For any platform, having a full-funnel marketing strategy is ideal. Not only does it help you get a better idea of how you are reaching users and on what level, it also gives you an idea of how long your general sales cycle is. In this blog, I am going to cover what a full-funnel strategy looks like for Google Ads, from the content you will need at each level to the types of users we are wanting to reach. If you are interested in seeing how the funnel would be built on Facebook, check out How to Build an In-Platform Facebook Ads Funnel. If you are wanting to see how a funnel would look for an eCommerce account, check out How to Build an Ecommerce Sales Funnel to Drive Growth.
Top of Funnel – Prime
In this stage, we are wanting to prime new users who haven’t interacted with your brand yet. These users typically won’t be searching for things related to your brand, that is why a display campaign is ideal. This will allow your ads and brand name to get in front of these new potential customers without being too aggressive. We are not expecting these users to convert, so to measure success in these types of campaigns we will have to rely on metrics that measure awareness like impressions, time on page, and bounce rate. With these campaigns, we will want content that is not too aggressive but can give the user something to remember. These can be either whitepapers, blog posts, or Ebooks.
Campaign Type: Display
Performance Metrics: Time on Page, Bounce Rate, Impressions
Content: Whitepapers, Blog Posts, Ebooks
Middle of Funnel – Remind
In the middle funnel stage, we are wanting to remind users from the top of the funnel of your brand. We are also wanting to reach users who are aware of the problem they have and are already searching for the solution: aka your business. These users might have seen your ads or heard of your brand before but have not converted yet on your site. For this stage, you will want to run non-brand search campaigns and also display remarketing campaigns. For non-brand, you will want to target keywords related to your business and products. This will allow your ads to show in front of users who are searching for things your business can be a solution for. For remarketing, you will want to target the users you reached in the top of funnel campaigns. These campaigns can be measured with new user metrics and gated content metrics like downloads or webinar views. The type of content you will want to promote in these campaigns are webinars, case study’s, and expert guides.
Campaign Type: Non-Brand Search, Remarketing
Performance Metrics: New User Metrics, Gated Content Metrics
Content: Podcasts, Webinars, Case Study, Expert Guides
Bottom of Funnel – Adopt
At the bottom of the funnel, we are wanting to reach the users that are aware of your brand and your products and are ready to convert. These are the users that have already been through both other stages in the funnel and trust your brand. In this stage, you will want to run a branded search campaign and also a remarketing campaign. For branded search, you will be targeting users searching for your brand terms. For remarketing, you will be targeting the audience that engaged in the middle of the funnel. With these campaigns, you will want to offer content like consumer reports or competitor comparison pieces. To gauge performance in this stage, you will want to look at returning users, content downloads, and then also factor in whatever conversions your account tracks, whether it be “Contact Us” or “Request A Demo”.
Campaign Type: Branded Search, Remarketing
Performance Metrics: Returning Users, Content Downloads, Etc.
Content: Consumer Reports, Competitor Comparison Pieces
