Synchrony Financial

Synchrony Financial, with a global presence, was facing the ongoing challenge of filling a variety of hourly and exempt call center and customer service positions in the U.S., India, and The Philippines, with particular need for bilingual, fraud prevention, and pet insurance expertise. I was tasked with optimizing their recruitment efforts across Meta and Google Ads platforms to help them effectively reach the right candidates at a fraction of the cost of typical recruitment campaigns.

Objectives: The primary goal of the campaign was to create a highly targeted, cost-efficient strategy to attract top talent for Synchrony’s diverse roles. This included:

  • Promoting call center and customer service positions.
  • Targeting specialized talent pools, including bilingual candidates and those with fraud prevention, tech and pet insurance expertise.
  • Delivering quality leads at a lower cost than typical industry benchmarks for recruitment campaigns.

Meta Ads Strategy:

  1. Campaign Focus on Transparency and Clarity:
    • Meta ad campaigns were designed to avoid impression of “clickbait” work-from-home advertising, focusing instead on clear, professional messaging that highlighted key details such as hourly rates, remote working options, and the specialized nature of the roles.
    • We provided clarity on job expectations and compensation, ensuring that job seekers had a transparent understanding of what they could expect from the position.
  2. A/B Testing for Optimization:
    • A/B testing was carried out on a variety of ad copy, images, and video formats. This testing allowed me to identify the best-performing combinations to optimize lead generation and improve conversion rates.
    • The ads were designed to directly drive completed applications, and the applicant tracking system was set up to monitor lead performance effectively.
  3. Results:
    • One recent campaign aimed at gathering customer service leads and talent network sign-ups resulted in 110,825 clicks at a cost of $56,363.30.
    • At industry-standard rates (according to WordStream’s Jobs & Education sector estimates), the same spend would have only yielded 20,722 clicks. This represents a 90,103-click difference.
    • If Synchrony had used industry-standard rates, the same volume of clicks would have cost an estimated $3.7 million—showcasing the immense cost savings achieved with our approach.

Google Ads Strategy:

  1. Search Campaign and Pre-Roll Video Ads:
    • Synchrony’s Google Ads campaign also prioritized transparency with ad content. The search campaign focused on dominating brand and call center-related keywords to ensure that Synchrony’s ads were highly visible to potential candidates actively searching for similar roles.
    • In addition to search ads, we implemented pre-roll video ads featuring personal stories from employees. This approach not only built trust but also allowed candidates to envision themselves in the roles, helping to improve overall engagement.
  2. Audience and In-Topic Targeting:
    • Audience targeting and in-topic targeting were critical to reaching the right candidates. We focused on individuals with the appropriate skills and qualifications (e.g., bilingual abilities, fraud prevention expertise).
    • Retargeting efforts were used to re-engage candidates who had previously viewed job openings but had not completed the application process, providing them with the opportunity to finish their applications when they were ready.
  3. Results:
    • This Google Ads campaign outperformed industry benchmarks in key areas:
      • Click-Through Rate (CTR): The average CTR for the customer service campaign was an impressive 6.71%, significantly higher than WordStream’s benchmark of 2.42% for the employment sector.
      • Cost per Conversion: The cost per conversion for this campaign was just $6.72, a drastic improvement over WordStream’s industry average benchmark of $48.04 per conversion.
    • These results indicate a highly efficient use of ad spend, with a much lower cost per lead compared to industry standards.

Conclusion: The combination of Google Ads and Meta Ads strategies for Synchrony Financial resulted in a highly successful talent acquisition campaign that outperformed industry benchmarks and delivered exceptional ROI. By focusing on clarity, transparency, and targeting the right audience, we were able to achieve significant cost savings while increasing the volume of quality leads. Our approach to A/B testing, optimized ad content, and strategic use of video, search, and retargeting ads not only provided a competitive edge in recruitment but also established a scalable model for future campaigns. Synchrony Financial was able to attract the right talent for their call center and customer service positions across multiple regions, including the U.S., India, and The Philippines, at a fraction of the typical cost.

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