Performance marketing is going mobile. It has been for quite some time. Findings from media research firm BIA/Kelsey show that United States-based mobile advertising will hit $790 million in 2010. This makes targeting actionable consumers via Smartphones and other mobiles devices imperative. One major way to go about doing this is through mobile games.
Mobile gaming is about more than feeding virtual crops or creating interactive potions with Papa Smurf. These games allow advertisers to immediately tap into the user experience as well as user habits. Ad-funded games enable brands to drive real-time promotional messages to the user through the game. This is akin to the area-based social media model, which customizes advertising based on where users are currently located. But unlike location-based media that is highly effective at near zero cost, creating games specifically designed to engage a core audience can be fiscally irresponsible. So how then can mobile gaming drive campaign results?
First, choose a popular game to advertise on. Second, leverage social media to improve relevant targeting. Social networks can cost-effectively drive relevant users of similar interests to games. Relevant in-game ads, ads that successfully engage can dramatically improve opt-ins, brand awareness and consumer loyalty.
For performance marketers accustomed to continuous testing, assessing and optimizing, mobile gaming is an industry whose time has come.
lunes, 13 de diciembre de 2010
lunes, 6 de diciembre de 2010
Performance Getting its Groupon
Though they were ultimately unsuccessful, Google’s attempted purchase of Internet couponing success story Groupon clearly indicates that the Search Engine is strategically positioning itself as more of a Local Search force. Prior to making their six billion dollar Groupon offer, Google sought to effectively leverage the local market via Google Places, a revamping of its Local Business Center and Place Pages. The goal of Google Places was to simplify advertising and better target local consumers. With Groupon, Google hoped to heighten engagement and consumer intent to act for local businesses with a proven, successful model. It made sense for Google. But in hindsight, did the offer ever really make sense for Groupon?
Groupon's ability to drive local growth is about more than Search. Customer acquisition for companies also helped deliver profitable results for local businesses en route to making Groupon a couponing giant. Google had the right idea going after Groupon, seeking to leverage the site as a Search and Lead Generation asset attracting performance marketers, consumers and companies alike. But by confidently walking away from six billion, Groupon is making a bold statement to those same marketers, customers and corporations – We’ve been driving results without Google and will continue to do so. It may be the perfect time for those in performance to get their Groupon.
Groupon's ability to drive local growth is about more than Search. Customer acquisition for companies also helped deliver profitable results for local businesses en route to making Groupon a couponing giant. Google had the right idea going after Groupon, seeking to leverage the site as a Search and Lead Generation asset attracting performance marketers, consumers and companies alike. But by confidently walking away from six billion, Groupon is making a bold statement to those same marketers, customers and corporations – We’ve been driving results without Google and will continue to do so. It may be the perfect time for those in performance to get their Groupon.
sábado, 4 de diciembre de 2010
The Who, What, Where and How of Online Privacy Protection
By: Andrew Chou, MediaWhiz GM of Display Advertising
In 2010, the issue that was top of mind with display advertisers was online privacy protection. Privacy is a touchy subject for those in the display industry being that geographical, demographic and behavioral targeting success is dependent on precisely knowing audience habits. Web users and online consumers are justified for harboring information sharing concerns. Ensuring privacy is essential. However, knowing your audience isn’t about names, addresses and faces. It’s about recognizing buyer trends, properly categorizing data and targeting impressions efficiently and effectively.
Display advertisers are able to accurately classify and identify data based on prior user engagement. They are not infringing upon privacy rights because the information is readily available online. Online advertisers utilize social media registrations, email profiles and online purchase information to monitor interest and intent. They track ad clicks, site visits and the amount of time spent on a particular ad or site.
We go from understanding the “who” to tracking the “what”. Edible cookies taste good. Digital cookies give advertisers a good indication of user tastes. Cookie storage is entirely controllable by the user. If a user is concerned that her habits are being monitored by advertisers, she can clear them from her cache. When it comes to cookies, privacy worries are rather half-baked. Let’s say you frequently visit Las Vegas travel sites. Cookies could prompt advertisers to target low airfare deals to Sin City. This is cookie tracking working in favor of the user.
Now this brings us to the “where” of online privacy protection. Again, digital display advertisers are using categories to determine the right banner ads and dynamic media to use for targeting. They do not know you as 33 year old Tara from Brooklyn or 45 year old John from Chicago. Instead, advertisers are seeking to engage “woman from Brooklyn, age 18-35” or “man from Chicago, age 21-49”. Advertisers might hit these respective targets with display ads for feminine hygiene products or leading beer brands, products relevant to each prospective category customer.
Obviously, it is the right of the consumer to protect personal information online. There are laws on the books to aid in this process. Still, users and consumers should think twice before discarding all track-able data. When warranted, privacy protection is crucial. But too many safeguards will shield users from relevant display ads and a better user experience.
In 2010, the issue that was top of mind with display advertisers was online privacy protection. Privacy is a touchy subject for those in the display industry being that geographical, demographic and behavioral targeting success is dependent on precisely knowing audience habits. Web users and online consumers are justified for harboring information sharing concerns. Ensuring privacy is essential. However, knowing your audience isn’t about names, addresses and faces. It’s about recognizing buyer trends, properly categorizing data and targeting impressions efficiently and effectively.
Display advertisers are able to accurately classify and identify data based on prior user engagement. They are not infringing upon privacy rights because the information is readily available online. Online advertisers utilize social media registrations, email profiles and online purchase information to monitor interest and intent. They track ad clicks, site visits and the amount of time spent on a particular ad or site.
We go from understanding the “who” to tracking the “what”. Edible cookies taste good. Digital cookies give advertisers a good indication of user tastes. Cookie storage is entirely controllable by the user. If a user is concerned that her habits are being monitored by advertisers, she can clear them from her cache. When it comes to cookies, privacy worries are rather half-baked. Let’s say you frequently visit Las Vegas travel sites. Cookies could prompt advertisers to target low airfare deals to Sin City. This is cookie tracking working in favor of the user.
Now this brings us to the “where” of online privacy protection. Again, digital display advertisers are using categories to determine the right banner ads and dynamic media to use for targeting. They do not know you as 33 year old Tara from Brooklyn or 45 year old John from Chicago. Instead, advertisers are seeking to engage “woman from Brooklyn, age 18-35” or “man from Chicago, age 21-49”. Advertisers might hit these respective targets with display ads for feminine hygiene products or leading beer brands, products relevant to each prospective category customer.
Obviously, it is the right of the consumer to protect personal information online. There are laws on the books to aid in this process. Still, users and consumers should think twice before discarding all track-able data. When warranted, privacy protection is crucial. But too many safeguards will shield users from relevant display ads and a better user experience.
Taking Your Online Learning Program to the Head of the Class
By: Daryl Colwell, MediaWhiz VP of Business Development
The online education vertical is highly competitive. That’s great for web-based learning programs as long as they target the right student. It all starts with partnering with the proper affiliate, one with proven qualified lead generation experience and knowledge of the marketplace.
Qualified leads delivered exclusively to your online education landing page from a robust affiliate network are what drive results - increases in callable rates, hot transfer rates and student enrollment and decreases in enrollment costs. Still, it is important for online education programs and portals to be fully aware of their goals. Knowledge is power. Understanding what you hope to gain will help trustworthy affiliate networks improve offer targeting. Aligning with a reliable affiliate network with access to Email Marketing, Search Marketing, Data Acquisition and Display Advertising is critically important to success in the online education vertical.
Unfortunately, shady affiliates do not adhere to lead exclusivity. They often sell and resell leads to reduce internal expenses and heighten their own ROI. In order to maximize the effectiveness of marketing spend, online education portals must distinguish crooked monetization practices from above board affiliate networks.
When conducting affiliate research, there are several factors that will distinguish a good fit from a bad fit. The right network should be technologically savvy. It should be equipped to build and host select microsites dedicated to your vertical as well as be able to leverage proprietary and 3rd party technologies. Such advancements improve lead filtering, qualification and validation. They also allow for continuous testing and optimizing of your campaign, which can drastically lower enrollment costs and help you acquire qualified enrollment leads more profitably. It bears repeating that perhaps the most important factor in generating qualified leads within the online education vertical is ensuring the exclusivity of your leads. Exclusivity means quality. Quality drives results.
The online education vertical is highly competitive. That’s great for web-based learning programs as long as they target the right student. It all starts with partnering with the proper affiliate, one with proven qualified lead generation experience and knowledge of the marketplace.
Qualified leads delivered exclusively to your online education landing page from a robust affiliate network are what drive results - increases in callable rates, hot transfer rates and student enrollment and decreases in enrollment costs. Still, it is important for online education programs and portals to be fully aware of their goals. Knowledge is power. Understanding what you hope to gain will help trustworthy affiliate networks improve offer targeting. Aligning with a reliable affiliate network with access to Email Marketing, Search Marketing, Data Acquisition and Display Advertising is critically important to success in the online education vertical.
Unfortunately, shady affiliates do not adhere to lead exclusivity. They often sell and resell leads to reduce internal expenses and heighten their own ROI. In order to maximize the effectiveness of marketing spend, online education portals must distinguish crooked monetization practices from above board affiliate networks.
When conducting affiliate research, there are several factors that will distinguish a good fit from a bad fit. The right network should be technologically savvy. It should be equipped to build and host select microsites dedicated to your vertical as well as be able to leverage proprietary and 3rd party technologies. Such advancements improve lead filtering, qualification and validation. They also allow for continuous testing and optimizing of your campaign, which can drastically lower enrollment costs and help you acquire qualified enrollment leads more profitably. It bears repeating that perhaps the most important factor in generating qualified leads within the online education vertical is ensuring the exclusivity of your leads. Exclusivity means quality. Quality drives results.
It’s Monetizeit General Manager Peter Klein’s Time to Shine in the MediaWhiz Spotlight
The decision to join MediaWhiz did not come to Peter Klein overnight. After the affiliate network he created and oversaw for three years was acquired, he chose to come onboard and help build out a full-service performance marketing agency. “This has turned out to be a great decision both personally and professionally.” Peter is especially proud of MediaWhiz’s ability to “bring a client into the online performance marketing world” via its robust media channels and technology. “We can service a client from beginning to end and continue to drive results more profitably for them.” As GM of the Monetizeit affiliate network, Peter has witnessed many positive growth oriented changes. He believes increased brand awareness of ROI is the industry’s most significant change. “Major brands are beginning to understand the value of marketing with a focus on ROI. This means more money flowing into CPA-based marketing.” But with change comes challenges. According to Peter, compliance is the largest hurdle faced by the performance marketing industry. “We need to start forming real self-regulation measures and standards to provide more transparency to advertisers… before the government does this for us.” Further, with Google and Facebook implementing tough restrictions over the years, Peter contends that it will be harder to conduct scalable marketing campaigns if you aren’t representing a brand as an agency. All things considered, he feels the industry’s future is “extremely bright, as more dollars will continue to shift from traditional/offline media to online.” Peter is quite fond of toasting to this bright future every Thursty Thursday at around 7PM.
lunes, 29 de noviembre de 2010
Just Another Manic Cyber Monday
It's Cyber Monday, the online shopping cousin of Black Friday. Historically, this is a day when Internet retailers pull out all the online sale stops to engage consumers to act. But more than any year in recent memory, the day after Thanksgiving seemed to have the same goal. Online holiday shopping powered by social media check-ins and blowout price reductions seems to have fared well this Black Friday. So why the fuss over Cyber Monday? Considering the propensity for heavy shopping traffic to effectively shut down websites, the answer ironically might be a more reliable customer experience.
Let's take in-store check-ins for instance. In order for these types of online to offline social media campaigns to be successful, employees of participating retailers must be kept in the know. The Gap recently launched a social media campaign offering free jeans to the first 10,000 people to check-in at Facebook Places. According to some shoppers, several Gap employees were completely unaware of the free jeans promotion. Though a full scale revolt was prevented, those customers that did not score swag were displeased. Needless to say, this is the not the kind of brand awareness businesses are looking to generate especially around the holidays. For online shoppers, check-ins could generate coupon codes or increase sale offerings. The incentives are optimized and tested within the website. This provides customers with cost assurance, alleviates stress and makes for a more merry and bright shopping experience. Though I doubt The Gap will be offering free pants anytime soon.
Let's take in-store check-ins for instance. In order for these types of online to offline social media campaigns to be successful, employees of participating retailers must be kept in the know. The Gap recently launched a social media campaign offering free jeans to the first 10,000 people to check-in at Facebook Places. According to some shoppers, several Gap employees were completely unaware of the free jeans promotion. Though a full scale revolt was prevented, those customers that did not score swag were displeased. Needless to say, this is the not the kind of brand awareness businesses are looking to generate especially around the holidays. For online shoppers, check-ins could generate coupon codes or increase sale offerings. The incentives are optimized and tested within the website. This provides customers with cost assurance, alleviates stress and makes for a more merry and bright shopping experience. Though I doubt The Gap will be offering free pants anytime soon.
lunes, 22 de noviembre de 2010
Should Performance Marketers Get on Google TV?
Google TV is expanding its reach just in time for the holiday season. Alert the media. Well, actually the media has been alerted. So have advertisers. According to an announcement made by Google last Thursday, the Google TV ads platform, provided by Verizon FIOS, is currently hitting well over three million households. Early next year, that number will skyrocket to thirty five million homes. And while there are still Google TV detractors, this expansion demands attention from online performance marketers.
The goal of online performance marketers is growth through efficiency, advancing the client's ability to acquire customers more profitably. This strategy was effectively implemented by Search professionals in the early days of Google Adwords, which enabled them to target mass audiences at a low cost-per-click. The network's popularity, driven in large part by forward-thinking performance marketers, has made Adwords Google's main revenue source. Performance marketers could drive the same results for Google TV.
Advertising on Google TV will require continuous video and display optimization, dynamic approaches that those of us in the performance space successfully leverage on a daily basis. The level of user engagement Google TV generates is something of a great unknown. But quantifying risk in order to realize measured returns is nothing new to industry experts. It would be ill-advised for to double down on Google TV but a strategic investment in the technology could make Google TV “Must See Money Making TV” for online performance marketers.
The goal of online performance marketers is growth through efficiency, advancing the client's ability to acquire customers more profitably. This strategy was effectively implemented by Search professionals in the early days of Google Adwords, which enabled them to target mass audiences at a low cost-per-click. The network's popularity, driven in large part by forward-thinking performance marketers, has made Adwords Google's main revenue source. Performance marketers could drive the same results for Google TV.
Advertising on Google TV will require continuous video and display optimization, dynamic approaches that those of us in the performance space successfully leverage on a daily basis. The level of user engagement Google TV generates is something of a great unknown. But quantifying risk in order to realize measured returns is nothing new to industry experts. It would be ill-advised for to double down on Google TV but a strategic investment in the technology could make Google TV “Must See Money Making TV” for online performance marketers.
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