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transcript
Part 3: Testing for the Holidays
December 2015Confidential and Proprietary. © Boost Media Inc. All Rights
We’ll Cover
I. Importance of the Holiday Season
II. Holidays vs. Promotions
III.How to Test During The Holidays
We’ll Cover
I. Importance of the Holiday Season
II. Holidays vs. Promotions
III.How to Test During The Holidays
IV.Examples & Best Practices
We’ll Cover
I. Importance of the Holiday Season
II. Holidays vs. Promotions
III.How to Test During The Holidays
IV.Examples & Best Practices
V. Q&A
Here’s What You’ve Learned Part I: Hypothesis Testing
● SEM is a great place to test; it is fast, cheap, and easy
● Create a culture of testing in your organization
● Follow a well-defined process
Here’s What You’ve Learned Part I: Hypothesis Testing Part II: Lexical Analysis
● SEM is a great place to test; it is fast, cheap, and easy
● Create a culture of testing in your organization
● Follow a well-defined process
● Text analytics is the process of analyzing text and transforming it into useful business intelligence
● Quality of lexical analysis depends on diversity of language
● Look for themes in positive and negative words
Holidays Matter In SEM
1. Days from Black Friday to Christmas pull in 50-100% more revenue compared to
sopping days throughout rest of year
Sources: RJ Metrics, Ipsos MediaCT Google Post Holiday Shopping Intentions Study January 2015
Holidays Matter In SEM
1. Days from Black Friday to Christmas pull in 50-100% more revenue compared to
sopping days throughout rest of year
2. 78% of consumers used the internet for holiday research last year
Sources: RJ Metrics, Ipsos MediaCT Google Post Holiday Shopping Intentions Study January 2015
Holidays Matter In SEM
1. Days from Black Friday to Christmas pull in 50-100% more revenue compared to
sopping days throughout rest of year
2. 78% of consumers used the internet for holiday research last year
3. 40% of holiday shopping occurred online
Sources: RJ Metrics, Ipsos MediaCT Google Post Holiday Shopping Intentions Study January 2015
Holidays vs. Promotions
Promotional Messaging
● Messaging that offers sales or discounts
● Limited time offers● Can be very short
Holidays vs. Promotions
Promotional Messaging Holiday Messaging
● Messaging that offers sales or discounts
● Limited time offers● Can be very short
● Can last for an entire season
● Can include promotional messaging
Holidays vs. Promotions
Promotional Messaging Holiday Messaging
● Messaging that offers sales or discounts
● Limited time offers● Can be very short
● Can last for an entire season
● Can include promotional messaging
5 Questions To Guide Your Testing Strategy1. Why test ad copy for your holiday marketing?
2. What to test in your ad copy?
5 Questions To Guide Your Testing Strategy1. Why test ad copy for your holiday marketing?
2. What to test in your ad copy?
3. Where to test in your account?
5 Questions To Guide Your Testing Strategy1. Why test ad copy for your holiday marketing?
2. What to test in your ad copy?
3. Where to test in your account?
4. When should you test in an ad group?
5 Questions To Guide Your Testing Strategy1. Why test ad copy for your holiday marketing?
2. What to test in your ad copy?
3. Where to test in your account?
4. When should you test in an ad group?
5. How should you create a testing strategy?
Why Should You Test?
1. Improve performance
2. Stay ahead of the competition
3. Use learnings to improve other areas of your SEM accounts
Why Should You Test?
1. Improve performance
2. Stay ahead of the competition
3. Use learnings to improve other areas of your SEM accounts
4. Use learnings to improve overall marketing direction
Why It’s Extra Important To Test During The Holidays
1. Very few chances to get your messaging right
Why It’s Extra Important To Test During The Holidays
1. Very few chances to get your messaging right
2. Consumer mindset changes during the holidays
Why It’s Extra Important To Test During The Holidays
1. Very few chances to get your messaging right
2. Consumer mindset changes during the holidays
3. Broader consumer audience than non-holiday periods
Why It’s Extra Important To Test During The Holidays
1. Very few chances to get your messaging right
2. Consumer mindset changes during the holidays
3. Broader consumer audience than non-holiday periods
4. Capitalize on high volume
What To Test
1. General ad copy writing tips
● Talk about benefits over features
● Consider what actions you want consumers to take
What To Test
1. General ad copy writing tips
● Talk about benefits over features
● Consider what actions you want consumers to take
2. Best practices for the holidays
● Examine what type of copy resonated last year or when
you last offered a similar deal
● Look at competitor’s language
1. General approach for selecting where to test
● Test where ad copy is outdated
● Test where ad copy is underperforming
● Test in ad groups that have enough volume to give results
Where To Test
1. General approach for selecting where to test
● Test where ad copy is outdated
● Test where ad copy is underperforming
● Test in ad groups that have enough volume to give results
2. Best practices for the holidays
● Prioritize ad groups that have holiday spikes
● Try to test in the same ad groups every year to gather historical data
Where To Test
When To TestIn Seasonal & High-Volume Ad Groups
1. Test as volume is ramping up
2. Understand the volume curve for each ad group to create an
optimal testing schedule
See our Part I Hangout: ‘Understanding Hypothesis Testing’
1. Generate ideas
How To Test General SEM Testing Method
See our Part I Hangout: ‘Understanding Hypothesis Testing’
1. Generate ideas
2. Form a hypothesis
How To Test General SEM Testing Method
See our Part I Hangout: ‘Understanding Hypothesis Testing’
1. Generate ideas
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Construct an experiment
How To Test General SEM Testing Method
See our Part I Hangout: ‘Understanding Hypothesis Testing’
1. Generate ideas
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Construct an experiment
4. Interpret results
How To Test General SEM Testing Method
See our Part I Hangout: ‘Understanding Hypothesis Testing’
1. Generate ideas
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Construct an experiment
4. Interpret results
5. Apply learnings
How To Test General SEM Testing Method
Specific Testing Strategies For High-Volume and Seasonal Ad Groups
1. Wait a set amount of time to gather results
Specific Testing Strategies For High-Volume and Seasonal Ad Groups
1. Wait a set amount of time to gather results
2. Know how to handle evergreen ads
Specific Testing Strategies For High-Volume and Seasonal Ad Groups
1. Wait a set amount of time to gather results
2. Know how to handle evergreen ads
3. Learn from last year and set yourself up for next year
Wait To Gather Results For High-Volume Ad Groups
1. Even if you get lots of data quickly, wait to enact changes
● Different audiences are searching at different times
Wait To Gather Results For High-Volume Ad Groups
1. Even if you get lots of data quickly, wait to enact changes
● Different audiences are searching at different times
2. Decide upfront how much data you need and minimum days to wait
● We recommend 90% confidence using a significance test
● We recommend a minimum of 14 days
Strategies for Handling ‘Evergreen’ AdsDuring the Holiday Season
1. Pause evergreen ad copy, don’t delete it
● Deleting an ad means that Google loses all of its Quality Score and
other historical info
● Making a change to an ad also deletes it - Just create a new ad!
Strategies for Handling ‘Evergreen’ AdsDuring the Holiday Season
1. Pause evergreen ad copy, don’t delete it
● Deleting an ad means that Google loses all of its Quality Score and
other historical info
● Making a change to an ad also deletes it - Just create a new ad!
2. Consider leaving your evergreen ads running
Learn From Last YearTo Set Yourself Up For Next Year
1. Look at last year’s copy - or other similar holidays - as a reference
point for what ad copy does and doesn’t work
● Don’t just look at recent or evergreen ad copy
Learn From Last YearTo Set Yourself Up For Next Year
1. Look at last year’s copy - or other similar holidays - as a reference
point for what ad copy does and doesn’t work
● Don’t just look at recent or evergreen ad copy
2. Watch for changing trends
● Look at top competitors for same keywords
Summary
1. Know the difference between holidays and promos, and have strategies to
deal with each
2. Holidays are a great time to test your creative copy
Summary
1. Know the difference between holidays and promos, and have strategies to
deal with each
2. Holidays are a great time to test your creative copy
3. Use historical data to determine the best places and times to test
Summary
1. Know the difference between holidays and promos, and have strategies to
deal with each
2. Holidays are a great time to test your creative copy
3. Use historical data to determine the best places and times to test
4. Use learnings from last year and set yourself up for next year