Introduction
Only 10% of non-profits are prepared to run Google Ads. The other 90% will lose money. What separates them? Data, first-party data is the key to a successful Google Ads campaign. In this article, I'll walk you through each step to prepare your non-profit to be successful with Google Ads and join the 10% of non-profits that can be profitable with paid ad campaigns.
How Warm Are Your Prospective Donors
You would never ask someone to marry you on a first date. But too often non-profits donate the first time a user lands on their website. This is the wrong approach. New research at Google has shown that it takes 20 - 500 touchpoints before a user is willing to donate.
How Many Touchpoints Have Your Prospect Donor Had With You
You can guess how many touch points a user has had by how they find you and how they interact with you. Let's run through some scenarios:
Image you are a bunny sanctuary. You adopt a blogging strategy, you write articles on how to take care of abused rabbits.
Q1: How likely is it that someone who visits your website from your article is ready to donate?
A1: There is a >0.001% chance that someone will donate if they find you through an organic Google search from that article. They just want to help take care of their bunny. They are in info-gathering mode, they don't know you but at least now they hopefully trust you as Bunny experts.
Q2: Do you think that same person would sign up for a list of 10 tips to train an abused Bunny resource?
A2: Yes, they would probably give you their email for a resource relevant to them.
Q3: If you send that person a YouTube ad that shows how many bunnies you've saved asking for a donation, do you think they will consider donating?
A3: Probably, think about what you've done. You took an article that attracts a broad audience of bunny owners. You filtered down to the most loyal and dedicated bunny owners by getting them to fill out a form that qualifies them. You've sent them emails and follow-up resources with bunny tips and tricks for months. Then you sent them an ad hyper-targeted to non only a relevant audience but a warm audience.
What Are Retargeting Ads
Retargeting ads, also known as remarketing ads, are a form of digital advertising that targets users who have previously interacted with your website or other online content. This is done by placing a tracking pixel on your website, which allows you to track users and serve them ads on other websites they visit.
Retargeting ads work by keeping your organization top of mind for users who have already shown interest in your cause. By reminding them of your organization and its mission, you increase the likelihood that they will take action and become a donor, volunteer, or advocate.
For nonprofits, retargeting ads offer several benefits. They allow you to:
- Reach users who are already familiar with your organization
- Increase brand awareness and recognition
- Drive more conversions and donations
- Optimize your ad spend by targeting warmer audiences
Implementing Retargeting Ads for Your Nonprofit
To implement retargeting ads for your nonprofit, follow these steps:
- Set up a Google Ads account and link it to your Google Grants account (if applicable).
- Install a tracking pixel on your website to track user behavior.
- Create a retargeting campaign in your Google Ads account.
- Define your target audience based on their level of engagement with your organization.
- Create ad content that is relevant and engaging to your target audience.
- Set a budget and bid strategy for your campaign.
- Launch your campaign and monitor its performance.
When creating your retargeting ads, it's important to follow best practices for creating effective ad content. This includes using eye-catching visuals, clear and concise messaging, and a strong call to action.
To optimize your retargeting ads for maximum ROI, consider testing different ad formats, messaging, and targeting strategies. Use data from your campaign performance to make informed decisions about what is working and what needs to be adjusted.
Optimizing Your Google Ads for Nonprofits
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is a powerful tool for nonprofits to drive traffic and conversions to their website. By optimizing your Google Ads for maximum ROI, you can increase the effectiveness of your digital advertising efforts.
To optimize your Google Ads, consider the following:
- Use relevant keywords and ad copy to target users who are searching for your cause.
- Use ad extensions to provide additional information and encourage users to take action.
- Test different ad formats and messaging to see what resonates with your target audience.
- Monitor your campaign performance and adjust your strategy as needed.
By combining retargeting ads with Google Ads, you can create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that targets both warm and cold audiences, increasing the effectiveness of your advertising efforts.
Measuring Success and Adjusting Your Strategy
To measure the success of your retargeting ads and Google Ads, use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior and conversion rates. This will allow you to see which campaigns are driving the most traffic and conversions, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
When adjusting your strategy, consider the following:
- Which campaigns are performing best and why?
- Are there any campaigns that are not performing as well as expected?
- Are there any opportunities to optimize your ad spend or target new audiences?
By making data-driven decisions and adjusting your strategy as needed, you can continue to maximize your ROI and make the greatest impact possible for your nonprofit.
How Do I Profitably Advertise To Cold Donors?
One great solution to gaining new cold traffic is your Google Ad Grant. Every non-profit is given $10,000 USD / month to spend on Google Search Ads. With this traffic, you can advertise articles, publications, programs, and events to attract new users to your website. Once a user visits your website you can direct them to pages to indicate their level of engagement with the mission of your non-profit and you can try to capture their contact information.
If you capture their contact information you can send them a sequence of email blasts to inform them of current projects you are working on and educate them on the value your non-profit brings to causes they care about.
If they don't fill out a contact form you can retarget them with paid Google ads. All you need to do is set up audiences in GA4 to segment users based on their level of engagement with your website. Generally speaking the more engaged a user is, the more likely they are to donate when directly asked.
Google Grant Management
Google Grants don’t manage themselves if you are looking for someone to train your team or provide full management services, Regroup Media can help.
We provide your non-profit with a dedicated Google grants manager to walk you through the entire process. We guarantee that you get approved for the Google Grants program.
Once you are approved we set up your Google Grants account for success with conversion tracking, site links, and attribution tracking, and then we launch your first campaigns.
Book a meeting with us to learn more about this service.
Conclusion
Retargeting ads offer a powerful way for nonprofits to engage warmer audiences and optimize their ad spend. By combining retargeting ads with Google Ads and other digital marketing strategies, nonprofits can create a comprehensive digital advertising strategy that drives traffic, conversions, and donations. By measuring success and adjusting your strategy as needed, you can continue to maximize your ROI and make the greatest impact possible for your cause.