Do you work for a nonprofit that isn’t utilizing Google Ads to raise awareness or support for your cause? Many nonprofits have not yet tapped into this advertising platform, and in their minds, they have what they think are very good reasons for not doing so. As the owner of a company that specializes in running Google Ads for nonprofits (among other things), I’ve heard a lot of the arguments against Google Ads. In this article, I want to combat a few of the ones I’ve heard most often.
Google Ads Are Just for Businesses
You almost certainly understand the rationale behind using Google Ads to promote a business. When someone is looking for a particular good or service, they go to Google, type their query into the search bar, and Google provides them with sponsored ads at the top of their search results that best match their query.
But people aren’t just using Google to find products and services. They’re also using it to find information about the causes they care about or to find local charities that are making a difference in their communities. By running Google Ads, you can present your nonprofit to those who might be interested in learning more about the work you’re doing.
Online Advertising Is Impersonal
You might be thinking, “Online advertising feels so impersonal. At our nonprofit, we prefer to connect with people face to face.”
While we agree that the human connection is important, you might find that you can reach a whole new audience online that you might not be able to reach in person—people who won’t come to an event, or approach your booth at a conference, or go to a networking meeting, but who will do a Google search and click on an ad for a cause that interests them.
Once people click on your Google Ads, they can be taken to a page on your website that describes your nonprofit’s work in detail, tells success stories, and presents them with opportunities to get involved with your nonprofit.
After spending time on your website, they will hopefully be compelled to take the next step by providing you with their contact information, which you can then use to reach out in person, if you so desire.
Running Google Ads Is Complicated
We’re not going to lie—running an effective Google Ads campaign involves a bit of a learning curve, but any other marketing effort worth doing is going to require your time, effort, and resources as well.
If you don’t have the staff or volunteers available who can dedicate the time it takes to learn how to run an effective online advertising campaign, you can always outsource the management of your Google Ads to a marketing company that specializes in this.
Google Ads Don’t Work
You may have run Google Ads in the past and not had a lot of success, and therefore determined that they are not worth your time. Every Google Ads expert will tell you that creating a successful campaign doesn’t happen overnight. You might need to change up the wording of your ads a few times before you find something that works.
If people are clicking on your ads but not taking any further action, you probably need to revisit your landing page. Is it compelling? Is it visually interesting? Does it contain a clear call to action? If the honest answer to these questions is “no,” your landing page may be the reason visitors are “bouncing.”
You also might want to consider offering what’s called a “lead magnet” in your Google Ads. A lead magnet is often a resource that your audience wants. For example, if your nonprofit’s mission is to help raise awareness of mental health issues and help people better manage mental health, then you might provide a free resource specific to that issue—perhaps an in-depth guide for how family can adjust to life with a member struggling with mental health. The same people you serve can eventually become those who support your mission. Other examples of lead magnets include webinars, petitions, interactive quizzes, exclusive research studies, or even giveaways.
Google Ads Are Expensive
If you think Google Ads are too expensive, it’s probably because you haven’t heard of the Google Ad Grant. Nonprofits that qualify for the Google Ad Grant can receive up to $10,000 per month in free advertising on Google! Most nonprofits qualify, and the application process is not terribly difficult (although it does take some time). However, the time and effort it takes to apply is definitely worth it if the end result is receiving free advertising on the world’s most-used search engine!
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