Galápagos Conservancy

• Environment
• 26. 08. 2024

About

Galápagos Conservancy is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Galápagos Islands and more than 2,000 species that exist nowhere else in the world. Leading the charge in hands-on conservation efforts, they partner with organizations such as the Galápagos National Park Directorate to protect endangered species, promote a more sustainable way of life, and restore the Archipelago’s complex ecosystems.

• Website: https://www.galapagos.org/
• Location: Galápagos, Ecuador
• Cooperation period: august 2021 – ongoing

Marketing goals

• Spread brand awareness and the mission
• Drive individual donations via online channels
• Drive Giant Tortoise adoptions

Ad Grants

Initial situation

In August 2021, we initiated our collaboration with Galápagos Conservancy, who had been running their Google Ad Grants account for several years. Despite their efforts, they faced challenges similar to many non-profits: while they had two active campaigns generating some data, they were not fully capitalizing on the grant’s potential. The average monthly spend hovered around $3,270, but the account’s performance was hindered by key issues such as missing conversion tracking and non-compliance with Google Ad Grants program policies. This left their account in a prolonged state of underperformance, unable to reach its full potential.

Results of our intervention

Following the start of our collaboration in 08/2021, we undertook a comprehensive audit of Galápagos Conservancy’s existing campaigns, making them fully compliant with Google Ad Grants requirements. We agreed on a streamlined campaign structure that included an expansion of existing campaigns and the introduction of a dynamic campaign. Once everything was in place, we launched the ads, used automated bidding strategies and set up basic conversion tracking to accurately measure results while feeding the optimization algorithms with essential data.

After implementing these changes, the results were swift and impressive. Within just 2-3 months, the grant utilization soared, reaching full capacity, and the organization began generating between 150-300 conversions per month. Click volume also saw a substantial increase, reflecting a significant rise in engagement. For instance, in July 2021, before the collaboration, the account recorded 997 clicks. By December of the same year, after our intervention, that number had jumped to 2,075 clicks. These adjustments not only maximized the effectiveness of the grant but also significantly enhanced the visibility and reach of Galápagos Conservancy’s campaigns, driving more traffic and engagement across the board.

Commercial Google Ads

In October 2022, Galápagos Conservancy decided to launch fundraising campaigns, entrusting our agency to develop a comprehensive strategy. Our approach began with the identification of the following:

Objectives

The primary goal was to drive conversions, specifically donations through the dedicated page at https://give.galapagos.org/a/support. Secondary objectives included increasing website visits, while tertiary goals focused on improving behavioral KPIs, such as the number of pages viewed, average visit duration, and bounce rate.

Channels

To achieve these objectives, we proposed a multi-channel marketing strategy that leveraged both Google Ad Grants and commercial Google Ads campaigns. This included a Google Display campaign targeted at new users, a remarketing campaign, and a Google Search campaign.

Budget

The estimated media costs were $39,000 for Google Search, $6,000 for Google Display targeting new users, and $5,000 for the remarketing campaign. Additionally, management costs covered the one-time campaign setup, which required 35-45 hours, monthly optimization and reporting, requiring 20-30 hours, and the setup and testing of web analytics, estimated at 10-15 hours.

Target groups

Our target groups were carefully defined to maximize impact. We focused on three key audiences:

• monetary donors – primarily those interested in supporting eco-projects and tax-deductible donations
• animal lovers – especially those concerned with endangered species and pet adoption
• gift shoppers – who would see tortoise adoption as a meaningful alternative to traditional gifts.

Results

The fundraising campaigns delivered impressive results during the 2 months period:

• Impressions: > 3 mil.
• Clicks: >131k
• Tracked conversion value: >$50k
• ROI: 140%

Road Ahead

Years of expertise, tailored adjustments, and ongoing monitoring have transformed Galápagos Conservancy’s account from underperforming to impressive achievement. The results speak for themselves, with substantial improvements in grant utilization, conversions, clicks, and impressions. However, there’s still potential for further optimization. Currently, limitations in the tracking setup prevent us from fully measuring the value of the conversions. In the near future, as we enhance the tracking mechanisms and refine our strategies, we plan to implement value-based bidding, set up new campaigns for emerging initiatives, adjust bids, and explore additional channels like commercial retargeting and Bing. These steps will enable us to focus on maximizing the return on investment and driving even greater impact.