What's a branded campaign, and why does your local business need to give it a try? Read this blog post to learn the five reasons you should run a branded campaign!

Let's start by defining branded campaigns.

What Is a Branded Campaign?

Branded campaigns are online advertising campaigns that involve paying to show up as an ad when a local consumer searches for your business's name.

As with other types of ads, your business bids on specific keywords when you want your ads to show up when a consumer searches for that keyword. With a branded campaign, you are bidding on your business's name so that your ads show up in those searches.

We are often asked, “Why should I bid on my own business name?” when we are creating a paid advertising strategy.

Even if it seems like you shouldn't be paying to serve ads to people who already know your business, there are a few reasons why you should bid on your business name.

Five Reasons to Run a Branded Campaign

1. Your business will take up more space on the search results page.

There's a trick that you can use to show up on the same search results page multiple times: branded campaigns!

Even if you're already showing up in the local maps section and the organic section, your business can get even more real estate on the page by showing up in the ad section once.

This combats a couple of common problems businesses face when trying to show up in search results:

• Google algorithm changes that could have a negative effect on your website's rankings
• Competitors showing up when your customers search for your business (this happens more often if your industry is in your business name, for instance "Bob's Roofing"

And, even if you already show up in the top spot for your business's name in organic rankings and in the local map section, there's still a widely used section on that page where you want to be: the ad section!

Make sure you show up three times, in the organic, maps and ads sections, while your competition only shows once or twice. 

2. You'll benefit from more effective ads and quicker turn-around times.

You know what's difficult and takes a lot of time? Having a web developer update your website every time your business runs a new promotion or features a new product/service.

Skip the wait times by updating your ads instead. Typically, an update to your ads takes significantly less time than updating your website.

Branded ad campaigns can also be more effective in directing users to the exact page they are looking for, while organic results typically send them to your homepage.

This is more likely to lead to a call, email, or request for directions to your store. The fewer clicks a user goes through, the better. It’s all about user experience, and a branded ad that leads to a conversion-friendly landing page is your best option.

3. Not to put peer pressure on you, but your competitors are probably bidding on your business's name.

When you're running a successful business, your competitors notice.

They want the business you have, and they are willing to do what it takes to get it, even bid on your name. When your competitor is bidding on your name, they can also show up in search results when someone searches for your business.

This means that the searcher may end up choosing your competitors even after searching for your business specifically.
But, running a branded campaign can help fix this.

Your ad will end up being more relevant to both the searcher and the ads platform, so you’ll usually show above your competition, stopping them from stealing your business.

4. Promote brand recognition and recall.

Users don’t always make a purchase after they’ve clicked on your ad the first time.

Instead, they do their research. Between reading reviews, checking out your social media and weighing the options in front of them, consumers engage and interact with your business online multiple times before making a choice.

For example, a user may be looking for a contractor to replace their roof. They will search for roofers, go to a few websites, read reviews, ask their neighbors, etc.

They’ve clicked on your ad and done their research; now they are ready to get a quote from the contractors they think will meet their needs. Instead of searching “roofers” again, the user types in your business name to find you directly. Your ad shows up; they click to call, and you’ve set the appointment.

This also works when customers want to use your business again. They search for you and your branded campaign jumps in to save the day!

5. Branded ad campaigns are actually pretty budget-friendly!

Branded ads are great for your budget for a few reasons:

• Branded search terms have less competition than industry search terms, so you end up paying less for those keywords.
• A branded search tends to come from someone who is already ready to make a purchase, so the branded ad is likely to close the deal.
• While some of your competition may be bidding on your business's name, your ad is more relevant, and you’ll pay less than they will.

Final Thoughts

Consumers want you to make it as easy as possible to interact with your business online. Branded ads not only allow you to send them to targeted landing pages, but they're less expensive. And, they help you take up more room on the search result page.