Have you ever thought, while you were spending most of your time planning, budgeting, and plotting all your CPA strategies for your Google ads in the hope that your Google ad will grab the attention of your target audience, that you could increase your (ROAS) return on ad spend.
However, you ended up crushing all your expectations, with your clicks and impressions increasing day by day. Still, the conversion rates are hardly touching your expectations. Now you are in a state of doubt about what went wrong.
After all the planning and effective marketing, why are your conversion rates still the same or not increasing? Well, the answer to this is pretty simple: it is what time you run your Google ads. Now, it might create several doubts in your mind about how time can affect your ad campaign.
So let us understand why it matters.
Why Timing Matters in Google Ads
Have you ever seen someone selling or throwing water balloons on Diwali, or someone wishing you a Happy New Year on Christmas Eve? Sounds weird, right? It’s just like how your ad campaign sounds when you randomly post your display ads without considering the blend of Google ads and timing.
If you are not emphasizing the proper blend of your ad campaign and timing, you are not only wasting all your planning and strategies but also hitting your arrow in the wrong direction.
A proper blend of Google ads and what is going around makes a perfect key ingredient for attracting customers. In simple terms, give the customer what they want and when they want it.
What do you want from your campaign?
Before considering any ad campaign or planning any PPC strategies, you need to ask yourself what you want from your campaign. Is it leads, impressions, sales, or conversions?
The reason behind this is the fusion of your motive and timing because timing plays a crucial role in planning what campaign you execute and what your PPC strategies should be.
Timing in lead generation
Timing in lead generation plays a significant role while managing your Google ad campaign and putting your lead generation strategy into action. Planning effective timing may help you achieve your desired leads.
For instance, a bakery offering free samples in return for an email can attract new customers. When the bakery launches a new product, instead of looking for new customers, they can easily inform the previous tasters and filter out the potential buyers. In short, a plan that can attract potential customers and turn them into loyal clients.
Elevated sales performance
Did you ever noticed why you see a ton of Cadbury ads throughout December? It’s primarily because December is the month of Christmas, and there is a significant sales increase of 20-30%.
The reason for this is that Cadbury understands the impact of timing on their sales generation. Not only Cadbury, but if you look at your local street stores, on an average day they sell day-to-day need products.
However, during special occasions, they change their focus and theme of sales. For example, during Christmas, a general store that typically sells day-to-day need products will shift their sales theme and focus more on chocolates and decorations to increase their sales.
Boost impressions
Timing is key to ensuring your ads are seen during peak times when your audience is most active. This might mean aligning your campaigns with high-traffic periods or optimizing your ad schedule based on when your target audience is online.
Increase conversion
Remember, during COVID-19, there was an initial boom in the sales of sanitizers, where brands like Purell, manufactured by GOJO Industries, saw a sales increase of over 600% in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
This was largely driven by panic buying, where any Google ads promoting campaigns related to health or safety could easily achieve conversions. This is due to the time factor and the need of your audience; the more they perceive the need, the higher the conversion rate.
Now, after all that, you might be asking what the areas of focus are in timing and Google Ads. Thus, to improve your CPA, be mindful of the following factors and strategically time your Google Ads.
Peak Times for Google Ads
Time zone
Before deciding on any other aspect or running Google Ads for the business, you should first consider what the time zone of your targeted audience is.
Focusing on the time zone plays a crucial role for your brand because running your ads when your audience is mostly not active may cause a waste of your ad campaign budget; therefore, it is one of the important factors.
You can set the time zone for your ad campaign when you first set it up. The time zone setting decides when your ads will be displayed based on the local time of your target audience. You can set specific hours or days of the week when your ads should run.
If you want your ads to show only during business hours or at times when your audience is most active, you can schedule this based on your time zone.
Festal period
The festive period offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses across various sectors. By strategically using festival-related keywords and crafting attractive ad copy, you can give your ad campaign an initial boost that, over time, can enhance your conversion rates and generate effective leads.
For example, running Google Ads for e-commerce during festive seasons can significantly drive sales and create a pool of new customers.
A notable increase in Amazon India’s performance during Diwali 2023, where the company experienced a remarkable 30% increase in sales compared to the previous year, highlights this potential. Leveraging this period effectively can lead to substantial growth for your business.
Seasonal cycle
The seasonal cycle involves fluctuations not only in the seasons but also in consumer demand and behavior. It can also impact travel patterns, thus creating a pool of opportunities and challenges for businesses like travel agencies. During high-demand seasons, such as summer or major holidays, travel demand increases significantly.
This means places are packed, and prices can be much higher. It’s a busy time with lots of people heading to popular spots. There is a valuable opportunity for running a Google ad campaign for travel agencies. With proper keywords and attractive ad copy, they can easily boost their lead generation.
The more you emphasize your keywords and the timing of the ad, the more conversions you can achieve.
Anniversary offers
Have you ever noticed when you organized a party and sent an invitation card to a thousand people, you ended up getting more than you were expecting? It is the most refined opportunity for you and the people heading to your party. You get new connections, and they get free food and entertainment.
Now, let’s replace the party with your company anniversary or founder’s birthday. The most relevant time to run your Google ad campaign where it works as an invitation card that displays your anniversary or any special occasion, where it acts as a customer magnet. You get sales and new customers, and they get offers and discounts.
Let’s take an example to make it simple. Let’s say your hotel is hitting its 16th anniversary. When people do a Google search for offers on hotel stays, your ad will pop up prominently.
This approach helps your ad to stand out and increases the chance of a potential customer clicking through and booking a stay. Using your anniversary as a hook in Google Ads and how to smartly use that hook.
Compassion in Crisis
Now, you might be wondering how a pandemic or a crisis can help us grow our brand or how this is related to your Google ad campaign. Well, have you ever noticed why Tata is so famous or why everyone trusts Tata?
The answer is pretty simple—because of their strong goodwill. Running Google ads isn’t just about conversions or leads, so it’s a misconception to think otherwise. In reality, when you talk about running Google ads, it’s not just about leads; it’s about letting your target audience know that you exist in the market.
When you incorporate messaging in your ad campaigns, like “We donate 5% of our sales to rural development or to feed those who are suffering from hunger and disease,” you will eventually achieve your sales goals. At the same time, your goodwill will start to increase, which will, in turn, build trust with your audience.
Weekends or vacations
An occasion when people are idle and want something interesting is when you don’t need to find a new audience; instead, they find you. A business like a travel agency or hotel is in its initial boost during this period.
They manage their Google ad campaign by focusing on grabbing the attention of seekers or potential customers. With all the strategy and a smart approach, they can easily align keywords that potential consumers are wishing for or dreaming about, such as weekend tours, luxury hotels, or adventure.
This allows them to plan their ad campaign timing when potential customers or people are browsing casually.
So, it is easy to grab the attention of people when they are idle or seeking entertainment or activities. You can plot visually appealing and effective ad designs with stunning images or interactive elements that make viewers imagine their next adventure.
Conclusion
While running any ad, you should not only focus on the campaign itself but also on the motive and goals behind it. Your brand speaks for you and responds to what your audience wants.
It’s not solely about what you want from your brand; it’s about how you perceive it and how that perception influences your planning. Every detail of your Google ad campaigns reflects your brand and can determine the future direction of your brand.
