Marin Software Research Shows Integrating Search and Social Dramatically Improves Advertiser Revenue

Analysis quantifies the incremental gain of a cross-channel advertising approach

San Francisco, CA (February 9, 2017) – Marin Software Incorporated (NYSE: MRIN), a leading provider of cross-channel, cross-device, enterprise marketing software for advertisers and agencies, released research findings today indicating that a combined search and social advertising strategy yields increased ad clicks, conversion rates, and revenue. The full results—plus recommendations for implementing an integrated search and social optimization strategy—can be found in Marin’s white paper, The Multiplier Effect of Integrating Search and Social Advertising: Best Practices for Cross-Channel Marketing.

Marin’s white paper explores the unique strengths of dominant search and social advertising channels, and examines how these channels have become preeminent in the digital marketing industry. It points out that when the buyer’s path to conversion is considered, the fundamental differences between the two channels become evident. For marketers, this awareness opens the opportunity to adopt an integrated search and social strategy that encompasses management and optimization tactics executed together, for incremental improvements to finding, engaging, and acquiring high-value customers.

To gather its findings and to better understand the value of integrating search and social marketing programs, Marin Software conducted a study of more than 200 enterprise advertisers managing Google, Bing, and Facebook campaigns on the Marin platform. The findings uncovered several key insights:

1. Customers who click search and social ads are more likely to buy. Users who click both an advertiser’s search and social ads had an approximately two times greater conversion rate than users who click the search ad only. Users who click both the search and social ads have a click-through rate approximately four and a half times higher than users who only click social ads.
2. Customers who click search and social ads spend more. The study also showed that users who click both a search and social ad contribute approximately two times more revenue per click than users who click search ads only. Users who click both a search and social ad contribute six times more revenue per click than users who click a social ad only.
3. Search campaigns perform better when managed alongside social campaigns. Search campaigns managed alongside social advertising campaigns have two times more revenue per click than search campaigns managed in isolation. An integrated search and social management strategy also benefits an advertiser’s revenue per conversion—advertisers have almost 10% higher revenue per conversion from their search campaigns when managed together with social advertising campaigns.

“Advertisers are increasingly focused on reaching their target customers across multiple channels using audience data to deliver the richest, most tailored experience possible,” said Wes MacLaggan, Head of Global Marketing at Marin Software. “Integrated search and social strategies produce far better results than tactically managing each channel in a silo. Simply put, holistic search and social management allows advertisers to reach their target audience more efficiently and more consistently.”