NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION: Digital marketing program increases website organic traffic 381% 1st year, 3,260% in 3 years – 6,200 keywords in the top 10 of Google search after 5 years.
The Brand and Challenge
The New International Version (NIV) is the most-read English-language Bible translation worldwide and the number one selling Bible translation in the U.S. The overall objective is to support the translation’s positioning, use, and product sales for diverse audiences comprised of all potential Bible readers, novice to scholar.
What We Did
Brand Development
Verve Marketing Group created a refreshed identity implemented into a full brand campaign. The process included creation of a brand strategy doc to formalize vision, positioning, promise and personality. The campaign theme of “Trusted and Loved” was quickly landed on speaking to the desire by all audiences for an accurate translation that is easy to understand and enjoyable to read.
The brand campaign was implemented into a new website and a multi-channel digital marketing program that drives visitors to inspiring new weekly articles on the site from social media and a large list of email subscribers.
Web Design and Development
The website is the hub for information about the translation and key NIV products. It is also a destination site of free resources and articles that consumers—novice to scholar—use to read, understand, and apply God’s Word in their lives. The NIV website was a Gold Award winner in the 2018 International MarCom Awards Competition.
Blog and Social Media Marketing
Weekly blog articles offer Scriptural insights on popular topics and offer practical support for encouraging Bible reading. Key categories in the blog — Devotionals and Deeper Study — support the translation’s distinctive as both easy to understand and good for study. Article promotion, Scripture, and free Bible resources form the basis for an extensive social media content marketing program.
The Results
• 338% increase in overall site traffic after one year and 1,159% increase after 3 years—over 10 times the base year.
• 381% increase in organic traffic after one year and exponential growth with 3,260% increase over base year after three years and 4,465% in five years.
• Grew organic traffic from 19% of site traffic to 62% five years later.
• 6,200 keywords in the top 10 of Google search after 5 years and 616 keywords #1 on page one.
• The NIV website was a Gold Award winner in the 2018 International MarCom Awards Competition.
“… Fabulous to work with from strategy, design, content, and web development. You know the digital marketing space and deliver incredible results!” – Helen Schmitt,
Sr. Marketing Director & NIV Brand Manager, Zondervan
