Business & Marketing Strategy

Articles to help you start thinking about turning business goals into marketing strategy

Edge out competitors & maximize your marketing reach by leveraging the experience & advice from industry experts at Granular. From social media specialists all the way up to Granular’s leadership, you’ll find a wealth of perspectives offering lessons and marketing tactics to help your business advance in this curated collection.

Refine article topics: Business Tactics | Marketing Strategies | CRO Tactics | Display Ad Strategies

How to build a competitor bidding strategy

Google Ads Competitor Bidding: How to Build a Winning Strategy

As a marketing nerd, I love reading about Wendy’s tweets. Why? Because they are always bashing McDonald’s and other fast food chains (and they’re pretty good at it when they do). Wendy’s has mastered using their competitors (and trolling) to get attention. Luckily, you don’t have to master trolling to use your competitors in your[…]

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2026 Minimum Ad Spend Guide: Navigating Budgets for Digital Success

Are you struggling to decide how much to spend on digital advertising and where to allocate your budget for the best ROI? In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, understanding the nuances of advertising spend across different channels can significantly impact your strategy’s success. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketing professional, or simply[…]

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How to Grow With a Client for 7 Years (Without Burning Out the Strategy)

Managing the same account for seven years in digital marketing doesn’t happen often. Most partnerships don’t last that long, priorities change, budgets shift, results stall, private equity comes in and changes things for no reason…you know the drill. But when it does work, it’s because both sides are willing to adapt and grow. That’s exactly[…]

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PMax vs AI Max: Which Should You Use? (If Any?)

Which Max is the best Max? And how do you even know when either is right for your company? If you’ve spent any time in Google Ads lately, you’ve probably seen the new campaign type called AI Max. It’s being positioned as the next evolution of Search, powered by Gemini, loaded with automation, and (in[…]

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Reverse Engineering the Algorithm: How Ads Know You

Recap from my talk at Data Driven Wisconsin – MSOE When RJ Nowling asked me to give a talk on Granular’s behalf at the Data Driven Wisconsin conference, I told him we should chat first so I could better understand the type of audience him, Randy Kirk and the organizers of Data Driven Wisconsin have[…]

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Google’s Brandformance LA 2025 Summit: Granular Insights

Last month, Granular was invited to Brandformance LA 2025 at the Spruce Goose campus in Los Angeles. This was an invite-only, closed-door event: a sign of how seriously Google takes our role as trusted partners for our clients. Jordon and I were there representing our team and clients, gaining first-hand access to Google’s product leadership[…]

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Mastering Hyperlocal Reach: How to Use Zip Code Targeting on TikTok Ads

Are you running TikTok Ads but struggling to drive foot traffic or leads in specific local areas? You’re not alone. Many advertisers overlook one of TikTok’s most powerful (yet hidden) features: zip code-level targeting. Whether you’re running campaigns for a local business, multi-location franchise, or trying to own a high-value neighborhood, hyperlocal targeting on TikTok[…]

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All Available Bid Strategies in Google Ads (Updated for 2025 Best Practices)

Choosing the right bid strategy in Google Ads can feel like navigating a maze. With so many options, which one will actually help you hit your goals? Whether you’re aiming to drive traffic, boost conversions, or grow your revenue, this guide breaks down all of Google Ads’ bid strategies, updated for 2025, to help you[…]

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Prime Day FOMO? Why Skipping the Hype Might Boost Your Bottom Line.

Every year, Amazon Prime Day draws in millions of shoppers hunting for the best deals on everything from electronics to home goods. For many brands, it’s a golden opportunity to boost sales. But what if you’re not offering any major discounts? Should you still participate – and more importantly, should you still increase your Amazon[…]

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Improving Advertising Efficiency, Part Two: Measuring Incrementality

Part 2 of 2. To read the first installment, Improving Advertising Efficiency, Part One: Understanding Incrementality, click here! Using Geo Experiments for Incrementality Measurement In part 1 of this article we defined incrementality measurement, the problem it attempts to solve and a common scenario in digital advertising where it is needed. This article will focus[…]

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Unlocking Programmatic Growth: Geofencing, ABM, and CTV | Webinar Recap & Key Takeaways

Digital advertising is constantly evolving, and programmatic strategies have become essential for brands looking to maximize their ad spend while reaching the right audience at the right time. In our recent webinar, “Programmatic Growth Unlocked: Geofencing, ABM, and CTV”, we explored three cutting-edge strategies that are transforming how businesses target and engage with their customers.[…]

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Overcoming Ineligible Product Issues in Amazon Ads 

Advertising on Amazon offers immense sales potential, but navigating its intricate advertising ecosystem can often be daunting. Amazon’s strict advertising guidelines and fee structures can result in challenges that eat into your margins, particularly when dealing with product ineligibility issues. However, with the right strategies or agency partner, these obstacles can be lessened. Here are[…]

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Improving Advertising Efficiency, Part One: Understanding Incrementality

Part 1 of 2. To read the first installment, Improving Advertising Efficiency, Part Two: Measuring Incrementality, click here! It’s late 3rd quarter and budget planning has begun at your company. In the off-site working session attended by the heads of all departments, the CEO announces a bold 20% revenue growth goal for the next fiscal[…]

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How to Enhance Conversion Tracking with Google Tag Manager & HubSpot

Before diving into the technical steps of enhancing conversion tracking with Google Tag Manager (GTM) and HubSpot, let’s look at a real-world success story. Argo Translation, a leader in the language services industry, faced challenges with ineffective tracking of their investment into PPC campaigns. By leveraging the strategies outlined in this blog, they achieved an[…]

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How to Change Attribution Settings in Meta Ads

How to Change Attribution Settings in Meta Ads

Accurate attribution is the key to unlocking actionable insights from your Meta Ads campaigns. Without it, you might misjudge performance or leave optimization opportunities on the table. Fortunately, Meta Ads Manager provides customizable attribution settings for Leads and Sales campaign objectives that allow you to track and analyze conversions effectively. This guide will help you[…]

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2024 Google Ads Recap: Innovations to Propel Your Marketing Success

The digital landscape moves fast, and keeping up can feel overwhelming. But with the right tools, staying ahead becomes second nature. Google Ads’ 2024 updates were built to simplify, optimize, and elevate your campaigns. Whether you’re a small business or a seasoned marketer, these updates are designed to connect you with your audience and drive[…]

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A PPC Managers’ Website Migration Guide

If your company or client is planning to move their website to a new platform and you run PPC ads, there are a few things you need to know before getting started. We’ve built a handy checklist to help you plan your process and set the right timeline and expectations for your new website launch.[…]

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New Meta Ad Features Just In Time For The Holidays

With the holiday season just around the corner, Meta has launched a series of ad updates to help businesses maximize their campaigns and connect with shoppers in fresh, engaging ways. Promo Codes Directly In Ads Promo codes are one of the most effective ways to incentivize shoppers. Meta’s new feature allows businesses to integrate promo[…]

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Navigating the Five Stages of Customer Awareness in Digital Marketing

Understanding the psychological journey of your customers is pivotal for creating effective digital advertising strategies. Often overlooked when crafting ad copy, creative content, and landing pages, these stages shouldn’t be ignored. Regularly revisiting it can help you craft experiences that encourage potential customers to convert. Inspired by Eugene Schwartz’s framework in Breakthrough Advertising, this guide[…]

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Q4 Holiday Planning: It Never Ends, And Why You Should Think About it Early

While it might seem early to be thinking about the holidays in the middle of summer, now is the time to begin your advertising plan for the upcoming holiday season. Black Friday and the 2024 holiday season are fast approaching and you don’t want to be caught off guard with any part of your media[…]

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Punctuation and Symbols in Google Ads Keywords for Digital Marketers

Often, questions arise between PPC managers along the lines of “Can I bid on my client’s brand name with a dash in it (For example: Harley-Davidson, Molson-Coors, etc.) or will that be a duplication of my keywords?”  As you may or may not already be aware, having the same keyword twice in a Google Ads[…]

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Google Marketing Live 2024: Key Updates and The Impact on Marketers

The 2024 Google Marketing Live event was a lot to take in, as Google unveiled several updates allegedly designed to supercharge our advertising efforts. From AI-powered creative assets to immersive shopping ads, there’s a lot to unpack… Now this is where you would normally find our in-depth blog post about everything you should and would[…]

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Five Red Flags to Look Out For When Working With Agencies

Working with agencies can be a game-changer for businesses looking to expand their online presence. However, not all agencies are created equal, and it’s important to be aware of potential red flags before entering into a partnership.  Take a look at the five warning signs that an agency might be hiding and find out how[…]

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Navigating Crucial Requirements in Google Grant Accounts

Google Ad Grants provide eligible non-profits the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 per month in ad spend on Google search. Yes, that’s up to $120,000 a year in free ad spend! Granular has helped non-profits secure and spend over $1,000,000 of free ad spend in Google. To help make sure you’re getting the most[…]

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The Importance of First-Party Data

First-party data is crucial for marketers everywhere. With privacy updates changing frequently, marketers are slowly losing access to the wild west of data we analyze to make informed marketing decisions. So, what is first-party data? First-party data is information you collect directly from your customers’ consent on your own channels. It can stem from customer purchases, support[…]

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Enhancing Performance with Advanced Audience Targeting in Programmatic Advertising

One aspect of programmatic advertising that excites us here at Granular is the advanced audience targeting it offers. Publishers from every nook and cranny create audience segments, down to super niche personas that can be overlaid onto the different channels. Through a demand-side platform (DSP), you can access audience segments by searching for a word[…]

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