Promoting Your Good Deeds with Paid Search Campaigns

By Danielle Gantos, Paid Search Supervisor, Advertising Solutions

Whether it’s improving education, saving the dolphins, preventing homelessness, or preserving the environment, we all have a cause that we’re passionate about. For every cause, there are dozens of charities asking for your donations. Search for any of these issues and you’ll even see several Paid Search ads by non-profits enlisting your help. But what’s noticeably missing from the Sponsored Links section of the SERP are ads by the corporations that partner with these charities.

Nearly every company on the Fortune 500 list engages in some sort of “corporate social responsibility”. Whether it’s redefining responsible business practices, sponsoring philanthropic events, or making charitable donations, the standard for companies in the 21st century includes more than just growing profits and keeping shareholders happy. Businesses today must invest in improving the quality of life within their local communities.

Search queries for “corporate social responsibility” are on the rise, demonstrating that consumers are becoming more aware of the concept as well:

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It makes sense then for these companies to showcase their philanthropic efforts as a means of advertising their brand. As we all know, building brand awareness and maintaining customer loyalty are just as important as driving sales and growing ROI.

There are countless examples of how companies are using Paid Search for branding purposes. So why aren’t more companies taking advantage of this channel to promote their philanthropic partnerships and charitable donations? A Harvard Business Review article from 2002 suggests that corporate philanthropy is more than just a form of public relations and advertising, it’s a tool to deliver strategic competitive advantage. If a company can better relate to and therefore win customers by actively promoting its charity sponsorships, then Paid Search is an easy and inexpensive way to bring searcher attention to these endeavors.

So, marketers, devote a small percentage of your budget to a “Corporate Giving” Paid Search campaign. Use these ads to drive traffic to the landing pages that explain how your company is giving back. Build ad copy that engages the socially-conscious consumer and bid on keywords that relate to your company’s next charitable event. The additional exposure will be mutually beneficial for both your company and the cause you’re promoting.

The basic principles of search marketing apply here as well, so use what you already know to run an effective campaign. Continue to optimize your keywords to increase efficiency and don’t assume that once the searcher gets to the site that your job is over: use your web analytics data to track how searchers engage in your site. You just might be surprised to find these visitors drive sales, or that you’ve gained a new lifelong customer.