Google has become such an integral part of our thinking that when someone needs an answer to a question, “Google it” has become our first response. Because Google knows everything, right?
Believe it or not, Google has a wealth of information that blew my mind when I found it. The resource is thinkwithgoogle.com. This component of Google takes 8.5 billion searches per day and distills them down into data and insights that help us understand our world better.
How can this help you? Well, how about knowing what consumer trends are coming? How can you test your mobile site speed to deliver a better experience? And the free tools available seem endless …
I spent hours exploring Think with Google, and here are just a few highlights that would be really valuable for casinos:
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Insights Jam (short video series)
I watched one of the informative videos. In the segment that I watched, four Google analysts explained the top trends they identified from all the searches in 2021. The three they discussed were self-improvement, re-evaluating priorities, and environment/sustainability. These insights into what is most important to consumers today is based on billions of daily Google search terms, so they can help you see the big picture of where consumers’ mindsets are in 2022.
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Studies
One free study available on Think with Google is about consumer privacy preferences. This is important for casinos, which need to build email databases that encompass as much as possible of their players club membership. With the increasing preference for receiving casino news/offers via email, the study is easy to read and has great tips, such as:
“While nearly 1 in 3 customers are willing to share their email for no incentive, with the right incentive, such as a discount or a free sample, this willingness increases threefold, leading 90% of customers to willingly share their email address.”
So, based on this study, if you’re building an email campaign strategy and need to get the maximum result, make sure to offer an incentive.
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Mobile Strategies (five articles)
Explore mobile marketing perspectives from industry leaders across gaming and other apps. Learn how mobile speed can impact your bottom line, and learn tips for building stronger mobile experiences.
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Lessons from the Pandemic (63 articles)
Strategic insights, tools and other resources to help you navigate uncertainty.
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More Tools from Think with Google
The free Find My Audience tool can help you identify new audiences based on their interests, habits and future planned spending behaviors. You get a free audience profile with insights to help inform your strategy, then you can use those insights to start a YouTube campaign that reaches your target audience.
I tried this and it was really easy. You can choose an in-market audience (people actively researching or planning to use a company like yours) or an affinity audience (people whose interests and habits align with your business).
Then you select a category, such as “travel” or “entertainment,” and you get your audience profile. If you’re planning on using YouTube, or even if this medium is already part of your marketing messaging, Find Your Audience is a great free tool to help you optimize your efforts.
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Case Studies
This is a case study from February 2022: Three steps a leading design company took to achieve digital transformation. I haven’t delved into this one yet, but here’s the intro – important, cutting-edge topic with industry leaders. And did I mention that it’s also free?!
“Digital transformation is complex. In this series, we’ll explore six core areas of digital transformation and hear from leading brands about how they are making an impact. In this segment, Vista (formerly Vistaprint) CMO Ricky Engelberg and EVP and Chief Data Officer Sebastian Klapdor discuss planning and budgeting.”
Summary
The world has come to rely on Google to get answers for everything from “how many miles is it from Earth to Mars,” to the “best Halloween costume ever made from beer cans,” to “is there a spell to become a mermaid that actually works?” Yep, if we have questions, we just Google them.
I hope this article goes beyond Google searches by showing some ways that Google can go even further in helping us understand our world and be more successful in our business. Arguably, Google is one of the largest data collection sites in the history of humans.
Think with Google is not the next generation of using this data to explain our world, because it’s here today. Check it out.
As Think with Google stated:
“This year, we accepted that the world as we knew it had been altered. We adapted to the idea of constant disruption and began taking slow, steady steps toward healing. And amid ceaseless changes, we kept searching. Google Search data provides insights into the changing priorities, cultural interests, and habits likely to last, helping marketers get ready for what comes next.” (Think with Google, Dec. 2021)
