Why connected TV advertising? Let’s start with the fact that it’s where a growing number of consumers are choosing to spend their leisure time.  According to data from ComScore, for example, connected TV viewing rose 21% in May of 2023 compared with the same period the year before.

As a result, the competition for viewers’ attention is also on the rise. One forecast suggests that CTV ad spending will grow more than 10% between now and 2028. It’s not just the large numbers of people watching. Connected TV ads are reaching a highly engaged audience that can be targeted in increasingly sophisticated ways.

If you’re trying to make some last-minute marketing investments amid the holiday season – or simply trying to sell off excess inventory in January and beyond – using Google Promotions and CTV ads could be a smart idea.

How do Google promotions work with connected TV advertising?

The business case for using Google Promotions has been firmly established by now. It’s an effective way to distribute product offers across multiple Google properties, including the Shopping tab, Chrome and Search. Mastering Google Promotions can allow you to compare multi-screen traffic, increase conversions and boost your marketing campaigns’ click through rate (CTR), all while building your brand.

Google has made it easy to extend your reach with connected TV ads, particularly based on audiences you’ve already developed through visitors to your web site or those who have downloaded your mobile app. The basic process is as follows:

1.   Log into Google Merchant Center and opt to build a campaign using Display and Video 360.
2.   Select a first-party data audience list.
3.   Add the audience list to your insertion order or line item. This may be similar to how you’ve booked campaigns for mobile or the web.

Google will then ensure your ads can reach those consuming content on smart TVs, OTT and other connected TV devices.

Measuring the results of connected TV advertising using Google Promotions

Of course, investing in any emerging digital marketing channel carries with it concerns of whether you’ll achieve your desired goals. If you’re counting on a Google ads promotion to drive sales amid the holidays, for example, you probably can’t afford to make a wrong choice.

Fortunately, Google has continued to introduce new capabilities that help ensure alignment between your eCommerce goals and your campaign effectiveness. These include:

Optimized targeting

Using its own artificial intelligence (AI) applications, Google has said it can help brands not only reach their desired audiences but help them find consumers most likely to respond to CTV ads. This can help strike a balance between precision advertising and not overstepping on consumer privacy or turning to third-party cookies.

Identity reconciliation

Consumers don’t like feeling as though they’re being pursued relentlessly around the web by a brand. Google said it will help avoid this by distinguishing between those who have visited a brand’s site vs. that of a publisher. This will turn connected TV advertising into a more focused channel, where consumers are served a campaign when it’s most relevant.

Reach Planner

Is YouTube your best option for CTV ads? What about Roku, Hulu or one of many other streaming services? Google’s toll allows you to evaluate these publishers based on incremental as well as unique reach. This can build greater confidence in the connected TV advertising decisions you make with Google Promotions.

Unique Reach Overlap

Managing ad frequency is important because it’s easy to unnecessarily duplicate efforts over multiple CTV devices. By offering a greater understanding on where they’re driving the greatest performance with their Google Promotions with connected TV ads, Google is letting you maximize return on investment (ROI).

How does connected TV advertising open up opportunities for localized Google Promotions?

Traditionally, brands have advertised on linear TV by purchasing a spot from a network operator. These spots were then converted into a CPM based on the number of households reached.

CTV ads tend to be purchased a little differently. Brands often buy inventory directly from the publisher, or programmatically using a demand side provider (DMP).

Using Google can offer a more streamlined approach given that many brands are already seeding Google Promotions with ads to run across multiple channels. Google also offers what it calls Deal ID forecasting, which helps advertisers understand how a Preferred Deal or Programmatic Guaranteed deal might perform before it runs.

With a service called Instant Reserve, meanwhile, Google lets you book premium placements on its YouTube connected TV advertising inventory. This includes YouTube TV and YouTube Select.

Regardless of how you book, CTV advertising opens up opportunities to target audiences based on demographics and interests, such as high-income households who are predisposed to fashion and lifestyle content. Connected TV ads also support geotargeting, which allows you narrow campaigns even further to designated neighbourhoods or other areas.

That means consumers watching a fashion show being streamed through a CTV service could also be served local Google Promotions that identify clothing and accessories they could buy at a nearby store. The same tactic could work for eCommerce brands that prioritize fast shipping close to their manufacturing sites.

In this way, pairing Google Promotions and Connected TV advertising could complement the work you’re already doing by running local inventory ads (LIAs) when consumers are searching on the web.

Why successful CTV ads and Google Promotions rely on optimized product feeds

Remember that connected TV advertising tends to focus on the end result: what appears on the screen. To ensure consumers see relevant Google Promotions, you must avoid any errors in how product data feeds from your catalog.

An automated solution supports this by mapping the relevant promotional ID to products within Google Merchant Center that will appeal to the target audience on CTV. This improves campaign planning and goal-setting. Using a platform that allows frequent updates to reflect changes in inventory levels will ensure that CTV ads only showcase Google Promotions for available products, providing peace of mind.

Consider utilizing a product feed management solution as you conduct pilot projects using CTV ads for localized Google ads promotions during peak buying periods like the holidays. Then, based on the results, you can be prepared to scale further as streaming audiences continue to grow

For a close-up look at how Suvae.org can get your product data feeds in a position to make use of connected TV advertising, get in touch and see a demo today.

Related Articles

• The New Omnichannel Experience Retailers Must Master
• Why Google Shopping Local Inventory Ads are a Must-Do For Marketers
• Essential Feed Optimization Techniques for Google Merchant Center

The post Connected TV ads: Using Google Promotions for Local Reach appeared first on Suvae.org.

Although some grocery shopping begins with planning at home, many consumers decide to make a trip to their local store in the moment, while on the move. Local search ads, much like local inventory ads (LIAs), are increasingly the way they decide where they’ll go to buy their favorite foods.

What are Local Search Ads?

When consumers search for a term like “grocery store,” there are any number of brands that might show up in results based on the search engine optimization (SEO) quality of their content. In this case, however, consumers want the most relevant suggestions, which means identifying grocery stores nearby. This is where local search ads can help.

Using location extensions within Google Merchant Center (GMC), for example, local search ads ensure that Google will run the ads above more general search results and even provide directions to minimize the time spent traveling to get to a grocery store.

Benefits of Local Search Ads

Consumers are becoming more thoughtful than ever before in where they grocery shop. This is in part due to rising food costs, but also because they know they can quickly compare multiple brands at once with a quick search on their smartphones. As a result, greater competition has been a rising trend across the grocery sector.

Local search ads on Google Maps can make sense as a response to this trend because they focus on the convenience of shopping for groceries at the nearest possible store.

Other benefits include:

• A more effective use of your digital advertising budget: While other marketing tactics could nurture customers over time, local searches are often tied to more immediate purchase intent. This can mean a greater return on investment (ROI) for pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.
• More data for analysis and insights: Tracking the path to purchase from local searches to in-store visits can help you see opportunities to optimize your website and other aspects of the digital experience you’re delivering to potential customers.
• Details that drive decisions: Consumers don’t just need to know which stores operate in their neighborhood. They also want to ensure they don’t show up when a store has closed, or whether it offers more than one way to get the items they want. Local search ads on Google Maps provide plenty of room to include particulars such as store hours and whether they offer delivery or in-store pickup.

Google Local Search Ads vs. Local Inventory Ads

Grocery stores aren’t limited to local advertising campaigns based on search ads alone. Successful brands also take advantage of local inventory ads (LIAs), which provide even more granular specifics about a brand’s products to help customers shop.

Instead of a generic search for “grocery stores,” for example, consumers might be shopping with a special ingredient in mind. A Google LIA could highlight that ingredient – whether it’s a kind of bread, a sauce, or a cut of meat – to confirm it’s in stock at a nearby location.

This goes a step further than Google business ads that are based on a grocery store’s Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). Instead of simply verifying a business is operating and listing its store locations, a Google LIA lets you feature products that are part of an overall Google Shopping campaign by linking the Business Profile with GMC and Google Ads.

A Google LIA also requires having accurate, up-to-date data on your product availability, which is supported by a product feed management solution. This is why leading grocery brands like Carrefour have worked with Suvae.org to help manage their LIAs.

Best practices for running local campaigns as part of a successful marketing strategy

A Google Local Inventory Ads can work hand-in-hand with Google Local Search Ads to provide the kind of immediate, comprehensive information consumers want and expect. Make sure you consider the following as you begin exploring further:

How will seasonality influence customer needs?

Grocery stores know it’s time to showcase turkeys in their stores as holidays like Christmas get closer, or to vegetable skewers when barbecue season arrives. Consumers may be increasing local searches amid these seasonal periods as their schedules get busier, so use the right ad tools to reach them.

What will drive long-term customer loyalty?

Customers will be grateful to find a local grocery store when they’re in a pinch, but they may go out of their way to return if they can get a good deal. Think about how you could use local search advertising to boost the effectiveness of discounts and other promotions.

Where will the customer journey take people?

Consumers may prefer to not only search online but buy that way too. Enabling e-commerce options provides greater flexibility and can be highlighted as part of local advertising campaigns. Don’t stop there, though: think through whether customers will shop locally because they want a shorter distance for shipping, or whether you should offer in-store or curbside pickup. If they come in-store, strive to offer personalized campaigns that can build a unique and emotional connection with your brand.

Take the next step with local advertising campaigns

If you haven’t already, set up your Google Business Profile so that it can be easily connected with GMC and you can begin leveraging location extensions in search ads.

Much like the products you’re advertising, meanwhile, your business is likely in a state of constant change. You can avoid the risk of outdated or incomplete details in your profile by connecting with a partner like Suvae.org which specializes in business listing management. This includes curating, optimizing, and distributing all the data necessary to rise in search rankings and gain more search traffic.

When it comes time to pair local search ads with a Google LIA, work with a partner like Suvae.org to allow inventory data to be updated easily and consistently, while also taking away the manual effort that can otherwise put a strain on your resources.

Grocery stores are the ultimate example of the kind of local business consumers depend upon. Make their lives easier and grow your business by connecting with Suvae.org to make the most of search advertising.

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