Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver

• E-commerce
• Fundraising
• 12. 11. 2024

About

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and improving homes for families in need within the Denver area. Through their volunteer network, affordable homeownership programs, and partnerships, they aim to create strong, stable neighborhoods and provide families with the opportunity for a brighter future.

• Website: https://www.habitatmetrodenver.org
• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Cooperation Period: October 2018 – ongoing

Marketing Goals

• Optimize the use of Google Ad Grants to raise awareness and engagement for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver’s programs.
• Drive volunteer registrations, donations, and inquiries about homeownership programs.
• Reach local Denver-area residents and supporters through targeted campaigns.

Initial Situation

Before our collaboration began in October 2018, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver’s Google Ad Grants account was underperforming, a situation worsened by the significant policy changes Google introduced in early 2018. The introduction of stricter quality filters and new Ad Grants rules led to a sharp decline in the campaign’s performance. While the account existed, conversions were inaccurately tracked, often triggered by mere website visits, causing an inflated conversion rate. The average monthly grant usage was far below potential, resulting in limited reach and impact.

This organization has an Ad Grants Pro account, which allows them to use a monthly grant of $40.000, instead of a standard $10.000. Before our cooperation, they were barely using $10.000 a month. A significant portion of the grant was left unused, which made them seek a professional assistance.

Results Of Our Intervention

After conducting a thorough audit of the account, we implemented a series of optimizations to maximize performance:

1. Campaign Redesign: We restructured the existing campaigns and created new ones to target specific areas of interest. By focusing on narrow geographic targeting – Denver and surrounding areas – we ensured the campaign messages were relevant to local users. The campaign preparation process began by developing a campaign structure that outlined the key campaigns and keywords to be incorporated into the account.

Example Campaigns:

• Volunteer campaign: Ads promoting volunteer opportunities with Habitat of Metro Denver, focusing on engaging community members.
• Generic – Homeowners campaign: Ads highlighting affordable housing options, driving potential applicants to inquire about the programs.
• Local campaign: Ads promoting their local thrift stores, encouraging local people to buy discount items to help a good cause.
• Brand campaign: Ads raising awareness around the brand.

2. Ad Copy Proposal Preparation: Next, we created a draft of the ad copy proposal, which was then reviewed by the client. After making adjustments and receiving approval, we were ready to proceed with the launch.

Sample Ad:

• Headline 1: Habitat for Humanity® ReStore®
• Headline 2: Official Website
• Headline 3: Shop Our ReStore
• Headline 4: Cheap Furniture & Appliances
• Headline 5: Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• Headline 6: Shop, Save And Help
• Headline 7: ReStore® in Denver Metro Area
• Description line 1: Shop Discounted New & Used Furniture, Appliances & More. Multiple Locations In Denver.
• Description line 2: Buy Furniture, Give Hope. Visit A Habitat For Humanity ReStore Today!
• Description line 3: Shop Discounted New & Used Furniture, Appliances & More.
• Description line 4: Habitat Welcomes Volunteers And Supporters From All Backgrounds.
• Final URL: https://www.habitatmetrodenver.org/restore/

3. Conversion Tracking Implementation: Advanced conversion tracking was implemented to measure meaningful actions such as volunteer sign-ups, donation completions, and inquiries about homeownership resulting in a more accurate conversion rate of around 15%.

4. Automated Bidding Strategies: We deployed automated bidding strategies to optimize performance, ensuring ads reached the right audience at the right time, improving campaign efficiency and precision. Thanks to these changes, Habitat of Metro Denver’s use of the Google Ad Grant increased dramatically, achieving full grant utilization each month. The overall performance improved significantly.

Pandemic Performance Boost

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to secure additional budget from the Google Ad Grants team, allowing us to expand Habitat of Metro Denver’s campaigns. This led to record-high traffic and conversions, with engagement reaching new heights. These efforts helped the organization effectively respond to the increased community needs during a critical time.

Google still occasionally offers grant increases. As we continuously max the grant budget, we always whitelist this client and make a good use of the extra funds.

The chart below demonstrates how clicks and grant utilization (cost) evolved in this account from the beginning of 2016 until 01/2021 when they used $80.000 per month (thanks to the additional pandemic funds).

Commercial Google Ads & Bing Campaigns

Alongside managing Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver’s Google Ad Grants, we also handle their commercial Google Ads and Bing Ads campaigns. These initiatives are crucial for supporting fundraising, events, and other organizational efforts.

We established Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver’s Bing Ads account in October 2021 and since then it has achieved impressive results making >40k clicks and >2 mil. impressions at a very low average CPC of $0.31. These campaigns have also driven >10k conversions with an impressive 27.57% conversion rate, showcasing both cost-efficiency and strong performance. Bing Ads are notably more affordable and allow us to engage a diverse audience that may not be captured through Google. Recently, we implemented a voucher for extra credit on Bing, resulting in increased traffic and engagement through this channel.

We’ve observed equally, if not more, impressive results in their commercial Google Ads account. The campaigns have delivered >70k clicks and >2 mil. impressions, with an average CPC of just $0.34. With >30k conversions and an exceptional conversion rate of 44.87%, the ads have proven to be highly effective in driving engagement and achieving organizational goals. A CTR of 3.26% further underscores the relevance of the ads in connecting with their target audience.

Road Ahead

Our ongoing collaboration includes regular campaign updates to reflect new events and programs. We test cutting-edge strategies such as Performance Max campaigns to further enhance results. Those are particularly efficient in period of increased shopping activity (Holidays and similar).

Looking ahead, we propose expanding commercial campaigns, particularly focusing on:

• Retargeting: To reach past visitors and maximize conversion opportunities.
• Conversion Value Optimization: Refining campaigns to focus on maximizing the total value generated through online engagement.

Conclusion

We are proud to say that our collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver has significantly transformed their presence in the online space. By restructuring existing campaigns, introducing new ones, implementing conversion tracking, and applying efficient bidding strategies, we’ve helped them achieve substantial growth in awareness, volunteer recruitment, donations, and program inquiries.

Their Google Ad Grants and commercial Google Ads campaigns both have recently reached their all-time highs in terms of click and conversion performance. The addition of Bing Ads opening up further opportunities for cost-effective engagement with a broader audience.

As we continue this collaboration, we remain focused on adjusting strategies, testing new ad formats, and latest features to keep driving success for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. With continued refinement and expansion, we look forward to even greater results in the future.