CASE STUDY
WATERTOWN SAVINGS BANK | Search Engine Marketing
BACKGROUND
Watertown Savings Bank (WSB) is a 10-branch bank serving their local community with competitive retail and lending products. Since 2003, we've been utilizing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to deepen market penetration in areas where we can effectively deliver specific audiences with targeted messages, and drive them to action at WSB's website.
CHALLENGE
Based on WSB's historical success, they've continued with aggressive mortgage goals for their lenders. On the heels of the recent subprime mortgage debacle, and the ensuing distrust in bank stability, it will require a well-honed plan to deliver on these goals.
STRATEGY
Because the WSB website lets customers apply for mortgages entirely online, it made sense to bolster our online advertising efforts with a SEM component so we could not only target by geography, but by individual keyword terms. This way, we can increase relevance by matching WSB loan products with individuals based on what they are looking for.
CREATIVE SOLUTION
Our SEM efforts focused on utilizing Google to target a specific geography within the bank's core market. We began by researching the most relevant keywords for our audience groups, and then developed specific messages that best reflect the WSB brand, while delivering unique product offerings. Through our collective marketing efforts, we've been able to meet, and often exceed, our mortgage growth goals each year.
