Perhaps September was a bit early to start planning for Black Friday. That annual rite of shopping passage was the focus of a blog written by yours truly two months ago. I suppose I couldn't help my enthusiasm. The holidays do it for me. And now that November has arrived, they do it for big brands looking to effectively leverage social media as well.
Retail Giant Lowe's is making a major PPC Search and Display Advertising pre-Black Friday push to drive customers to its Facebook Fan page. There, loyal Lowes consumers can take advantage of coupon codes and discounts for upwards of 90% off. Take that Home Depot. After hearing their Black Friday social strategy, I couldn't help but wonder if the Lowes powers that be read this blog. In the September blog post I wrote "Online coupons figure to be used heavily by savvy shoppers but focusing primarily on this tactic to generate new business could alienate existing customers." By rewarding their current consumer base, Lowes is keeping their loyal customers top of mind and simultaneously creating buzz to attract newbies through online performance channels.
The Black Friday Sneak Peak campaign certainly is an inspired idea. However, it has experienced some technical hiccups. Traffic to the Lowes Facebook hosting party on November 4th was so robust it took down the online shopping site. When the site was functional, check-out times were impossibly long. Customers got cranky. Yes, this could be par for the Black Friday course but it would be interesting to know whether or not Lowes consulted an online performance marketing team to run the campaign. After all, inspired ideas could only benefit from continuous optimization and improvement strategies.
lunes, 8 de noviembre de 2010
lunes, 1 de noviembre de 2010
Performance in the Media Mix
Being top of mind with existing and potential clients is essential for driving campaign results. Those of us in the online performance game understand that maximizing brand messaging across all channels will greatly enhance the consumer experience. Customers won’t have to look for you. You’ll always be able to find them. Some marketers believe the only way to garner such exposure is through social media. But the digital marketplace is far too complex and progressive to hedge all of your campaign bets on Facebook and Twitter. It is important to utilize social media within a proper media mix.
Ineffective implementation of social media is a growing and problematic trend among digital marketers. Incorporating social media into a marketing campaign for the sake of using social media may get you “Friends” but it will fail to deliver revenue. It should be a complimentary component to your performance media mix, which should consist of email marketing, data acquisition, affiliate, search and display advertising. By adding social to your media mix, your campaign will leverage consumer interest, heighten engagement and strengthen branding.
Let’s think of social as a trendy sports car. It looks good and gets attention. But the car is useless without a skilled driver; someone who understands how it handles, knows when to power it up and appreciates the importance of continually improving it for maximum performance. Social should drive results for campaigns as a vehicle for user engagement. It can aide email marketing and data acquisition initiatives by featuring buttons and links to opt-ins, subscriptions and sign-ups to deliver new conversions. Affiliates can better direct, track and monetize sales by steering the social conversation to their sites. Social media can benefit a comprehensive search campaign in the short-term and long-term. It can help engage consumers and drive relevant traffic for a Paid Search program, increase natural search rankings for SEO and enable performance marketers to establish positive messaging and branding as part of an Online Reputation Management process. Online display advertisers can target active consumers on social sites for their dynamic campaigns.
Making social media a part of your media mix will allow for better optimization of campaigns. Still, social media alone will fail to drive conversions, revenue or results for your online performance marketing programs. It must work for you within a fully optimized media mix. Getting the most out of your complete media mix requires specialized expertise across all channels. Leveraging this knowledge will facilitate branding, engagement and keep you top of mind with consumers and clients.
Ineffective implementation of social media is a growing and problematic trend among digital marketers. Incorporating social media into a marketing campaign for the sake of using social media may get you “Friends” but it will fail to deliver revenue. It should be a complimentary component to your performance media mix, which should consist of email marketing, data acquisition, affiliate, search and display advertising. By adding social to your media mix, your campaign will leverage consumer interest, heighten engagement and strengthen branding.
Let’s think of social as a trendy sports car. It looks good and gets attention. But the car is useless without a skilled driver; someone who understands how it handles, knows when to power it up and appreciates the importance of continually improving it for maximum performance. Social should drive results for campaigns as a vehicle for user engagement. It can aide email marketing and data acquisition initiatives by featuring buttons and links to opt-ins, subscriptions and sign-ups to deliver new conversions. Affiliates can better direct, track and monetize sales by steering the social conversation to their sites. Social media can benefit a comprehensive search campaign in the short-term and long-term. It can help engage consumers and drive relevant traffic for a Paid Search program, increase natural search rankings for SEO and enable performance marketers to establish positive messaging and branding as part of an Online Reputation Management process. Online display advertisers can target active consumers on social sites for their dynamic campaigns.
Making social media a part of your media mix will allow for better optimization of campaigns. Still, social media alone will fail to drive conversions, revenue or results for your online performance marketing programs. It must work for you within a fully optimized media mix. Getting the most out of your complete media mix requires specialized expertise across all channels. Leveraging this knowledge will facilitate branding, engagement and keep you top of mind with consumers and clients.
lunes, 25 de octubre de 2010
Driving Display Results with the Right Data
Today, online display advertisers are looking for more demand for their dollar. A good way for advertisers to reach their target audience is by using online and offline behavioral data. The strategic targeting of potential consumers is at the heart of the data revolution. It involves bringing the appropriate ad to the right user at the right time. If properly purchased and placed, data can drive increases in click-throughs, conversions and revenue. But the trick is navigating the vast data landscape by using it effectively with scale.
Data has always been part of the online advertising discussion. The major question was, “How do we use it?” Today, a variety of data partners and exchanges, including BlueKai, Exelate and dataLogix are giving advertisers a way to better target their ads. Incorporating geographical, behavioral and demographic targeting greatly increases the probability of engaging relevant consumers.
Not sure how data targeting works? Think of your last search. Maybe you are a thirty-something female living in New York. You might see a banner ad promoting women’s apparel sales. Believe it or not, this ad was targeted specifically towards you. If data targeting were not in effect, you might have seen ads for NASCAR or menswear sales. This would not be cost-effective.
Data does have its share of question marks. What is the value of data? How much data are websites willing to release in lieu of privacy concerns? The best way to quantify what data is worth is to leverage the expertise of a robust ad network. A leading ad network will adhere to best practices improving targeting, information management and monetization. As for privacy issues, a top-tier ad network will implement enhanced privacy protections without hindering the user experience.
Display advertising is expected to grow by 60% in 2011, according to advertising consultants Borrell Associates. Therefore, investing in data-driven media buying is a sound strategy – as long as you have the right network to help you hit the right target.
Data has always been part of the online advertising discussion. The major question was, “How do we use it?” Today, a variety of data partners and exchanges, including BlueKai, Exelate and dataLogix are giving advertisers a way to better target their ads. Incorporating geographical, behavioral and demographic targeting greatly increases the probability of engaging relevant consumers.
Not sure how data targeting works? Think of your last search. Maybe you are a thirty-something female living in New York. You might see a banner ad promoting women’s apparel sales. Believe it or not, this ad was targeted specifically towards you. If data targeting were not in effect, you might have seen ads for NASCAR or menswear sales. This would not be cost-effective.
Data does have its share of question marks. What is the value of data? How much data are websites willing to release in lieu of privacy concerns? The best way to quantify what data is worth is to leverage the expertise of a robust ad network. A leading ad network will adhere to best practices improving targeting, information management and monetization. As for privacy issues, a top-tier ad network will implement enhanced privacy protections without hindering the user experience.
Display advertising is expected to grow by 60% in 2011, according to advertising consultants Borrell Associates. Therefore, investing in data-driven media buying is a sound strategy – as long as you have the right network to help you hit the right target.
lunes, 18 de octubre de 2010
Bridging the Culture Gap: Pitching Online Performance Marketing Abroad
Driving revenue through Search rankings requires specialized expertise in Natural Search and strategic link building. Online performance marketers based in the United States often focus their attention on procuring domestic clients. This is understandable and profitable. The number of American advertisers, publishers and SEO agencies looking to outsource SEO is stout. But as Organic Search continues to evolve globally, online marketers would be wise to expand their sales approach to target clients internationally.
As is true of any successful Search initiative, appearing relevant is essential. Online performance agencies should make a concerted effort to expand international hiring practices. For example, if you want to explore business opportunities in Italy, it would make sense from both a sales and marketing standpoint to have a Italian speaking representative make the initial introduction. The next step would be to personalize the site experience. Agencies should create translated versions of their websites, which would not only make it easier for potential clients abroad to acquaint themselves with your services but hopefully facilitate referrals.
This past summer, Text Link Ads invested in the international hiring market with great success. After adding German and French speaking account representatives to the team, we have seen our monthly revenues in Germany and France grow by 24.7% and 57% respectively. Our reputation among existing clients in those countries has also improved significantly.
Regardless of the performance channel you are preparing to pitch abroad, making a relevant approach is important. It will help you drive revenue through rankings but also through cultural respect and familiarity.
As is true of any successful Search initiative, appearing relevant is essential. Online performance agencies should make a concerted effort to expand international hiring practices. For example, if you want to explore business opportunities in Italy, it would make sense from both a sales and marketing standpoint to have a Italian speaking representative make the initial introduction. The next step would be to personalize the site experience. Agencies should create translated versions of their websites, which would not only make it easier for potential clients abroad to acquaint themselves with your services but hopefully facilitate referrals.
This past summer, Text Link Ads invested in the international hiring market with great success. After adding German and French speaking account representatives to the team, we have seen our monthly revenues in Germany and France grow by 24.7% and 57% respectively. Our reputation among existing clients in those countries has also improved significantly.
Regardless of the performance channel you are preparing to pitch abroad, making a relevant approach is important. It will help you drive revenue through rankings but also through cultural respect and familiarity.
lunes, 11 de octubre de 2010
Logo a No Go – The Gap and Online Brand Worth
In a classic branding example of “If it ain’t broke, why in the world are you fixing it”, Gap changed its logo last week and search space exploded with negativity. Gap’s Facebook page fanned the flames of logo anger with the vast majority of users opted to “Like” the old logo. Though Gap CEO Marka Hansen wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post defending her decision, the social outrage appears to have taken its toll. Hansen is inviting loyal Gap customers to come up with replacement logo concepts. While that is a clever corrective marketing strategy, Hansen should be more concerned with the damage this logo fiasco has caused the Gap brand online.
It would have behooved Hansen to consider what the Gap’s brand image was worth before she put this marketing mishap in motion. If she utilized a brand calculator to gage the value of the Gap’s online reputation, perhaps she would have thought twice about revamping the logo. Online performance marketers should utilize a brand calculator to help their clients, small and large businesses alike, avoid a similar, unnecessary rebranding nightmare.
It would have behooved Hansen to consider what the Gap’s brand image was worth before she put this marketing mishap in motion. If she utilized a brand calculator to gage the value of the Gap’s online reputation, perhaps she would have thought twice about revamping the logo. Online performance marketers should utilize a brand calculator to help their clients, small and large businesses alike, avoid a similar, unnecessary rebranding nightmare.
lunes, 4 de octubre de 2010
That Movie about that Facebook Guy
This weekend, The Social Network opened in theaters nationwide. You would have to be living under a rock not to know its Aaron Sorkin’s take on Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to Facebook power. Apparently, the Zuckerberg “character” comes off as a bit of a manipulative meanie . He double crosses his friends, actual human friends, and business partners to keep Facebook his baby. Whatever. Let’s face facts – the movie is gonna make a bejillion dollars.
I don’t have a Facebook account so I’m not Zuckerberg’s friend. I doubt I’ll fork over the $10 to see the film. Those two statements put me in smack dab in the public minority. In fact when I first heard a Facebook movie was in the works, I was tempted to place myself under house arrest. But love him or loathe him, (I’m rather apathetic to him myself) Zuckerberg tapped into something huge. The term “game-changer” is often frivolously tossed around in marketing circles. Facebook has been that in spades.
Indeed, it seems like social media is everywhere. Those of us in the performance marketing game understand its usefulness better than most to leverage audience engagement and enhance brand worth. While it’s true that Facebook has undergone its share of drama this year in lieu of privacy issues and “Open Graph” features, it is still a juggernaut that has helped drive campaign results. And now it’s driving movie profit results. Good for Hoodie, though I’m sure he’s not going to “Like” his new cinematic fame.
I don’t have a Facebook account so I’m not Zuckerberg’s friend. I doubt I’ll fork over the $10 to see the film. Those two statements put me in smack dab in the public minority. In fact when I first heard a Facebook movie was in the works, I was tempted to place myself under house arrest. But love him or loathe him, (I’m rather apathetic to him myself) Zuckerberg tapped into something huge. The term “game-changer” is often frivolously tossed around in marketing circles. Facebook has been that in spades.
Indeed, it seems like social media is everywhere. Those of us in the performance marketing game understand its usefulness better than most to leverage audience engagement and enhance brand worth. While it’s true that Facebook has undergone its share of drama this year in lieu of privacy issues and “Open Graph” features, it is still a juggernaut that has helped drive campaign results. And now it’s driving movie profit results. Good for Hoodie, though I’m sure he’s not going to “Like” his new cinematic fame.
lunes, 27 de septiembre de 2010
Don’t Do Social for Social’s Sake
Using social media in a marketing campaign for the sake of using social media is about as nonsensical as many Facebook wall posts. Ineffective implementation of social is a growing and problematic trend among traditional and digital marketers. However, recent findings released by Econsultancy.com may put a stop to the social madness.
According to the Econsultancy.com report, paid search eats up the bulk of online lead generation spend. Online lead generation makes up nearly half of B2C sales. What does this have to do with social media? Nothing and everything. It’s about refocusing social media to effectively engage audiences.
Incorporating social into an online lead generation campaign or any performance marketing initiative can leverage consumer interest and be a great branding tool. But having a Facebook or Twitter page to promote your products and services is worthless without utilizing performance marketing expertise to drive conversions and results through those social networks. Social media can benefit your paid search and online lead generation campaigns in the short-term and long-term as long as you are using them for engagement’s sake.
According to the Econsultancy.com report, paid search eats up the bulk of online lead generation spend. Online lead generation makes up nearly half of B2C sales. What does this have to do with social media? Nothing and everything. It’s about refocusing social media to effectively engage audiences.
Incorporating social into an online lead generation campaign or any performance marketing initiative can leverage consumer interest and be a great branding tool. But having a Facebook or Twitter page to promote your products and services is worthless without utilizing performance marketing expertise to drive conversions and results through those social networks. Social media can benefit your paid search and online lead generation campaigns in the short-term and long-term as long as you are using them for engagement’s sake.
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