Category : Channel Insights

By OppGen

Customer Acquisition Cost in Digital Marketing is Rising

Customer acquisition costs in digital marketing are on the rise. 

And they aren’t cooling off. 

Digital marketing acquisition costs have surged dramatically. A study by SimplicityDX reported a 222% increase in customer acquisition costs over the last eight years:

• Social media and search advertising costs: By the end of 2021, the cost per thousand advertisement impressions (CPMs) on social media and the search cost per click (CPC) had risen by 22% and 23% respectively, year-over-year.
• Pay per click costs: From 2022 to 2023, the average CPC rose by about 5%, with a 20% increase in cost per lead (CPL). In the last quarter of 2023, Google Search Ads’ CPCs went up by 9%, contributing to a 17% increase in advertising spend. By Q1 2024, the year-on-year increase in CPC had reached 13%, resulting in a 21% increase in ad spend.
• General increase in digital marketing costs: Industry reports highlighted ongoing increases in digital marketing budgets due to rising customer acquisition costs, with no signs of abatement.

To make matters even more challenging for businesses like yours: 

• Increased touch points before purchase: Since 2020, the average consumer requires more touch points before making a purchase decision, typically ranging from 6 up to 20+ interactions with a brand before buying. What’s driving this? Consumers have a massive variety of information channels at their fingertips. As a byproduct, they’re extensively vetting brands and businesses before making a purchase decision. 
• Influence of reviews and social proof: Some studies show over 85% of consumers say they check online reviews before making a purchase decision. Most of them check multiple review sources or sites before buying. 
• Impact of social media presence: Customers and clients want to buy from brands and companies with an active social presence. Brand presence on social media and the quality of engagement (comments, likes, shares, etc.) directly correlate with purchasing decisions.

If you’ve been scratching your head for what to do about the wild increase in CAC––you’re not alone.

 

TL;DR

Which is why we’re going to cover: 

• What is Customer Acquisition Cost?
• Why Does CAC Matter?
• CAC Formula: How to Calculate Your Company’s Customer Acquisition
• What to Include in Your Average Customer Acquisition Cost
• 5 Ways to Lower and Manage Your Business’s Digital Marketing Acquisition Costs

 

What is Customer Acquisition Cost?

In its simplest form, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) quantifies the total expenses to acquire a new customer. 

CAC = (Total cost of sales + marketing expenses) / (Total number of customers acquired)

In digital marketing, CAC covers costs from your sales team’s salaries and software to paid ads, content production, SEO, marketing automation, and social media strategies. 

Here are some examples similar to some clients we work with:

• A homebuilder: They focus on attracting homebuyers using PPC advertising, social ads on Meta, video ads on YouTube, SEO on their website, virtual tours, and social media. We calculate their CAC by summing up digital initiative costs and dividing by the quarterly new homebuyer count.
• A weight loss company: Draws patients through local SEO, online ads for appointment bookings, and sharing helpful health blogs via their social content strategy. Their CAC includes website maintenance costs, ad spend, and online review management, divided by the number of new patients.
• A law firm: Specializing in personal injury, they engage potential clients through a targeted Google AdWords campaign, retargeting ads on social media, SEO to keep them at the top of search engines, and content marketing to educate and build trust with their target audience. They measure CAC by totaling costs for online ads, SEO, content, and social media against new client consultations.

Each example shows how businesses manage and optimize CAC for better digital marketing outcomes and a higher ROI.

 

Why Does CAC Matter?

Customer Acquisition Cost is the difference between a business barely surviving, thriving, or folding.

If your CAC is higher than your revenue, your business will fold. 

Analyzing and improving your CAC prevents losses while driving profitability and growth.

 

CAC Formula: How to Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost

Here’s a high-level formula for how you’d calculate your CAC. 

CAC = (total digital marketing expenses) + (total sales expenses) / total new customers or clients acquired

Businesses typically assess their CAC over set time intervals depending on specific sales cycles, marketing activities, and financial reporting periods:

• Monthly: Many businesses review their CAC monthly, especially those in dynamic industries where quick adjustments to marketing strategies can significantly impact customer acquisition costs and outcomes.
• Quarterly: Quarterly assessments align with standard financial reporting periods, allowing businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing strategies over a longer period and make adjustments for the next quarter.
• Annually: Yearly reviews are common, particularly for strategic planning and budgeting purposes. This interval helps businesses understand year-over-year trends and the long-term effectiveness of their customer acquisition strategies.
• Per Campaign: Businesses also analyze CAC for specific marketing campaigns regardless of their duration. This allows for immediate insights into the effectiveness of particular marketing efforts and helps in making timely adjustments.

 

What to Include in Your Average Customer Acquisition Cost

Let’s get into the weeds.

If you’re running the customer acquisition cost formula as you’re reading this, you need to build a complete view of the expenses involved in getting new business. 

Let’s look at the combined cost of sales and marketing.

 

Sales Expenses

The big buckets for sales expenses normally include:

• Sales salaries and commissions: This includes the base salaries of your sales reps, as well as any commissions they earn on closing deals with new customers.
• Sales training and development: The cost of training your sales team on your products or services, specifically any programs focused on acquiring new customers, not product updates for existing customers.
• Sales technology and tools: Costs associated with software used by the sales team to close deals with new customers. This can include CRM software, sales automation tools for prospecting and outreach, and tools for creating sales presentations.

 

Digital Marketing Expenses

What about in digital marketing?

Expenses to consider are salaries, freelancers, contractors, and labor costs.

Also, you will need to factor in these expenses:

• Paid advertising (PPC, social media ads, display ads): Costs associated with creating and running targeted advertising campaigns across various digital platforms to attract new customers.
• Content marketing (content creation and distribution): Costs associated with creating content (written, visual, video) specifically designed to attract new customers, as well as promoting that content through various channels to reach your target audience.
• Marketing automation software: Subscription fees for marketing automation platforms that streamline tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing, SEO tools, content creation/optimization software, and customer segmentation––focusing on tools directly tied to acquiring new leads.
• Website analytics and conversion tracking: Costs associated with website analytics tools used to track traffic, user behavior, and conversion data from your digital marketing efforts aimed at acquiring new customers.
• Additional considerations (optional): Costs associated with tools or services used for landing page optimization focused on lead generation, and SEO tools (if your SEO strategy heavily targets new customer acquisition).

Now that you’ve got a full picture of costs associated with a company’s customer acquisition efforts, let’s dive into how to lower and manage your costs…

 

5 Ways to Lower and Manage Your Business’s Digital Marketing Acquisition Costs

1. Optimize Your Sales and Marketing Funnel

Your sales and marketing funnel are the lifeblood of your customer acquisition process.

Here’s how to optimize it to capture more leads and convert them into paying customers:

Identify leaks: Analyze your funnel using website analytics tools like Google Analytics to pinpoint stages where leads are dropping off. Are they abandoning forms, clicking away from landing pages, or failing to engage with your calls to action (CTAs)?

Diagnose the leaks: Once you’ve honed in on the drop-off points, dig deeper to understand why leads abandon your funnel at these given points. 

Fix the leaks: Here are the most common funnel leaks we see with our clients and prospects and how to address them:

• Unclear value proposition: You’d be surprised how many businesses have unclear value propositions in their sales processes, website content, etc. Make sure your messaging clearly communicates the benefits your product or service offers and how it solves your target customer’s problems.
• Poor website usability/user experience:  If your website is slow, clunky, messy, or too wordy––visitors will bounce and take their business elsewhere. Optimize your website, funnels, and processes for the best possible user experience. With your website, make sure you have clear navigation, fast load times, and mobile-friendliness to keep visitors engaged.
• Ineffective CTAs: There’s a good chance you aren’t using CTAs early and often. CTAs that are specific, action-oriented, and strategically placed throughout your funnel to guide leads toward the desired conversion step. 

Remember, optimizing your funnel or customer journey isn’t a one-time change.

You need to keep monitoring your funnel’s performance, look for new leaks, and use data-driven solutions. You can optimize your lead flow and improve your conversion rates.

 

2. Optimize Your Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy directly affects your customer acquisition costs and profitability.

Here’s how to optimize your pricing to attract customers and generate revenue:

• Align with customer value: Does your pricing reflect the perceived value of your product or service offered to your target market? Your own costs play a big factor in pricing. But if you’re priced too low, you won’t be profitable. Priced too high? You’ll scare off new leads, prospects, and business. Do market research and competitor analyses to understand what similar offerings cost. One of the simplest ways to beat out the competition is to ask yourself: “Could I offer even more value at a competitive or slightly higher price?”
• Consider offering tiered pricing: Depending on your products or services, you could offer multiple pricing options to cater to different customer needs and budgets. This can help you attract a wider audience and convert leads who might find your premium offering too expensive upfront. 
• Experiment with promotional pricing: Strategic use of discounts and limited-time offers can attract new customers and boost sales. However, avoid relying solely on discounts, as it can cheapen your brand perception in the long run. 
• Track and analyze customer acquisition costs: Monitor how much it costs to acquire each customer for different pricing strategies and marketing channels. This data will help you identify the most cost-effective ways to reach your target audience.

By weighing these factors, testing, and refining your pricing strategy, you’ll be able to find the sweet spot that maximizes your customer acquisition efficiency and profitability.

 

3. Improve Customer Acquisition Costs Through Sales and Marketing Spend

Getting the most out of your sales and marketing budget is crucial. Here are some strategies to maximize your return on investment (ROI):

• Focus on metrics and analytics: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. The data will help you see what’s working and what’s not, giving you insight on how to optimize your campaigns and allocate resources for better results.
• Invest in sales and marketing automation tools: Use technology to streamline tasks, personalize outreach, and automate repetitive processes. This can free up your team’s time to focus on high-value activities and improve overall efficiency. Examples can include using intelligent, personalized AI chat features on your website to automate inbound lead intake. You could streamline sales processes by studying sales call notes and recordings to optimize sales scripts. For marketing, offer an incentive like a free consultation or helpful lead magnet for email signups. Then, send drip campaigns to engage new email leads. 
• Align sales and marketing teams: Make sure your sales and marketing teams are working collaboratively towards common goals. This can involve joint lead nurturing campaigns, content creation initiatives, and communication strategies to deliver a seamless customer experience throughout the buying journey. 
• Optimize your sales process: Refine your sales pipeline to find and remove bottlenecks that slow down conversion. Provide ongoing sales training and coaching to equip your team with the skills and knowledge to close deals efficiently. Dig into the marketing channels and activities that are bringing in most of your high-quality leads and customers and which are underperforming and eating into your budget. 

 

4. Speed Up Response Time for New Customers and Prospects

This should go without saying. 

But one of the simplest, most effective, and potentially low-tech ways you can improve your CAC is to speed up your response time to new customers, leads, and prospects. 

For example, your response time to a new lead or prospect is within 24 hours. 

Your primary competitor’s response time is under 15 minutes. 

Who’s going to win that business?

 

5. Determine and Optimize Your Payback Period

Your payback period tells you how long it takes to recoup the cost of acquiring a customer.

A shorter payback period highlights a more efficient customer acquisition strategy.

Here’s how to find and optimize yours:

Calculate your payback period: Divide your customer lifetime value (CLTV) by your customer acquisition cost (CAC). CLTV is the total revenue a customer generates over their lifetime with your business. 

Analyze your payback period: Industry benchmarks can give context for your payback period’s efficiency. However, it’s important to consider your specific business model and growth goals.

Reduce your payback period: There are several ways you can work to shorten your payback period… 

• Optimize marketing campaigns: Improve targeting and messaging to attract higher-value customers with a lower acquisition cost. 
• Increase customer lifetime value: Encourage repeat purchases or upsells to generate more revenue from existing customers. 
• Improve customer retention: Reduce churn by providing excellent customer service and building strong, long-term customer relationships. By doing this, you’ll increase your chances of generating more referrals––another one of the best ways to lower your cost of acquiring a new customer.

By monitoring and optimizing your payback period, you can ensure your customer acquisition efforts are efficient and contribute to your business’s long-term growth.

 

In Closing

CAC is critical for business survival, improvement, and growth.

Use the above steps as a guide to systematically reduce costs and automate expensive manual processes. 

If you’re struggling to lower costs and improve results with your digital marketing channels and campaigns, we can help. 

Schedule a free strategy call with our digital marketing and advertising team today.

 

Recommended Reading

1. Hiring the Best PPC Agency in 2024: A Complete Guide
2. 2024 PPC Trends: Strategies You Cannot Avoid
3. Generative AI in Marketing: 6 Ways to Level Up Your Results
4. Determining The Average Cost Per Case Sign Up In Your Local Market
5. Medical Lead Follow-Up Guide: How to Close 9x More Patients

 

References

1. clearbit.com – CAC: What it is, why it’s rising, and why marketers should care
2. linkedin.com – Control, Rising Cost of Customer Acquisition in Digital
3. marketingcharts.com – Most Retailers Say Customer Acquisition Costs Have…
4. hubspot.com – The Hard Truth About Acquisition Costs (and How Your…
5. lek.com – Fighting Rising Direct-to-Consumer Customer Acquisition Costs
6. linkedin.com – What is CPC inflation in Google?
7. searchengineland.com – Google search CPCs up 9%, pushing ad spend up 17%
8. optmyzr.com – Google Confirms Inflating CPCs: What Advertisers Need to…
9. brightbid.com – Beat Google CPC Inflation: 8 Strategies to Maximize ROI
10. searchengineland.com – Report: Google Search CPC up 13% YoY; ad spend…
11. searchenginejournal.com – PPC Experts Weigh In On CPC Inflation

By OppGen

Generative AI in Marketing: 6 Ways to Level Up Your Results

Generative AI is revolutionizing the marketing world. 

It’s also empowering businesses and agencies with tools for all types of content creation. Generative AI is helping us create content and connect with their audiences on a scale (and at a speed) that’s difficult to fathom.

And, it’s only getting better and smarter. 

According to a survey by Salesforce, 55% of marketers are already using generative AI in marketing, with another 22% planning on adopting it in the near future.

AI technology is evolving fast. 

Marketers can now use AI tools to: 

• Design and ideate market-changing strategies (in record time) 
• Create marketing assets at scale: headlines, topics, titles, subject lines, blogs, sales pages, email campaigns, sales copy, images, and even video
• Boost content creation and content-driven results at warp speed

In this article, we’ll explore how generative AI in marketing is changing the game for marketers and advertisers.

 

TL;DR: What We’ll Be Covering Today

• What is Generative AI?
• What’s The Role of Generative AI in Marketing?
• 6 AI Use Cases in Marketing and Advertising
• Transforming Marketing: Benefits of Generative AI
• Concerns Around Generative AI
• 4 Steps to Get Started With Generative AI in Marketing
• In Closing

 

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI refers to a subset of artificial intelligence that can generate new content, ideas, or solutions based on input data.

Traditional AI models follow a set of predefined rules.

Generative AI uses machine learning models to create original content, like text, images, video, and even music. 

This technology can mimic human creativity and produce outputs that—with the right guidance—are difficult to distinguish from 100% human-created content. 

 

What’s the Role of Generative AI in Marketing?

Generative AI in marketing enables brands to create personalized and engaging content at scale. 

It helps marketers automate repetitive tasks, optimize campaigns, and generate insights from massive amounts of data. 

Businesses using generative AI can triple their marketing efforts, increase efficiency, and improve customer experiences.

 

6 AI Use Cases in Marketing and Advertising

1. Generative AI in Marketing Sales

Generative AI can assist sales teams by: 

• Creating personalized email marketing campaigns
• Generating sales pitches
• Simulating customer interactions

This technology can analyze customer data to tailor messages that resonate with individual prospects, increasing the likelihood of conversions. 

For example, using a tool like Mailchimp with its AI-powered Content Optimizer, you can generate personalized email content tailored to individual recipient preferences. 

The AI analyzes past interactions and behaviors to suggest subject lines and body text that are more likely to engage each specific user.

 

2. AI in Digital Advertising Campaigns

In advertising, generative AI can create hyper-targeted ad campaigns by analyzing consumer behavior and preferences. It can generate

• Ad copy
• Design visuals
• Ad placements to reach the right audience at the right time

This leads to more effective and cost-efficient personalized marketing campaigns.

Using Facebook’s AI-driven ad platform, you can create campaigns that target users based on detailed behavioral and demographic data. AI can identify users most likely to be interested in a new product based on their past interactions with similar products.

 

3. AI in Content Marketing

Generative AI can produce a wide range of content, from blog posts and social media updates to video scripts and product descriptions. 

By using generative AI to create content, marketers can focus on strategic planning and creativity. This gives the power, tools, and resources to keep a consistent and engaging brand voice across all channels.

Jasper.ai can generate blogs, social media posts, product descriptions, and so much more. You can provide Jasper with a topic and some key points, and it will create a structured blog post that’s ready to publish.

 

4. AI Marketing Automation Tools

AI-powered marketing automation tools can

• Streamline workflows
• Manage campaigns
• Analyze performance data

Generative AI can enhance marketing tools by creating personalized content, predicting customer behavior, and providing actionable insights to improve marketing strategies.

Marketo Engage uses AI to analyze campaign performance and provide actionable insights. For instance, it can identify which segments of your audience are responding best to your campaigns and suggest adjustments to improve engagement.

 

5. AI-Powered Customer Insights 

AI can analyze vast amounts of customer data to uncover insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. 

This information helps marketers segment their audience more effectively, personalize their messaging, and make data-driven decisions to enhance their marketing strategies.

Salesforce Einstein segments your audience based on detailed behavioral and demographic data. It can create segments for high-value customers, frequent buyers, or customers at risk of churning, allowing you to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly.

 

6. AI in Video Marketing 

AI can automate video creation by:

• Generating scripts
• Editing footage
• Adding voice-overs

It can personalize video content based on viewer preferences and behaviors, making video marketing more effective and engaging. AI can also analyze video performance data to refine future content.

Magisto uses AI to edit and produce videos from raw footage. You upload your footage, select a theme and music, and the AI creates a polished video by picking the best clips and arranging them into a cohesive story.

 

Transforming Marketing: Benefits of Generative AI

Generative AI offers dozens of benefits for marketers:

• Increased efficiency and productivity by automating repetitive marketing tasks
• Enhanced personalization and customer engagement
• Improved data analysis and actionable insights
• Cost savings through optimized marketing strategies
• Greater scalability in content creation and campaign management

The greatest benefits of generative AI in digital marketing are increasing growth and scalability at breakneck speeds. And, it’s only getting faster and better. 

 

Concerns Around Generative AI

While generative AI offers many advantages, there are also concerns to consider, such as:

• Ethical issues around AI-generated content
• Biases in AI algorithms
• Privacy and data security concerns
• The need for human oversight to ensure quality and accuracy

It’s best for companies, agencies, and marketers using generative AI to stay informed with the latest innovations, as well as the response from state and local municipalities. 

 

4 Steps to Get Started With Generative AI in Marketing

Integrating generative AI into your marketing strategy can seem daunting, but with a structured approach and a little guidance, you can get so much more out of it. 

Here’s how you can implement generative AI for marketing:

 

Step 1: Identify Specific Use Cases Where AI Can Add Value

Start by pinpointing areas in your marketing operations where generative AI can make the most significant impact. Common use cases include:

• Content Generation: Automate the generation of blog posts, social media content, and product descriptions.
• Personalized Content and Experiences: Create tailored email campaigns and recommendations based on customer behavior.
• Ad Optimization: Design and place ads that resonate with targeted audiences.
• Customer Interaction: Use AI-powered chatbots to provide instant responses to customer inquiries.

 

Step 2: Choose the Right AI Tools and Platforms

Select AI tools and platforms that align with your identified use cases and business objectives. Some effective AI tools for marketing include:

• OpenAI’s GPT-4 (and 4o): For generating high-quality content, text, images, and more.
• Canva’s Magic Resize: For automated design adjustments.
• HubSpot’s AI for Marketing: For AI-driven marketing automation.
• Adobe’s Sensei: For enhancing creative processes and customer experiences.

Evaluate these tools based on their features, ease of integration, cost, and support services. 

Start with trial versions to test their effectiveness before committing to a purchase.

 

Step 3: Train Your Team to Use AI Effectively

Next, make sure your marketing team is well-equipped to use AI tools by providing comprehensive training. This can include:

• Training Calls, Workshops, and Webinars: Conduct sessions to introduce AI concepts and demonstrate tool functionalities.
• Online Courses: Enroll team members in AI and machine learning courses offered by platforms like Coursera or Udacity.
• Hands-on Practice: Encourage the team to experiment with AI tools on small projects to build confidence and expertise. 

After you implement AI tools, continuously monitor their performance to make sure they’re moving you toward your marketing goals.

Key metrics to track may include:

• Traffic, Impressions, or Visibility: Are your top-level metrics growing, dropping, or staying stagnant?
• Engagement Rates: Measure how well AI-generated content is resonating with your audience.
• Conversion Rates: Assess the effectiveness of AI-driven campaigns in converting leads into customers.
• ROI: Calculate the return on investment for AI initiatives to determine their financial impact. Use analytics tools to gather data and generate reports, enabling you to make informed decisions about adjustments and improvements.

 

Step 4: Stay Updated on AI Advancements and Best Practices 

The field of AI is rapidly evolving, with new developments and best practices emerging regularly. Stay informed by:

• Subscribing to Industry Newsletters: Follow AI-focused publications like MIT Technology Review or AI Weekly.
• Attending Conferences and Webinars: Participate in events like the World AI Summit to network with experts and learn about the latest trends.
• Joining Professional Networks: Engage with communities on platforms like LinkedIn to share knowledge and experiences with peers.

 

In Closing

By staying current with AI advancements, you can continually refine your strategies and maintain a competitive edge in the market. 

By leveraging generative AI, marketers can create more personalized, efficient, and impactful campaigns––at lightning-fast speeds.

Want to take your business’s marketing and advertising results to the next level?

Contact OppGen to expand your brand’s marketing campaigns and get your business the best possible results. 

Our team has over a decade of experience creating successful advertising and SEO campaigns. 

We stay up-to-date with the latest in AI marketing tools and techniques, stacking those on with our years of experience to produce the best possible results for our clients.

By OppGen

Best Practices for Digital Ad Specs in 2021

When a prospect looks at an ad, they expect to see something that represents your brand. So when a prospect comes across an ad with a distorted image, they are not likely to have a good impression of your company. They might think the advertisement was done too quickly; that it looks unprofessional; or maybe a scammer is trying to use your business for their own gain.

It can be difficult to keep track of the accepted digital ad sizes and file types because there are so many different places to advertise online and different ad types. But we’ve made it easy for you with the following guide where we cover the best practices for digital ad sizes in 2021.

If we’ve missed anything, don’t hesitate to contact us to let us know — or to ask about anything we didn’t address here.

Note: All ad sizes are measured in pixels (px) unless otherwise noted.

 

Google Display Image Ad Sizes

• Medium rectangle: 300 x 250
• Mobile banner: 320 x 50
• Small rectangle: 320 x 100
• Square: 250 x 250
• Small square: 200 x 200
• Large rectangle: 336 x 280
• Leaderboard: 728 x 90
• Half-page ad: 300 x 600
• Wide skyscraper: 160 x 600
• Banner: 468 x 60

 

Facebook Ad Sizes

• Facebook video size: 1280 x 720
• Maximum Facebook video length: 240 minutes
• Facebook ad size: 1200 x 628
• Facebook video ad size: 1280 x 720
• Facebook story ad size: 1080 x 1920
• Facebook messenger image ad size: 1200 x 628
• Supported image file types: JPG, GIF or PNG

 

lnstagram Ad Sizes

• lnstagram stories: 1080 x 1920, I maximum 4GB
• lnstagram video sizes: 600 x 600 (square), 600 x 315 (landscape), 600 x 750 (portrait), 600 x 700 (Carousel video dimensions)
• Maximum lnstagram video length: 60 seconds
• Minimum lnstagram image ad size: 500 px wide
• lnstagram ads size: 1080 x 566 (landscape), 1080 x 1080 (square)
• Supported image file types: PNG or JPG

 

Twitter Ad Sizes

• Twitter timeline/in-stream photo: 1024 x 512
• Twitter card image size: 1200 x 628
• Twitter video size: 720 x 720 (square), 1280 x 720 (landscape), 720 x 1280 (portrait)
• Twitter video length: 140 seconds maximum
• Twitter ad size (image): 800 x 418
• Twitter ad size (video): 720 x 720 (square), 1280 x 720 (landscape), 720 x 1280 (portrait)
• Supported image file types: JPG, WEBP, GIF, or PNG

 

Linkedln Image Ad Sizes

• Dynamic ads size: 100 x 100 (company logo)
• Sponsored content image size: 1200 x 627
• Supported image file types: PNG, JPG, or GIF

 

YouTube Video Ad Sizes

• YouTube display ads: 300 x 250
• YouTube overlay ads dimensions: 480 x 60
• YouTube companion banner ads dimensions:  300 x 250
• YouTube skippable video ads length: 6–20 seconds
• YouTube non-skippable video ads length: 12 seconds to 3 minutes (30 seconds recommended)
• YouTube image file types: PNG, JPG, GIF, or BMP

 

TikTok Ad Image Sizes

• TopBuzz image size: 1280x 720
• BuzzVideo image size: 1280 x 628
• Helo image sizes: 1280 x 720, 1200 x 628, or 640 x 640
• Image file size: Greater than 500 KB
• Image file type: JPG or PNG

 

CTV Video Sizes

• Size ratio: 16:9, 1920 x 1080 px
• Length: 30 seconds max, 15- or 30-second slots
• Maximum file size: 200MB
• Frame rate: Must be constant; 23.98, 25, or 29.97 FPS
• Bit rate: Greater or equal to 2500 KBPS
• File format: mp4 or mov

 

Can’t Remember All of These Digital Ad Sizes? Contact OppGen for Help

If keeping up with all of the changes in digital ad sizes, such as the ever-changing recommended ad size and formats, it may be a good idea to contact a digital advertising agency to create ads for you. Not only does OppGen create ads for clients, but we also manage digital advertising accounts and spend. Our strategies have helped hundreds of companies generate more leads and revenue at an improved ROI.

Contact us to learn more about what we can do for your business.

By OppGen

What is a Holistic Digital Marketing Strategy and How Can It Help My Business?

Have you ever asked yourself  – What is a Holistic Digital Marketing Strategy? The word holistic is thrown around a lot these days. We’re used to seeing holistic referenced with medicine or wellness. And now, it’s become a buzzword in marketing. Depending on who you talk to, you may get a different definition of what holistic marketing is. This article aims to break down OppGen’s approach to holistic digital marketing, as well as our definition of it.

Schedule a complimentary strategy session to learn more about our holistic digital marketing strategy.

Let’s start with the most basic definition of the word. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, holistic is defined as “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.”

So how does that definition apply to a holistic digital marketing strategy?

 

What is a Holistic Digital Marketing Strategy?

A holistic digital marketing strategy is a type of digital marketing strategy that focuses your marketing strategy as a whole. Digital marketing strategies, or at least the most effective ones, utilize multiple marketing channels at the same time. 

OppGen’s holistic digital marketing strategy primarily focuses on the goal of generating leads for our clients through several digital marketing channels. We then determine which channels are most effective and pay close attention to how they feed into one another and progressively bring leads in through the marketing funnel (we’ll go into more depth on the marketing funnel further down in this article).

When we bring all of these channels together and use them in the most effective and efficient ways, our clients benefit from the leads generated from these channels. Contact us to find out how OppGen uses a multi-channel approach to generate more leads.

 

Best Holistic Digital Marketing Channels

Using a holistic multichannel approach to digital marketing allows us to reach more people in places where clients may not be able to find them using just one marketing channel. That said, there are many marketing channels out there. OppGen excels at working with, including:

 

Search Ads

Search ads come in a couple of different forms:

• Search ads (or PPC): These are the ads you’ll see at the top and bottom on search engine results pages (SERPs) when you search for certain keywords. These ads incur a cost every time a prospect clicks on them, hence the term “pay per click” or PPC for short. These ads are great for finding prospects who are looking for a specific service in a certain area. What makes these prospects in particular so promising is that you don’t usually have to do much to persuade them to look into your service or product. They’re probably looking to buy or book an appointment and are trying to decide where to go.
• Display ads: These ads will appear on websites outside of the search engine itself. Search engines take users’ browsing history into account as well as the context of the site they are currently visiting and will push relevant image-based ads. Display ads are most effective for retargeting, a digital marketing strategy that is used to get prospects who “bounced” from a website (that is, the action of going to a page but not taking a desired action) to return to that website and do something, like buy a product they left in the shopping cart or book a consultation.

As you can see, these search ads work better in certain contexts and can help cover more ground and find more prospects.

 

Social Media Ads

Social media ads are excellent for targeting very specific or niche audiences. Facebook in particular is one of the best sites to use for marketing. Their advertising program features a wide array of powerful targeting tools. You can push ads to prospects based on demographic information (sex, age, job, location) and psychographic information (their interests, hobbies, things they care about or prioritize).

Facebook offers more types of advertisements than most search engines do. They have single image ads, carousel ads, video ads, and more. Facebook ads are arguably effective at every level of the marketing funnel, as the social media platform lets you create ad campaigns based on your business’s goals, from visibility to getting them to convert from prospect to lead to client or customer.

 

SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a marketing strategy with the goal of getting your website to rank high on search engine results pages for certain keyword searches. Unlike search ads, there is no cost per click. It is an organic strategy, which means it doesn’t require you to pay Google or Bing or any other search engine for advertising. But it does require a bit more time and effort than search ads do. It’s well worth investing the time and effort, though, as it can bring more traffic to your site and more foot traffic into your business.

An effective SEO strategy needs to cover the following four items:

• Technical SEO: Your website needs to be fast on all devices. If your website is slow and isn’t coded for mobile phones or tablets, you will be penalized by a lower search engine results pages ranking. OppGen creates websites and landing pages that are not only fast and mobile-first but are also optimized for high conversion rates.
• Local SEO: Assuming your business is not a national brand or franchise, you’ll need to rank high in local search results. Search engines use prospects’ locations so they can give them the best options nearby. Setting up a Google My Business listing with a correct business name, address, and phone number is a must.
• On-page SEO: You’ve probably heard marketers say “content is king” time and time again by now, but it is true. Crafting detailed content that’s relevant and valuable to your audience can help build trust in your brand and bring more people through the door. You can’t get away with repeating keywords hundreds of times on a page anymore, though — search engine bots can “read” closer to how we do, and keyword stuffing can work against you. Create content that is readable and easy to understand.
• Off-page SEO: Spreading the word about your business is important, too. This means sharing content to your business’s social media pages, encouraging clients to leave reviews, and slowly building up your reputation through link building (that is, when other websites link to your site). Search engines will take notice that your content is being shared with others because it’s valuable, and that can certainly help give you a boost in the SERPs.

How Our Holistic Digital Marketing Strategy Works in the Marketing Funnel

Certain marketing channels are more effective at different points in the marketing funnel. Those points and their most effective digital marketing channels are as follows:

 

Top of the Funnel: Education

Education starts with attracting the ideal audience. You want to be able to make sure prospects know about your business’s existence. Though they may not know what you do or what you offer, making sure they know your business exists is the first step.

This is where creating Facebook ads and search ads can really come in handy. You’re putting your business in front of prospects who are either interested in a service or product you offer or are actively searching for that product or service.

SEO can also be useful here, particularly from the local SEO standpoint. Setting up a Google My Business page can make it easier for businesses to show up when a prospect searches for something relevant to its offerings. As long as you show up on the first or second SERPs page, you’re more likely to be seen by prospects. And that’s an important first step!

We can help you set up a Google My Business page and keep the listing up to date by sharing any news or blog posts written by our content writer. Contact us to request more information about our SEO program.

 

Middle of the Funnel: Intent and Evaluation

Once prospects are aware of your business, we can start to get them more interested in what you do. They may start to research your company by checking your reviews and ratings from other clients or customers to get an idea of what they can expect.

From there, prospects will go to your business’s website, and this is where having rich content can come in handy. Once prospects visit your website, they need to be impressed by what they experience. Your website (or landing page, depending on the route they took to find your business) should look clean and professional. Your content needs to be in-depth, informative, and relevant to their needs.

Once a prospect has visited your site, you can begin to utilize display ads to keep nudging them back to your business’s website or certain landing pages on your site.

OppGen builds beautiful websites and landing pages that have been tested continuously for optimum conversion rates, and we continue to test and make sure your website is truly at its peak performance. We also have plenty of experience with display ad campaigns, so we can keep prospects interested and returning to your site as they determine whether or not you’re the best fit for them. Contact us to learn more.

 

Bottom of the Funnel: Consideration

At the bottom of the marketing funnel is where the prospect’s journey ends, with them converting to your newest client or customer. A conversion is that desired action mentioned earlier — it could be anything from making a purchase or scheduling an appointment or consultation or even getting them to sign up for your business’s email newsletter.

Whatever your goal is, OppGen will nurture leads through a holistic digital marketing strategy to take that action and keep more coming through the marketing funnel.

 

OppGen’s Holistic Digital Marketing Strategy Can Help Your Business Meet Its Goals

As you can see, our holistic digital marketing strategy is built to strengthen your business’s marketing plan by using multiple types of digital marketing channels. When we utilize multiple channels for a client, our client tends to see an overall improvement in conversion rates and their return on investment.

To learn more about our holistic digital marketing strategy, contact OppGen today, or fill out our free digital audit so we can determine which channels would be most effective for your holistic digital marketing strategy.

By OppGen

The Best 2021 Super Bowl LV Commercials, According to OppGen

Last year, we did a round-up of what OppGen thought were the best Super Bowl commercials. We’ve decided to continue that tradition, as it is only natural for a marketing agency to discuss which commercials we thought were the best. Talking about the Super Bowl commercials is like breathing air for marketers — we can’t live without doing it.

 

Alonzo Foreman, Partner, and Vice President

Alexa’s Body (Amazon)

 

I feel the Amazon Alexa ad was a home run. It featured modern star power in Michael B. Jordan, audience aligned humor, and actual product messaging. It was enjoyable and funny without leaving the brand or product behind.

 

Maria Gallegos Vallejo, Front-End Developer

ScissorHandsFree (Cadillac)

My favorite Super Bowl commercial was the Cadillac all-electric car with Edward Scissorhands played by Timothee Chalamet! I get excited seeing how car companies are working toward making all-electric vehicles. I think Timothee Chalamet is an amazing actor and seeing him dressed up as Edward Scissorhands alongside Winona Ryder, who I also respect a lot, was really cool to see! 

 

Ken Hogan, Director of Sales

Last Year’s Lemons (Bud Light)

Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade was my favorite. It was the only one that made me laugh. Representation was way over the top and properly represented some of the silly puns and sayings we used to get through a terrible 2020.

 

Britny Sanders, Senior Digital Analyst

Sweet Victory (Paramount Plus)

I only turned it on to watch the halftime show so I didn’t see many commercials, unfortunately. I did see the Paramount commercial that had Patrick Stewart in it and thought it was funny.

 

Molly Hegner, SEO Manager

Sweet Victory (Paramount Plus)

It’s definitely the Paramount Plus commercial. It had some of my favorites, like celebrities such as Shemar Moore, James Gordon, Snooki, and the best part being that they included the Spongebob “Sweet Victory” song.

 

Sydney Schulte, Content Writer

Come Together (M&M’S)

Seeing the scenarios in which people gave M&Ms as an apology was really amusing, from a guy kicking the seat of the person sitting in front of him on an airplane to mansplaining, to calling a woman “Karen” (and handing her a second bag because her name is Karen). We’ve all had moments where we’ve been the person whose seat got kicked or the seat-kicker, or the Karen or person calling someone else a Karen, and I find that relatable. They were also smart to bring in some celebrity power with Dan Levi. As a Schitt’s Creek fan, seeing him pop in for a cameo at the end was fun!

 

Alex Sheets, Senior Digital Analyst

No Way, Norway (General Motors)

 

I enjoyed the General Motors EV commercial because of the familiar faces, humor, and competitiveness surrounding it. I think it successfully got the point across that GM is driven to compete with Norway in EVs sold, which benefits everyone.

 

Zain Khan, Operations

Workout (E*TRADE)

They were able to take a common concept of “not working out” or being “physically inactive” and showcased a young boy who is inspired and just starts. The inspiration for everyone who hasn’t been investing (net new user) has been there. With the cryptocurrency conversations becoming mainstream to the type of press r/WallStreetBets on Reddit got. Investing has been on everyone’s minds and showing a young boy taking the first step towards it is powerful. I’m sure E trade’s biggest user segment has children and are middle-aged, so it’s relatable in that capacity. Everyone’s had FOMO from all the people making money post-pandemic and they are more or less “mad” about it, so they use that powerful hook at the end. “Don’t get mad.”

 

Bringing it all together

Though we weren’t able to debate which commercial was the best commercial for this year’s Super Bowl in person, we look forward to the day we’ll be able to do just that. As 2021 continues on, we’ll keep doing what we know and do best: running marketing campaigns for our clients.

 

Featured image: Screenshot via YouTube © Amazon