When it comes to setting up a Paid strategy for your business, whether you are an agency or an end client, you should ask yourself a series of very important questions, such as, for example, do youwhere in the funnel do I start?
Each part of the funnel pursues a specific goal, with a specific very different timing, KPIs, creatives and results. This question will therefore depend on many factors. As this is not the subject of today's content, I will simply summarise the factors to be taken into account in a number of points:
- Business objective: What does the company need at the moment?
- Brand maturity levelYou should ask yourself if it is a new brand, if it already has a certain level of traffic or if it is consolidated.
- Budget available: if it is low it would start with BOFU (more direct and measurable conversions); in the case of medium-high, it would be possible to attack several stages of the funnel at the same time and with a high budget it would be ideal to use full funnel.
- Hearings available.
- Offer and value proposition: if it is a complex product or with a long decision cycle you would start from the top (TOFU + MOFU). However, when it is a simple or impulse buy product, you can go straight to BOFU.
- Measurability.
- Creative resources available.
- Purchasing cycle and type of industry.
However, as I have already mentioned, each part of the funnel has very different characteristics, so the question is how we could combine Branding (Top of Funnel) with Performance (Middle and Bottom of Funnel) in the same funnel.
Branding campaigns
As we already know, branding campaigns allow you to increase brand recognition and brand equityThe aim is for the consumer to begin to build an image and an idea of it, i.e. to be able to see and feel it, seek to stay top-of-mind among your audiences against your competitors.
Although the Branding campaigns do not generate results immediately but in the long term and require constant investment to maintain this image over time, do go a long way to charting the path to future conversions.
Key KPIs:
The Branding campaigns are more difficult to measure than Performance because their results are intangible (emotional impact, recall and consumer perception) and are measured indirectly.
- Impressions.
- Scope.
- Frequency.
- Videoviews.
- % display.
- Interactions.
Performance campaigns
On the other hand, the Performance campaigns belong to the middle and lower part of the funnel. In contrast to branding campaigns, this type of campaign generates concrete results (sales, leads, clicks, etc.) in a more immediate way (short and medium term). They aim to achieve a direct return on investment.
Key KPIs:
- Conversions.
- Conversion value.
- CPA.
- ROAS.
- Conversion rate.
- Clics.
- CTR.
- CPC.
- Impressions.
Such campaigns are best implemented when you already have an audience and traffic in placeYour brand is already in the consumer's mind and, above all, you have the necessary means to carry out a good measurement (well configured tracking).
How to combine performance and branding in the same funnel?
Now that we have a better understanding of each type of campaign and are aware of the differences between the two, let's work out how we can combine them in the same funnel.
First we need to understand what it means to combine them in the same funnel. Well, it means that we can integrate both strategies in one funnel. continuous marketing flowwhere each part of the funnel is aligned to make them work together with a specific message, target, metrics and type of campaign.
Therefore, it is about linking the emotional part of branding with the more tactical part of the performance strategy, with long and short term results.
In this way, you should create a common thread between the two strategies, and generate a progressive experience:
First, through a Branding strategy, you must create demand and "attract attention". Next, interest is built and then finally the performance strategy will be executed to capture that demand and convert just when the user is ready.
At every step you take within this same funnel, the type of message, the creative and campaign objective The goals you set are crucial in order to achieve the set objective and a good profitability.
Practical example
Let's say you run a clothing shop:
1. First you start with a branding campaigneither through the Meta platform or Youtube (Google). This will help you to raise awareness of your brand and its value.
You should primarily address a broad publicwith an interest in fashion, design, etc. with the aim of reach as many users as possible.
Finally, it should not be forgotten that in this part of the process, the message, which should be emotional, relatable, with attractive images and videos about the brand. (highlighting the characteristics that differentiate it from its competitors).
2. Once you have broadened your audience and attracted attention among users, the next step would be to generate traffic and qualified leads (to a landing page, website, social networks, etc.) targeting those people who have seen your ads before or you can also create audiences Look a Like.
Following the previous message (setting up a connection), in this case you should start to nurture their purchasing decision, being more direct in conveying a new message and establishing a CTA. Images should focus more on the product or service being offered.
3. Finally, we come to the performance part, purely for sale.
Once you have made yourself known and generated more user interest in what you have to offer, you should go straight to the sale using remarketing audiences to the "hottest" users (website visitors, those who have saved a product, etc.).
The Search campaigns, Shopping, PMax, conversionsetc., will help you to achieve your goal.
In this case the message is direct, offering pills for the user to finally buy (discounts, best-selling products, etc.).
Branding and Performance: the essential combination for results and growth
Ultimately, despite the differences between the two, it could be said that when you establish your own paid strategy for your business, Without branding, performance campaigns are less effective (your audience will be smaller) and without performance, branding will not convert and be profitable.
Combining both strategies is not only an advisable option, but a necessity in such a competitive digital environment. Branding builds the trust, recognition and emotional connection that allows the user to remember and consider you. PerformanceIn turn, it capitalises on this interest and converts it into tangible results.
Today, more than ever, the short-term profitability and long-term sustainability must go hand in hand. Designing a funnel that integrates both perspectives will allow you to engage, educate and convert your audience at every stage of their journey, maximising the efficiency of your advertising spend and generating sustained growth for your brand.
