(Thanks to Andrew Bleeker for some of this great content)

Online Advertising

What We’ll Cover

• Advantages• Objectives• Glossary• Types of Advertising• Step-By-Step Guide

Advantages of Online Advertising

• Adaptability

• Accountability

• Targeting

• Interactivity

• Efficiency

• Rapid Response Screenshot from http://www.leftyblogs.com

Objectives

• List-building/offline action– Empower supporters and

provide a way to take action

• Rapid response– Respond to breaking news

• Messaging & persuasion– Provide compelling and

interesting content– Move a message Video ad unit

Glossary of Terms

• Cost Per Click (CPC) / Pay Per Click (PPC)– Advertisers only pay when a user clicks the ad

and is directed to the website– Useful when user destination is most important

• Cost Per Mille (CPM) / Cost Per Impression (CPI)– Advertisers pay for exposure (view) of their

message to a specific audience– Per Mille means per thousand impressions (or

number of times an ad loads on the page)– Useful when user education is most important

Types of Advertising

• Search / contextual

• Social networks & blogs

• Banner ad networks

• Individual site placements

Search / Contextual

• Advantages– Can target people who

are interested in the material

– Pay only on an efficient “cost per click” basis

– Generally low-risk– Set what you are willing

to pay by bidding

• Disadvantages– Generally low-impact– Hard to scale because

only so many people are searching for any term

– Largely driven by news cycles and earned media, so pay-off is hard to predict

– Hard to do well without being time-intensive

Search / Contextual Example

Organic search results. Can’t pay for a higher ranking.

Paid search results based on keyword.

Social Networks & Blogs

• Advantages– Large pools of like-

minded supporters– Good way to join the

conversation and get earned media

– Potential for viral or exponential spread

– Advanced targeting abilities

– In some cases, can also pay on a cost per click basis

• Disadvantages– Sensitivity of political

blogs– Low scalability– Poor ad units– Limited geo-targeting

Social Networks & Blogs Example

Banner Ad Networks

• Advantages– High reach– Pay only on a very

efficient performance metric

– Extensive targeting abilities

• Disadvantages– Limited control over

placements– Less valuable real

estate– Potential for showing up

on the wrong site– Requires significant

investment– Non-guaranteed

inventory

Banner Ad Network Ordering Example

Liberal BlogAdvertising Network

http://web.blogads.com

Individual Site Placements

• Advantages– Target specific content

and placements– Guaranteed inventory– Control your share of

voice (SOV)– Allows for advanced

targeting: ad sequencing, frequency capping, etc.

• Disadvantages– Exclusively sold on a

cost per mille basis– Generally more

expensive– Generally lower

response rates– Varying minimum buy

requirements– Requires contracting

directly with each publisher

– No longer self-serve

Site Example

Getting Started

1. Create a Plan

2. Identify the Platforms & Targets

3. Set a Budget

4. Write/Design the Ads

5. Track & Optimize

1. Create a Plan

• What are your goals? Who’s your audience?

• What do you want to communicate? What’s your message?

• What’s your ultimate objective? How will you know if you’re successful?

• Create a calendar and incorporate/identify– All ad buys/advertising– Messaging campaigns (volunteering, fundraising, email

blasts)– Important dates and key milestones

2. Identify the Platforms & Targets

• Platforms– Google Adwords– Facebook Ads– MySpace Ads

• Targets– Location– Demographics– Keywords– Specific dates

3. Create a Budget

• How much money do you have to spend?

• What’s the timeline for your campaign?

• Do you want to allocate more money around your important dates?

• How much are you going to spend on each advertising platform?

4. Write/Design the Ads

• Include a clear call to action (one “ask”)

• Keep it simple

• Create “daisy chain”

• For text ads: use the keyword in the headline if possible

• For graphic ads: stay consistent with your style (brand)

5. Track & Optimize

• Monitor your initiatives and track the progress against your goals

• Use an analytics tool or Excel spreadsheet

• Change graphics, landing pages, keywords, demographics, or the ad buy as needed

5. Track & Optimize

• Don’t be afraid to try new things

• Some metrics to track:– Impression rate– Click-through rate (CTR)– Interaction rate or Dwell rate

• Spending time on an ad, including: mouse-overs, user-initiated video, and other user-initiated interaction

Contact Info

New Organizing Institute(202) 558-5585info@neworganizing.comwww.neworganizing.comwww.twitter.com/neworganizing