In times when social media and ad space is oversaturated with content, like during the holiday season and political elections, it can be difficult for brands to break through the noise and get their content noticed.
This year, political ad spending is projected to total $9.9 billion, according to the latest U.S. advertising forecast from GroupM. That would be up from $6.3 billion in 2016, when President Trump was elected. While television ads and direct mail campaigns will account for around half of all media spending, candidates are expected to invest in growing services such as OTT (Over-The-Top) and CTV (Connected TV).
With election content currently taking over television, internet and streaming ad space, where can brands find room to compete? These aggressive times can be difficult to navigate, but with the right marketing strategies set in place, brands can successfully achieve it.
Produce Content That Provides Relief From Competitive Overload
During competitive times of the year, consumers will begin to search for content unrelated to oversaturated topics. Whether your audience is searching for cute puppy videos or comedic relief, there will be greater pressure for high-quality content that breaks through the noise of political or holiday marketing.
Inbound marketing channels, such as social media platforms and blogging, may be the best option to reach your audience without getting lost. Brands should tailor their advertisements to provide entertainment and relief through high-quality and digestible content.
Avoid Overpopulated Keywords
During election season specifically, Facebook guidelines are heightened and will crack down on any false facts being promoted. While this may not seem like a problem for non-political brands, every word posted is monitored and filtered to flag any messaging even slightly related to a political topic
For example, if your brand services the sustainable energy industry, some keywords may be flagged because global sustainability is a common topic in political campaigns. This makes it challenging for brands to produce the messaging they want in a high-stakes time of year.
Our advice for navigating your messaging: Unless your brand is providing election-related services, it’s best to avoid political topics and keywords entirely.
Focus on High-Value Audience Targeting
When fighting for ad space, it’s important to limit your targets to reach your most valuable audience, or in other words, the audience that’s most likely to engage with your content and promote conversions. Our advice for reaching your target audience when space is limited:
- Utilize CRM data. Analyze how your content has been interacted with in past, current and potential customers and find out what works best for your audience
- Shift your budget away from top advertising platforms and focus on newer ad spaces such as YouTube or Google Discover Ads
- Focus on social media advertising that reaches a defined audience and take advantage of hashtags for organic exposure
- Shift broadcast and cable budgets to Connected TV, which includes Hulu and other streaming services that provide a targeted reach and are less saturated with competitive ads
If you’re looking to get your ads noticed during a competitive time of year, Quinlan is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about effective marketing strategies during holiday or political events.
