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Print Advertising:
Google Expands AdWords to Newspaper Print Advertising
Google recently opened up their latest expansion into traditional media advertising sales, thereby taking another big step toward becoming a one-stop shop for ad sales, whether online or offline. Having recently completed their first major push into traditional media with Audio Ads, Google has announced that Print Ads will now be available as campaigns that can be managed via the Google Adwords program. Google had previously tested print ads by buying space in several publications in 2005. While that test provided dubious results, they have, as usual, continued testing and improving the platform. Now over 225 newspapers nationwide have committed to the program, which allows Google Adwords advertisers to automatically place print ads in newspapers much the same way they place PPC keyword ads online.
On the surface print ads make a lot of sense for Google with newspaper print advertising expecting to generate about $12 billion in the US this year compared to $15 billion anticipated for search marketing, according to Piper Jaffray Investment Research.
The current publications include the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. Google is hoping to bring back some of the major advertising dollars these publications have been losing to online advertising in recent years, as well as offering small businesses the chance to legitimize their presence by advertising in these publications via an easy interface and perhaps lower cost.
Targeting, Bidding and Budgeting for Print Advertising
With a new advertising channel come new rules to follow and a new interface to learn about. Google is once again trying to apply the factors that have worked so well for them and their advertisers with keyword-based paid search and contextual advertising. Targeting, bidding, and budgeting, all play a role, though the rules have once again been adapted to fit the medium.
The centerpiece of Google’s advertising in recent years has been the ability to target where and when your ads appear. Targeting options are available to you in Print Ads, mostly centering on which publication you’d like to advertise in. While setting up a campaign you have the ability to search by target location, newspaper name, or circulation amount. You can also easily call up newspapers with a specific type of section (i.e. Health, Sports, etc.) or ones offering certain ad sizes. Once you’ve chosen the publication you want to advertise with, you’re able to choose which sections and dates your ad will appear in. Google is suggesting multiple ad placements to reinforce your message, advising you run your ads for two weeks with 2-3 insertions per week. You can’t request specific pages, however, and there’s no guarantee of competitive separation.
In this case, bidding has been replaced with an “offer” system that the publisher can choose to either accept or reject. You must make a per issue offer, though Adwords provides a calculation of what that would amount to in price per column inch or CPM (cost per thousand impressions). Pricing can vary by day, especially on Sundays when circulations are always higher. You can make an offer for an individual publication, or for a combination of newspapers from the same publisher. A unique feature is the “send a message to newspaper" function. This allows you to communicate directly to the publishers about your offer, and allows you to negotiate your price if possible. For someone unfamiliar with media buying, this can be a great way to get your feet wet in a venue that’s less intimidating. The publisher will then notify you via email whether your offer has been approved or denied.
Budgeting your ad campaigns will continue to play a role as well. You can set a weekly spending cap to stay within your budget for all of the offers you are putting in. Google is encouraging you put in more offers than your weekly budget allows. Some of your offers are likely to be rejected, so putting in more offers will keep you from your ads not appearing at all, while the weekly budget will prevent you from going over the amount you are willing to spend. Google will also set a monthly spending limit on your account. While it’s unclear exactly what factors go into this budget cap, you’re allowed to apply for a monthly spending increase if you need it. Just be careful when changing budget settings, as reducing spending limits can result in cancellations of ads you may already have ready to run.
Ad Creative Services
As far as ad creative goes, Google is once again offering a network of specialists who can help design your Print Ads, similar to the system being used for Audio Ads. All ads must also meet the guidelines set by both Google and the publisher. You’re only allowed black and white ads, but a variety of sizes will be available. Be sure to include something eye-catching in your ad, as well as an offer and call to action to your target audience. You can also use different ad creatives throughout the same campaign. Your offer does not need to include the ad itself, a detailed description is enough. A PDF of your ad is required before the close date in order for the ad to run, however. If you don’t provide a PDF by the close date, you’ll still be charged for your offer, so it is important to watch the cutoff dates. If the offer is accepted and the ad is run, you’ll be able to find a PDF “tear sheet ” which will show how your ad appeared in the publication.
There are several challenges that can arise from using this new medium. Keep track of closing dates and guidelines, as these can prevent your ad from running when you want it to, and can even result in you being charged with no ad run at all. Tracking can also be more difficult. Try to use a vanity URL or phone number specific to your ads if you can. It’s also important to know that if you already have an existing relationship with a publisher, they may choose not to deal with you via Google Print Ads at all. It will be interesting to hear over the coming months what kind of results, at what cost, people will see from this new merger between Google Adwords and traditional print advertising.
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