Tuesday
Online Shopping Update: E-Commerce on the Rise
A new E-Commerce report from The Media Audit reveals that three in five U.S. adults now shop online at least once per year, while one in five adults shop at least once per month. According to the National Report, the percent increase between 2006 and 2007 among adults who now shop online is 5.2%, while the percent increase among frequent online shoppers - those who shop twelve or more times in a typical year - has risen by 5.6%. Surveys were conducted in 88 U.S. markets between January 2007 and March 2008.
The region with the greatest concentration of online shoppers is the Northeast region, where 61% of adults shop online at least once in a typical year- a figure that is 4% above the national average. However, 23.2% of adults in the Northeast region make twelve or more purchases in a typical year- a figure that is 11% higher than the national average. More specifically, adults who live in the New England Census Division are most likely to frequently shop online. Nearly one in four New Englanders shop online twelve or more times in a year, a figure that is 17% higher than the national average. The report further reveals that adults who live in the Midwest are the least likely to be frequent online shoppers. Among Midwesterners, 56% shop online at least once in a typical year, a figure that is 4% less than the national average, and 18.2% have made twelve or more online purchases in the past year, a figure that is 13% below the national average.
As the outlook for the holiday retail season is expected to be bleak for 2008, analysis from The Media Audit E-Commerce Report suggests that the best place to find potential big spenders this season is online. According to the report, online shoppers - those adults who have shopped online at least once in the past twelve months - earn more in household income and in general are more optimistic about their financial future. Among online shoppers, 64.3% are considered financial optimists, a figure that is 9% higher than all adults nationally. Furthermore, 43% of adults who shop online earn $75,000 or more in household income, (demographic of ThisWeekNews.com users) a figure that is 39% higher than for all adults, suggesting they might be more able to weather tough economic times.
Read More
The region with the greatest concentration of online shoppers is the Northeast region, where 61% of adults shop online at least once in a typical year- a figure that is 4% above the national average. However, 23.2% of adults in the Northeast region make twelve or more purchases in a typical year- a figure that is 11% higher than the national average. More specifically, adults who live in the New England Census Division are most likely to frequently shop online. Nearly one in four New Englanders shop online twelve or more times in a year, a figure that is 17% higher than the national average. The report further reveals that adults who live in the Midwest are the least likely to be frequent online shoppers. Among Midwesterners, 56% shop online at least once in a typical year, a figure that is 4% less than the national average, and 18.2% have made twelve or more online purchases in the past year, a figure that is 13% below the national average.
As the outlook for the holiday retail season is expected to be bleak for 2008, analysis from The Media Audit E-Commerce Report suggests that the best place to find potential big spenders this season is online. According to the report, online shoppers - those adults who have shopped online at least once in the past twelve months - earn more in household income and in general are more optimistic about their financial future. Among online shoppers, 64.3% are considered financial optimists, a figure that is 9% higher than all adults nationally. Furthermore, 43% of adults who shop online earn $75,000 or more in household income, (demographic of ThisWeekNews.com users) a figure that is 39% higher than for all adults, suggesting they might be more able to weather tough economic times.
Read More
Friday
Objection #2 - I believe I duplicate too much if I already buy print newspaper advertising and add the newspaper's website
Of course there is duplication between the print and online reader, much as their is a print reader and television/radio viewer/listener. Most newspapers report 45-50% of their online audience not reading the printed product. In addition, the website allows for animation and an interactive user experience. Don't think of it as duplication, think of it as increased frequency of your message to your target audience which will increase awareness and recognition. However, most of the readership on a newspaper website is unduplicated against newspaper readership, they come looking for something different then they did/did not find in print.
5 things to do to seed social media into your marketing strategy.
While you might not be setting up your own social networking site; many of our advertisers still understand the value of the web or at the very least viral marketing. Social Media on the web is just viral advertising (through the computer). Knowing what you're talking about is always a plus, whether you're just talking about it or if you're trying to sell around the need.
So here are five things to do to seed social media into your marketing strategy.
Find your peeps. It's all about targeting. The goal is to comfortably intersect with your customers and prospects. In some cases, you can add social media elements to your Web site and to your marketing campaigns. In other cases, it makes more sense to go where they are already going. Think like an anthropologist. Find your people. Watch what they say and do. Look for patterns. Ask them what they like and what they want.
Dare to be embarrassed. Social media shifts control from brands to customers. It's about what they think and what they want; not what you're pushing. Some think you suck. But you knew that and it's okay. To embrace social networks is to risk being next to content that you don't control, to receive and respond to reviews and criticism you're not used to -- and possibly to take your brand not so seriously.
Lead with your long suit. Social networks give brands the opportunity to expose things they know, showcase expertise, present ideas or designs, float trial balloons and introduce personalities. It's an unparalleled chance to invite customers and prospects into your world. Don't underestimate how into your brand your best customers are. Don't be bashful. Put your people and your best stuff out there. Don't let the lawyers tell you otherwise.
Play around. We're in the early stages. There are no proven formulas and no real best practices. It's a real chance to play around by asking users to send in things, participate in contests, answer survey questions, sample products or services, download coupons, upload photos and who knows what else? Test and learn your way to greatness.
Play to the cheap seats. Social media is like talk radio or old-fashioned telephone party lines. A tiny percent call -- but everybody is listening. The beauty of having friends and linkages is seeing what they are doing and watching them experiment from the sidelines. The numbers of passive and occasional users far outnumber the hardcore players, even among the younger demographic groups. But don't ignore them because they're getting off and getting their own ideas watching what goes on.
So here are five things to do to seed social media into your marketing strategy.
Find your peeps. It's all about targeting. The goal is to comfortably intersect with your customers and prospects. In some cases, you can add social media elements to your Web site and to your marketing campaigns. In other cases, it makes more sense to go where they are already going. Think like an anthropologist. Find your people. Watch what they say and do. Look for patterns. Ask them what they like and what they want.
Dare to be embarrassed. Social media shifts control from brands to customers. It's about what they think and what they want; not what you're pushing. Some think you suck. But you knew that and it's okay. To embrace social networks is to risk being next to content that you don't control, to receive and respond to reviews and criticism you're not used to -- and possibly to take your brand not so seriously.
Lead with your long suit. Social networks give brands the opportunity to expose things they know, showcase expertise, present ideas or designs, float trial balloons and introduce personalities. It's an unparalleled chance to invite customers and prospects into your world. Don't underestimate how into your brand your best customers are. Don't be bashful. Put your people and your best stuff out there. Don't let the lawyers tell you otherwise.
Play around. We're in the early stages. There are no proven formulas and no real best practices. It's a real chance to play around by asking users to send in things, participate in contests, answer survey questions, sample products or services, download coupons, upload photos and who knows what else? Test and learn your way to greatness.
Play to the cheap seats. Social media is like talk radio or old-fashioned telephone party lines. A tiny percent call -- but everybody is listening. The beauty of having friends and linkages is seeing what they are doing and watching them experiment from the sidelines. The numbers of passive and occasional users far outnumber the hardcore players, even among the younger demographic groups. But don't ignore them because they're getting off and getting their own ideas watching what goes on.
Wednesday
Online Bargain Hunters go Social
Though email from retailers is still the best way for consumers to learn about discounts and deals online, nearly 30% of shoppers now say they look to links forwarded from friends, peer comments and social sites for the best bargains, according to a survey from Guidance, in association with Synovate.
When asked what they thought was the best way to find out about bargains and deals on the internet, the majority of the 1,000 respondents surveyed still cited traditional “top-down,” retailer-to-consumer channels. Nearly half (45%) said email is the best way to learn about deals, while 16% looked to messages from retailer websites and 10% cited banner ads.
Read More
When asked what they thought was the best way to find out about bargains and deals on the internet, the majority of the 1,000 respondents surveyed still cited traditional “top-down,” retailer-to-consumer channels. Nearly half (45%) said email is the best way to learn about deals, while 16% looked to messages from retailer websites and 10% cited banner ads.
Read More
Monday
The Most Common Objections to Advertising on Newspaper Websites
This is going to be a series: We'll review one objection a day...
1. I buy search words, why do I need more than that?
Because search words only capture people who are actually looking for your product by
type or name. By only using this form of advertising, you are missing opportunities to
brand your product with local audiences that typically account for the majority of
storefront foot traffic. When the consumer determines it’s time – you want to be top of
mind. No search necessary. Display ads not only add to brand awareness but increase
the clickthrough rate on your search buys. Higher brand awareness means more
searches on keywords associated with your brand which means more clicks.
1. I buy search words, why do I need more than that?
Because search words only capture people who are actually looking for your product by
type or name. By only using this form of advertising, you are missing opportunities to
brand your product with local audiences that typically account for the majority of
storefront foot traffic. When the consumer determines it’s time – you want to be top of
mind. No search necessary. Display ads not only add to brand awareness but increase
the clickthrough rate on your search buys. Higher brand awareness means more
searches on keywords associated with your brand which means more clicks.
New saying "we're facilitating dialogue"
Our sales manager Christal and I had the opportunity to attend a SNA (Suburban Newspapers of America) Symposium last week and of course my mind was reeling with all the great ideas. But one of the things that I heard that stuck was....we are in the business of facilitating dialogue.
What does that mean?
I think it can mean something different to our editors and our readers; our clients and consumers, sports teams and their fans...you get the idea.
Our advertisers want their message to reach consumers; our teachers want to talk to their students' parents, charities want their message to be heard by people who care.
Our products facilitate dialogue between different communities. Dublin parents and the administration at Dublin Coffman High; the People In Need charity organization and city volunteers; Central Ohio shoppers trying to save money and women that have the know how to help....
Ask yourself and your advertisers, what dialogue should you be participating in?
We are the in the business of targeted messaging aka niche marketing
I think that we need to reevaluate how we think. We often have been taught to spit off numbers in bulk. For example we reach 800,000 households and 90% of the population (this is an example of course).
If you ask our advertisers, would you rather reach 20,000 people that may look at your message or 500 who really want it, what do you think they will say? It probably depends on if they want an awareness campaign or a campaign that will more immediately bring results.
In Real Estate for example, we've all heard the expression it only takes 2 people to buy and sell a home...so don't you want to hit the people that are really looking to take that step and put your message in front of them, do we really spend time researching how we can help our clients do this?
Social Networking is one way that you can reach niche audiences
Search Marketing,
Targeted Banner Advertising
Email marketing to sub groups
These are all ways that we can hit the masses...OR we can target communities of people looking for a particular service or product.
While our community newspapers and websites in general have the ability to blanket some markets and provide a TOMA (top of mind awareness campaign), I don't think we stress enough just how targeted our messaging can be to the "sub" communities all throughout our city...What do you think?
What does that mean?
I think it can mean something different to our editors and our readers; our clients and consumers, sports teams and their fans...you get the idea.
Our advertisers want their message to reach consumers; our teachers want to talk to their students' parents, charities want their message to be heard by people who care.
Our products facilitate dialogue between different communities. Dublin parents and the administration at Dublin Coffman High; the People In Need charity organization and city volunteers; Central Ohio shoppers trying to save money and women that have the know how to help....
Ask yourself and your advertisers, what dialogue should you be participating in?
We are the in the business of targeted messaging aka niche marketing
I think that we need to reevaluate how we think. We often have been taught to spit off numbers in bulk. For example we reach 800,000 households and 90% of the population (this is an example of course).
If you ask our advertisers, would you rather reach 20,000 people that may look at your message or 500 who really want it, what do you think they will say? It probably depends on if they want an awareness campaign or a campaign that will more immediately bring results.
In Real Estate for example, we've all heard the expression it only takes 2 people to buy and sell a home...so don't you want to hit the people that are really looking to take that step and put your message in front of them, do we really spend time researching how we can help our clients do this?
Social Networking is one way that you can reach niche audiences
Search Marketing,
Targeted Banner Advertising
Email marketing to sub groups
These are all ways that we can hit the masses...OR we can target communities of people looking for a particular service or product.
While our community newspapers and websites in general have the ability to blanket some markets and provide a TOMA (top of mind awareness campaign), I don't think we stress enough just how targeted our messaging can be to the "sub" communities all throughout our city...What do you think?
Wednesday
All Politics are Personal....does that mean local?
With Election Day less than two weeks away, there still remains a large contingency of undecided voters. Many marketing channels are available to reach them, but what channel is going to be the most effective for candidates in terms of getting votes?
Read More
Real-time feedback and real-time optimization. Campaign managers can not only launch video ad campaigns immediately, but they can also optimize ads in real-time. By taking into account video and banner click-through rates, the average viewing duration and cross-referencing those numbers with post-impression and post-click Web site activity (e.g. - donations), campaign managers can optimize each campaign to maximize effectiveness.
News spreads like wildfire with breaking news e-mails, blog posts, Twitter, social networking sites, and more. In most cases, it remains true that we have no power over how issues and candidates are presented in the news, but the power of online video advertising makes it possible for the candidates to speak one-on-one with the voters about issues that concern them.
Read More
Real-time feedback and real-time optimization. Campaign managers can not only launch video ad campaigns immediately, but they can also optimize ads in real-time. By taking into account video and banner click-through rates, the average viewing duration and cross-referencing those numbers with post-impression and post-click Web site activity (e.g. - donations), campaign managers can optimize each campaign to maximize effectiveness.
News spreads like wildfire with breaking news e-mails, blog posts, Twitter, social networking sites, and more. In most cases, it remains true that we have no power over how issues and candidates are presented in the news, but the power of online video advertising makes it possible for the candidates to speak one-on-one with the voters about issues that concern them.
Monday
Power Moms are Online
Our advertisers want to connect with woman, specifically moms, but why? Find out for yourself
Gen X and Gen Y moms use the internet differently than my mom does:
The top three activities of Gen Y moms are reading blogs, participating in an online community of moms, and creating and sharing their own video.
The top three online activities of Gen X moms are: using a photo site, rating and reviewing products, and shopping.
Gen Y moms are much more attached to media that connects them to other moms online - such as internet communities, blogs and video-sharing sites - suggesting they prefer to rely on peers rather than experts to help them parent, according to the study.
Moms who are members of Gen Y also are highly involved in creating their own content and show a preference for time-shifting behaviors, such as watching TV online...READ MORE
Have you told your advertisers that this is what women and moms are looking for online? Let's help educate our advertisers and continue to bring them ideas that offer them marketing solutions.
Gen X and Gen Y moms use the internet differently than my mom does:
The top three activities of Gen Y moms are reading blogs, participating in an online community of moms, and creating and sharing their own video.
The top three online activities of Gen X moms are: using a photo site, rating and reviewing products, and shopping.
Gen Y moms are much more attached to media that connects them to other moms online - such as internet communities, blogs and video-sharing sites - suggesting they prefer to rely on peers rather than experts to help them parent, according to the study.
Moms who are members of Gen Y also are highly involved in creating their own content and show a preference for time-shifting behaviors, such as watching TV online...READ MORE
Have you told your advertisers that this is what women and moms are looking for online? Let's help educate our advertisers and continue to bring them ideas that offer them marketing solutions.
Back at it....comments?
Ok everyone,
So I don't think many of you read this however...there are always tons of new things with online that I need to update you on so I need you to try to rely on this blog to give you some of that information. We might even do fun quizzes and prizes that you can only win by answering here on ilovetosellweb.com.
I had a semi arguement with my mother about the definition of news today...she says newspaper and TV that is news....If you haven't viewed the previous blog Web Terms in Plain English then you may not know what I'm talking about.
In the past, editors, programming managers (radio), directors (tv) they decided what was "news" worthy and pushed it out to the public...essentially saying "here this is what we think you should care about" (most of the time they were right). However, online is different...with blogs, podcasts, online video - users come to the web looking for information that they care about. An example: if I type a blog about online sales information....then I might only have 15 people read it....but to them this is information or news they care about....that is how we need to discuss the value of the web with our clients. It isn't content we gave them, it is information readers went looking for....
For more on the importance of blogs in the mainstream media read here (thanks to Joe R. at TheBAG for sharing).
So I don't think many of you read this however...there are always tons of new things with online that I need to update you on so I need you to try to rely on this blog to give you some of that information. We might even do fun quizzes and prizes that you can only win by answering here on ilovetosellweb.com.
I had a semi arguement with my mother about the definition of news today...she says newspaper and TV that is news....If you haven't viewed the previous blog Web Terms in Plain English then you may not know what I'm talking about.
In the past, editors, programming managers (radio), directors (tv) they decided what was "news" worthy and pushed it out to the public...essentially saying "here this is what we think you should care about" (most of the time they were right). However, online is different...with blogs, podcasts, online video - users come to the web looking for information that they care about. An example: if I type a blog about online sales information....then I might only have 15 people read it....but to them this is information or news they care about....that is how we need to discuss the value of the web with our clients. It isn't content we gave them, it is information readers went looking for....
For more on the importance of blogs in the mainstream media read here (thanks to Joe R. at TheBAG for sharing).
Friday
Consumers Pick Up Clip of Coupons
Last year was the first time in 15 years that coupon redemptions didn't decline, research shows. Individual companies have mixed reports on coupon usage, but a broad Unilever NV study in the U.S. found that in the first quarter, the percentage of goods sold via coupon rose from a year earlier. Read More
Wednesday
What Metrics Matter?
Want to know more about what the value of online is to your clients...and what isn't a value....read more
Monday
46% of online consumers take action after viewing local ads....
According to a new report by the Online Publishers Association, local media sites hold a distinct advantage when it comes to delivering results for advertisers. The study finds that consumers trust advertising on local newspaper, magazine and television Websites, and are very likely to take action after viewing ads on these sites.
Newspapers rank first, with 46% of consumers taking action, including making a purchase, going to a store, conducting research, after viewing a local ad, as compared to 37% of consumers acting after viewing a local ad on a portal.
Percent of Consumers Taking Action after Viewing Local Ads:
Local Newspaper Site: 46%
Local Television Site: 44%
Local Magazine Site: 42%
User Review Site: 39%
Portal: 37%
OPA president Pam Horan, says "... local media sites deliver concrete results for local advertisers... consumers are more likely to act on the ads they see on local TV, newspaper and magazine sites... "
Consumers on these sites are desirable advertising targets, concludes the report. Local magazine, newspaper and TV sites attract significant percentages (48%, 40% and 39%, respectively) of consumers who spent more than $500 online in the past twelve months. Thirty-seven percent of portal visitors and 34% of the overall online population spend this amount in a year.
Consumers express significant faith in advertising on local content sites. Newspaper sites lead the way, with 56% of visitors expressing strong trust of the advertising found on these sites, followed by local TV station sites and portals.
The OPA report finds that satisfaction with local content is high overall, and portals and media sites each have strengths. Portals lead in satisfaction among all local content visitors, followed by local newspaper and TV station sites.
Local media sites have a significant lead over portals:
79% of frequent visitors are satisfied with local TV sites
77% are satisfied with local newspaper sites
65% of frequent visitors to portals are satisfied
Portals, Newspaper and TV Sites Lead in Satisfaction with Local Coverage (% Local Content Users)
% Satisfied with Local Community Coverage
User review sites
13%
Local magazine sites
20%
City guides
26%
Classifieds sites
34%
Online yellow pages
36%
Local TV station sites
48%
Local newspaper sites
48%
Portals
58%
Source: Online Publishers Association, August 2008
An important common trait of all local online content sites is an ability to attract high concentrations of influencers, says OPA:
10% of consumers are considered "Influential’s" according to research done by GfK Roper
29% percent of local online content site users say they are the first person people come to for recommendations about local restaurants and bars
26% of local online users say they are the first person people come to for local shopping recommendations
23% for local entertainment recommendations
23% for local consumer electronics recommendations
Source: Online Publishers Association, August 2008
Newspapers rank first, with 46% of consumers taking action, including making a purchase, going to a store, conducting research, after viewing a local ad, as compared to 37% of consumers acting after viewing a local ad on a portal.
Percent of Consumers Taking Action after Viewing Local Ads:
Local Newspaper Site: 46%
Local Television Site: 44%
Local Magazine Site: 42%
User Review Site: 39%
Portal: 37%
OPA president Pam Horan, says "... local media sites deliver concrete results for local advertisers... consumers are more likely to act on the ads they see on local TV, newspaper and magazine sites... "
Consumers on these sites are desirable advertising targets, concludes the report. Local magazine, newspaper and TV sites attract significant percentages (48%, 40% and 39%, respectively) of consumers who spent more than $500 online in the past twelve months. Thirty-seven percent of portal visitors and 34% of the overall online population spend this amount in a year.
Consumers express significant faith in advertising on local content sites. Newspaper sites lead the way, with 56% of visitors expressing strong trust of the advertising found on these sites, followed by local TV station sites and portals.
The OPA report finds that satisfaction with local content is high overall, and portals and media sites each have strengths. Portals lead in satisfaction among all local content visitors, followed by local newspaper and TV station sites.
Local media sites have a significant lead over portals:
79% of frequent visitors are satisfied with local TV sites
77% are satisfied with local newspaper sites
65% of frequent visitors to portals are satisfied
Portals, Newspaper and TV Sites Lead in Satisfaction with Local Coverage (% Local Content Users)
% Satisfied with Local Community Coverage
User review sites
13%
Local magazine sites
20%
City guides
26%
Classifieds sites
34%
Online yellow pages
36%
Local TV station sites
48%
Local newspaper sites
48%
Portals
58%
Source: Online Publishers Association, August 2008
An important common trait of all local online content sites is an ability to attract high concentrations of influencers, says OPA:
10% of consumers are considered "Influential’s" according to research done by GfK Roper
29% percent of local online content site users say they are the first person people come to for recommendations about local restaurants and bars
26% of local online users say they are the first person people come to for local shopping recommendations
23% for local entertainment recommendations
23% for local consumer electronics recommendations
Source: Online Publishers Association, August 2008
Tuesday
Monday
Wednesday
Consumers Cut Spending Amid Inflation, Go to Web for Deals!
Everyday consumer spending is taking a beating, with some 56% of 3,359 online shoppers surveyed April 29 to May 23 indicating that they are cutting back because of the weak economy and growing inflation, according to PriceGrabber.com’s Consumer Behavior Report, writes MarketingCharts.
(View chart of the categories in which consumers are trying to save money.)
According to the report:
42% of respondents indicated retail shopping as the primary category in which they are reducing spend.
More than one-third of respondents indicated that their top money-saving trick for retail shopping is the use of comparison-shopping websites.
Other ways consumers are reducing their retail spending is through discount and bargain shopping and using low-interest credit cards or cash.
Tax refunds to pay off debt
Some 65% of 1,328 online shoppers surveyed March 25 to April 19 said they plan to spend their tax refund.
Of that group, 45% plan to use that money on an existing loan. Of the respondents applying their refund to a loan, 68% indicated a credit card as that loan (see chart).
Even with concern about an unstable economy, 22% of tax refund spenders indicated using the refund for home improvement and 11% for a vacation.
Economic stimulus checks
Despite government efforts to increase consumer spending through the economic stimulus program, a June survey of 2,483 online shoppers found that 89% of respondents are still cutting back.
Similar to the results of the tax-refund survey, more than one-third of consumers who indicated that they spent their economic stimulus checks used them to pay off debt.
31% of online consumers spent their checks on retail shopping. Of those who spent their stimulus checks, 27% bought onvone large item and 25% spent the money immediately on multiple items.
(View chart of the categories in which consumers are trying to save money.)
According to the report:
42% of respondents indicated retail shopping as the primary category in which they are reducing spend.
More than one-third of respondents indicated that their top money-saving trick for retail shopping is the use of comparison-shopping websites.
Other ways consumers are reducing their retail spending is through discount and bargain shopping and using low-interest credit cards or cash.
Tax refunds to pay off debt
Some 65% of 1,328 online shoppers surveyed March 25 to April 19 said they plan to spend their tax refund.
Of that group, 45% plan to use that money on an existing loan. Of the respondents applying their refund to a loan, 68% indicated a credit card as that loan (see chart).
Even with concern about an unstable economy, 22% of tax refund spenders indicated using the refund for home improvement and 11% for a vacation.
Economic stimulus checks
Despite government efforts to increase consumer spending through the economic stimulus program, a June survey of 2,483 online shoppers found that 89% of respondents are still cutting back.
Similar to the results of the tax-refund survey, more than one-third of consumers who indicated that they spent their economic stimulus checks used them to pay off debt.
31% of online consumers spent their checks on retail shopping. Of those who spent their stimulus checks, 27% bought onvone large item and 25% spent the money immediately on multiple items.
Monday
Half of Adults Text, Blog, Use Other Social Media
They sleep with them, too
Over 50% of US adults use text messaging, blogging and other types of social media to regularly communicate with others, according to MediaPost, which reported results from the latest wave of Universal McCann's large-scale "Media in Mind" tracking study (via MarketingCharts).
For those 18-34 years old, the reigning form of personal communication is social media, which 85% of those in this age group say they use to connect with people they know.
Below, additional findings from the survey.
Older tech, such as email and instant messaging, are also still replacing analog communications:
22% of all American adults say they rely on instant messaging, up from 9% in 2007.
21% of adults age 18-34 rely on instant messaging, up from 14% in 2007.
Mobile media is becoming a dominant force as well, as evidenced by the pervasive use of texting:
Only 41% of US adults say they've never sent a text message, down 8% from a year ago.
Among 18- to 34-year-olds, the proportion of those who have never sent a text message has fallen to 22%, a decline of 16% from last year.
Self-publishing online and reading blog content also are growing:
10% of US adults now publish blogs. That number was only 5% last year.
Younger Americans publish blogs at twice that rate: Some 20% of US adults age 18-34 publish a blog, up from 10% last year.
About the research: Universal McCann's Media in Mind study is an annual proprietary survey of 5,000+ adults that analyzes how consumers relate to media and products in their daily lives.
Over 50% of US adults use text messaging, blogging and other types of social media to regularly communicate with others, according to MediaPost, which reported results from the latest wave of Universal McCann's large-scale "Media in Mind" tracking study (via MarketingCharts).
For those 18-34 years old, the reigning form of personal communication is social media, which 85% of those in this age group say they use to connect with people they know.
Below, additional findings from the survey.
Older tech, such as email and instant messaging, are also still replacing analog communications:
22% of all American adults say they rely on instant messaging, up from 9% in 2007.
21% of adults age 18-34 rely on instant messaging, up from 14% in 2007.
Mobile media is becoming a dominant force as well, as evidenced by the pervasive use of texting:
Only 41% of US adults say they've never sent a text message, down 8% from a year ago.
Among 18- to 34-year-olds, the proportion of those who have never sent a text message has fallen to 22%, a decline of 16% from last year.
Self-publishing online and reading blog content also are growing:
10% of US adults now publish blogs. That number was only 5% last year.
Younger Americans publish blogs at twice that rate: Some 20% of US adults age 18-34 publish a blog, up from 10% last year.
About the research: Universal McCann's Media in Mind study is an annual proprietary survey of 5,000+ adults that analyzes how consumers relate to media and products in their daily lives.
Teens Stick Together....Info for your advertisers!
TEENS MORE LIKELY TO SPEND MONEY AT PLACES THAT HIRE TEENS Struggling Companies Should Look to Hire More Teens to Build Brand Awareness
PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 4, 2008) - In the current sluggish economy -- when even teenagers are spending their money more carefully -- a large percentage of teenagers say that they would rather shop and eat at places that hire their peers.
According to a survey conducted by Myfirstpaycheck.com, a Web site that offers employment help and jobs for teens, approximately three out of four (75.7%) teenagers who responded are more likely to spend money at a store or a restaurant that hires their peers. In addition, about the same percentage (73%) of teenagers who responded said that their families are more likely to spend money at places they work.
"With retailers and restaurants facing declining revenues and rising costs, these are important numbers to consider when hiring. Teenagers are great employees because they are affordable and enthusiastic, but they are great brand ambassadors too," said Austin Lavin, CEO and Co-Founder of Myfirstpaycheck.com."
Teenagers are becoming smarter and more discerning shoppers. They said that seeing their peers working in a store or restaurant makes them think that the company cares about them and their needs. Teenagers also said that they often end up spending money when they visit friends in the workplace.
Unfortunately, this has been one of the hardest summers ever for teenagers to find employment. Myfirstpaycheck.com audience trends show that teenagers have not given up the job search and are starting to look online now for after-school jobs.
These results were obtained from an online survey conducted by Myfirstpaycheck.com teenage users. While not a scientific sampling of public opinion, the overwhelming response matches up with feedback Myfirstpaycheck.com regularly receives from employers and marketers who say that hiring teenagers is not just a good employment practice, but a good marketing practice as well.
PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 4, 2008) - In the current sluggish economy -- when even teenagers are spending their money more carefully -- a large percentage of teenagers say that they would rather shop and eat at places that hire their peers.
According to a survey conducted by Myfirstpaycheck.com, a Web site that offers employment help and jobs for teens, approximately three out of four (75.7%) teenagers who responded are more likely to spend money at a store or a restaurant that hires their peers. In addition, about the same percentage (73%) of teenagers who responded said that their families are more likely to spend money at places they work.
"With retailers and restaurants facing declining revenues and rising costs, these are important numbers to consider when hiring. Teenagers are great employees because they are affordable and enthusiastic, but they are great brand ambassadors too," said Austin Lavin, CEO and Co-Founder of Myfirstpaycheck.com."
Teenagers are becoming smarter and more discerning shoppers. They said that seeing their peers working in a store or restaurant makes them think that the company cares about them and their needs. Teenagers also said that they often end up spending money when they visit friends in the workplace.
Unfortunately, this has been one of the hardest summers ever for teenagers to find employment. Myfirstpaycheck.com audience trends show that teenagers have not given up the job search and are starting to look online now for after-school jobs.
These results were obtained from an online survey conducted by Myfirstpaycheck.com teenage users. While not a scientific sampling of public opinion, the overwhelming response matches up with feedback Myfirstpaycheck.com regularly receives from employers and marketers who say that hiring teenagers is not just a good employment practice, but a good marketing practice as well.
Thursday
Online Video Info!
Convincing Clients to Buy Web Video
Even in 2008, Web Video can be scary for clients looking to place ads. Your arsenal of facts supporting a Web-video buy is expanding.
By Tod Sacerdoti
Published: July 29, 2008
Convincing clients to use online video involves three key elements: sharing key facts, making specific recommendations and backing all initial video efforts with a strong research effort.
Key Facts
Clients are aware of online video, but they generally don't realize the growth, scale or performance facts.
1. Video is Bigger Than Search: 12 billion videos are watched per month vs. 10.5 billion searches conducted.
2. Video Consumption is Quickly Moving Online: 19% of total video consumption is now online, versus 11% a year ago.
3. Most Users Consume Video: 80% of Internet users watch video, moving to 88% by 2012.
4. Consumption is High Across All Demos: 76% of children and 44% of seniors watched online video.
5. Video Is Fastest Growing Ad Category: Video advertising will growth 45% this year vs. 37% for social media.
6. TV Scale is Accessible Online: Many vendors now represent unique and volume numbers that are larger than prime-time TV.
7. Video is Highest Performing Unit Online: Pre-roll video outperforms all traditional display units on brand lift, brand recall and lift in purchase intent.
Specific Recommendations
Clients need simple ways to get started and clear ways to add to existing programs or campaigns.
1. Use Existing Creative: Current 15 and 30 second television spots can be used to create most video ad units online.
2. Customize the Skin: Rather than creating new and expensive video ads, focus customization on skinning pages or players.
3. Always Have a Companion Banner: Companions bring down the effective cost per thousand and are a key to performance, so always have one.
4. Clarify Target Metrics: Vendors can easily optimize for clicks, duration, cost per view or conversion so recommend the metric upfront.
5. Test Multiple Ad Units: For clients just starting in video, run multiple different video units and quickly cancel underperforming units.
6. Avoid direct response—Focus on Brand Budgets: With regurgitated TV creative, direct response campaigns will likely miss targets, so avoid getting off to a bad start.
7. Do Not Pay Rich Media or Serving Fees: Many vendors exist that do not charge fees, so preserve the client's budget for the media.
Research Efforts
Clients need to know if video is performing in three key areas: attitude /brand metrics vs. display and within-ad units.
1. Research Attitude/Brand Metrics: Proof of performance will drive increased budgets so demonstrate brand lift, brand recall or an increase in purchase intent for branding campaigns. Work with a third party who is credible and has experience in video advertising.
2. Research Performance of Video vs. Display Advertising: Your video budget will come at the expense of display advertising, so it is important to demonstrate video outperforms. For any campaigns with a direct response metric, measure the impact of video advertising on the conversions of display and search.
3. Research Ad Units: Video ad units have widely varying performance, measure both by hard metrics such as clicks and conversions, but also on the user perception of a brand and on the impact of the performance of other, non-video units.
Even in 2008, Web Video can be scary for clients looking to place ads. Your arsenal of facts supporting a Web-video buy is expanding.
By Tod Sacerdoti
Published: July 29, 2008
Convincing clients to use online video involves three key elements: sharing key facts, making specific recommendations and backing all initial video efforts with a strong research effort.
Key Facts
Clients are aware of online video, but they generally don't realize the growth, scale or performance facts.
1. Video is Bigger Than Search: 12 billion videos are watched per month vs. 10.5 billion searches conducted.
2. Video Consumption is Quickly Moving Online: 19% of total video consumption is now online, versus 11% a year ago.
3. Most Users Consume Video: 80% of Internet users watch video, moving to 88% by 2012.
4. Consumption is High Across All Demos: 76% of children and 44% of seniors watched online video.
5. Video Is Fastest Growing Ad Category: Video advertising will growth 45% this year vs. 37% for social media.
6. TV Scale is Accessible Online: Many vendors now represent unique and volume numbers that are larger than prime-time TV.
7. Video is Highest Performing Unit Online: Pre-roll video outperforms all traditional display units on brand lift, brand recall and lift in purchase intent.
Specific Recommendations
Clients need simple ways to get started and clear ways to add to existing programs or campaigns.
1. Use Existing Creative: Current 15 and 30 second television spots can be used to create most video ad units online.
2. Customize the Skin: Rather than creating new and expensive video ads, focus customization on skinning pages or players.
3. Always Have a Companion Banner: Companions bring down the effective cost per thousand and are a key to performance, so always have one.
4. Clarify Target Metrics: Vendors can easily optimize for clicks, duration, cost per view or conversion so recommend the metric upfront.
5. Test Multiple Ad Units: For clients just starting in video, run multiple different video units and quickly cancel underperforming units.
6. Avoid direct response—Focus on Brand Budgets: With regurgitated TV creative, direct response campaigns will likely miss targets, so avoid getting off to a bad start.
7. Do Not Pay Rich Media or Serving Fees: Many vendors exist that do not charge fees, so preserve the client's budget for the media.
Research Efforts
Clients need to know if video is performing in three key areas: attitude /brand metrics vs. display and within-ad units.
1. Research Attitude/Brand Metrics: Proof of performance will drive increased budgets so demonstrate brand lift, brand recall or an increase in purchase intent for branding campaigns. Work with a third party who is credible and has experience in video advertising.
2. Research Performance of Video vs. Display Advertising: Your video budget will come at the expense of display advertising, so it is important to demonstrate video outperforms. For any campaigns with a direct response metric, measure the impact of video advertising on the conversions of display and search.
3. Research Ad Units: Video ad units have widely varying performance, measure both by hard metrics such as clicks and conversions, but also on the user perception of a brand and on the impact of the performance of other, non-video units.
Online Video Info!
Convincing Clients to Buy Web Video
Even in 2008, Web Video can be scary for clients looking to place ads. Your arsenal of facts supporting a Web-video buy is expanding.
By Tod Sacerdoti
Published: July 29, 2008
Convincing clients to use online video involves three key elements: sharing key facts, making specific recommendations and backing all initial video efforts with a strong research effort.
Key Facts
Clients are aware of online video, but they generally don't realize the growth, scale or performance facts.
1. Video is Bigger Than Search: 12 billion videos are watched per month vs. 10.5 billion searches conducted.
2. Video Consumption is Quickly Moving Online: 19% of total video consumption is now online, versus 11% a year ago.
3. Most Users Consume Video: 80% of Internet users watch video, moving to 88% by 2012.
4. Consumption is High Across All Demos: 76% of children and 44% of seniors watched online video.
5. Video Is Fastest Growing Ad Category: Video advertising will growth 45% this year vs. 37% for social media.
6. TV Scale is Accessible Online: Many vendors now represent unique and volume numbers that are larger than prime-time TV.
7. Video is Highest Performing Unit Online: Pre-roll video outperforms all traditional display units on brand lift, brand recall and lift in purchase intent.
Specific Recommendations
Clients need simple ways to get started and clear ways to add to existing programs or campaigns.
1. Use Existing Creative: Current 15 and 30 second television spots can be used to create most video ad units online.
2. Customize the Skin: Rather than creating new and expensive video ads, focus customization on skinning pages or players.
3. Always Have a Companion Banner: Companions bring down the effective cost per thousand and are a key to performance, so always have one.
4. Clarify Target Metrics: Vendors can easily optimize for clicks, duration, cost per view or conversion so recommend the metric upfront.
5. Test Multiple Ad Units: For clients just starting in video, run multiple different video units and quickly cancel underperforming units.
6. Avoid direct response—Focus on Brand Budgets: With regurgitated TV creative, direct response campaigns will likely miss targets, so avoid getting off to a bad start.
7. Do Not Pay Rich Media or Serving Fees: Many vendors exist that do not charge fees, so preserve the client's budget for the media.
Research Efforts
Clients need to know if video is performing in three key areas: attitude /brand metrics vs. display and within-ad units.
1. Research Attitude/Brand Metrics: Proof of performance will drive increased budgets so demonstrate brand lift, brand recall or an increase in purchase intent for branding campaigns. Work with a third party who is credible and has experience in video advertising.
2. Research Performance of Video vs. Display Advertising: Your video budget will come at the expense of display advertising, so it is important to demonstrate video outperforms. For any campaigns with a direct response metric, measure the impact of video advertising on the conversions of display and search.
3. Research Ad Units: Video ad units have widely varying performance, measure both by hard metrics such as clicks and conversions, but also on the user perception of a brand and on the impact of the performance of other, non-video units.
Even in 2008, Web Video can be scary for clients looking to place ads. Your arsenal of facts supporting a Web-video buy is expanding.
By Tod Sacerdoti
Published: July 29, 2008
Convincing clients to use online video involves three key elements: sharing key facts, making specific recommendations and backing all initial video efforts with a strong research effort.
Key Facts
Clients are aware of online video, but they generally don't realize the growth, scale or performance facts.
1. Video is Bigger Than Search: 12 billion videos are watched per month vs. 10.5 billion searches conducted.
2. Video Consumption is Quickly Moving Online: 19% of total video consumption is now online, versus 11% a year ago.
3. Most Users Consume Video: 80% of Internet users watch video, moving to 88% by 2012.
4. Consumption is High Across All Demos: 76% of children and 44% of seniors watched online video.
5. Video Is Fastest Growing Ad Category: Video advertising will growth 45% this year vs. 37% for social media.
6. TV Scale is Accessible Online: Many vendors now represent unique and volume numbers that are larger than prime-time TV.
7. Video is Highest Performing Unit Online: Pre-roll video outperforms all traditional display units on brand lift, brand recall and lift in purchase intent.
Specific Recommendations
Clients need simple ways to get started and clear ways to add to existing programs or campaigns.
1. Use Existing Creative: Current 15 and 30 second television spots can be used to create most video ad units online.
2. Customize the Skin: Rather than creating new and expensive video ads, focus customization on skinning pages or players.
3. Always Have a Companion Banner: Companions bring down the effective cost per thousand and are a key to performance, so always have one.
4. Clarify Target Metrics: Vendors can easily optimize for clicks, duration, cost per view or conversion so recommend the metric upfront.
5. Test Multiple Ad Units: For clients just starting in video, run multiple different video units and quickly cancel underperforming units.
6. Avoid direct response—Focus on Brand Budgets: With regurgitated TV creative, direct response campaigns will likely miss targets, so avoid getting off to a bad start.
7. Do Not Pay Rich Media or Serving Fees: Many vendors exist that do not charge fees, so preserve the client's budget for the media.
Research Efforts
Clients need to know if video is performing in three key areas: attitude /brand metrics vs. display and within-ad units.
1. Research Attitude/Brand Metrics: Proof of performance will drive increased budgets so demonstrate brand lift, brand recall or an increase in purchase intent for branding campaigns. Work with a third party who is credible and has experience in video advertising.
2. Research Performance of Video vs. Display Advertising: Your video budget will come at the expense of display advertising, so it is important to demonstrate video outperforms. For any campaigns with a direct response metric, measure the impact of video advertising on the conversions of display and search.
3. Research Ad Units: Video ad units have widely varying performance, measure both by hard metrics such as clicks and conversions, but also on the user perception of a brand and on the impact of the performance of other, non-video units.
Wednesday
Why do all advertisers think that everyone online is 15 years old!
Very interesting, please read and share!
Study: Age Affects Perceptions Of Internet Advertising Targets
Study: Age Affects Perceptions Of Internet Advertising Targets
Tuesday
Women Primary Searchers for Wellness Information Online
Two out of three (66.2%) online adults use the internet to gather wellness information - and women are significantly more likely than men to do so - 71.7% versus 60.5% - according to a Burst Media survey of nearly 1,700 web users age 18+.
The study sought to understand how consumers research wellness topics online, including fitness, diet, health and beauty.
Among the key findings:
Overall, nutrition information is the most popular wellness topic to research online (38.4%) among US adults.
One-third (33.9%) of respondents research wellness information at least once per week and 10.7% search daily.
Respondents age 25-34 are the most active consumers of online wellness information; among this segment, 45.9% research at least once per week, and one in six (16.3%) search daily.
Among other findings of the study:
Gender, not age, is the largest factor in reliance on online wellness information: High usage by women is fairly consistent among all female age segments, rising from 66.0% among women age 18-24 to 75% among women 55+.
Read More About Women searching wellness info online
The study sought to understand how consumers research wellness topics online, including fitness, diet, health and beauty.
Among the key findings:
Overall, nutrition information is the most popular wellness topic to research online (38.4%) among US adults.
One-third (33.9%) of respondents research wellness information at least once per week and 10.7% search daily.
Respondents age 25-34 are the most active consumers of online wellness information; among this segment, 45.9% research at least once per week, and one in six (16.3%) search daily.
Among other findings of the study:
Gender, not age, is the largest factor in reliance on online wellness information: High usage by women is fairly consistent among all female age segments, rising from 66.0% among women age 18-24 to 75% among women 55+.
Read More About Women searching wellness info online
Monday
Thursday
Visits to Coupon Websites Up 56% from 2007, Classifieds Site Visits Up 113%
Additional Cost-Cutting Trends in Retail
US visits to comparison shopping websites increased 51% for the week ended June 6, 2008 compared with the equivalent period last year.
US visits to discount retailers increased 25% in the week ended June 6 compared with last year, while traditional department stores increased 15%.
US searches on the term “coupons” sending visits to Shopping & Classifieds websites doubled for the week ended June 6 compared with the previous year.
Read More
US visits to comparison shopping websites increased 51% for the week ended June 6, 2008 compared with the equivalent period last year.
US visits to discount retailers increased 25% in the week ended June 6 compared with last year, while traditional department stores increased 15%.
US searches on the term “coupons” sending visits to Shopping & Classifieds websites doubled for the week ended June 6 compared with the previous year.
Read More
Thursday
More Online Ad Spending Data....Convinced Yet???
The 10 predictions for 2008 according to eMarketer:
Online ads remain resilient.
Video surge slows.
Social-network advertising hits $1.6 billion.
Networking goes beyond MySpace and Facebook.
YouTube decides the election.
Beijing Olympics pumps up ad spending.
Buy online, pick up in-store becomes expected feature.
Movie downloading hits the mainstream.
Music marketers roll out new business models.
Dynamic ads heighten gaming revenue potential.
For More Info on Online Spending and be even more of an Online Guru Click Here!
Monday
Opportunities - What can I sell online?
Here is just a brief rundown of some of the online opportunities you can present to your clients. Remember, come up with a custom solution, don't just pitch impressions!!!
* Banner Advertisement on TW.com; CP.com or TheBag.com (Niche Audiences adds value)
- ROS
- Targeted by community on TW.com
- Targeted by section on CP.com
* E-mail Marketing
* Rich Media (like a post-it note)
* Contests/Customized Contest Pages
* Niche websites - we can capture the data when people register to offer back to the client - this is very valueable!!!
* Sponsorships (Financial Finesse; FNL; Hoop It Up; Food&Wine; - Make one up!)
* Video Pre-Roll
* Podcast sponsorships
* Text Message sponsorships
135,000 people in Central Ohio are visiting ThisWeekNews.com; 12,000 are visiting ColumbusParent.com and 15,000 are visiting TheBag.com - Are you clients reaching those people?
* Banner Advertisement on TW.com; CP.com or TheBag.com (Niche Audiences adds value)
- ROS
- Targeted by community on TW.com
- Targeted by section on CP.com
* E-mail Marketing
* Rich Media (like a post-it note)
* Contests/Customized Contest Pages
* Niche websites - we can capture the data when people register to offer back to the client - this is very valueable!!!
* Sponsorships (Financial Finesse; FNL; Hoop It Up; Food&Wine; - Make one up!)
* Video Pre-Roll
* Podcast sponsorships
* Text Message sponsorships
135,000 people in Central Ohio are visiting ThisWeekNews.com; 12,000 are visiting ColumbusParent.com and 15,000 are visiting TheBag.com - Are you clients reaching those people?
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all of the Winners of our Online Contest for the Month of May!
Karen Laney - Winner of the most online Revenue will recieve a $200 spiff!
Karen Laney and Cindy Marks - Who both had a total of 5 clients online and 1 new client, will recieve a $50 spiff each and Michelle Rettig who also had 5 clients online but 2 new clients will recieve a $100 spiff.
Tecca Potina - the Key Account rep with the most online revenue will recieve a $100 spiff!!!
Congratulations to all of our winners, who will it be next time?
Karen Laney - Winner of the most online Revenue will recieve a $200 spiff!
Karen Laney and Cindy Marks - Who both had a total of 5 clients online and 1 new client, will recieve a $50 spiff each and Michelle Rettig who also had 5 clients online but 2 new clients will recieve a $100 spiff.
Tecca Potina - the Key Account rep with the most online revenue will recieve a $100 spiff!!!
Congratulations to all of our winners, who will it be next time?
Tuesday
Newspaper readers continue to go online
Data for newspaper-based Web sites for April 2008 - Newspapers still going strong!
Click Here for article
Click Here for article
Come up with customized solutions for your clients...don't sell just on CPM!
Why Web Sites And Online Marketing Suck
By Joe Marchese
I have long been convinced that standard online marketing metrics were not only ineffective and inefficient for marketers, but were also destroying the quality of content on the Internet. Over a year ago I wrote about "Advertising's Role In Crippling The Internet As A Medium" and again in "
The Online Advertising Conundrum - More Metrics, Less Meaning." The basic gist was this: because marketers were demanding metrics (i.e. impressions,
clicks) that did not necessarily equate to value for a marketer, and could be faked or gamed, traditional media metrics were creating a lose-lose-lose eco-system on the Internet for publishers, advertisers and people.
I have never met Avinash Kaushik, Google's new Analytics Evangelist. But after reading "Google's 'Analytics Evangelist' Explains Why Websites 'Suck,"' an article by Mya Frazier about a talk Kaushik gave to a group of marketers, I think he and I would get along very well. From the article by
Frazier: "Mr. Kaushik employed the word 'sucks' frequently when he talked about the traditional metrics used for measuring online marketing. And as far as online marketing goes, it sucks too. He likened it to a 'faith-based initiative."'
One issue: placing all emphasis on reach over quality. How many BILLIONS of impressions is your campaign getting? If you are a publisher or ad network, you've heard it before; if you are a marketer, you're probably guilty of it.
Are you going on faith that you are actually affecting consumer opinions of your brand with those impressions? Media buyers are forced to compare CPM or CPC costs, because that is the only common metric that they have to compare across online media buys. But what does the number of impressions generated have to do with value generated for a brand? Maybe something, maybe nothing.
And we are back to marketers relying on faith. No wonder only CPA campaigns and other direct marketers are putting a significant percentage of dollars against online.
What should Web sites and ad networks be delivering to brand marketers? I would argue that there is a metric that could accurately measure online campaign effectiveness. This metric would measure the affect on brand awareness, brand perception and intent to purchase the campaign had on people exposed to various campaign assets. How? Ask the people exposed to the campaign. Sounds a lot like focus group testing, I know, but imagine focus group testing with scale and real-time results. It is not impossible, given the two-way nature of social media, that we could achieve a statistically significant sampling to measure the effectiveness of a particular campaign. Of course the Web site or the ad network couldn't provide this type of survey; it would require a third party that could compare the results across various online advertising methods to provide comparative results. Also, this method would presuppose people's willingness to engage with marketers, or finding the right motivations.
Metrics that matter are closer than you think. Imagine if Web sites didn't have to compete for "trick clicks" or massive impressions, but could report how effective their media was for marketers. They could focus on being more influential over their readers, meaning creating better quality. And marketers could focus on the number of people their campaigns actually affected. Imagine a new era in Internet advertising by applying methods marketers have been using for decades to social media.
Joe Marchese is President of socialvibe.
By Joe Marchese
I have long been convinced that standard online marketing metrics were not only ineffective and inefficient for marketers, but were also destroying the quality of content on the Internet. Over a year ago I wrote about "Advertising's Role In Crippling The Internet As A Medium" and again in "
The Online Advertising Conundrum - More Metrics, Less Meaning." The basic gist was this: because marketers were demanding metrics (i.e. impressions,
clicks) that did not necessarily equate to value for a marketer, and could be faked or gamed, traditional media metrics were creating a lose-lose-lose eco-system on the Internet for publishers, advertisers and people.
I have never met Avinash Kaushik, Google's new Analytics Evangelist. But after reading "Google's 'Analytics Evangelist' Explains Why Websites 'Suck,"' an article by Mya Frazier about a talk Kaushik gave to a group of marketers, I think he and I would get along very well. From the article by
Frazier: "Mr. Kaushik employed the word 'sucks' frequently when he talked about the traditional metrics used for measuring online marketing. And as far as online marketing goes, it sucks too. He likened it to a 'faith-based initiative."'
One issue: placing all emphasis on reach over quality. How many BILLIONS of impressions is your campaign getting? If you are a publisher or ad network, you've heard it before; if you are a marketer, you're probably guilty of it.
Are you going on faith that you are actually affecting consumer opinions of your brand with those impressions? Media buyers are forced to compare CPM or CPC costs, because that is the only common metric that they have to compare across online media buys. But what does the number of impressions generated have to do with value generated for a brand? Maybe something, maybe nothing.
And we are back to marketers relying on faith. No wonder only CPA campaigns and other direct marketers are putting a significant percentage of dollars against online.
What should Web sites and ad networks be delivering to brand marketers? I would argue that there is a metric that could accurately measure online campaign effectiveness. This metric would measure the affect on brand awareness, brand perception and intent to purchase the campaign had on people exposed to various campaign assets. How? Ask the people exposed to the campaign. Sounds a lot like focus group testing, I know, but imagine focus group testing with scale and real-time results. It is not impossible, given the two-way nature of social media, that we could achieve a statistically significant sampling to measure the effectiveness of a particular campaign. Of course the Web site or the ad network couldn't provide this type of survey; it would require a third party that could compare the results across various online advertising methods to provide comparative results. Also, this method would presuppose people's willingness to engage with marketers, or finding the right motivations.
Metrics that matter are closer than you think. Imagine if Web sites didn't have to compete for "trick clicks" or massive impressions, but could report how effective their media was for marketers. They could focus on being more influential over their readers, meaning creating better quality. And marketers could focus on the number of people their campaigns actually affected. Imagine a new era in Internet advertising by applying methods marketers have been using for decades to social media.
Joe Marchese is President of socialvibe.
Monday
TW Online Contest Continues....
Just a refresher; we have three ways to win 1. Top Revenue = $200 cash!
2. Most online clients = $100 cash 3. Most new online clients = $100 cash....
You all asked me to post updates...so here it is!
Karen Laney = $2257 online revenue; 5 clients; 1 new client
Michelle Rettig = $1940 online revenue; 6 clients; 3 new clients
Jason Willis = $1774 online revenue; 3 clients; 1 new clients
Cindy Marks = $1770 online revenue; 5 clients; 1 new clients
It is only $487, 1 client; and 2 new clients that differentiate who could walk away with $400 extra cash this month.....
There are also quite a few of you who have 2 new clients on the books....2 more and you could win the extra $100!
Let the games continue!
2. Most online clients = $100 cash 3. Most new online clients = $100 cash....
You all asked me to post updates...so here it is!
Karen Laney = $2257 online revenue; 5 clients; 1 new client
Michelle Rettig = $1940 online revenue; 6 clients; 3 new clients
Jason Willis = $1774 online revenue; 3 clients; 1 new clients
Cindy Marks = $1770 online revenue; 5 clients; 1 new clients
It is only $487, 1 client; and 2 new clients that differentiate who could walk away with $400 extra cash this month.....
There are also quite a few of you who have 2 new clients on the books....2 more and you could win the extra $100!
Let the games continue!
Web Terms in Plain English
5 minutes, watch these videos! Our reporters are really embracing blogs and podcasts as new web tools to report the news. These videos will help us understand them in a way that is easier to educate our advertisers. If the news is on the web, then readers are on the web. If readers are on the web, advertisers want to be there as well.
http://radiocaffeine.blogspot.com/2008/05/web-terms-in-plain-english.html
Enjoy!
http://radiocaffeine.blogspot.com/2008/05/web-terms-in-plain-english.html
Enjoy!
TW Traffic
Just a reminder!
Knowing who is on our site is like knowing your newspaper circulation:
Here are some facts about ThisWeekNews.com you should know!
* approx. 135,000 unique visitors each month
* 368,000 page views in April
Top Ten Content Pages for April!
1 Home
2. Powell
3. Grove City
4. Dublin
5. Community News Directory
6. Hilliard
7. Johnstown
8. Westerville
9. Gahanna
10. Carfagnas (clicking to their online ad)
Do you know what we can tell our advertisers that very few of the other media entities in town can? We can tell our advertisers not only the demographics of our users, but the geographic location of our users!
Common sense would tell us that the majority of the people reading the Dublin pages of ThisWeekNews.com will be from Dublin..so let's get the advertisers that want to reach those people...(that goes for every community...it's the TARGETED REACH, which is what we do best, in print and on the web!)
Ok, enough of a pep talk, let me know if you have any questions.
Knowing who is on our site is like knowing your newspaper circulation:
Here are some facts about ThisWeekNews.com you should know!
* approx. 135,000 unique visitors each month
* 368,000 page views in April
Top Ten Content Pages for April!
1 Home
2. Powell
3. Grove City
4. Dublin
5. Community News Directory
6. Hilliard
7. Johnstown
8. Westerville
9. Gahanna
10. Carfagnas (clicking to their online ad)
Do you know what we can tell our advertisers that very few of the other media entities in town can? We can tell our advertisers not only the demographics of our users, but the geographic location of our users!
Common sense would tell us that the majority of the people reading the Dublin pages of ThisWeekNews.com will be from Dublin..so let's get the advertisers that want to reach those people...(that goes for every community...it's the TARGETED REACH, which is what we do best, in print and on the web!)
Ok, enough of a pep talk, let me know if you have any questions.
Thursday
Ways to Optimize Email Marketing
To reach optimum returns on your emails, invest some time in filtering your email strategy through your brand standards and your marketing goals to arrive at a selection of possible messaging approaches. Then test the variables, using a basic A/B split or any other segmentation that is important you.
Here are a few things you can test.
Offer -- what offer will move your audience closer to a purchase? You may intuit the answer, or have to follow a business directive to make a particular offer, but by all means test themes and variations to create an offer the audience can't refuse. (Be careful of too much product discounting unless you want your brand to be associated with "cheap.")
· Financial incentives: money off, free shipping, two for the price of one, discounted service contract or installation.
· Non-monetary value: perks, quality upgrades, valuable information packet, accumulated rewards.
· Time-based incentives: 3-day sale, offer ends Saturday, for the month of May only. Audience empathy -- test ways of connecting on an emotional or intellectual level with your prospects.
· Exclusivity: be the first to own, leave the crowds behind, apply for exclusive entry.
· Problem-solving: a better way to ___, take the back-break out of ___, get results faster, smarter, more reliably.
· Emotion: because you love your children / pet / garden / beer, because you care about this issue / institution / group. Tone and manner -- while these must follow your brand standards, email is inherently a more personal medium than many other channels, so you can test some variables here.
· Timbre: taking a warm, personal approach versus a more clinical exposition of facts.
· Length of copy: test long, medium and short copy (depending on the product or service).
· Persuasion versus urgency: test to see if some of your audience wants to be schmoozed with reasons to buy (product attributes and excellence) versus receiving nonstop promotions. Structure -- where the offer appears may make a difference in how it is understood and acted on.
· Placement: try placing offers in the subject line, the headline, the call to action, a sidebar, and in image captions and call-outs. Make each instance a link and then track opens and where users click.
· Graphics -- be careful with presenting headlines and key offers in graphics, which may well get blocked from view in the inbox. Simpler is often better.
You can test which copy approach yields the best results simply by tracking click-throughs and conversions on sent emails. To dive deeper, you can also perform other types of research. Use focus groups or surveys to test the impact and takeaway of your offers and the way they are worded. You can also do eye-tracking studies to find out how readers scan your emails. When you learn what path their eyes follow, you can maximize the effect by placing your key inducements, either copy points or visuals, along the same path, in order of importance.
There are almost always several good ways of writing and designing any advertising message. If you try to test every possible combination of variables, you'll go cross-eyed. Apply lessons learned from your marketing in other channels to your email advertising, and vice-versa, and you will find the options narrowing nicely into a powerful set of guidelines you can use creatively again and again.
Here are a few things you can test.
Offer -- what offer will move your audience closer to a purchase? You may intuit the answer, or have to follow a business directive to make a particular offer, but by all means test themes and variations to create an offer the audience can't refuse. (Be careful of too much product discounting unless you want your brand to be associated with "cheap.")
· Financial incentives: money off, free shipping, two for the price of one, discounted service contract or installation.
· Non-monetary value: perks, quality upgrades, valuable information packet, accumulated rewards.
· Time-based incentives: 3-day sale, offer ends Saturday, for the month of May only. Audience empathy -- test ways of connecting on an emotional or intellectual level with your prospects.
· Exclusivity: be the first to own, leave the crowds behind, apply for exclusive entry.
· Problem-solving: a better way to ___, take the back-break out of ___, get results faster, smarter, more reliably.
· Emotion: because you love your children / pet / garden / beer, because you care about this issue / institution / group. Tone and manner -- while these must follow your brand standards, email is inherently a more personal medium than many other channels, so you can test some variables here.
· Timbre: taking a warm, personal approach versus a more clinical exposition of facts.
· Length of copy: test long, medium and short copy (depending on the product or service).
· Persuasion versus urgency: test to see if some of your audience wants to be schmoozed with reasons to buy (product attributes and excellence) versus receiving nonstop promotions. Structure -- where the offer appears may make a difference in how it is understood and acted on.
· Placement: try placing offers in the subject line, the headline, the call to action, a sidebar, and in image captions and call-outs. Make each instance a link and then track opens and where users click.
· Graphics -- be careful with presenting headlines and key offers in graphics, which may well get blocked from view in the inbox. Simpler is often better.
You can test which copy approach yields the best results simply by tracking click-throughs and conversions on sent emails. To dive deeper, you can also perform other types of research. Use focus groups or surveys to test the impact and takeaway of your offers and the way they are worded. You can also do eye-tracking studies to find out how readers scan your emails. When you learn what path their eyes follow, you can maximize the effect by placing your key inducements, either copy points or visuals, along the same path, in order of importance.
There are almost always several good ways of writing and designing any advertising message. If you try to test every possible combination of variables, you'll go cross-eyed. Apply lessons learned from your marketing in other channels to your email advertising, and vice-versa, and you will find the options narrowing nicely into a powerful set of guidelines you can use creatively again and again.
OTM Online Sales Contest
Here's the rules - Everyone can win!
* Every rep that gets 10 listings on TheBag.com between today and the end of the month
gets $100 cash
* The rep that sells the most online listings (above 15) will recieve an additional $250 incentive!
That's it....it's that simple! Let's get more listings up for our users to come back for!
* Every rep that gets 10 listings on TheBag.com between today and the end of the month
gets $100 cash
* The rep that sells the most online listings (above 15) will recieve an additional $250 incentive!
That's it....it's that simple! Let's get more listings up for our users to come back for!
Monday
New Media Marketing Confidence on the Rise
The articles linked below provide valuable advice about your audience, but it's up to you to learn it and share it with your advertisers. Educating yourself on the new ways your audience uses media is the only way to continue creating more effective solutions to your client's marketing problems
87.4% of Executives to Invest in New Media MarketingConfidence in new media is on the rise, according to the American Advertising Federation's AAF Media Investment Survey 2007. Results show a growing inclination among executives to augment traditional media with new media properties and experimentation, and responses indicate that traditional media categories are in serious need of innovation if they are to remain competitive.A full 87.4% of respondents believe that the pace and scope of innovation in the media landscape inspire creativity, and they are willing to invest their budgets to harness that creativity.Other findings:
* 73% of respondents reserve 1%-20% of their budget for experimentation and new media properties.
* 12.37% of respondents reserve 21%-40% of their budget for experimentation and new media properties.
Concerning media planning in 2007, respondents ranked "I am always open to new ways to use traditional media" at 78%, "
the right media mix almost always includes a balance of traditional and nontraditional media" at 75.5%, and
"the search for new media properties to grow my brand never stops" at 57.7%.
On Similar Topic...Email is a key point of influence for consumer purchase decisions, according to the Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions research released in January by Word Of Mouth Marketing Association member company Microsoft. The findings suggest that many of consumers' major decisions are influenced by email conversations with friends and family and point to the medium as a place where marketers can insert messages that might impact consumers during the decision-making process.
Other findings:
45% of frequent online users say email is their primary form of communication.
66% of male and 81% of female respondents discuss social arrangements (what films, concerts, or events to see or where to eat) via email.
41% of men discuss financial services purchases via email.
77% of women discuss travel plans via email.
Combining the stats regarding company intention to invest in new media with the information regarding how people use email ought to provide some interesting ways for you to use email marketing tools to help your clients.
87.4% of Executives to Invest in New Media MarketingConfidence in new media is on the rise, according to the American Advertising Federation's AAF Media Investment Survey 2007. Results show a growing inclination among executives to augment traditional media with new media properties and experimentation, and responses indicate that traditional media categories are in serious need of innovation if they are to remain competitive.A full 87.4% of respondents believe that the pace and scope of innovation in the media landscape inspire creativity, and they are willing to invest their budgets to harness that creativity.Other findings:
* 73% of respondents reserve 1%-20% of their budget for experimentation and new media properties.
* 12.37% of respondents reserve 21%-40% of their budget for experimentation and new media properties.
Concerning media planning in 2007, respondents ranked "I am always open to new ways to use traditional media" at 78%, "
the right media mix almost always includes a balance of traditional and nontraditional media" at 75.5%, and
"the search for new media properties to grow my brand never stops" at 57.7%.
On Similar Topic...Email is a key point of influence for consumer purchase decisions, according to the Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions research released in January by Word Of Mouth Marketing Association member company Microsoft. The findings suggest that many of consumers' major decisions are influenced by email conversations with friends and family and point to the medium as a place where marketers can insert messages that might impact consumers during the decision-making process.
Other findings:
45% of frequent online users say email is their primary form of communication.
66% of male and 81% of female respondents discuss social arrangements (what films, concerts, or events to see or where to eat) via email.
41% of men discuss financial services purchases via email.
77% of women discuss travel plans via email.
Combining the stats regarding company intention to invest in new media with the information regarding how people use email ought to provide some interesting ways for you to use email marketing tools to help your clients.
ThisWeek Online Sales Contest
Click here for info on the web contest:
Who will win?
** Just a friendly reminder, update your voicemails with ThisWeekNews.com/CP.com, there are points to be won!!!
Friday
Newspapers + Online = Success for Your Clients
According to this article from the Newspaper Associations of America, "research shows newspapers + Internet = more consumer purchasing power; Ads that appear in both mediums reinforce consumer confidence in products and services
http://www.naa.org/PressCenter/SearchPressReleases/2008/NAA-ANALYSIS-OF-NEW-GOOGLE-RESEARCH-FINDS-NEWSPAPER-ADVERTISING.aspx
Put this in your media kits to give clients...there are some amazing stats in here to show your clients.
* 58% of newspaper readers respond to ads
* 52% of people said they would be more likely to purchase a product if they saw it on the web and then in the paper (reinforcing the strength of using multiple advertising mediums)
* 30% of Internet-using newspaper readers went online to research at least one product that they saw in the newspaper (on average, they researched nine).
http://www.naa.org/PressCenter/SearchPressReleases/2008/NAA-ANALYSIS-OF-NEW-GOOGLE-RESEARCH-FINDS-NEWSPAPER-ADVERTISING.aspx
Put this in your media kits to give clients...there are some amazing stats in here to show your clients.
* 58% of newspaper readers respond to ads
* 52% of people said they would be more likely to purchase a product if they saw it on the web and then in the paper (reinforcing the strength of using multiple advertising mediums)
* 30% of Internet-using newspaper readers went online to research at least one product that they saw in the newspaper (on average, they researched nine).
Wednesday
Our time is valuable!
You are busy, I'm busy! We hate emails...and we're sick of them. I'm going to candidly update you on online sales news; opportunities; challenges etc. through an online medium ....a blog.
You are not mandated to follow this blog, it is simply an opportunity for you to look at what's happening in the news; most information you will be able to take to your clients. I can guarantee you though, read a few minutes a day and you'll become the online expert that your clients need consulting from!
You are not mandated to follow this blog, it is simply an opportunity for you to look at what's happening in the news; most information you will be able to take to your clients. I can guarantee you though, read a few minutes a day and you'll become the online expert that your clients need consulting from!
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