[Editor’s Note: Â This is an update on the Google AdWords Campaign initiated in October 2013 and reported in the ArenA newsletter on December 13, 2013. Â Click on http://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/arena/?p=143 to access the original article.]
From October 2013 until January 2014, Intergroup The Netherlands conducted a trial Google AdWords campaign, targeted at people with a drinking problem that didn’t know about AA. This campaign was on Google Search. 66,155 adverts displayed and 628 ads were clicked.
The initiative began when an IG member noted that alcoholism-related Google searches did not turn up any Alcoholics Anonymous results. “Nowadays, when someone suspects having a drinking problem, the first step is not anymore to visit one’s GP, but to research the question online, by entering it into Google. When you do so, lots of web sites appear, but ours is nowhere to be found.”
The IG members debated attraction versus promotion, in line with Tradition Eleven: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.” They decided that when someone reaches out for help, the hand of AA should be there.
In general, people don’t like advertisements. Advertising on a search engine is a rare exception, for people are actually looking for something at that moment and therefore are relatively open to advertisements. This search situation contrasts with advertisements on Facebook, for example, where people are not interested in ads.
Was it a success?
We think so. Nowadays, when people have a drinking problem, the first step is to ‘Google it’, and we were there. It didn’t cause a storm of newcomers to meetings, but frankly, the number of English-speaking people in The Netherlands researching their drinking problem isn’t very big.
- Visitors spend on average 51 seconds on www.aa-netherlands.org, and 8.90 hours in total
- Costs: €675 total and €8.44 per day.
Follow-up?
Yes. In March this year, Intergroup The Netherlands decided to continue for another three months while updating the website with personal stories.
Can I try this at home?
- Yes. Intergroup The Netherlands’ Google AdWords campaign is available for download: https://sites.google.com/site/aanetherlandswiki/discussion/three-months-evaluation
- Send your e-mail address to the CER PI Officer (click here for our email contact list)and it will be sent on to the program administrator granting you access to the AdWords account.
Editor’s note: this article has been published in accordance with our ArenA Editorial Policy.