February 2022: When to use each digital ad platform
Thanks for sticking with me while I took January off from The Good Stuff to kick off a bunch of new projects and get my life in order. Now we’re back with a topic selected via a LinkedIn poll:
When to use each digital advertising platform
?!?!
To start, let’s take a moment to think about the user journey.
I use the “donor journey” or “user journey” model, not the “sales funnel” or “marketing funnel” model, because a funnel has gravity on its side. Everything that enters the top of a funnel flows through and out the other side, and this is not the case when it comes to marketing. (Imagine!)
The donor/user journey is horizontal, and it is not consistently linear. I picture it like a pinball machine flipped on its side, and the pinballs (people you’re advertising to) get to decide how and when they dart around the board—AKA the Internet.
Different digital advertising platforms work as different levers in the pinball machine, and retargeting ads are the most powerful mechanism to continuously pop your organization back up to the top of someone’s consciousness.
Here are the labels I use for the major stages of the donor/user journey, which map from left to right:
AWARENESS ("Who are these guys?!")
CONSIDERATION ("Oh, I recognize them.")
PREFERENCE ("Oh, I really like what they're up to.")
CONVERSION ("Sure, I will give them some money.")
RETENTION ("Heck yes, I will give again!")
People move through this journey differently. Some will become aware of your organization and bounce around in the consideration/preference stages for months or years before converting. Others will learn about you and donate right away. And a good chunk of people will travel along the journey from left to right, if it's designed right!
Here’s something most nonprofits and small businesses get wrong: I've seen many organizations with low brand awareness spend most of their advertising energy and budget on conversion ads. They’re trying to erase the first three stages of a five-stage journey, and they’re disappointed when they don’t get a bunch of donations.
You wouldn't walk up to a cute stranger on the street and ask them to marry you. You probably wouldn't even march up and insist that they buy you dinner—though if you would do this, I love the confidence! You should think about your digital advertising like a real, human relationship.
Below are my recommendations for which digital advertising platforms to use at each stage of the user journey, keeping in mind that the first three stages are arguably the most important if your organization has low brand awareness. I am focusing on social media ads and Google Search Ads because they're the most affordable and manageable options, but if your organization has the resources to advertise with media outlets, streaming services, influencer partnerships, etc. you should think about where these investments best fit along the journey.
1. AWARENESS: social media ads
The cost of reaching people with awareness ads is measured by CPM (cost per thousand views). Based on 2021 data, here’s the average CPM across the most popular social advertising platforms:
Comparing these costs with Google search ads, where the CPM depends on the keywords you select but averages around $40, social media ads are more affordable and effective for raising awareness.
In my experience, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram ads perform better later on in the journey compared with Twitter and LinkedIn ads, so I tend to focus on these platforms all the way through. That said, Twitter and/or LinkedIn may be a better fit for your audience and goals.
2-3. CONSIDERATION & PREFERENCE = social media and search ads
Now that a pool of people has seen and engaged with your awareness ads by clicking through to your website, watching a video all the way through, following your social media account, liking/reacting, or sharing your ad, it’s time to collect their contact information. Lead gen, baby!
I personally have the best luck with Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube at this stage. Facebook and Instagram Lead Ads work well for a lot of organizations, while others see better results running Traffic Ads that point to a lead magnet or sign-up form on their own website. This is something every organization should A/B test.
Pro tip: Petitions are an excellent lead generation tool for nonprofits. I previously ran a Facebook/Instagram ad campaign for the nonprofit Humanity & Inclusion that brought in thousands of petition signatures at a cost of only 10-15 cents per signature. This is VERY affordable lead gen!
Google Ads (search, not display) are another great choice at this stage of the journey—if, and only if people are Googling search terms directly related to your work. Link your ads to an engaging lead magnet such as a petition, downloadable PDF, gated video series, or interactive quiz, and many people will happily share their contact information.
While the Google Ad Grant is a fabulous free offering for nonprofits, it won’t do you any good if it isn’t set up correctly. Let me know if you need help with this and I can refer you to a few fantastic, affordable partners I trust.
4. CONVERSION = social media and search ads
At this stage, we’re targeting a pool of qualified leads who already viewed a few of your ads and/or gave you their contact information. Social media ads are now the best way to retarget them with a direct ask.
In addition, if there are high-intent keywords related to your work (ex. "How to help homeless people in my community?") you should run more Google Ads with a direct ask for donations. If you qualify for the Google Ad Grant, this is FREE! If not, it's still worth trying but you will likely find that it's not as cost effective as your lead generation ads.
5. RETENTION = social media ads
Here’s another big mistake most nonprofits make: not advertising to their existing donors. These people are the lowest hanging fruit to re-engage or up-level into your monthly giving program.
Try targeting existing donors with a mix or conversion ads asking for money, and celebratory ads thanking them for their impact. This way, they’re seeing “You’re amazing!” and “Can you help more?” messages on rotation, which is way more motivating than seeing "Can you help more?" around the clock.
So there you have it!
For most nonprofits, I recommend focusing on the Google Ad Grant, Facebook/Instagram and Youtube advertising to maximize small budgets and harness the power of retargeting. Together, these platforms can cover the entire donor/user journey and reach plenty of people affordably.
M+R’s 2021 Benchmark Report has a section devoted to digital ads that can serve as a helpful guide when you’re budgeting and setting goals.
If you’d like step by step guidance designing and running ads that align with each stage of the donor journey, Dana Snyder’s Digital Donors on Demand program—which I am a guest teacher on—couldn’t be a more worthy investment. The course includes access to an active Facebook Group where nonprofit marketers ask questions and get answers from Dana. I will be guest teaching in the Facebook Group on March 22nd! You can purchase the course with this link and use the discount code “CAROLINE” for $50 off.
And lastly, I just posted the article version of this edition on LinkedIn. I would love to start a conversation there! Feel free to comment with thoughts and questions so we can all help each other out.
I hope the rest of your month is filled with people and things you 💓 love!
-Caroline
