Ad Copy with Personality
Elizabeth Marsten, Director of Search Marketing
Portent, Inc.@portent
Visualizing Your Audience
Visualizing Your Audience
Marketing Personas
Detailed description of an imaginary “customer” that could encompasses their gender, race, marital status, children, lifestyle, age, income level, education level, hobbies, religion, travel habits, tech savvy (or not), sports, geography…
…and even where they might be in the buying cycle.
*From: Interaction Design
*From: Copyblogger
Creating Personas for PPC
• Keep it simple, don’t get too carried away.
• Bullet points are your friend.
• Narrative should include words that you can see in the ad copy later.
• Like keywords!
Keywords: Where to start• Look at your keyword list.
• Look in your analytics package on what is bringing organic traffic.
• Are these keywords early buying cycle or later? How specific?
• Write down 3-4 per product/service.
• Depending on how your account is structured, you could do small personas on the product, campaign, buying cycle.
PicturesEverything is easier with a picture!
• Don’t pick someone you know.
• Don’t pick someone famous.
• Use good quality stock photos.
photos.com, istockphoto.com, sxc.hu (free)
• Use photos appropriate to the persona/reflected in the description.
Photo ExamplePersona: Executive Chef of a Restaurant Chain
Good Persona Photo Bad Persona Photo
Persona: Mom
Good Persona Photo Bad Persona Photo
Name Your People
• Doesn’t have to rhyme or match, but it is easier to remember.
• Don’t get too quirky.
• If you have access to customer first names, peruse them. See what pops up or repeats.
Tools
• Google Analytics (or your handy analytics package)
• Google Search Suggest
• Ubersuggest
• Discussion Forums/Blogs- anywhere there’s a conversation
• Customer reviews (both you and your competitors)
Google Analytics
• Location• New vs. Returning Visitors• Frequency & Recency• Browser/Device• Social Actions• Referral Traffic
Location
New vs. Returning Visitors
Frequency & Recency
Time to Purchase
Browser/Device
Social Actions
Referral Traffic
Google Search Suggest
Ubersuggest
Forums
Customer Reviews
Putting the Pieces Together
Example client: Natural/Organic Foods Retailer
What we know:Large selectionFree Shipping“Green” orientedNon perishable itemsSpecializing in gluten free
Gluten Free Gabrielle
Gabrielle in a List
• Female• Over 25• Single• Not gluten free by choice, it’s an allergy• Entry level employment, under $40k a year as a lab
technician• Very cost conscious• College educated• Often feels “cheated” that she has dietary restrictions
Gabrielle in a ListWhere the Info came from
• Female• Over 25• Single• Not gluten free by choice, it’s an allergy• Entry level employment, under $40k a year as a lab technician• Very cost conscious• College educated• Often feels “cheated” that she has dietary restrictions
Keyword searches for “gluten allergy” and “allergies gluten free
foods”
Most frequent complaint on forums
Previous customer information, 70% were
female
Get Creative
Keyword searches for cheap, discount, coupon
codes
Old enough to shop for self, tech savvy enough
to do it online
Common sense!
Gabrielle’s Keywords
Gluten free foodsGluten free recipesGluten free food deliveryGluten free bread mixesGluten free dessertsGluten free cookiesGluten free food couponsGluten free food promo codsBrand X couponsBrand X promo codes
Gabrielle’s Ads
Gabrielle’s Ads Breakdown
Convenience
Good deal
Coupons
Brand names
Fun
Not missing out
PHOTO
"Quote”
Gender: Age: Education: Marital Status:
Income: Computer Savvy: Occupation:
The story:
Start at the beginning. What is their issue/problem?
What are their likes and dislikes?
What would be their obstacles in purchasing from you? How technical/computer/web skilled are they?
How do they find what they want online?
Name
Elizabeth MarstenDirector of Search MarketingPortent, [email protected]
Thanks!@portent