account, you’ll see the new Display campaign type option and workflow when you create a new campaign.” 

 Targeting update for Google Ads Display campaigns

In addition to this change, Google Ads will also introduce optimized targeting, which treats audience settings as signals to find audience segments that may improve campaign performance, to Display campaigns. Previously, this option was only available on Smart Display campaigns.

Why advertisers should care

There will be just one option to create Google Ads Display campaigns very soon. The new Display campaign type will have the same controls for bidding, ads and audiences that standard Display campaigns currently offer. And, as Marvin stated, existing Smart and standard Display campaigns aren’t affected by this change at this time.

More From Onimod Global

As certified Google experts, our team is here to assist your business with holistic digital marketing strategies including SEO and Google Ads, because our goal is to make you more sucessful. To get in contact for an audit on your digital presence, get in touch with us here.

 

 

3 Crucial SEO Tips for 2021

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Search engine optimization, SEO, by definition is: a strategy in digital marketing which aims to improve your ranking on search engines.

Sounds easy to conquer, but we all know it isn’t so simple. It’s extremely difficult to keep up with Google’s 500-600 algorithm updates annually. That means there is at least one update per day every year. Experts who dedicate their careers to unlocking the secret to search engine ranking optimization still are puzzled at the end of the day. Fear not, we are here to help guide you with the top 3 SEO tips for 2021 that will get you on the right track to ranking success.

1. Understand your website’s core vitals

Maybe you’ve never heard the phrase before, but the philosophy behind it is becoming more crucial to your SEO and ranking. In May of 2022, Google will roll out Page Experience, which is a brand new algorithm ranking pages based off of their “core web vital” scores. A brief overview of what to look out for here is: 

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – Measures page speed. This is the time it takes for a page’s main content to load. The ideal LCP is 2.5 seconds or faster.

First Input Delay (FID) – Measures page responsiveness. This is the time it takes for a page to become interactive. The ideal FID is less than 100 ms. 

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Measures visual stability. This is the amount of unexpected layout shift of visual page content. The ideal CLS is less than .1.

2. Focus on featured snippets
If they aren’t already, featured snippets should be a priority to include in your SEO strategy for 2021. Also commonly referred to as the holy grail of search, featured snippets appear at the very top of search engine page results (SERP), or in position zero, in a rectangular box. You can’t technically “select” the content shown in a featured snippet, but you can optimize your content so it’s more likely to appear in a featured snippet. Here are a few recommendations.

Use questions: all content that you write needs to be composed with the user in mind. What would they search in Google in order to come across your content?

Long term keywords: the longer words in a search query, the higher chance it will return a featured snippet. Only 4.3% of single word keywords resulted in a featured snippet as compared to 17% of keywords made up of 5 words, and 55.5% of keywords made of 10 words.
Keep formats in mind: When it comes to featured snippets, there are four different formats: paragraph, list, table and video. While writing your content with the goal of achieving a featured snippet, keep these different formats in mind. Also remember, Google wants to display information easily and distinctly to searchers looking for a fast answer. So format for the speed reader.

3. Focus on user experience
 In 2021, user experience is more important than ever in terms of SEO. As mentioned in tip #1, the new focus on core web vitals is all about user experience. In addition to that, Google also takes into account bounce rate, dwell time, and click-through percentage. The goal is to have a user click on your result, spend time clicking on different pages, and spend at least 3 minutes on your site.

More From Onimod Global

As certified SEO experts, our team is here to assist your business with holistic digital marketing strategies including SEO, because our goal is to make you more sucessful. To get in contact for an audit on your digital presence, get in touch with us here.

Google Maps Marketing Strategy 101

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Google Maps is one of the first things that people think of when you hear the phrase “local SEO.” When we think of any business that will have what I need, whether it’s furniture or food or office supplies, Google Maps is the go to. I know that the search results have plenty of information to pick the best option with Google reviews, star ratings, photos, and location information.

We’re here to give an overview of Google My Business and how you can move up in Google Maps rankings. These tools will give your Google My Business posts the ability to get additional reach locally. 

 

Google My Business Overview

First thing’s first, you need a Google My Business listing. Here is a simple checklist with everything you’ll need to include: 

  • You’re using your legal business name
  • You’ve chosen the primary category most relevant to your business and have added additional categories (if applicable)
  • Correct address is shown (if you’re not a service area business)
  • Address is hidden if you’re an service area business and service areas have been designated
  • Hours of operation have been added
  • Local phone number is being used
  • Website link is correct 
  • Appointment link has been added (if applicable)
  • Products have been added (if retail)
  • Services have been added (if you offer services)
  • Applicable attributes have been added
  • Business description has been added
  • Opening date has been added

This is going to be the first impression anyone has of your business, so it’s important to have all information accurate and up to date. Mike Blumenthal even coined the phrase “Google My Business is your new homepage” back in 2015.

 

Increasing Google Maps Rankings

Now that the basics are out of the way, you can begin a strategy for increasing your Google Maps rankings. Although marketing on Google Maps is free, you can boost your business’ visibility in search results with local search ads. 

With the use of these ads, you can push your business listing to the top of search queries for keywords relevant to your business. Google Maps ads use location targeting, so the most relevant audience in your near vicinity will show up for location-relevant searches. These ads appear in desktop and mobile searches. We recommend implementing these ads into your Google Ads strategy if you haven’t already done so. 

 

More From Onimod Global

As trusted Google experts, our team is here to help with holistic digital marketing strategies including all Google Ads, because our goal is to make your business more successful. To get in contact with an audit on your digital presence, get in touch with us here. 

Google To End Expanded Text Ads in 2022

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You heard it here first, Google is officially set to sunset their expanding text ads, or ETAs, in July of 2022. According to an announcement from Sylvanus Bent, Product Manager, Google Ads, advertisers will no longer be able to create new ETAs or edit existing ETAs in Google Ads beginning in July 2022. “Your existing expanded text ads will continue to serve alongside responsive search ads, and you’ll still see reports on their performance going forward. Additionally, you’ll be able to pause and resume your expanded text ads or remove them if needed. You’ll also still be able to create and edit call ads and Dynamic Search Ads,” said Bent.

 

What to do in the meantime?

We know this news is coming pretty far in advance. What we recommend for now is to use ETA info for RSAs in the transition, which is also recommended by product managers at Google Ads. “To prepare for this change, we recommend that you have at least one responsive search ad in every ad group in your Search campaigns by June 30, 2022,” Bent suggested. Google’s announcement also has already included ways that advertisers can repurpose their ETA content for RSAs. Recommendations from Google’s team include the following:

  • Look through your ads and evaluate their success based on incremental impressions, clicks, and conversions your ad groups and campaigns receive
  • Repurpose high-performing content from your expanded text ads and focus on Ad strength
  • Pin headlines or descriptions to specific positions in your responsive search ads

This new Google update will mainly affect anyone in highly regulated fields.These are currently the industries that benefit from ETAs and will be the most impacted starting next year. 

 

Why this Extended Text Ads news is relevant 

This new update from Google is the latest move in order to make a big push in the automation through their ad products. In the announcement from Google, their team explains, “15% of search queries every day are new searches we’ve never seen before” and therefore “Automation is key to keeping pace with these trends.” While RSAs are in use by many advertisers, we also understand the control over ads that ETAs provide as well as other capabilities. The future phase-out of ETAs means advertisers are moving even further away from direct control over their accounts and having to work with the Google Ads machine learning and AI.

Before the full phase-out is complete, our experts recommend testing your ETA ad pieces in RSAs and figure out what works best so you’re not cut off completely from new ad creation when Google Ads stops allowing new ETAs. 

 

More from Onimod Global

As this is news almost a year in advance, the story is evolving and our experts at Onimod Global will keep you up to date on the latest information regarding expanding text ads and any other Google Ads updates to come. At Onimod Global, our experts have endless expertise when it comes to the latest news on Google updates. We’re here to discover what is the right and relevant information to make your ads successful. Got questions about ETAs, Google Ads, or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today. 

Social Media Design Mistakes All Marketers Should Avoid

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Social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest in particular, have become a vital part of every marketer’s toolkit. But just posting carelessly is not enough. If your content isn’t reaching or engaging as many users as you’d hope for, there could be a specific reason. It’s quality over quantity when it comes to social media posts, and graphics are essential for success. Small changes can make a huge difference when it comes to design.  

Keep reading to learn the top 5 mistakes to avoid when it comes to social media design. 

Blurry Images 

If your image file is too small and has to stretch, this usually results in pixilation and poor quality. This can make your brand look unprofessional and are rarely shared by other users. Make sure the images you post to your pages are high-resolution and are the right dimension for the platform. 

Hard to Read Fonts 

While a font may be pretty, it might not be the best for social media. When users are scrolling, you want to make your graphics eye-catching, but clear and easy to read. When you have limited time to get your message across, you want to make it count. Many marketers go with Sans- Serif fonts because they’re modern, simplistic and good for digital screens. 

Limited Viewing Options

Most social media users scroll via mobile devices. So you need to make sure your designs transfer from desktop to mobile. It’s important to always keep in mind that not all graphics are one-size-fits all, especially when going from platform to platform. When your channels and audience varies, so should the style of your content. 

Stock Imagery 

Authentic content is key when it comes to social media. Users like to feel connected to brands and get a peek behind the curtain. Taking your own photos is one way to support this connection. 

It should be noted we’re not suggesting to never use stock photos. They do have their place, as adding royalty-free images to blog posts or articles are a convenient way to compliment your message. 

Too Much Clutter

A common mistake made with design is filling up every inch of space. This looks cluttered and can confuse users. Negative space is essential with good design, as the background is just as important as the imagery. White space helps direct the eyes of your audience to important points of your content, helping you get your message across in the most efficient way. 

Social Media Marketing with Onimod Global 

When you take the time to plan, create and customize your graphics to suit your brand and preferred social platforms, the results are worth it. Sometimes, outsourcing these efforts can make a world of difference. At Onimod Global, we’re experts in social media, digital marketing and graphic design. We offer high-end design and branding for your business, as well as the ability to boost social reach, engagement and conversions. Ready to bring your social media marketing to the next level? Contact us today.

5 Ways to Improve Your Website’s CTAs

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The CTA is a key element to any effective webpage. It lets users know what to do, helping them move through their buyer journey and ultimately works to increase conversions. Continue reading to learn more about CTAs, as well as 5 strategies to make yours stronger. 

What is a CTA? 

A call to action (CTA) is a prompt on a website that tells visitors to take a specified action. They’re typically written as a command or action phrase, like ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Download’ and generally take the form of a button or hyperlink. 

5 Ways to Improve Your CTAs:

1. Pick the right color and design. 

The look of your CTA has an immense impact on its effectiveness. The main consideration should be visibility. If users don’t notice your CTA, they’re not going to click on it. This is why experts recommend using a button, rather than a text link. After landing on a design, you have to consider color, which also has a large impact on effectiveness. 

Keep in mind that different colors have varying connotations, especially when it comes to marketing. For example, red induces urgency, while blue is considered trustworthy and black is seen as luxurious. It’s also essential to consider how the color fits with your brand identity and how it contrasts with your site’s color scheme to draw attention. 

2. Choose compelling, but careful words. 

What your CTA actually says is just as important as the design. The message should be short, simple, clear and concise. Obviously, the message itself will vary depending on what you want your visitors to do, but it should still follow these rules. Being specific and concise beats out vagueness every time. You should also focus on using positive sentiments and power words to make your copy more persuasive. 

3. Use scarcity and free trials. 

An important aspect of a successful CTA that people often don’t think of is making sure to include the benefits for the user. People are much more likely to click on something when they can see a clear, positive outcome. You can also play to users’ fear of missing out, or (FOMO) by offering deals for a limited time. Whatever strategy you go with, the key is to make the offer clear. 

4. Choose the correct locations. 

The final important aspect to a successful CTA is location. Most users read websites in an F-shaped pattern, according to a study by Nielsen Norman Group. Because of this, it’s best to place your CTA higher up on your web pages. 

While you want users to have multiple opportunities and exposure to your CTAs, they should still be used sparingly. Every CTA should have a purpose. Bombarding users with pop-ups and buttons can confuse them or come across as spam-y. This all could result in a decrease of clicks or increase your bounce rate. 

5. A/B Test

Lastly, it’s essential to A/B test all of the variables we discussed above with different options. You’ll never know what truly performs best if it’s never been compared to other options. 

Final Thoughts

A strong CTA can make the difference between a purchase and a lost sale. Your CTA is where you get the chance to directly influence your visitors to make it to the end of their buyer journey. If you’re struggling to increase your online conversions, sometimes it’s best to rely on an expert, digital marketing agency. At Onimod Global, we are your in-house in-house marketing team, working for you, creating cross-channel digital marketing campaigns driven by machine learning analytics and human intelligence. 

Learn more about who we are, and get started today. 

4 Tips to Improve Your Online Webinars and Increase Business Success

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Webinars can be an extremely effective tool to educate your audience, while moving leads down the sales funnel. While planning a webinar can be simple, keeping viewers engaged and driving results can be difficult. Let’s explore 4 effective ways you can work to improve your webinar and support your overall business goals. 

1. Ask Questions and Include Polls 

A great way to keep attendees engaged during the presentation is to ask questions that require the use of the chat box feature. Asking questions throughout the webinar makes sure that your audience is paying attention or draws them back in if they’ve been multitasking. Incorporating poll questions is also a good way to keep your attendees engaged. These questions should be centered around your content and getting audience feedback on their thoughts on it. It’s also important to give your attendees enough time to think about the question and provide meaningful answers. Between 30-60 seconds is best practice. It can also be helpful to share the results of the polls with all viewers. This is a great way to gauge where your audience is at and help other attendees learn what their peers have experienced in this industry. 

2. Offer Incentives

Another simple way to improve engagement is to offer incentives related to the webinar content. Let attendees know if they participate in polls, answer questions or stay till the end of the webinar they could be entered in a giveaway for prizes. An additional way to increase reach is by asking attendees to mention you on social media and include a specific hashtag in a post and enter those users into a prize drawing as well. 

3. Distribute Recordings Following the Webinar 

Even after the webinar is over, you can continue to reap the benefits. Consider recording your webinars to create an on-demand version and distribute it through multiple channels. By posting a recorded version of the event, you can actually exceed your registrant totals and market to a new audience. As best practice, on-demand webinars should be gated. Webinars are considered premium content assets and are likely being viewed by users who did not sign up for the original event recording. We suggest letting your audience watch around 5% of the webinar and then present a form for them to complete to continue watching. 

4. Create Automated Programs to Follow-Up with Attendees 

Following the webinar, it’s best practice to create automated programs that consist of 4-5 emails that continue to showcase your organization as a thought leader in your space. The messaging should be centered around your products or services and how they can solve your audiences’ pain points. Be sure to also include strong CTAs in all of your messaging as well. 

Final Thoughts

If you want to reach out to a broad audience, and boost your engagement and conversion rate, webinars are the way forward.

If done right, webinars can be better than visiting prospects personally or jumping on a call with them. The biggest benefit here is that it provides an online space to nurture your seasoned, quality leads. On the other hand, you can also leverage webinars to form a great first impression. If you’re looking to up the engagement of your webinars, follow the simple tips we’ve outlined in today’s blog. 

In need of additional webinar help? Sometimes, relying on digital marketing experts that specialize in webinar hosting and marketing campaigns is the best way to ensure results. At Onimod Global, we help hundreds of clients, nationally and internally, develop and execute webinars to generate leads and drive sales. 

Ready to get started? Contact us here today. 

4 Effective Ways to Generate Leads Online

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Are you searching for new and effective ways to generate leads for your business online? Check out these 4 tactics. 

1. Webinars 

Webinars are a great opportunity to inform potential customers about your company, products and services, as well as drive more purchases. Be sure to inform your audience on how you can solve your problems. This will likely make your audience more willing to receive your message. Webinars also allow you to capture attendees data to target them with marketing messaging later. 

Best practices for webinars include: 

  • Ensuring slides are on brand. 
  • Making it easy for people to ask questions. 
  • Displaying contact details throughout. 

2. Video Content 

Users are more likely to engage with your products or services if there is a video that explains how it works and how they can benefit from them. This, in turn, makes it easier to make purchasing decisions. Best practices for video content includes: 

  • Keeping them under 60 seconds. 
  • Repurpose and reuse videos in as many places as possible. 
  • Make sure there is a clear CTA. 

3. Email Nurturing Campaigns 

Nurturing campaigns can help nudge potential customers to complete a purchase. Even if there isn’t a purchase, email campaigns are a great way to build awareness for your brand. Use templates to speed up delivery and be sure to include clear CTAs throughout the entire message.  

4. Social Media Competitions 

Conducting social media competitions offer a great opportunity to capture the data from ideal customers. Be sure the entry is simple, such as sharing/liking/commenting on a post, following your page, etc. Also be sure to offer a prize, and make it something easily shareable. This can also help increase your overall reach. To drive leads, make sure your capture entrees data so you can target them later. 

Get Digital Marketing Help from the Experts 

If you’re interested in generating more qualified leads for your business and growing your company, the experts at Onimod Global can help. We can assist with everything from content creation, paid advertising on social media or search engines, SEO, website development and more. Get started on your next marketing project by contacting us today. 

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.