Jani KahukiwaLearn the importance of helping your clients understand Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) when running Google Ads and Meta Ads. Our experts discuss the limitations of attribution tools and their recommendations for presenting data-based results to clients. After reading this blog, we hope you will gain insight to help build effective client communication so you can strategize for better campaign performance.
Table Of Contents
An Important Conversation
At the beginning of every collaboration, there are always some kinks to iron out. Bridging the gap between client and marketer can often be a painful process until a single objective and direction is agreed upon by everyone involved.
None more so than when discussing attribution on both Google Ads and Meta Ads platforms. Instilling trust regarding attribution is a vital part of the conversation with our clients. We’ve learned over the years that having this conversation sooner rather than later is better.
One of the reasons we insist on looking at media efficiency ratio (MER) and global metrics in equal measure is that third-party analytic platforms don’t always accurately reflect overall performance. It’s a difficult conversation to have with the client, especially when they have experience with Google Ads but not with Meta Ads.
So, how do we approach the subject with clients?
First of all, we need our clients to understand that pitting Google Ads ROAS against Meta Ads ROAS is not going to benefit anyone. Global metrics and MER are the way to move forward to avoid losing performance on one platform or the other.
Convincing a client not to focus solely on one platform is imperative. A brand awareness campaign (Facebook) could lead to a MER conversation by pulling up data on organic brand and organic search results.
We’re looking for correlations between revenue and traffic. Even when traffic is being driven by this source and not Google Ads, it is still reaping the benefits from branded conversions and branded attribution.
Data Presentation
This leads us to the topic of data presentation for clients to see how we weave our magic at Solutions 8. Line charts on sales data and ad spend data to build out the media efficiency ratio are a great visual for our clients.
We can map out ad spend and organic sales to show that when we increase spend in one place, it correlates directly to an increase in sales.
Preparation is the key; showing the client we are well-prepared and knowing that we have the data to back it up helps build trust. There’s no back-pedaling and awkward conversations down the road when it’s too late, making the marketer seem inept.
By charting MER, the client will see the correlation when you increase ad spend. And of course, it is ultimately supported by a healthy business outlook. The extra proof in organic traffic and branded traffic helps you convince the client you are well-prepared for any eventuality.
As expert marketers, it would be an easy thing to show a client the in-platform metrics and leave it at that. Point out the importance of having both metrics in front of you as you move through performance.
Google Ads metrics matter but just within Google Ads. Knowing where Google Ads has improved and understanding how it has affected the larger environment is key. If your bottom line is healthy and we are running all ad accounts, YOUR CLIENT SHOULD BE HAPPY!
What’s more, there will be occasions when your Google Ads metrics appear to be in absolute chaos. But, if your bottom line is healthy then you must trust us that we are doing what is right for your business.
Please remember that an experienced marketer can easily make a Facebook account look beautiful and successful by retargeting all day long. You’d have that 30X ROAS just like you dreamed. A month later, however, your business will be in dire straits. The proof is in the pudding. Healthy numbers for a healthy business. You can’t pull success out of thin air, just like you can’t hide dismal performance.
AN EXCELLENT MARKETING AGENCY IS FOCUSED ON YOUR BOTTOM LINE!
Google Ads And Meta Ads Work Together
So, what happens when the metrics in Facebook and Google Ads look terrible? Well, for starters, Google Ads might not pick up all the cold traffic. That’s where a Meta Ads campaign comes in handy.
The touchpoints on both platforms for impressions are numerous, especially in recent years. This impacts your costs per impression and increases your budget. Try explaining to a client that they might need to allow for 500 impressions for every purchase. No wonder they panic and want to pull the plug the moment they see “failure”.
Acquisition cost for low-value goods or services is lower than a luxury item which requires a high acquisition cost. Knowing this and preparing the client for the fact that we need to hit the luxury item user with more impressions gives a marketer some leeway in increasing the budget.
Side note: Some clients are not even spending enough to afford their customer acquisition cost!!! These clients do badly in the pay-to-play environment. Imagine if your acquisition cost is $120 per customer and you spend $30 a day. It’s going to take you three to four days just to afford a single customer. That’s when the panic sets in. That’s when clients say it’s not working and demand you change the ROAS goal.
What’s the solution in this case? Spend more money!
“IT’S NOT EASY TO CONVINCE A CLIENT TO SPEND MORE MONEY!!!” I hear you say.
Try this approach instead. If the client is concerned (read: freaking out!) why don’t you show them the last 30 days in Google Ads and NOT the seven-day time frame? ROAS goals are always related to 30 days. Making changes to the campaign based on a seven-day performance is counterproductive.
It is possible to make changes on Meta Ads more frequently and the same situation can occur on this platform. A client can freak out over poor performance in a single week and demand to change everything because it’s not working.
This compounds the issue that was there in the beginning. And, these issues might not even be significant. External factors could be responsible for poor performance. Making the account go back into optimization causes poor performance in the following weeks.
Had we done nothing, and stayed fixed on our strategy, we may have simply had one week of poor performance instead of three. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing one can do.
Psst, oh, and spend more money. Check out Solutions 8 for more nifty digital marketing tips like these.
