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Customer Story: Active Nation

Doubling online memberships with Access Charity Ad Grants

Active Nation, a UK charity promoting health and well-being, significantly increased its online membership by partnering with Access Charity Ad Grants. Despite previously underutilising the available Google Ad Grants, they now benefit from expert-led advertising strategies that have boosted their digital reach, driving online membership and footfall to their venues.

Access Charity Ad Grants

The opportunity of Google Ad Grants

Google Ad Grants offers £7,500 per month in free advertising to charities, yet many organisations are unaware of how to make the most of it. This funding can be transformative for charities, but without the right expertise, many fail to maximise its potential. Access Charity Ad Grants provides that expertise, becoming a strategic partner for charities like Active Nation looking to impact funds raised online.

Why Active Nation chose Access Charity Ad Grants

Active Nation’s mission is to inspire a healthier nation, offering a wide range of activities such as swimming, fitness classes, and sports. However, like many charities, they were unsure how to fully utilise Google Ad Grants available to them. “We had the grant, but we didn’t know how to spend it properly,” explains Lesley Aitken, Head of Marketing at Active Nation. Access Charity Ad Grants stepped in, helping the charity focus on strategic, targeted campaigns to drive membership growth.

Key takeaways

  • Expert guidance: Access Charity Ad Grants provides a hands-on approach, with a manager who acts as an extension of your team.
  • Maximising ad spend: Active Nation saw a 50% increase in their online memberships.
  • Impact beyond digital: Not only has online membership doubled, but footfall at venues has also increased, proving the effectiveness of well-targeted ad campaigns.
  • Tailored strategy: The Access Charity Ad Grants team offers bespoke strategies, continuously tweaking campaigns to maximise impact.

Results since working with Access Charity Ad Grants

million ad views

website clicks

%

increase in online memberships

Personalised support and expert strategy  

Access Charity Ad Grants played a key role in maximising the impact of their ad spend. “The manager doesn’t just provide reports; he becomes a part of your team,” says Lesley. By constantly refining keywords and landing pages, the Access team helps boost visibility and drive membership sales. Their strategic input ensures campaigns align with Active Nation’s goals, such as increasing memberships and footfall in our venues.

Transformative results  

Since implementing Access Charity Ad Grants, Active Nation’s digital advertising has skyrocketed. They now have 40% of their membership sales coming from online sources - double what it was before. Their Google ads have generated 9.7 million views and over 547,000 clicks so far since they have been with Access. Lesley highlights, “This wouldn’t have been possible without the grant and the expertise Access brings to the table. With constant adjustments and expert input, we can see the biggest impact from these funds available to us. It’s free, so as a charity with a limited budget, we have to use and with Access we can do this with the biggest impact. ”

Proactive campaign management

With Access, Active Nation doesn’t just receive a set-it-and-forget-it solution. The Access Charity Ad Grants team actively monitors and adjusts campaigns based on changing digital trends, audience behaviours, and performance data. “It’s like having a digital expert constantly fine-tuning our strategy,” notes Lesley. This level of attention ensures that the campaigns evolve alongside market changes, staying relevant and impactful.

Maximising every penny  

Access Charity Ad Grants ensures that no part of the £7,500 monthly grant goes to waste. From refining ad copy to improving landing pages, they guide charities on how to strategically spend the grant to generate tangible results.

Without Access, we would have lost the grant because we weren’t spending enough. They help us not just use the grant but make the biggest impact possible.

Lesley Aitken Head of Marketing

Tailored campaigns for maximum impact  

One of the most surprising aspects for Active Nation was how bespoke the Google Ad Grant strategy could be. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Lesley explains. Access Charity Ad Grants helped them run multiple campaigns simultaneously, targeting specific regions and activities, resulting in more efficient use of the grant and better outcomes.

Cost-effective growth for a small team

For many charities like Active Nation, hiring a full-time digital marketing expert isn’t always feasible. Access Charity Ad Grants fills this gap by offering expert-level support at no additional cost. “Without Access, we couldn’t afford someone with this level of specific expertise on our team,” says Lesley. This service allows charities to compete in the digital space without overstretching their budgets.

Real-time reporting and continuous optimisation

Active Nation benefits from Access Charity Ad Grants' real-time reporting and performance tracking. This allows them to make data-driven decisions and adjust campaigns on the fly. “The interactive dashboard lets us see the peaks and troughs in traffic, and we can align that with our sales data,” says Lesley. This capability ensures the charity is always optimising its efforts to reach the right audience at the right time.

Take the next step with Access Charity Ad Grants  

Access Charity Ad Grants offers unmatched expertise to help charities unlock the full potential of Google Ad Grants. By partnering with Access, your charity can reach more people, drive more donations, and see tangible growth in both online and offline engagement. Don’t let your grant go underutilised - sign up for a demo today and start making the biggest impact possible with your Google Ad Grant.

Unlock the full potential of Google Ad Grants