Aiming for worldwide recognition
As the largest recycler of paper and cardboard in Europe, DS Smith had the capability to become one of the leading suppliers of sustainable packaging in the world. However, they needed a way of increasing their brand awareness and attracting their target audience. With an internal marketing team, they had previously tried to use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Yet, despite their best efforts, they had found it didn’t generate the results they wanted to see.
Implementing a growth strategy
When DS Smith first approached us, they were looking for a way of driving quality leads to their website for their paper and recycling services. As we knew they had already tried PPC, we initially considered other ways they could reach their objectives. However, our digital marketing team were confident that PPC was the solution. Fortunately, after a couple of conversations with the client, we were able to convince them to give it another go.
Performing keyword research
As with any PPC project, we started by performing keyword research. Our digital marketing team always set aside time for keyword research, as the keywords we select will impact the audiences we reach. For DS Smith, their target audience included businesses in the UK that were looking for industrial paper and recycling solutions. With this in mind, we avoided keywords that would mainly be used by individuals looking for paper supplies or recycling services, as this would have produced low quality leads for the client.
Reviewing landing page copy
Once we had completed the keyword research process, we turned our attention to the landing pages. As DS Smith had previously ran PPC ads, they already had a number of landing pages prepared. However, we offered to review the landing page content to ensure they were optimised with the most appropriate keywords. This involved checking the page titles, meta descriptions, headings and copy to identify opportunities for optimisation. We also considered the phrasing of the call to actions (CTAs) to ensure they were providing users with clear guidance.
Optimising ad set-ups
With the landing pages ready, we were finally able to set-up the ads. As we had conducted thorough keyword research and considered key target audiences, the initial set-up was fairly straightforward. However, our digital marketing team believe that the most effective way to generate high-quality results is to perform A/B testing. With two versions of the same ad running simultaneously, we could determine which copy and keywords were performing the best. Through consistent optimisation, we were able to provide the client with high-performing PPC ads.
Expanding to new audiences
At the end of the first year, the results spoke for themselves. Through a single 30p click, the client received a 3 year contract which was worth £30,000 a year. And this was just one of the amazing results we saw during this time.
Having conquered the UK market, DS Smith have since asked us to support them with advertising to more countries. Currently setting up Spanish versions of the search ads, we can’t wait to see what results we can produce. It’s only a matter of time before DS Smith achieve the worldwide reputation they deserve.
