There are countless ways to use Customer Match, but getting the best results requires thinking creatively about how to apply it in specific ways to specific industries. Google suggests targeting similar audiences to your customers via YouTube or reaching your customers on Gmail with personalized ads that appear at the top of their inbox. While those strategies can be effective, our team at 90octane has found more targeted ways to apply this tool for maximum impact.

Before we dive into those specific targeted approaches, it’s important to consider a few things. First, think not only about who you want to reach, but also about who you don’t want to reach. Second, make sure you’re creating tailored messaging for your target audience. And third, collect customer data in ways that allow you to segment your audiences effectively.

Now let’s dive into the Customer Match strategies that we’ve successfully applied for Travel clients. While they’re specific to travel companies, they can also serve as a starting point for developing equally targeted ways to use Customer Match for other industries.

1) Target or Exclude Travel Agents

If you are a cruise or tour provider, it is likely that you have Travel Agents that sell your travel packages. If you’d like to know how much you’re spending to reach those travel agents, you can apply a travel agent email list to your campaigns with no bid adjustments. Once you’ve collected data, analyze the results and determine next steps. For example, you may find that spend on travel agents is higher than you wish to pay. If that’s the case, consider improving your travel agent portal so they don’t turn to search engines for the information they need to sell your brand. From there, you may decide to add the Customer Match list as an exclusion to your campaigns.

2) Move Leads Down the Funnel for More Sales

Do you offer newsletter sign-ups, brochures, or other lead types that don’t easily lead to bookings? Consider targeting those emails, but exclude emails that have already booked. Using a mix of broad, relevant keywords, run a dedicated Customer Match search campaign. The other option is to layer Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) with Customer Match. In your ads, offer promotion codes or special discounts. Create ads with direct calls-to-action such as “book with us today” or “don’t forget to book your tour.”

3) Offer Repeat Traveler Discounts

To encourage repeat bookings, use Customer Match to target customers that haven’t booked with you over the past year. Test using repeat travel discount codes in ads or messaging along the lines of, “We’d love to have you back onboard.” Make sure you’re using a large enough targeting list and a wide mix of keywords. Also consider including a repeat traveler code in a promotion extension for this Customer Match campaign.

These are just a few ways travel companies can get creative with Customer Match. They’re also examples of how results depend not merely on a tool, but the ways in which that tool is used. When it comes to Customer Match, you can develop strategies for any vertical – as long as they’re uniquely tailored to the audience you want to reach and the goals you want to accomplish.

Questions on using Customer Match in your industry? Contact us.