Everyone knows that it’s cheaper to keep existing customers than to acquire new ones, it’s Business 101. Now, Google has finally listened to the masses and designed a new product to help businesses do exactly that: Customer Match.
What Is Customer Match?
Customer Match allows advertisers to upload e-mail addresses they or their clients previously captured (e.g., through an email list, previous purchase, etc.) and target these same people on Youtube and Gmail using AdWords.
As a result, when existing customers – or those who have expressed interest in a brand – are watching videos on Youtube or catching up on their Gmail, advertisers can get their ads in front of them again and increase their chances of purchasing.
Customer Match also allows advertisers to target “Similar Audiences.” This feature takes the available information, such as demographics and interests, of people on existing email-lists and targets those who have similar characteristics and, thus, are likely to be interested in your services or products.
What Does This Mean for Clients?
Instead of using display or remarketing – a more blanket approach – you can now segment your customers and adjust your bids accordingly. The real beauty of this product is that now we’re able to really understand customer insights and interactions.
According to Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s Senior Vice President of Ads and Commerce, “with Customer Match, your brand is right there, with the right message, at the moment your customer is most receptive.” In his blog post about the new feature, Ramaswamy continued, “Only Google can help you do this to delight your most loyal customers in the moments that truly matter.”
But Does Customer Match Work?
Alexa Rozzi, a Senior Account Manager at New Jupiter Media, is currently using Customer Match for a business-to-business (B2B) client and seeing great results.
Late last week, Alexa uploaded nearly 30,000 e-mail addresses to the Customer Match feature for this client. Roughly a week later, she was seeing very low cost-per-clicks (CPCs), as well as high conversion rates.
“These campaigns give advertisers even more control over how they target their ads,” Alexa said. “It adds an entirely new layer to the concept of retargeting, where now we can continue the conversation about the products and services we advertise with our existing customer base – or even exclude these users all together from seeing ads – depending on our advertising goals.”
How Can I Use Customer Match in AdWords?
At the moment, Customer Match is still in beta, so make sure to reach out to your Google team to have it applied to your accounts.
For existing New Jupiter Media clients, make sure you reach out to your account manager to ensure you’re taking advantage of this great new marketing opportunity.
For further reading, check out our blog on the AdWords and Youtube partnership, or read the official Google blog announcing Customer Match.