Question: What difference would it make for your organization if you could get $120,000 per year in free advertising? Good news: you can. Join VolunteerMatch and Eric Facas, founder and CEO of Media Cause, to learn the basics of the Google Ad Grants program. Eric walks you through how to take advantage of this free "perk," as well as strategies for getting started with your account. We also cover more advanced techniques including supporter growth, volunteer recruitment, and how this program could help supercharge your online engagement.

1. How to Socialize Your
Volunteer Recruitment
with Google Ad Grants
December 3, 2014
#vmlearn

2. Your Speaker
2
#vmlearn
Eric Facas
Founder, CEO
Media Cause
eric@mediacause.org
@ericfacas
mediacause.org

3. What is Google Ad Grants?
 $120,000/yr in free advertising on Google.com for
eligible nonprofits.
 Grantspro gives qualified nonprofits $480,000/yr in
free Google ads.
 Step 1: Review eligibility requirements and apply
IMMEDIATELY at Google.com/nonprofits
 Step 2: Apply for Google Ad Grants within the Google
for Nonprofits interface once approved.
 Step3: Find help! Learn, hire, or find a volunteer.

4. Agenda For Today
1. The Fundamentals: Spend Your Grant
2. Integrated Approach: Create Tangible Value
3. Case Study: Google Ad Grants + Email = $
Ask questions!

5. 25% of Clicks
75% of
Clicks
75% of Clicks
Google Ads 101
 Over 3 billion
searches on Google
a day
 Advertisers bid on
“keywords”; each
search is a real-time
auction
 Advertisers only pay
when someone clicks
on their ad
 Google Ad Grants
have a $2 maximum
CPC (cost per click)

6. Essentials Search Glossary
 Keywords: Up to 10 Ads are shown every search query
 Ad Rank: Maximum CPC (cost per click) x Quality Score
 Quality Score is comprised of the following:
- Click through rate % (CTR)
- Landing page quality & relevancy
- Relevance of ad copy
- Historical performance & machine learning
 Account Structure
Campaigns: Top level account structure
(tied to programs or goals)
Ad Groups: 15 - 30 Keywords
3-4 Text Ads per group
Ads are tied to Landing Pages

7. Search Is Only As Effective As Your Website
 Lots of high quality content -- only able to run ads
on keywords that match a page on your website
 Site must educate, inspire action and give
people easy ways to get involved
 Conversion tracking set up for all goals

8. Build Your Keyword List w/ the Long Tail
58% of
searches use
between 2-4
words
Average Global Search Phrase Length
SOURCE: Experian Hitwise – Oct
2009
 Local orgs should aim for 1,000+ keywords
 National orgs should aim for 5,000+ keywords

9. Add Keywords Without Hurting
Relevancy
FIND MORE KEYWORDS
 Google Suggestions
(below search results)
 Keyword Planner
(in AdWords)
 Any thesaurus
OPTIMIZATION TIPS:
 Remove poor performing
keywords once a month
 Test new ones

10. Family Abuse Facts
10
Family Violence
Learn More - Get the latest family
violence facts here.
www.futureswithoutviolence.org
3.32% CTR
Family Abuse
Get the facts on family abuse here &
learn how you can help stop it.
FuturesWithoutViolence.org
5.56% CTR

11. Family Abuse
Get the facts on family abuse here &
learn how you can help stop it.
FuturesWithoutViolence.org
Family Violence
Learn More - Get the latest family
violence facts here.
www.futureswithoutviolence.org
11
 Headline should be hyper
relevant to the query – include
the exact keyword
 Include an informative and
empowering call to action
 Test 3-4 variations at all times
 Remove the worst performer

every month 
5.56% CTR
3.32% CTR
How to Write Effective Ads

12. Homepage Vs Targeted Landing Page
Conversion Rate = <1% Conversion Rate = 12.59%

13. Keep Forms as Short as Possible
Conversion Rate = 50% Conversion Rate = 74.6%
 Is all this information necessary
at this point in the relationship?
 4 fields is the ideal length

14. Next Step: Resources for Account Management
Google Ad Grants Help
Center
(https://support.google.com/adwords)
Google Adwords Certification
(https://www.google.com/partners/)
Google Ad Grants Whitepaper
(http://help.mediacause.org/google-grants)
Ask Us Anything
@MediaCause
(https://twitter.com/mediacause)

15. The Integrated Marketing Approach:
Google Ad Grants & Email
#BetterTogether

16. People Rarely Search For Places to Give $
Nonprofits search
for donors, not the
other way around.
There are two exceptions: Brand terms & disaster relief

17. What Are People Searching For?
Information!
Monthly Google Search Volume
(Per Campaign)
“About The Rainforest” – 5,000,000
“Deforestation” – 457,000
“Save the Rainforest” – 33,000
“Rainforest Charities” - 880
Information based searches
+ “Creative” email capture
Sign a petition, learn more
+ Email, social follow/share
Get involved, share with friends
+ Email, social engagement
Recruit Volunteers/Donations

18. A Better Approach: Build Communities
1. Put the needs of the community 1st
2. Share content that informs and
inspires
3. Celebrate wins, challenges and
progress together
4. Engage communities to drive
organizational goals/success
 Daily: Community Goals 1st
 Campaigns: Org Goals 1st

19. What is an Email Worth?
www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2009/11/11/whats-an-email-address-worth-just-calculate-it.html

20. Prominent Placement for Newsletter Signups
 Highly visible, above the fold
 Test different button colors & calls to action

21. Messaging Matters, Test & Measure
 Test “newsletter” alternatives like Get
Involved, Stay Informed

22. Incorporate Advocacy Campaigns
 Peel Ads can be added throughout a site
to drive petitions signups or other actions

23. Slide-Ins / Pop-ups for Engaging Content
 Blogs are a great place to recruit
supporters, but set frequency caps

24. Email Gates for Best Digital Content
 Use AdWords and
Google Analytics to
determine the most
popular content

25. Mobile Is No Longer The Future
20% - 50% of site
traffic is likely
from mobile
> 50% of email are
opened on phones

26. Case Study
Getting Social & Creating Value
With Google Ad Grants

27. Case Study – Cornell Lab of Ornithology

28. Initial Strategy
Saw a picture, maybe listened to the owl call, then left
Googled “screech owl” and landed on the AllAboutBirds.org species account

29. Community Building Strategy in Action
Web Visitors Capture Emails Donors
 It’s all about email capture and turning
anonymous traffic into supporters
 Create lead capture opportunities based on
what visitors are looking for… pull them in for
more information

30. Create A Value Exchange
Segmentation &
precision targeting
lead to greater
success.

31. Nurture New Supporters
A “Welcome Series” triggered by filling out a form:
 Immediate - thank you email
 3 days later – More Owl Sounds, Macaulay Library “Voices
of North American Owls”
 6 days later – NestWatch Build an Owl Nest Box, YouTube
Eastern Screech Owl and Barred Owl videos
 12 days later – Invitation to Join the Lab
Ongoing communication:
 New supporters are added to monthly eNewsletter
 Fundraising campaign appeals and membership drives
(periodic)

32. Strategy in Action
Don’t forget to say THANK YOU!
Donate/Join for the first time via email
Begin receiving monthly eNews and email
solicitations
Learn more about the Lab through triggered emails
See offer to download owl sounds in exchange for email address
Google “screech owl” and land on the AllAboutBirds.org species account

33. Year One Results
 Increased email
capture rate from
0.2% to 5.98%.
 Increased our
email file by 56%
(522k as of 4/1)
 Doubled online
fundraising over
prior year
 60% of first-time
donors are
coming from
online

34. Your Mission, If You Choose To Accept It
What if we spent $1 billion per year promoting the
organizations that make the world a better place?
Thank You !!!
We only need 2084 nonprofits to spend their maximum
Grantspro budget – Sign up & share with friends!

35. What About Facebook?
Sign & share the petition for #FacebookAdGrants
http://Change.org/facebookadgrants

36. Thank You! Questions?
Eric Facas
eric@mediacause.org
@EricFacas
Media Cause
Mediacause.org/blog
@MediaCause

37. For more free webinars:
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
#vmlearn