Mastering Traffic Acquisition: How Brooklinen Leverages Advanced Targeting Across Channels

Brooklinen, a leading name in the home goods industry, has consistently demonstrated how a well-executed traffic acquisition strategy can drive significant growth. By leveraging a comprehensive mix of paid and non-paid advertising channels, Brooklinen maximizes its reach and maintains a strong market presence. This case study delves into the advanced targeting tools and strategies Brooklinen employs to drive direct, organic, and paid traffic, providing a roadmap for other brands looking to optimize their traffic acquisition efforts.

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Brooklinen Traffic Sources Overview 

Data from Similarweb reveals insightful details about Brooklinen’s traffic sources :

• 42.51% - Direct Traffic
• 22.15% - Organic Traffic
• 9.33% - Social Traffic
• 5.86% - Referral Traffic
• 1.45% - Display Ads
• 0.06% - E-Mail Marketing

The high percentage of direct traffic underscores Brooklinen’s strong brand presence and extensive online visibility. Meanwhile, the substantial portion of traffic from organic search emphasizes the effectiveness of their SEO efforts and paid acquisition activities, particularly through Google Ads.

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Scaling Paid Traffic with Strategic Targeting

According to SEMrush, Brooklinen significantly scaled their paid traffic starting in January 2018. Their strategy focused on bidding aggressively on both broad, competitive keywords like "sheets," "duvet covers," and "pillows," and their top branded keyword, "Brooklinen." This approach allowed them to capitalize on common search queries while maintaining strong organic performance across a broad mix of digital channels.

Brooklinen's strategy also ensured that their organic traffic continued to grow alongside paid traffic, indicating a well-balanced approach to search marketing. The synergy between paid and organic efforts resulted in a robust and sustainable traffic acquisition model.

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Paid Advertising Breakdown

Brooklinen’s paid advertising efforts are diverse and strategically targeted across multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Google Text Ads, and Google Display Ads. Here's how they execute their paid advertising campaigns:

Facebook & Instagram Advertising

At one point, Brooklinen allocated up to 75% of their ad budget to Facebook and Instagram, focusing heavily on these demand generation channels. However, recognizing the limitations of scaling a single platform, they diversified their digital advertising mix.

Brooklinen’s Facebook and Instagram ads are consistent in messaging, highlighting key selling points like: 

• Thousands of 5-star reviews from customers.
• Positive reviews from media outlets.
• Lifetime warranty.
• Branding as "the internet’s favorite sheets."
• Discounts and special offers.

To keep engagement high and prevent ad fatigue, Brooklinen frequently refreshes their ad creatives. In one month alone, they released 134 ad variations on Meta platforms, testing different messages and visuals to optimize performance. This tactic, combined with the use of lookalike audiences based on previous engagement, ensures that Brooklinen reaches potential customers who closely resemble their existing customer base.

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Google Text Ads

Brooklinen’s Google Text Ads focus on individual products, reinforcing their brand promise and emphasizing comfort and quality. Examples of ad copy include: 

• "Made for serious snoozing."
• "Luxury sheets – 10% off + free shipping."
• "Living your most comfortable life."
• "Mix and match your way to bedding perfection!"

These ads often highlight discounts or promotional offers, aiming to convert users at the bottom of the funnel. By tailoring ad content to specific user intents, Brooklinen effectively drives conversions through their text ad campaigns.

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Google Display Ads

Although Google Display Ads account for a smaller portion of Brooklinen’s traffic, they still play a vital role in their overall strategy. The ads typically feature a person in bed, accompanied by simple yet bold ad copy like "Best Sheets Ever." The audience targeting for these ads is balanced, with a 50/50 split between male and female users, predominantly aged 25-34. This gender-neutral approach aligns with Brooklinen’s product design, making their offerings appealing to a broad audience.

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Advanced Testing with Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns

A key example of Brooklinen's innovative approach to paid advertising is their use of Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (ASC) through Smartly.io. Faced with the challenge of integrating this new Meta product into their existing campaigns, Brooklinen sought to add incremental value by testing ASC ahead of Cyber Week.

Smartly.io enabled Brooklinen to quickly implement ASC through automated feed-based campaigns, which streamlined the process of launching ads based on user content. This approach allowed them to efficiently allocate budgets across campaigns and optimize their audience reach using machine learning and AI. The results were impressive, with a 45% increase in conversion rates, 12% lower CPM, and 8% lower CPC compared to their business-as-usual campaigns.

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Organic Traffic: The Backbone of Long-Term Growth

Brooklinen’s success is powered by a well-rounded strategy that goes beyond paid channels. Their strong SEO efforts ensure a steady flow of organic traffic, which plays a significant role in their overall growth.

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By targeting high-intent keywords and optimizing content across their website, Brooklinen has secured top rankings in search results for both branded and non-branded terms. Key highlights include:

• 500+ non-branded keywords ranking in Google’s top 3 positions.
• 20,000+ organic visitors are attracted each month through these keywords

Additionally, Brooklinen has created dedicated landing pages and FAQ sections for specific branded keywords such as:

"Brooklinen reviews", "Brooklinen care guide", "Brooklinen discount code", "Brooklinen promo code". These pages are crafted to capture organic traffic by directly addressing common customer questions and enhancing the overall user experience.

A major contributor to this success is their product pages, which are expertly optimized and account for approximately 95% of non-branded organic traffic. These pages are designed to not only attract visitors but also convert them, thanks to strategic keyword usage and content optimization.

The brand’s content marketing efforts, which include educational blog posts and product guides, further bolster their organic visibility. These efforts not only attract new visitors but also enhance customer loyalty by providing valuable information that helps customers make informed purchasing decisions.

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Cross-Channel Synergy: Integrating Paid and Non-Paid Strategies

Brooklinen’s ability to integrate their paid and organic strategies is a key factor in their success. By using advanced targeting tools across all channels, they create a seamless customer journey, from the initial touchpoint to conversion. For instance, their retargeting campaigns effectively re-engage users who have shown interest in their products, while their SEO and content marketing efforts ensure that potential customers find Brooklinen organically.

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Results

Brooklinen’s multi-channel approach, supported by advanced targeting and continuous testing, has yielded impressive results:

• Consistent growth in organic traffic: Reflecting the strength of their SEO and content marketing efforts.
• High conversion rates from paid campaigns: Thanks to precise targeting and tailored ad content.
• Steady direct traffic: Driven by strong brand recognition and repeat customers.

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Key Takeaways

• Diversify your digital channels: Avoid over-reliance on a single platform by exploring a mix of paid and non-paid strategies.
• Leverage advanced targeting tools: Use data-driven insights to refine audience segmentation and personalize ad content.
• Utilize testing and automation: Implement tools like Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns to optimize ad performance and maintain a competitive edge.
• Integrate your strategies: Ensure that your paid and organic efforts complement each other to create a seamless customer journey.

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Conclusion

Brooklinen’s success in traffic acquisition demonstrates the power of a well-rounded strategy that combines advanced targeting with a mix of paid and non-paid channels. By continuously optimizing their approach and leveraging data-driven insights, Brooklinen sets a strong example for other eCommerce brands looking to achieve sustained growth.

This case study provides a roadmap for brands aiming to refine their traffic acquisition strategies, emphasizing the importance of advanced targeting, channel diversification, strategic integration, and continuous testing.

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