Ad creative matters — that’s no secret. But knowing how to make the most of ad tech is critical in building brand equity and driving campaign performance. So what exactly do performance marketers do when optimising digital advertising activity?
Well, firstly, there’ll be a whole stack of tabs open. They’re probably sifting through a couple of thousand rows of data in Sheets, running a macro in the background somewhere, and tinkering with a pivot table. There’s a good chance you’ll find a half-eaten bowl of cereal beside their frantically clicking mouse, and their headphones are on. Or maybe that’s just me.
While creative is king when it comes to brand building and sales activation, optimising ad performance is essential for any business looking to make an impact and get maximum bang for their buck — and that doesn’t necessarily mean frequent ad creative changes.
Here are a few things our performance marketing team considers before briefing in new creative.
Does the website have schema?
Schema markup is a form of micro data that helps search engines and ad platforms understand your site’s content. By adding schema to your website, you enhance the information being pinged back to ad platforms which, in turn, increases ad relevance. Better relevance means your ad is shown to more people for less budget — which can increase your click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS).
How effective is the landing page?
Your landing page is the first impression visitors get of your business. And you know what they say about first impressions — you only get one chance to make ’em. Landing pages should reflect the brand, fast-loading and mobile-friendly, and have a clear link between the ad creative and key messages. Ask yourself: does this landing page make sense to the person clicking from the ad? If not, make improvements.
What’s the click journey like?
Ever landed on a website from an ad only to have to click three, five, 10 more times trying to find the thing you saw in the ad? I bet it didn’t take too many clicks before you clicked right out of there. Creating a seamless user experience on the website is key to driving ad performance improvements. We like to consider how many clicks it takes for a user to complete a desired action. Simplifying this process to enhance user experience will reduce drop-off rates and increase conversion rates.
Does the brand have a strong organic presence?
A strong organic presence on the platforms that you’re running digital advertising can boost your ad performance. Even if we’re not responsible for organic activity, we keep an eye on engagement metrics and consider if followers interacting with your content, and if their interactions are being responded to. If the organic presence is a little lacklustre, well, our content team are always ready to revamp your social media strategy.
What are the peak engagement times?
We use on-platform analytics and real-time reporting dashboards to identify peak engagement times. Then, we adjust your ad budgets to capitalise on these high-traffic, high-engagement periods. This targeted approach ensures your ads reach the maximum number of potential customers.
What’s analytics telling us?
We regularly review your analytics (yep, it’s one of the 87 tabs I never close) to understand when your product or service is most in demand. This data can inform ad scheduling, placement, and budget allocation ensuring we invest ad spend at the right times and places for optimal returns.
How’s the website load speed?
A slow landing page can deter potential customers. We use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your load speed and make necessary recommendations to improve load speed. Faster pages improve user experience and can positively impact your search rankings and social ads performance.
What’s the overarching marketing strategy?
Your advertising should be part of a broader omnichannel marketing strategy. We recommend your paid search and social ads are supported by other touch points like blogs, social media posts, and email campaigns. Even above the line and traditional activity can work together with digital to create a halo effect. This holistic approach helps maintain top-of-mind recall among your audience.
What’s involved in the checkout process?
For e-commerce sites, the checkout journey is critical. Are there product add-ons and recommended products? Is the shipping information clear and (ideally) free? We always recommend that ad landing pages link to important policy or terms pages to build trust with your customers.
Are CTAs clear?
For lead generation, the call-to-action (CTA) form must be straightforward and engaging. We evaluate the button callouts and text on your page. Are they compelling? Is the form too long? A shorter, more efficient form can increase lead submissions.
Lean in to iteration and continuous improvement
Optimising ad performance is an ongoing process. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be to regularly review all aspects of your campaigns, from keywords and landing pages to user engagement and checkout processes. By staying proactive and making data-driven decisions, you can maximise the effectiveness of your ad creative and get radically better results. And if you’re looking for performance marketers so dedicated they’ll get lost in your optimisations and forget to eat their cereal … you know who to call.
