“It’s time to join the
big league and go digital! Digital advertising is now the new
norm—it’s the fastest growing marketing channel with no signs of slowing down, according
to Strategy Analytics. In fact, most companies spent more on digital
marketing in 2015 than they did in 2014, and plan to increase spending in 2016.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise—marketing has always been about three
things: location, location,
location. And today, your target market is largely online. Marketers are
focusing more and more resources on meeting people there, and it’s working out
well for them and their customers.
The digital marketplace has put a lot of buying power back into
the hands of buyers and consumers, forcing many marketers to get more creative,
more genuine, and more helpful. Consumers today jump from channel to channel,
seamlessly throughout the day and increasingly those channels are digital.
Today, the average consumer does research on products, solutions, and
companies before making a purchase. Digital technology is giving
marketers a breadth of new tools, allowing them to be more focused and
strategic. Digital advertising simply makes sense if you want to get your message,
campaign, or promotion in front of your audience.
Digital advertising has a lot to offer today’s marketers. Here are seven things we’ve learned about digital
advertising, especially from big brands:
1.
Digital Advertising is Targeted
What if each ad you create is always only seen by qualified
prospects and target audience members? Sterling Cooper would have made you a
partner in no time with that kind of guarantee, but today this is becoming the
norm.
Traditional advertising is hit-or-miss, but digital platforms
are changing the game. SEO and PPC can put your brand name and your content
marketing in front of customers at every stage of the buying cycle. Social
media channels like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn offer flexible ad options
that allow you to segment by geographic location, demographics, interests, and
more.
Finally, since many forms of digital advertising are
“opt-in”—from customers who follow your blog and social media accounts, to
those who receive your emails—you know your outreach is going to
people who want your
information.
2.
Digital Advertising Provides Flexibility Across Channels
The keyword for success in digital advertising is
“multi-channel.” With digital advertising, a piece of content can be shared
across a variety of platforms, which means that you are no longer confined to
one page, 30 seconds, or whatever format your traditional ad was designed for.
Cisco’s new campaign is a great example of how to capitalize on
multiple platforms. The company is distilling complex tech topics into
six-second videos on the social network Vine, and then augmenting that snippet
with corresponding content, such as links to articles about security and
analytics. This multi-platform strategy is allowing their customers to consume
content the way they want to—as a quick snack or a full meal.
This can work for any marketer. Take a short Vine video and
develop it into a vlog to offer more in-depth information. Reimagine long-form
content by transforming key data points or statistics into an infographic or a
SlideShare presentation. Repurposing existing content is a win for both your
strategy and your budget.
3.
Digital Advertising Invites Mobile Engagement
Digital and mobile marketing go hand-in-hand. Digital
advertising allows you to reach your audience on the go, wherever they are,
whenever they are online. It’s an especially great place to reach Gen Z and
Millennial customers. According to a study conducted by the Interactive
Advertising Bureau (IAB), mobile phone are the place Gen Z and Millennial are
most likely to see relevant ads. Even better, nearly half of all typical
smartphone users have taken action based on seeing relevant ads on their mobile
phones.
In fact, it might even be more effective to advertise on mobile than desktop.
AdRoll’s “Facebook by the Numbers” report found that the click-through rate for
Facebook News Feed ads is typically 10% higher for mobile than desktop and
produces a cost-per-click that was 61% lower than on desktop.
The best part is that this does not mean you need yet another
unique campaign. Responsive design is an approach to digital design that
automatically optimizes the content for whatever device it is viewed on. You
can start maximizing mobile engagement just by making sure that your emails,
landing pages, and content pieces translate smoothly from desktop to
smartphone.
4.
Digital Advertising is Faster to Market
Market conditions and trends change quickly, and that requires
nimble marketing. Lead times for traditional advertising methods are so
1990s. Between the time it takes to create an ad, to the long lead times
required to buy time or space, your message and your budget suffer from being
locked into a design that was created months before it will see the light of
day.
Digital campaigns can be executed much more quickly, and they
can be modified on the fly if needed. Consider that as recently as April,
Subway was touting a new ad campaign with its long-time spokesman, Jared. After
a scandal this summer that resulted in his arrest, Subway couldn’t distance
itself from their pitchman fast enough. Whether you’re trying to capitalize on
the news or distance yourself from it, big brands are wise to retain as much
pivot power as possible.
This ability to modify also comes in handy when considering
fluctuating budgets. Companies that have an unexpectedly low quarter can
cut back without incurring cancelation fees, and those with an unexpected
windfall can bump up their buying power with ease.
5.
Digital Advertising is Easily Measurable
Every department needs to show how it is adding value, and with
a digital campaign the metrics are built right in. You know exactly who clicked
on your content, opened it, referred it, shared it, etc. You also can
trace the source of your traffic from entry to the shopping cart and eventual
purchase. This will help you determine which platforms and strategies yield the
best results, and which deserve more investment.
The key reason for tracking metrics is to speak the same
language that your CEO and your CFO do. While soft metrics like brand
awareness, impressions, organic search rankings, and reach are important, their
real value lies in how they can be quantifiably connected to hard metrics like
pipeline, revenue, and profit. Digital advertising offers a platform for
tracking both types of metrics to show a concrete ROI.
Because digital advertising is quick to measure—often with
real-time results and metrics—marketers may find that it helps them make their
campaigns more cost effective. If one of your digital advertising programs is
not performing well or working, it’s easy to quickly adjust your program to
ensure that your budget is spent well and offers a strong ROI.
6.
Digital Advertising Maintains Top-of-Mind Awareness
Does your customer like that sweater? Maybe she does, but maybe
not enough to buy it. A study by Baymard Institute revealed that the average
online shopping cart abandonment rate is 68.53%. And that’s where digital
advertising has a major advantage.
While it would be creepy and desperate to waylay that customer outside your
store in the mall and beg her to come back to make a purchase, with digital
advertising you can reach out to her again without seeming like a stalker.
Through remarketing and retargeting, you can stay in front of
her to suggest one more time that she purchase that sweater. Retargeting means
that the sweater will up in her Facebook sidebar the next time she logs in or
appears in an ad spot on her favorite blog that uses Google ads. With
remarketing, you can ping her again with an email to remind her of that lonely
shopping cart. In fact, abandoned shopping carts can be recoverable by
retailers who use marketing automation software to offer a sweet deal, like a discount
or free shipping. Digital advertising can keep that sale from slipping away.
7.
Digital Advertising Can Go Viral
(At least, that’s what the fox says!) With a strong
digital advertising component, you, too, could become the next viral sensation.
Take Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches,” which featured real women
contemplating themselves through another’s eyes. Just one video, in an ongoing
campaign, garnered more than 114 million views the first month alone, just
because people chose to share it on social media sites. When you consider that
114 million is about the same number of people who saw the average 2015 Super
Bowl commercial, according to NBC Sports, the power of viral content becomes obvious.
Dove would have spent $4.5 million per 30 seconds for a Super Bowl commercial,
and still wouldn’t have gotten the strong social proof inherent in social media
shares.
There’s no magic formula for how or why something goes viral,
but, in general, the content should speak to our emotions. Content that makes
people laugh or feel good about themselves is very shareable. Beyond that, it’s
hard to predict what will make something take off, but once it does it can take
on a life of its own. ”
SOURCE: Marketo
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