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We’re People, Not Robots

I read an article by Kevin Klein over at PPC Hero that really resonated with me, and I figured I would elaborate on the topic with you. I find this post to be especially relevant around the holidays, when everything is a little more sentimental, heartfelt, and personal. Before I dive into the subject matter, I’m going to give you a few examples and see if you can guess where I’m going with this.

I did a Google search for “necklace for my mom” and here’s what showed up:


Engraved Mom Necklaces – (company name)

Necklaces for Mom. Silver, Gold, Birthstone & More to Choose From.


Necklace For Mom – the Ultimate Gift for Moms.

Order For Christmas. Free Shipping!


Necklace For Mom

25% Off + Free Shipping No Minimum!

Shop Online & Order Today.


 

There’s nothing wrong with these PPC ads. Really, there isn’t. But to tell you the truth, it seems like robots wrote the ad copies. Robots marketing to other robots. I don’t know about you, but I’m no robot, and neither is my mother.

Kevin Klein’s post centers around the concept that often times, marketers forget who we’re selling to – human beings. It’s easy to get lost in the everyday grind of metrics, conversions, call tracking, and spreadsheets. It’s important to step back from data and metrics littered with numbers and think to yourself: Who am I marketing to? What are their motives? What do they care about? Who is my target audience, as individuals?

It’s no secret that we’re not placing as much emphasis on face to face communication with the rising popularity of social media. However, digital marketing doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a healthy balance between statistics from your account and getting to really know your customer. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but this is something Smarter Searches takes time to do and excels in. We know that people aren’t cookie-cutter shapes lined up and ready to be “conversions”. People have unique needs, wants, and they crave compelling reasons to click. Below, I’ve listed out some practical ways to appeal to your customer (yes, your customer – not your “click”.)

  1. Imagine your user behind their computer.  I’m a 27-year-old Internet-savvy woman that needs to buy a special necklace for my mother. I’m less concerned about price, and more concerned about the type, quality, and uniqueness of the necklace. Therefore, an ad that’s heavy on “special offers” wouldn’t necessarily appeal to me. Rather, an ad that has sentimental value such as “Put her children’s birthstones in a necklace for a truly unique gift” is going to get me clicking.
  2. Create several different ads for different kinds of people.  As I’ve mentioned before, people aren’t one size fits all. Whether you’re using Facebook advertising, Google pay-per-click, or any other form of digital marketing, you need to cater to different people’s personalities. Using the necklace example, your potential customer could be a husband looking for his wife, a woman buying for her sister, or in my case, a daughter purchasing a gift for her mother. Write ads to cater to each of these audiences, and you’ll be guaranteed to appeal to a potentially diverse crowd.
  3. Tell a compelling story.  To put it simply, don’t speak AT your customers, speak TO them. This instantly humanizes your brand and puts a little heart behind your messages. It’s great to market offers, deals, and discounts, but sprinkling a little sentiment behind your story works wonders. Give people reasons to click because you’re a good company, and you care about their wants and needs. It’s amazing how far a little compassion goes in advertising – because it’s very rare.

Use these tips in your marketing efforts and I promise, a little will go a long way. Behind every conversion or phone call is a click, and behind every click is a person.

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