Hot Tips for Holiday Campaigns
As the weather gets colder and windows get frosty, arts organizations are gearing up for their annual holiday shows. But in the flurry of the season, it’s hard to keep up with the competition.
Your organization is competing with streaming services, ticket brokers, and dozens of other holiday events in your city. Plus, people are inundated with shopping ads that clutter the digital landscape. Revenue from holiday shows or end-of-year fundraising campaigns are crucial for many organizations, which means it’s time to level up your digital advertising game.
So, how do you cut through the noise, so you don’t get iced out this winter? Read on to find out!
Tip #1: Make your search strategy sparkle
If you don’t know already, Google Grants are still excellent tools for non-profits, but they need to be supplemented with paid search. Paid search allows flexibility with media budgets and provides a solid return on investment (ROI) for revenue-oriented campaigns. A sound paid search strategy also helps you combat ticket resellers and other types of SERP competition.
Next, utilize Google Ad assets (formerly known as extensions) to expand your physical presence on the SERP. Assets give you the most bang for your buck at a time when ad spend is especially high. They allow you to get more information in front of some of your best prospects: people who are already searching for you or what you offer.
If you’re already using Google Ad assets, try customizing for the holiday season. Encourage people to shop for gifts at your retail store or invite them to ring in the new year by making a donation. Keep your assets timely to attract the most clicks.
Getting Started
- Convey information visually: Use an image asset that provides a glimpse into your venue and helps searchers imagine the experience you’re offering. Image assets capture people’s attention on an increasingly visual SERP and bring a 10% increase in CTR on average.
- Increase relevance: Use callouts to provide additional information about your organization and eliminate confusion on the SERP by identifying yourself as an “Official Website” or “Official Ticket Source.” You can also highlight benefits and features such as “Free Parking” or “Student Matinees.” The sky’s the limit… within 25 characters, of course.
- Run holiday sales: Use a promotion asset to attract people looking for seasonal sales on arts and culture events. Promotion assets can be scheduled for a short time or included for the duration of a campaign.
- Highlight your full suite of offerings: Use sitelinks to spotlight subscriptions, gift cards, and donation asks alongside your holiday performances. Sitelinks operate like subheaders within your campaign, giving newcomers an overview of your organization and piquing their interest beyond your holiday production.
See It In Action
- Boston Ballet uses a performance photo for an image asset, helping searchers envision what they’ll see on stage. They use callouts like “Subscriptions Available” and “Tickets On Sale” to provide additional information about their offerings, and include sitelinks that dive deeper into the organization. “Group Tickets” is helpful for people wanting to attend a show with family and friends, while “Meet the Dancers” introduces ballet newbies to the company.
Tip #2: Satisfy sweet tooths with fresh content
When you’re advertising the same holiday show year after year, it’s hard to keep content feeling fresh. Check out these examples for inspiration as you look for creative ways to sell a familiar story and put a spin on productions audiences know and love.
Catch their attention with not-so-static images. Take a page from The Washington Ballet’s book and incorporate photos into an engaging carousel. Or, turn a static photo into a dynamic post like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra did with their Nutcracker performances.
