Victor Adewole: Sitting at the Edge of Inside Starting Trends with Unconventional Strategies

Keeping up with trends in any profession isn’t enough, especially in digital marketing, which is characterized by rapid evolution. True success demands pushing boundaries and constantly rethinking established methods. I term it “sitting at the edge of the inside.” Don’t be carried away by what’s currently working; instead, work on starting a trend that hasn’t been discovered. Overused strategies can quickly lose their impact, and as digital marketers, it’s our ability to adapt and innovate that keeps us ahead.

PPC, for one, is known for its precision and quick results. It allows businesses to place ads directly in front of people who are actively searching for related products or information. But as more businesses compete for attention, traditional PPC methods can start to fall short. Recognizing this, I set out to find a fresh approach—something that others weren’t doing that could deliver standout results.

My experience with PPC didn’t start right away in my career. A colleague introduced me to it, and I quickly saw its potential. Initially, I focused on keyword bidding and fine-tuning ad copy to boost click-through rates (CTR). These methods worked, but they were so common that costs rose due to high competition. This pushed me to dive deeper into PPC, trying out different targeting options, ad formats, and bidding strategies. Through this process, I discovered micro-moments and intent-driven targeting—a powerful and unconventional strategy that I used to connect with highly motivated prospects at just the right time.

Micro-moments are those brief instances when people turn to their devices for quick answers or solutions. These moments are high in intent and urgency, making them perfect for conversions. Instead of broad keyword targeting, micro-moment targeting zeroes in on users at these key decision points.

I remember analyzing our target audience’s behavior and needs while working with a fintech company. We looked at search queries, user journeys, and engagement patterns to pinpoint specific micro-moments where potential customers were most likely to convert. For example, someone searching for “best laptop for graphic design” on a Monday morning is in a different mindset than someone searching for “affordable laptops” late at night.

With these insights, I created ad campaigns tailored to address users’ specific needs during these micro-moments. Instead of relying only on broad keywords, I used long-tail keywords and intent-driven phrases that matched the specific moments we identified.

A key part of this strategy was developing dynamic ad content that adapted to different micro-moments. This meant creating various ad versions that addressed different pain points, questions, and motivations. For example, ads for “best laptop for graphic design” highlighted high-performance features and professional reviews, while ads for “affordable laptops” focused on budget-friendly options and discounts.

I also used advanced audience segmentation to make sure our ads reached the most likely converters. This included using remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) to target previous website visitors and refining our audience through demographic and behavioral targeting.

The results of this unconventional PPC strategy were outstanding. Our campaigns saw a big increase in CTR and conversion rates, and a noticeable drop in cost per acquisition (CPA). With this strategy, targeting users during critical micro-moments, we delivered highly relevant and timely messages that resonated with our audience.

This strategy highlighted for me, the importance of constantly evolving our methods to stay ahead. As digital marketers, it’s crucial to embrace fresh approaches and innovative thinking.