For an online advertising campaign, major industry news events can be great sources of targeted traffic - if you've planned ahead. For example, when Microsoft released its new Vista OS last year, it affected hardware and software manufacturers, retail stores, and of course, web traffic. Products with the global impact of Vista aren't released every day, but every industry has its major news events such as mergers, conferences, and launches.
Even if your clients aren't at the center of these big events, it's still likely their business will be impacted. Here are some free Google products and tips that can help you stay up-to-date on industry happenings and take advantage of the buzz:
- Subscribe to Google News Alerts. You can define a set of queries that will trigger an alert if a related news story appears, so you can keep track of a wide variety of topics without spending your whole day reading the paper.
- Set up a Google Reader feed. Read up on industry news frequently to make sure you're on top of potential traffic surges. Blogs that track industry rumors can be a good place to start: for weeks before the official announcement of the Apple iPhone, technology blogs like Engadget were posting the latest buzz about Apple's secret new phone.
- Create a Google Calendar listing major conferences and expos in your industry. For technology-oriented retailers, for example, that would include major events like MacWorld and the Consumer Electronics show. With Google Calendar, you can customize and share your calendar with your co-workers.
- Plan your budget allocation around upcoming events. When a big event comes, you don't want your campaigns to miss out on all the targeted traffic.
- Use your ad creatives to respond to market trends. Another advantage of being in the know is using advertising to proactively address industry announcements. For example, if your client's competitor is releasing a new version of a product, you can have ad text ready that highlights the advantages of your client's offerings.
