Case Studies
Selling Out Fan Conventions with Google and YouTube
To promote a fan convention, let Google Search capture fans already looking for badges, use YouTube video to build demand, and pace every channel against ROAS. Target a radius around the venue, stage bidding as data builds, and test match types and video length. For a large fan event, that delivered 5.03 ROAS on Google Ads.
Why are fan conventions and expos hard to sell out?
A convention lives or dies on its badge on-sale. The window is fixed, the event runs over several days, and fans have to plan travel, time off and which days to attend. Some fans already know the event and are searching for badges. Others haven't heard of it yet and need a reason to go.
That's two jobs at once: capturing existing demand and creating new demand. No single channel does both well, so the plan has to give each channel a clear role.
Our numbers here come from a large multi-day fan event run by a collectibles client, over 49 days across Google Search, YouTube and Meta. The goal was to sell tickets, maximize conversions and keep spend efficient across all three platforms at once.
What job do Google Search and YouTube each do?
Google Search captures demand. Fans searching for the event, or for badges and tickets, have already decided they're interested. Search answers them at that moment.
YouTube builds demand. Video shows what the event feels like, the floor, the guests, the crowd, and gives fans a reason to go before they ever search.
Meta reached fans at scale alongside them. Depending on the event, other channels can earn a place too, including ChatGPT Ads as more fans plan through AI search. We size every channel around results, not habit.
How did we plan the campaign?
Every step below comes from the case study.
1. We allocated and paced budget across platforms
We set the allocation and pacing across Google Search, YouTube and Meta, and paced each one against ROAS. A channel that earned its share kept it.
2. We targeted a radius around the venue
We used dynamic radius targeting around the venue. Most badge buyers have to physically get there, so spend aimed at fans who can attend is spend that can convert.
3. We staged the bidding
We moved from manual bidding to Enhanced CPC (at the time), then to Maximize Conversion Value once there was enough conversion data. Switching to value-based bidding before the data exists hands the system a guess.
4. We directed the creative to spec
We defined the videos, images and banners and set the requirements and specs. Outside vendors then produced the assets to those specs. That kept every asset tied to the plan without the client needing its own production team.
5. We tested the open questions
We ran A/B tests where the answer wasn't obvious:
Negative keywords vs none
Broad vs phrase match
30s vs 15s video
Each test answered one specific question.
What results did the campaign deliver?
These are the figures exactly as the case study reports them:
Google Ads: 5.03 ROAS (503.78%) and 1.93K conversions.
Google Search: 4.23 ROAS, 1,307.80 conversions and a 27.60% click-through rate. One Search campaign hit 12.98 ROAS early on.
Google + YouTube combined: 2.86 ROAS and 1,371.29 conversions.
Each line is a separate reported view of the campaign, so they shouldn't be added together or averaged. Google Ads was the strongest result. The combined Google + YouTube figure came in lower, which is common for channels that build awareness. That's why each channel should be judged on its role, not only its standalone number.
How can you apply this to your next convention?
Give each channel one job: Search to capture, video to build, other channels to reach.
Target around the venue, so spend goes to fans who can attend.
Stage your bidding and switch to value-based bidding only when the data supports it.
Direct creative to spec so every asset serves the plan.
Test what you don't know, one question at a time.
We review performance regularly against a verified baseline. Read the full fan event case study, how we ran Search, YouTube and Meta for one fan event, and our live events work.
Badge on-sale coming up? Let's plan your badge on-sale campaign together. Book a call
Related: Search, YouTube and Meta for one fan event · family attractions with Google and Meta
Frequently asked questions
How do you promote a fan convention? Use Google Search to capture fans already looking for badges, YouTube video to build demand, and pace each channel against ROAS. For a large fan event, this approach delivered 5.03 ROAS on Google Ads.
Is Google Search or YouTube better for selling convention badges? They do different jobs. Search captures existing demand, and YouTube builds it. For a large fan event, Google Search delivered 4.23 ROAS, and Google and YouTube combined delivered 2.86 ROAS.
Should convention ads use 30-second or 15-second video? It depends on the audience, so we test both. For a large fan event, we A/B tested 30s against 15s video.
What targeting works for a fan convention? Dynamic radius targeting around the venue, so spend goes to fans who can attend, combined with keyword tests such as broad vs phrase match and negatives vs none.
Do you only use Google and YouTube? No. We plan the channel mix around the goal. For a large fan event we also ran Meta, and other channels, including ChatGPT Ads, can earn a place.