As you probably know, Google advertising is an important tool for getting in front of your target audience and increasing sales of your products and services. When you define your advertising strategy, it’s also important to identify which channel you should prioritize to reach your goals. Let us help you along the way.
Advertising platforms for push and pull
Within the Google network, there are several channels where you can advertise. These include text ads in Google Search, visual banner ads on websites in the Google Display Network and its partners, as well as video ads on YouTube, which is owned by Google, to name a few. In addition, you can also advertise on social media.
The first thing you need to be clear about when marketing online is what your short-term and long-term marketing objectives are. When choosing which channels to advertise in, it is also important to base your decisions on these goals. You should then consider whether you should use push or pull marketing to achieve them.
Push marketing is a proactive form of marketing where you showcase your brand in the places your target audience spends their time. You actively reach out to potential customers and highlight special offers, events, or your brand in general. Push marketing is well suited for brand building and for reaching customers who are not currently in buying mode.
If you want to be present for customers who are ready to buy and actively searching for what you offer, pull marketing is something you should invest in. With pull marketing, you run digital ads on platforms that potential customers use when they actually want to make a purchase. It is therefore particularly effective for driving conversions.
We help our customers with both push and pull marketing!
The benefits of the different channels
Which channel is best suited for you will always depend on the business objectives you want to achieve. The advantage of advertising online is that we have every opportunity to follow your customers, regardless of which platforms they use.
Often, it’s a combination that is the key. This way, you build awareness of your brand and what you offer, while also staying highly visible to those who are actively searching for exactly what you provide. Through Google advertising, you can use both push and pull marketing. Different channels are effective for different objectives and are characterized by different strengths:
Google Search: With ads in Google Search, you will be visible where people look for information when they are relatively close to making a purchase. It is therefore an effective platform for pull marketing, where the customer comes to you.
Google display: By advertising here, you can be present on all types of websites within the Google Display Network. Reach your target audience early in the buying journey with push marketing to build brand awareness.
Youtube: Youtube is used by an extremely large audience, and you get strong reach for your ads here. It is usually also cost-effective to advertise there. It is a great channel for push marketing where you can showcase a special offer or push a specific message.
Meta og Instagram: on these social media platforms you also reach a very large audience, and you can narrow down your target group even more than on Google. These platforms, and in fact most social media, are well suited for brand building and push marketing.
LinkedIn: If you want to market to businesses, LinkedIn is a strong platform. The segmentation options related to factors such as job titles, education, etc. are very good.
Pinterest: Many people use Pinterest to look for inspiration, so if you reach the right target audience here, it can be highly relevant.
TikTok and Snapchat: These are platforms that are used by an increasing number of people, and they are particularly effective for reaching a young target audience. More and more young people rely on these social media channels when making purchase decisions, so they can work well for both push and pull marketing in the right industries.
We have extensive experience with advertising across a wide range of channels for our clients. See some of the companies we have worked with here!
Why it pays to advertise across multiple channels
Even if one advertising channel tends to generate more conversions, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only one you should invest in. The customer journey is often longer than you might think! If you have a reasonably sized advertising budget, it’s smart to combine channels. That way, you’ll be visible to customers both at the start of the buying process and when they’re actually ready to complete the purchase.
For example: An airline has launched a number of new routes and wants people to book trips. With video ads, they can showcase the new destinations to users, even if they don’t necessarily click on the ad. Potential customers still become aware that these routes exist. On social media, they might then see a banner ad where they can learn a bit more about the prices. When they are finally ready to book their next holiday and search for flights to that destination, the airline running search ads will appear at the top of the results, and the customer will recognize them from the other ads.
When should you consider channel strategy?
Once you have mapped your target audience and defined the objective of your marketing (push or pull), you can start assessing which channels will be most effective for reaching your goals. As mentioned, your customers typically go through a complex process before making a purchase, so you will be able to reach them across multiple channels. When you have a solid understanding of your target audience, the segmentation options in each channel can be tailored so you reach the right people. All this information is used in the initial phase to identify the most profitable channel for your business. When we at Solid Media work with digital advertising, we can also shift focus between different channels as the market evolves. Successful advertising requires ongoing strategic adjustments.
We can help you advertise in the right channels!
Combining your industry expertise and insights into who your typical customers are with our knowledge and experience with advertising platforms, we identify which channels are most effective for you and your business. We use a range of analytics tools to understand your potential customers and select the most relevant channels based on these insights. On an ongoing basis, we monitor what performs best and adjust the advertising budget so you get the highest possible return on your investment. This is how we help our clients build their brand, attract new customers, and increase their online visibility!
Do you want to learn more about advertising channels, or need help getting started with your advertising?
