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Google Ads for Nonprofits: Is it Worth the Investment?
It’s easy to have a love-hate relationship with Google.
On the one hand, Google’s free online tools, Gmail, and search engines are convenient, easy, and helpful. You can find everything you need on Google with a quick search or a “Hey Google” if you have a Google Assistant.
In the blink of an eye, Google looks through hundreds of billions of web pages and stored content to find the answer you need. It’s truly incredible.
On the other hand, Google knows all of your online activity, search history, emails, and probably much more. The idea of a Big Tech company watching your every move can give you pause when it comes to advertising too.
Despite the mixed feelings, we know Google ads can be worth the investment when executed correctly. Many nonprofits take advantage of them to expand their reach, raise awareness, spur action, and even gain donations on the spot.
But, Why Google?
Why are we talking about Google and not another website or social media network? What about mailers, billboards, and even church bulletins?
We understand the question. There are plenty of options for you to advertise with, and Google ads can sound very intimidating for those who’ve never used them before.
Remember that Google ads don’t have to utilize all your marketing dollars. Google ads can make for a well-rounded strategic marketing plan. They can also prove to be an easy fundraising method.
Experimenting with Google ads and branching into this arena could benefit your event attendance and overall donations.
Here are five reasons to take advantage of Google and invest in it for your nonprofit.
Google Is the Market Leader in Search
Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, Google and its parent company became the third tech company valued at a whopping $1 trillion in 2020.
The founders couldn’t have anticipated that happening over twenty years ago!
The company has been wildly successful, especially in search. They currently own 84.69% of the market share for global search. While this is a slight decline since 2015 (88.1%), the other search engines have captured less than 9% of the global market combined.
For further perspective, there are about 8.5 billion Google searches daily and nearly 99,000 search queries per second. Wow.
How This Benefits Your Organization:
With stats like these, it’s safe to say your donors are likely using Google daily to search for answers, shop, or find nonprofit organizations like yours. They’re searching online—maybe even as you read this! You CAN reach them with Google advertising.
In fact, not only can you reach them, but you can reach them at the right time. One of the most significant benefits of running a Google search campaign is reaching and engaging donors in the middle of their search for solutions.
For instance, say you are operating a food bank in Kansas City. Potential donors who have recently relocated to your area could search “Food Banks in Kansas City.” In addition to your website ranking on that page, you could also run a search campaign based on those specific keywords.
Perhaps your page isn’t adequately optimized to rank on a search results page, but having a search campaign will still allow your ad to appear at the very top of the page. The good news is you will only pay if someone clicks on your ad to visit your website or calls your business.
If you’re running pay-per-click search ads, don't click on your own ad by accident! It is very easy to do and can happen to the best of us.
The Size of the Google Display Network
One type of Google ad your nonprofit can use is Google Display ads. These are the graphic or video-based ads in the margins of web pages or between YouTube videos. They can appear anywhere on the Google Display Network (GDN).
According to Google the Google Display Network is, “a group of more than 2 million websites, videos, and apps where your Google Ads can appear.”
The numbers speak for themselves. Google’s Display Network is massive. It enables you to advertise all over the Internet.
Google reports their display network reaches 90% of internet users across the globe. Is your mind blown by the enormous scale of this Big Tech company’s reach?
Why Does This Matter for Your Organization?
While display ads shown on the Google Display Network will not necessarily appear during the search for solutions, they will be able to improve visibility for your ideal target audience.
Display ads are a great strategy if you need or want more awareness. By setting your ideal audience, which can include personal interests, age, or gender, Google can show your ads to this specific group no matter where they are spending their time.
You can show your ads on shopping websites, YouTube, Google Finance, and much more.
If the lack of control concerns you, there are steps you can take to make sure your ads do not appear on a website that doesn’t fit your values.
After some controversies, you can now add and edit placements to better oversee where your ads are placed and reduce fears of your ads appearing somewhere counter to your beliefs or brand.
While targeting specific individuals outside of a search might feel intrusive, it’s an automated process and common practice for Google ads. Take advantage of this advertising strategy and see how it works for you.
Campaigns for Every Strategy
Who are you targeting? What type of action do you want them to take to aid your nonprofit? If you have the answers to those questions, you can customize your advertising strategy based on your needs.
Google lists eight different ad campaigns on its Google Ads website.
Search Campaigns
Display Campaigns
Video Campaigns
App Campaigns
Local Campaigns
Smart Campaigns
Perform Max Campaigns
Shopping Campaigns
With the choices you have, you can find a campaign to fit your specific needs and budget.
Which Campaigns Are Most Worth the Investment for Nonprofits?
The answer to this question solely depends on your specific goals.
Search Campaigns and Display Campaigns are both excellent choices depending on your goals. Search is especially beneficial for reaching donors when they are searching or looking to make a decision. This campaign can lead to quick conversion (when they fill out a form on a landing page or request more information).
Display campaigns can improve awareness and visibility, but they may not result in conversion because those who see them are likely consuming other forms of content and not looking for your organization at that moment. Repeating display ads can solidify your brand recognition over time with individuals.
Video campaigns can also be valuable and more engaging, but they could require an added investment if you need to produce a video either in-house or through an agency.
Some campaigns, such as shopping campaigns, may not apply to your organization. However, we recommend being aware of each type of campaign, so you know which one will work best to reach and exceed your nonprofit goals.
No Minimum Budget
The amount of investment you put into Google Ads is entirely up to your organization. While a $1-$5 daily budget may not be enough to move the needle, you can select a substantial enough budget for results but not high enough to break the bank.
How Does Payment Work with Google Ads?
Google Ads billing and payments could be more flexible than you think. There are two primary payment methods: automatic payments and monthly invoicing.
With automatic payments, you are charged after your ads run—either thirty days after your last charge or after you reach your threshold (this is a preset amount). It will be whichever comes first. You can choose to pay at any time to manage your cash flows and costs.
Monthly invoicing involves having a credit line with Google. You have to be eligible based on specific requirements. This option involves accruing monthly costs and then paying them off within an agreed-upon timeframe.
You will likely start with automatic payments if you are just starting out.
Setting Budgets with Google
To ensure you don’t overspend, you can set up budgets with Google. You can set daily and monthly spending limits to prevent going over budget. You can also set an average daily budget.
We recommend starting small and seeing how it goes. Your budget should be the cap you’re willing to spend, and as you see success, you can decide whether to invest more or make changes.
Detailed Analytics on Ads
Speaking of seeing how it goes, you will have access to all the information you need to evaluate performance with Google.
As the master of data, Google will constantly collect data as your ads run, so you can track the success of all your campaigns and receive insights so you can make adjustments. With access to your Google Ads account, you can create custom reports showcasing the performance data of your ads.
Tracking Ad Success
There are two main ways to track your ad success: cost-per-click (CPC) and return on investment (ROI).
Cost-per-click will show you how much you’re spending per each individual click on your ads.
The cost can increase or decrease over time depending on your keywords and their popularity. (The more competition for keywords, the higher the cost-per-click because you are competing with other advertisers.)
If you’re trying to raise funds through ads by directing those who click to a dedicated FundEasy landing page, you can also evaluate the total amount of funds raised through your ads and compare them to your cost-per-click.
This is also the way to calculate return on investment. If you take the funds you raise directly through a landing page and subtract the cost per ad to get the profit, then divide it by the total cost, you will end with an ROI percentage.
In other words, this formula: (Total funds raised - Total cost for ads)Total cost for ads 100% = ROI
You want to see a positive number and one that justifies the time spent to create and manage the ads. With your team, you can compare cost-per-click and return on investment and decide whether it’s working or not working.
With the right ad and strategy, Google ads can be worth the investment for any organization, especially nonprofits.
What if It’s Just Not Working?
Google ads do require time and skill. If this isn’t something you envision yourself managing, finding an agency or hiring someone with Google ads experience or certification to lead the charge can benefit your organization.
If you see that the campaign you selected isn’t panning out for some reason or want to take a break for evaluation, you can always pause your ads. You can also delete your entire Google Ads account at any time.
FundEasy Can Play a Major Role in Google Ad Success
With FundEasy’s Crowdfunding, you can create a landing page for a specific crowdfunding fundraising goal to link to your Google ads. Anyone who sees your ad will be taken directly to your page to donate.
If you decide to use your Google ad instead to advertise a specific event, you can share a FundEasy Attendance landing page and track new registrants.
Whether an event or a nonprofit crowdfunding campaign, you can share your custom, branded landing page link to your ad for greater visibility and traffic. You will see the funds or registration numbers in real-time as your Google ads get the word about your nonprofit organization out to your ideal audience.
Final Thoughts on Investing in Google Ads
After this thorough exploration of the worth of a Google ads investment, you probably came to a few conclusions on your own. Here are some of the key takeaways for you to consider as well as you consider Google ads for your nonprofit.
Google ads can be worth the investment.
You can choose a campaign to meet your goals best.
You can set your budget not to overspend.
If Google ads aren’t working, you can make adjustments to ensure they do.
You can cancel at any time and are not locked in.
Running successful ads can take skill to run and evaluate, so you may consider hiring a specialist or working with an agency.
FundEasy can provide the landing pages you need to link to your ads to raise money or collect registrations.
Check out FundEasy’s blog for more information and helpful research for successful fundraising!
If you’re interested in one of FundEasy’s three software solutions: Attendance, Crowdfunding, or Peer-to-Peer, schedule a time to speak with us.
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Madison Hull
This article was inspired by our customers and written to encourage your fundraising efforts. Although we work with nonprofits and events daily, our team members are not Event Consultants. We encourage you to consult with your event consultant, executive team, and/or affiliate organization before making any major changes to your events.