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, Inc.elizabeth@portent.com

Thanks!@portent