Going are the days of costly PR campaigns, newspaper ads or radio spots. Now, digital marketing has become a great way to spread word on your brand.
Let’s start with Google. They control 71 percent of the online market for search engines. That huge market share makes Google Ads the logical choice for advertising.
But what happens when you’re launching a new product? Can Google Ads be the secret weapon in your marketing arsenal?
Indeed it can – and we’re here to break down how. Read on to learn more.
What Are Google Ads?
In simple terms, Google matches search queries with approved ads. You’ll spot them at the top and side of the search engine results.
They also appear on Youtube videos. That gives you access to the second largest search engine online.
When the user clicks on an ad, it costs the advertiser (i.e. you) money.
It’s in Google’s best interest to help you reach your audience so they’ll click on your ads. That’s how Google makes money.
Setting up an ad gives you control over its text, which keywords to target, and how much you’ll pay for a click.
How Can Google Ads Help with Launching a New Product?
Social media ads are effective. But there’s no guarantee users are in any mood to buy. Whereas, on Google, people search for two reasons:
- They’re looking for information to guide a purchase or
- They’re ready to buy.
Most marketers set up Google Ads to send traffic to existing products or services. But you can use ads before a product launch to generate interest.
Ads help you nail your campaigns for use after the launch. And Google Ads also helps you reach warm leads.
Keep reading to discover the ways you can use Google ads before and after your product launch.
1. Find Fans Before You Launch a New Product
The first thing you want to do before you launch is to start generating buzz. Social media can give you some traffic. But Google ads will give you more targeted traffic.
Set up an ad campaign in Google Ads. Give it a name related to the launch.
Pick keywords users will input to find the product you’re launching.
Create your ad copy. Highlight the product’s key benefit. Tell a potential buyer how it will help them.
Set your budget. You should know in advance how much you’re willing to spend per click.
In regular campaigns, you’d direct the ad to a page on your website. But you’re about to launch so you may not have the page live yet.
Instead, direct them to a landing page. Give them all the information they need about your new product.
Add testimonials if you have them from beta testers. Or include case studies, if you have them.
Embed a form in the page to capture email addresses. That way, you can keep in touch with would-be buyers throughout the launch.
2. Fine-Tune Your Product Before You Launch
You may have run countless focus groups during product development. And you may have had beta versions available to gather feedback.
But it’s still sometimes hard to know what will resonate with customers. Which name inspires the most confidence? Can color schemes affect which products customers choose?
Why not try customer research? People might respond to a survey based on what they think you want to hear. But people asked to hand over money will tell you what they really think.
Ad campaigns also cost less than research groups.
Run ads based on variations of your product. Send traffic to landing pages to track the conversions.
Use the data to tailor your product to suit market demands. It’s also a good idea to use this strategy to check anyone needs your product.
Try running ads for your product before you spend money creating it.
Bonus: You’ll get solid marketing data and new email list subscribers with this option.
3. Split-Test Ads Just Before Your Launch
The previous strategy is a form of research rather than split-testing.
But split-testing is a valuable part of any paid advertising strategy. Here, you can run variations of your campaign at the same time. Then pinpoint which variation performs best.
Google Ads gives prompt feedback, making it easy to use ads to split-test your campaign.
You’ll soon get results about the best headline, call-to-action, and ad copy. Run ads using these winning components during and after your launch.
Try re-using them on social media ads too, paired with eye-catching graphics.
Keep your tests separate so you can better understand the data. So run one test for a new product name. Then change the ad copy for a separate test.
4. Use Retargeting
Retargeting is where you target people who visited your site but left without buying.
You don’t know why they didn’t buy. Say your product page confused them. Or they got a social media message and forgot to reach checkout.
But they’re already aware of your brand so you can consider them a warm lead.
Set up these retargeted ads using the Remarketing feature in Google Ads. This shows ads to these potential customers while they use Google products.
Understand Your Data
None of these strategies work if you don’t check your data.
Low impressions imply one of two things. Either competition is higher than you expected and your bid is too low. Or people aren’t looking for keywords related to your product.
Try increasing your bids or change your keywords.
Low clicks and high impressions imply ad copy issues. Or your keywords aren’t a good match for what you’re offering. Test the keywords to check they’re not too niche/broad.
And if you get good clicks but few signups from your landing page? Check your copy to ensure it explains the benefits of your product.
Get Help with Your Ads
Running Google Ads gives you valuable data to make sure launching a new product goes well. It also offers a fantastic opportunity to build an audience. That’s vital if your product is so new that no one knows they need it yet.
Give your campaigns time to generate enough data for you to tweak your keywords or copy. That gives you time to nurture your signups. Guide them towards hitting ‘buy’ when your product launches.
Does this sound like a lot to take in at once?
Contact us today to discuss your goals and how Google Ads can help your business.