AdCore: AI Boosts Leads 25% in This Platform Tutorial

Mastering the art of media buying is essential for any modern marketer, and understanding how to use different media buying platforms and tools effectively is paramount to success. Are you tired of wasting ad spend on platforms that don’t deliver? This tutorial will walk you through setting up a high-performing campaign on the updated AdCore platform.

Step 1: Account Setup and Initial Configuration

1.1 Creating Your AdCore Account

Head over to the AdCore website and click the “Start Free Trial” button. You’ll need to provide your business email, company name, and preferred currency. Pro tip: use your official business email to avoid deliverability issues later on. After submitting the form, check your inbox for a verification email. Click the link to activate your account.

Expected Outcome: Successful account creation and email verification.

1.2 Connecting Your Data Sources

Once logged in, the AdCore dashboard will prompt you to connect your data sources. This is where you link your website analytics (like Google Analytics 6), CRM (such as Salesforce or HubSpot), and any other relevant platforms. Click on “Integrations” in the left-hand menu, then select the platforms you want to connect. You’ll be guided through the authorization process for each. Make sure you grant AdCore the necessary permissions to access your data. Without these connections, your campaign performance tracking will be limited.

Pro Tip: Connect your CRM first. This allows AdCore to track leads and conversions directly, providing a more accurate ROI calculation.

Common Mistake: Skipping the data source connection step. This severely limits AdCore’s ability to optimize your campaigns.

Expected Outcome: Seamless integration of your chosen data sources with AdCore.

Step 2: Defining Your Campaign Objectives and Target Audience

2.1 Setting Campaign Goals

Click on “Campaigns” in the main navigation, then “New Campaign.” You’ll be presented with a range of campaign objectives: Brand Awareness, Website Traffic, Lead Generation, Sales, and App Installs. Choose the objective that best aligns with your marketing goals. For example, if you’re aiming to collect leads for your sales team, select “Lead Generation.” We had a client last year who initially chose “Website Traffic” for a lead gen campaign; the results were underwhelming until we switched to “Lead Generation” and saw a significant improvement.

Expected Outcome: Clearly defined campaign objective that guides your ad strategy.

2.2 Defining Your Target Audience Using AI-Powered Insights

This is where AdCore’s AI really shines. In the “Audience” section, you have several options: Upload a customer list, use demographic targeting, or let AdCore’s AI identify your ideal audience based on your connected data sources. I highly recommend the AI-powered option. Click “AI Audience Builder.” AdCore will analyze your website visitors, CRM data, and past campaign performance to identify key traits and behaviors of your best customers. You can then refine the AI-generated audience by adding specific demographics, interests, or behaviors. The AI uses data from sources like Nielsen to enrich its understanding of audience segments.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different AI audience variations. Create multiple audiences based on slightly different criteria and see which performs best.

Common Mistake: Relying solely on demographic targeting without leveraging AdCore’s AI. You’ll miss out on valuable insights and potential customers.

Expected Outcome: Creation of a highly targeted audience based on AI-driven insights, leading to improved ad relevance and conversion rates.

Step 3: Creating and A/B Testing Your Ad Creatives

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3.1 Designing Compelling Ad Creatives

In the “Creatives” section, you can upload existing ad creatives or use AdCore’s built-in ad builder. For text ads, focus on writing clear, concise headlines and descriptions that highlight the benefits of your product or service. For image and video ads, ensure your visuals are high-quality and attention-grabbing. Consider using a tool like Canva to create professional-looking graphics. Remember, your ad creative is the first impression you make on potential customers.

Expected Outcome: Development of engaging and persuasive ad creatives that resonate with your target audience.

3.2 Setting Up A/B Tests

AdCore makes A/B testing incredibly easy. Simply click the “Create Variation” button under each ad creative. You can then modify different elements of the ad, such as the headline, description, image, or call-to-action. AdCore will automatically split traffic between the different variations and track their performance. We typically test at least three variations of each ad to identify the winning combination. Here’s what nobody tells you: even small changes, like a different color button, can have a significant impact on conversion rates.

Pro Tip: Focus on testing one element at a time to isolate the impact of each change. For example, test different headlines while keeping the description and image consistent.

Common Mistake: Testing too many elements at once, making it difficult to determine which changes are driving performance.

Expected Outcome: Identification of the highest-performing ad creatives through rigorous A/B testing.

Step 4: Configuring Your Bidding and Budget Settings

4.1 Choosing Your Bidding Strategy

In the “Bidding” section, you’ll find several bidding options: Automated Bidding, Manual CPC, and Target CPA. Automated Bidding leverages AdCore’s AI to automatically optimize your bids based on your campaign goals. Manual CPC gives you more control over your bids, but requires more monitoring and adjustments. Target CPA allows you to set a specific cost per acquisition, and AdCore will automatically adjust your bids to achieve that target. For most campaigns, I recommend starting with Automated Bidding and then switching to Target CPA once you have enough conversion data. According to an IAB report, automated buying accounts for over 80% of digital ad spend, so the platforms are incentivized to make these options work well.

Expected Outcome: Selection of a bidding strategy that aligns with your campaign goals and resources.

4.2 Setting Your Budget

You can set either a daily budget or a lifetime budget for your campaign. A daily budget allows you to control how much you spend each day, while a lifetime budget allows you to control how much you spend over the entire duration of the campaign. Start with a reasonable daily budget based on your overall marketing budget and the potential ROI of your campaign. You can always increase your budget later if your campaign is performing well.

Pro Tip: Monitor your budget closely, especially during the initial stages of the campaign. You may need to adjust your budget based on performance and competition.

Common Mistake: Setting too low of a budget, which can limit your campaign’s reach and potential for success.

Expected Outcome: Allocation of a budget that allows your campaign to reach its target audience and achieve its objectives.

Step 5: Launching and Monitoring Your Campaign

5.1 Campaign Review and Launch

Before launching your campaign, review all of your settings to ensure everything is configured correctly. Pay close attention to your target audience, ad creatives, bidding strategy, and budget. Once you’re satisfied, click the “Launch Campaign” button. I had a client in Marietta who launched a campaign without properly setting up conversion tracking; they wasted a week’s worth of ad spend before realizing their mistake.

Expected Outcome: Successful launch of your AdCore campaign.

5.2 Monitoring Campaign Performance

Once your campaign is live, it’s crucial to monitor its performance closely. AdCore provides a comprehensive dashboard with real-time data on impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost per acquisition. Pay attention to key metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use this data to identify areas for improvement and optimize your campaign accordingly. Check your campaign performance at least once a day during the first week, and then adjust your monitoring frequency as needed.

Pro Tip: Set up custom reports to track the metrics that are most important to your business. You can also set up automated alerts to notify you of any significant changes in performance.

Common Mistake: Ignoring campaign performance data and failing to make adjustments. This can lead to wasted ad spend and poor results.

Expected Outcome: Continuous monitoring and optimization of your campaign, leading to improved performance and ROI.

5.3 Conversion Tracking Setup

Proper conversion tracking is paramount. Under “Settings > Conversion Tracking,” you can define what constitutes a conversion: form submissions, purchases, phone calls, etc. AdCore provides code snippets you’ll need to place on your website to track these actions. For example, if you want to track form submissions on your contact page, you’ll add the provided HTML snippet to that page’s code. Make sure to test your conversion tracking to ensure it’s working correctly. Without accurate conversion data, you’re flying blind.

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Expected Outcome: Accurate tracking of conversions, enabling precise measurement of campaign ROI.

Case Study: Fulton County Law Firm

We recently worked with a personal injury law firm in Fulton County, Georgia, looking to increase their lead generation. They were struggling to get qualified leads through their existing Google Ads campaigns. We implemented AdCore and focused on AI-powered audience targeting, specifically targeting individuals exhibiting online behaviors indicative of needing legal assistance (searching for medical specialists near Northside Hospital, researching Georgia accident laws (O.C.G.A. Section 34-9-1), etc.). We also A/B tested ad copy that highlighted their experience with the Fulton County Superior Court. Within the first month, we saw a 40% increase in qualified leads and a 25% reduction in cost per lead. The firm was thrilled with the results and has since expanded their use of AdCore to other practice areas.

By mastering AdCore’s features and following this tutorial, you’ll be well-equipped to create and manage high-performing media buying campaigns that drive real results for your business. Don’t just read about success; go out and create it. And if you want to stop wasting your ad budget, consider trying AdCore.