Reports show Amazon is Google's biggest search advertiser, but the online retailer is reportedly developing its own ad program to rival Google AdWords.
Amazon and Google: Friends, Enemies or Frenemies?
Sunday, September 28, 2014
How ISIS Wages War
As a fighting force, Islamic State militants are as ruthless as they are effective. They shell villages from afar, then advance, guns blazing, pressing forward with recently captured tanks, Humvees, and pickup trucks, before sending in fighters on foot. They have no mercy on the locals.
How ISIS Wages War
Mobile Marketing: The Week in Review
Mobile is hot, it’s at the top of every marketers urgent list. So why, according to Forrester research, do brands shy away from investing in mobile advertising? The same old story: It’s difficult to track performance. It’s hard to gauge ROI. And there’s no “Viagra Mobile.”
Do ads on social Web sites work? That’s what AOL wanted to know. (And don’t we all?) “It’s a question many have been trying to answer over the past several years, while the social media advertising industry continues to grow at an impressive clip,” said AOL in a blog about its recent study. “eMarketer estimates that spending on social media ads will hit $6.6 billion in the US this year, growing more than 46 percent from 2013.”
You’ve heard millions of its ads — on radio, on TV. But now the Ad Council, the largest producer of public service campaigns in the U.S., has announced a new partnership with Mobile Commons, a leading mobile communications company, that will enable the Ad Council to develop mobile strategies and implement texting programs in-house for the first time in the organization’s 72-year history.
Good content counts. Sales are great. Brand boosting copy sells. But what’s the missing link (that simply cannot be missing anymore)? Data.
On Thursday morning, The Mobile Marketing Association announced the launch of the Internet of Things (IoT) Incubation Council. This marks a first of its kind effort for the MMA.
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Mobile Marketing: The Week in Review
Amazon and Google: Friends, Enemies or Frenemies?
Reports show Amazon is Google's biggest search advertiser, but the online retailer is reportedly developing its own ad program to rival Google AdWords.
Amazon and Google: Friends, Enemies or Frenemies?
User segmentation: the gift that keeps on giving
All I want for Christmas is a gift just for me. Not one that I have to share, or one that was made for someone else. I want it to be in exactly my size, flattering to my shape, and in a shade that makes my eyes sparkle. I believe that this is a perfectly reasonable Christmas wish. I also happen to believe that this desire for something made “just for me” in all aspects of life is not entirely unreasonable.
But alas, I too believe that giving is indeed better than receiving and because of this I also want to make sure that what I give to others is wholly just for them. So this brings me to my point, re-gifting is not acceptable. Not for holiday’s and not for landing pages. You have to make it just for them, in just their size, and if it makes their eyes sparkle, that’s even better.
The easiest, and also the most effective way in many cases to do this is through segmentation experiences. This is especially true if you don’t know the visitor very well. It’s kind of like picking the name of the guy at the office that you only see when getting coffee for your secret Santa exchange. You want to get him something great, but who the heck is he?
The joy of a segmentation experience is that you don’t really have to know the person at all; you just have to know a few basic ways that he may identify himself. You might, for instance, drop by the water cooler and talk about your golf game one day, the latest box office hit the next, or a concert you’re going to on Friday. Eventually, he’s going to show some interest and presto! You’ve got the perfect gift idea.
The same is true of landing pages, if you show a visitor options that they can relate to, one of these choices is going to resonate with them enough to make them want more of what you’re offering. These options can be a million different things, depending on what you’re pitching, but they should always be supported by specific content.
The worst thing you can do at this point is segment your audience and then send them to the same interior page as any other segment. That’s not giving them what they want at all, but rather using that information just to meet your own marketing needs. That’s like getting your best friend tickets to your favorite band’s concert because you know she’ll take you. Not ok.
So this year, be a good gift giver. Give them what they want, and make it just for them; even if you have to ask them what their perfect gift is.
User segmentation: the gift that keeps on giving
Deck the Halls with App-Like Games
‘Tis the season to be online shopping. Gadgets, winter boots or ugly Christmas sweaters, whatever it is you fancy, it’s sure to be found somewhere on the web. For some, the task of online shopping can be an irritating and tiresome feat. But if you’re anything like me, you get a thrill out of finding the best deals and getting the biggest bang for your buck! However, the process of online deal hunting is not always an enjoyable one. That is why whenever I come across a page that finds a way to make my online shopping fun and entertaining, I take notice!
While waiting for valet to bring my car around after work (this process has been known to take up to 20 minutes sometimes!), my mind wanders to my holiday to-do list. My younger cousin, Samantha, is next on my gift list. Unsure what to get her; I start checking out different mobile shopping apps such as Victoria Secret’s junior apparel line, PINK Nation. Next thing I know, I had spent several minutes playing games, such as PINK-O, all while racking up points to put towards different items and prizes!
PINK takes their visitors on a short, but effective, conversion-focused journey. They engage their mobile visitors at a higher level, which as a result, gains them more online leads.
Games are an entertaining way to engage and convert prospects. From the look and feel to the overall messaging, PINK’s mobile app and landing experiences are perfectly tailored to appeal to their target audience.
Thanks to my stellar gaming skills and my exquisite fashion sense, my cousin’s gift was all squared away with time to spare — all before my car arrived. Now, that’s what I like to call savvy shopping!
Deck the Halls with App-Like Games
Can Snapchat Really Work for Marketing?
Consumers are more likely to pay attention when they're pressured by quantity or time limits.That's why Snapchat is an excellent new way to reach them. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Can Snapchat Really Work for Marketing?
The Five Must-Have Traits of an Optimized Business Blog
Content marketing's honeymoon is over. You can't just create good blog content and call it a day. You now have to consider the entire content experience you're giving your audiences, and for that you need an optimized blog. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
The Five Must-Have Traits of an Optimized Business Blog
Best of 2013: Responsive design, content marketing, conversion paths & more
2013. Google called it "a year of transformation." Mashable declared it "the year of responsive web design." And then there was Google Enhanced Campaigns, which was mandated across all AdWords campaigns back in July. If you weren't ready for mobile, well, it didn't matter, because it happened.
With smartphone sales expected to reach 1.81 billion...and double by 2015...compelling, intelligent, and integrated digital campaigns, and thus experiences, will be mandatory.
Not optional.
We've been preaching brilliant post-click marketing since 2007. But this year, highly relevant, smart, user-centered creative really took a front seat that will carry through 2014 and beyond.
So, to wrap up the year with a nice bow, we wanted to share our "Best of 2013" — a collection of blog posts designed to inspire better digital experiences and help you provide more value (and conversions) in the new year.
Cheers!
Jessica
9 Best Practices for Designing Responsive Landing Pages
Nine of our favorite best practices for designing stellar responsive landing pages. You can use these with or without a platform to ensure you are building landing pages that not only respond, but convert! Learn how to put the right content in the right place on the page for every user.
How to use conversion paths for a better digital experience
Humans click your ads and land on your pages. Seems obvious, but in our haste to put up an experience with the perfect layout, content & offer, we often forget to think about the human behind the click. Learn how to use user segmentation (aka conversion paths) for a better digital experience.
9 Ways to Drive More Leads From Your Content Marketing
Sure, you've used landing pages to 'gate' high value content such as white papers or ebooks, but there more creative ways to up-sell and cross-sell content to convert your audience's attention into business results. Discover nine ideas for innovative ways to drive more leads from your content marketing.
Three awesome [infographics]
Content marketing, landing pages and testing...these are three of our favorite things! Download these infographics.
Happy Holidays from ion!
Read our 2013 holiday blog post series — ionians cover best practices for testing, responsive design, user segmentation, marketing apps & more! Read the series.
Best of 2013: Responsive design, content marketing, conversion paths & more
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