Rakuten Securities, a global behemoth in the forex and metals brokerage, found themselves at a pivotal juncture. Previously reliant on their sister company, Rakuten Marketing, they grappled with lukewarm results. Involve Digital was brought on board to spearhead a transformative digital marketing campaign.

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To start with, Rakuten Securities wanted to overhaul its website. So Involve Digital put in a proposal to do this for them. The Involve Digital proposal came in at half the price and half the time to build vs the next best bid. So naturally, Involve Digital won that piece of the business.

Now on to the marketing. Because Rakuten Securities is a forex and metals broker, its marketing objective was always going to be geared toward getting forex and metals traders to open accounts and fund them—a two-tiered approach. Get the account sign up, then get them to fund it. Now Rakuten wanted these account sign-ups to happen for a cost per sign-up of $100 or less, knowing that not every sign-up would result in a funded account.

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Involve Digital did all of the creative for Rakuten Securities, focusing mainly on key trading benefits knowledgeable traders would appreciate. Things like "tight spreads." " No Commission", "30:1 Leverage for retail traders, 400:1 for professionals". Then there would be A/B versions of all of these to test.

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Rakuten needed to penetrate tight trading circles and communities, so they needed to across as many relevant media platforms as possible. Google Search, Display, Youtube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. So Involve Digital got to work and built out all of their campaigns across those platforms. Segmenting them into micro audiences to make the creative more appealing.

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Google Ads Search 360 Strategy Optimisation

1. Keyword Targeting Refinement

Initially, we targeted a broad set of high-intent keywords related to forex trading and investment. However, through regular analysis, we identified specific long-tail and competitor keywords that performed exceptionally well in terms of conversion and cost-efficiency. By reallocating budget towards these high-performing keywords and reducing spend on generic terms, we significantly increased the campaign’s efficiency and improved lead quality.

2. Language Targeting

A key optimisation insight was the effectiveness of targeting Chinese-language keywords. We observed that cost-per-clicks (CPCs) were lower for Chinese terms in Australia, likely due to reduced competition. By expanding our keyword list to include Chinese-language variants, we successfully tapped into a more cost-effective audience segment, generating high-quality leads while maintaining a low CPA.

3. Dynamic Bid Adjustments

We utilised automated bidding strategies to adapt to changes in search demand, adjusting bids based on time of day, location, and device performance. By closely monitoring real-time data, we identified optimal bidding windows and prioritised high-converting segments, reducing wasted spend and ensuring that the ad budget was allocated to the most profitable opportunities.

Google Display & Video 360 Strategy Optimisation

1. Segmentation of Target Groups

To increase reach and relevance, we segmented target groups based on interests, contextual keywords, placements, and remarketing. Each of these groups was tested and optimised separately to identify the best-performing segments. This granular approach allowed us to allocate budget more efficiently, focusing on categories and placements that generated the highest click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates.

2. Remarketing Adjustments

Remarketing proved to be one of the most cost-effective strategies. By continuously refining our audience lists and excluding users who had already converted, we reduced overlap and improved CTR. Additionally, we optimised creative elements for remarketing ads, presenting customised messages to past site visitors to boost re-engagement and conversion.

3. Premium Placement Focus

Through data analysis, we discovered that specific premium placements, such as financial sites like Investopedia, yielded higher-quality leads despite a higher CPC. By strategically shifting more budget to these premium placements, we were able to attract users with a greater likelihood of conversion, thereby improving the quality of leads without compromising the CPA target.

Facebook Strategy Optimisation

1. Interest and Lookalike Targeting Refinement

On Facebook, we initially targeted users interested in forex trading, financial news, and competitor platforms. As the campaign progressed, we refined these interests based on performance data, focusing on the best-performing segments. We also created lookalike audiences using data from existing Rakuten Securities account holders to reach individuals with similar behaviours and interests, effectively expanding reach while maintaining quality.

2. Ad Creative Testing

We conducted A/B testing on various ad creatives, including images, headlines, and CTAs, to determine the most effective combinations. By identifying and focusing on top-performing creatives, we maximised engagement and lowered CPC. Ads with educational or value-driven messaging, such as “Learn to Trade Forex” or “Exclusive Forex Insights,” generated higher click-through rates and conversions.

3. Dynamic Retargeting

Retargeting on Facebook was optimised to re-engage users who visited Rakuten Securities’ website but hadn’t signed up. By segmenting audiences based on their stage in the sales funnel, we tailored retargeting ads with messages encouraging them to complete their sign-up. This strategy contributed to higher conversion rates among users who were already familiar with the brand.

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Rakuten Securities were after account sign-ups for a cost of $100

Involve Digital delivered 5X the amount of account sign-ups they had hoped for.

Involve Digital cost per account sign-up was $20 with a 60% conversion rate from sign-up to an approved and funded account.

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