Archive for the ‘Media’ Category
Google PPC – Using Ad Extensions
Posted by Chris Rak | Filed under Interactive, Media, Trends
About a year ago, Google introduced a new AdWords advertising feature called Ad Extensions, which provides space for pay-per-click advertisers to include up to four links to their websites, underneath their sponsored listing.
Ad Extensions makes it uber easy for advertisers to update existing ads on a continual basis, refresh and promote various or seasonal offerings. They can be changed as often as the advertiser would like, making it possible to keep each ad up to date for current sales and marketing efforts.
This feature also expands the sizing of sponsored links. Advertisers need to bid appropriately to ensure that their sitelinks appear in the first or second position on the search engine results (a Top-2 position is required for the ad extensions to appear). However, there is no additional cost to running them. It’s just the cost-per-click, capped by the max bid amount.
There are five main extensions offered by Google:
- Location Extensions: Link your Google Places page to your ad campaign.
- Product Extensions: Link your product pages to your ad campaign, to display product pictures and prices within the Google search results.
- Sitelink Extensions: Direct users to more specific, relevant pages within your website.
- Call Extensions: Add a phone number to your campaign, and mobile users can click directly on it to call you.
- Social Extensions: Link your Google+ page to your ad campaign.
The results are proven as well, since ad extensions provide fantastic click-thru rates. While a standard text ad can expect an average click-thru rate of 1-2%, early results of ad extensions are showing 30% increases in click-thru rates for marketers, year over year. Sellers are noticing a 15-30% increase in brand PPC sales year over year.
At Dana, we are also seeing strong results from the ad extensions. Amongst our active campaigns, call extensions receive a click-thru rate ranging from 2.85 to 18.5%. Sitelink extensions are producing clicks at a rate of 8.5 to 22.7%, and location extensions are garnering a click-thru rate ranging from 5.4% to 18.1%.
Given the proven effectiveness of Ad Extensions, as well as its set-up simplicity and the expansion of on-page space on the search results page, we strongly suggest that every advertiser use some form of Ad Extensions in any ongoing Google paid search campaign.
Logo Lingo
Posted by Lynn Kaniper | Filed under Advertising, Design, Media, Red Hot Topics
The time and space you have to market yourself becomes smaller and smaller with each passing day. Faster technology, shorter attention spans, growing competition—all of these contribute to the cacophony that exists in the marketplace.
That is why your logo plays a very important role in your brand strategy. It’s the single most valuable element to distinguish your brand amid the marketing clutter—and the quickest way to be recognized by your audience.
Have you tapped into the fullest potential of your logo design? Does it possess enduring value? Does it transcend language and cultural barriers? Derive its meaning from the quality of the brand it symbolizes? Represent a compelling brand story?
If not, it might be time to reevaluate. We’ve compiled some valuable tips for ensuring that your logo design is both effective and memorable.
Develop the brand first.
A brand promise and tagline are important to defining your brand. And since your logo is a visual representation of your brand, you’ll want to develop these elements before diving into design. But keep in mind that while a brand promise and tagline are critical to development, they do not have to be anchored to the logo.Use distinctive features.
Your logo generally receives only a quick glance. Which is why it must be easy to see and recognize instantly. If you choose to have a graphic element or icon in your logo, create something unexpected to get noticed. Also, make sure it can be identified at any size.Choose your font carefully.
Especially if your logo does not contain a graphic, a unique font is vital to your logo design. Present the font in an uncommon, unexpected way (hint: the most accessible fonts that come with your computer system are not the ones to use). You can go to http://new.myfonts.com/ for inexpensive, yet unique options.Be considerate of color.
Create a logo that works in black and white first, then version it to color. A one- or two-color design is best. Although a variety of colors may do well on the Web, it could cause major problems and expenses when used in print. Your logo colors should reflect who you are and what your brand stands for. They need to resonate with your audience as well. It’s a good idea to make sample color palettes and organize a focus group to test them.Create graphic standards for consistency.
Once you know how you will utilize your logo, create a standards manual or documentation that can be followed easily by others. Ensure these rules are followed carefully and not altered, as doing so will affect the consistency and success of your branding.
Dana specializes in logo design that creates long-lasting and unique brand recognition. After all, it is only after a logo becomes familiar to its audience that it can function properly. For more information about bringing your logo to life, email lkaniper@danacommunications.com.
Red Hot Topic #9: Marketing with Social Media
Posted by Shawn Carter | Filed under Media, Red Hot Topics, Social Media, Trends
The use of social media networks for buying and sharing is on the rise. By now, at least to some degree, many brands have caught on and tapped into social media marketing. They know that their presence is necessary, and with a little effort, a promotion could generate some short-term sales. But are they capitalizing on its full profit potential?
These days, it’s not only about who you know—it’s about who knows them. One simple click of the “Like” button or fast-fingered Retweet can launch a chain reaction. An informed customer can lead to another loyal fan for life. And another. And another. Let’s break down basic ways you can produce a well-crafted social media campaign that results in the ultimate goal: skyrocketing revenue with no sign of stopping.
1. Create buzzworthy content.
When they see something good, people rarely want to keep it to themselves. So when your update, email or blog is worth sharing, your audience is more likely to pass it along. Keep messaging consistently on brand as well as easy to find and read. Also, avoid making every communiqué a sales pitch. Enrich your marketing with fun and informative content that kindles enthusiasm for your brand.
2. Integrate, integrate, integrate.
Don’t rely solely on your website or even Facebook. Your customers aren’t all in one place, and neither should you be. Represent your brand on all the major social media apps. For maximum impact, capitalize on the different strengths of each with cohesive campaigns that talk to each other. Cross-promote everywhere, from profiles to blog posts to emails, so your followers can choose how and where they want to jump into the conversation.
3. Encourage your network to work for you.
Word-of-mouth marketing is free and fabulous. Since most people seek advice and recommendations from friends, it follows that referrals from their social circle are likely to breed qualified interest. It goes like this…Post or send content to your existing fan base. Expect many of them to share it with a few—maybe all—of their friends. Watch the social signals fly and conversion rates soar across all social media apps. Better yet, empower your virtual street team. Incentivize your audience to become brand advocates by offering up rewards for sharing content.
4. Listen in and engage.
It’s crucial to patrol your pages in order to preserve your brand reputation. But engaging your audience is also key. An easygoing, friendly approach invites your customers to interact with your brand on a whole new level. Show your appreciation, and respond to questions and criticism as soon as you can. Rather than feeling used as another prospective sale, your customer will feel like more of a friend having an honest-to-goodness conversation.
5. Verify Your ROI.
Methods you can use to measure social media ROI have evolved from the early days, so your success is less of a guessing game. Today, comprehensive analytics can substantiate your return on investment for social media marketing efforts. Remove any mystery by pinpointing the channels with the highest conversion rates and revenue potential. Then use this invaluable data to help plot lucrative future promotions.
Does Your Google Advertising Need a Boost?
Posted by Emily McDonough | Filed under Advertising, Media, Social Media, Technology
Google has recently announced an end to its trial implementation of Google Tags, an advertising service that allowed businesses to show little yellow “tags” next to their listings on Google.com and Google Maps in order to call out and highlight their offerings. The announcement came on the heels of Google’s launch of Boost, a local ad platform allowing the same local businesses to actually create their own contextual search ads from their Google Places account.
In response to this new development, many hospitality businesses are questioning whether they should be getting in line to jump on the Google Boost wagon. In truth, Google Boost does make sense for some businesses, but it may not be the best option for hospitality and destination marketing.
The advantage of Google Boost is its ability to display an ad to local searchers on Google Maps (“local” as defined by 15-20 miles from the property). However, by using the Google AdWords interface instead, a business can advertise on Google Maps without local restrictions—and with greater control over the campaign, the cost per click and the ad copy.
Google AdWords provides more advertising options and finer controls. With AdWords, you can control keyword selection and bids, target both locally and nationally, get advanced reporting, take advantage of different ad formats (such as video), display on thousands of partner sites and more.
It is also important to note that visitors who click on an ad through the AdWords interface can be directed straight to the business’s website, as opposed to Google Boost, which sends users to the business’s Google Places listing first, thereby putting more steps between the visitor and the booking engine. As the connection from an ad to a business’s booking page should be as quick and smooth as possible, sending visitors to an in-between stage is unlikely to be beneficial to hospitality and destination marketing efforts.
Search advertising is an important component to any marketing campaign—although it is often overlooked or misunderstood by businesses that are not well informed on the medium. If you’d like more information about discovering the best options to “boost” your efforts in this area, contact our PPC Specialist at emcdonough@danacommunications.com.
Valuing New Media Ideas with Old(er) Mediums
Posted by Emily McDonough | Filed under Media, Social Media, Technology
I recently attended a few events for Social Media Week, a global, multi-city social media extravaganza. It was great to become part of the conversation, in real time, on topics that are affecting advertising and branding agencies.
Media outlets are rapidly changing. Therefore, clients—and, more importantly, their consumers—are asking questions.
One panel discussed the purchase of Huffington Post from AOL, and the value we place on new media companies as well as mergers with old(er) media companies. This got me thinking about how we value new media ideas. Let’s take a look at three examples.
- Julie Powell started a blog, chronicling her attempts to recreate every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. When people caught onto the idea and decided it had value (entertainment that would then translate into profit), it was turned into a familiar medium to be presented to the public—through a book, and then later a movie. But the blog already had fans, so why was this idea translated to a different medium? Are blog readers not valued, or are people still just tied to the old media channels?
- Justin Halpern turned things his dad said into a popular Twitter stream, S#*t my dad says. But seemingly, Twitter wasn’t enough. Instead of just having interested people meet him on Twitter, the idea and momentum were translated into a book, and then into a TV series starring William Shatner…yep, Captain Kirk. But Justin’s Dad was funny on Twitter, so why did it need to be translated into a book and then a TV show?
- PostSecret is an ongoing collaboration project in which people share postcards containing their secrets. New secrets are posted to the blog each Sunday, curated by Frank Warren. PostSecret currently published its collection of secrets into four volumes available at your favorite retailer under different topic headings. Publishing these secrets in book form removes the interactivity of the site; the public can no longer comment on secrets or share their opinions on a controversial topic. Isn’t this why people fell in love with the Web anyway?
So what do these examples of translating ideas from a new format demonstrate? Do people value new media? Or are they just using new media “to go viral” and then waiting for publishers and producers to find them?
Perhaps I am just being a bit naïve. Maybe if I published a successful blog and was asked to make “The Emily McDonough Story” into a film starring Meryl Streep, I’d think differently. Who knows?
Flash Sales Spark Online Travel
Posted by Jeff Gurtman | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Media, Travel
Travel-related flash sales seem to be spreading like wildfire across the Internet. By offering steep discounts during limited-duration sales, they motivate consumers to book quickly to take advantage of great deals. Here’s a sampling of what’s new:
Sniqueaway™ was recently launched as part of Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor Media Group company. This members-only site offers limited-time sales on 4-star hotels that are highly rated on TripAdvisor.
TripAlertz™, which started beta testing this fall, claims to offer “epic savings for premium getaways.” Also a members-only site, it features quality hotels (3-star and up) and a unique strategy that lowers the price as more travelers book.
LivingSocial®, the site that offers city-specific deals, recently added travel “Escapes” to its offerings. The “Escape Kits” typically offer accommodations with add-ons like a cooking class, massage or ski lift ticket.
Groupon®, the city-specific flash sale giant, recently partnered with Where I’ve Been™, giving Groupon access to Where I’ve Been’s established base of millions of social travelers.
Mobile Spinach employs targeted demographic marketing to create offers and issue mobile cash vouchers that customers can use at retail outlets and restaurants, as well as spas and hotels.
CityDeals offers discount gift cards, gift certificates and coupons for local and national brands (restaurants, entertainment, stores, spas and hotels) that can be mailed, printed or sent to customers’ phones.
Successful in many segments, flash sales are a relatively new concept for travel, but one that is sure to broaden the social travel experience of the Internet. Although the impact on online sales is still unchartered waters, we already see the potential for this trend to impact your business positively:
- These channels can be a great way to quickly and efficiently unload excess inventory.
- By offering a limited-time deal instead of simply decreasing rates via an OTA, your hotel can fill rooms without expressly jeopardizing rate.
- By creating attractive packages that bundle rooms with additional amenities and services (dining, spa, golf, etc.), your property may also lead customers to increase spend.
- Group buying sites offer your business the opportunity and ability to discount and minimize risk (think: quantity discount). You can protect yourself from selling a low-rated piece of business to just a few customers because unless many customers react and agree to a certain volume of sale, the deal can be deemed invalid.
Want to know more about how this trend will impact the ever-evolving online travel market and your business? Dana develops custom promotions and campaigns that utilize these technologies. We offer turnkey solutions that can be deployed quickly and cost effectively. Maybe you are looking to offer an innovative promotion around the holidays? There’s still time. And the best part is, you can tell your boss, shareholders and kids that you’re at the forefront of the social media trend. Give Dana a call to discuss the opportunities.
Contact Jeff Gurtman, Vice President of Strategy, at jgurtman@danacommunications.com or 609.644.2408.
The Value of Travel Professionals
Posted by Tracy Stottler | Filed under Hospitality News, Media, Travel
The total number of Travel Professionals may be lower than it was years ago, but the travel industry is in a constant state of transformation, and the number of agency locations continues to grow by nearly 6% every year. Travel Professionals have become even more valuable as travel-related businesses undergo new openings (or closings) and agents are positioned to find the best price or deliver a trusted product to their customers.
Travel agencies reportedly account for $130 billion in gross travel sales in the U.S., as well as more than half of the $247 billion travel market and 30% of all hotel bookings (as reported by PhoCusWright). Travel Weekly’s 2010 Consumer Trends report also indicated that comparatively, younger Echo-Boomer travelers, who prefer to be waited on and have others do for them, tend to seek out Travel Professionals more than older Gen Xers, who are real do-it-yourselfers. This younger generation represents 20% of leisure travelers who use traditional travel agents. Because the web is “old hat” to them, they are not as entranced by what they can find online, and actually, they are pushing back from information overload by allowing an expert to do it for them.
Several years ago, one of our clients, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, recognized that travelers were increasingly turning to Travel Professionals for valuable personal relationships and a trusted source of information. Created by professionals and for professionals, StarwoodPro.com was established to provide a sophisticated, user-friendly interface between Starwood and Travel Professionals. StarwoodPro.com delivers easily accessible content on deals, rates, products, commissions and sales contacts, plus comprehensive hotel and brand information, along with benefits from a rich loyalty program.
In 2010, Sheraton and Westin hotels, which are both Starwood brands, wanted to leverage the relationships established within this segment by introducing specific Travel Professional promotions designed to generate interest, gain trust and sway their powerful influence. These campaigns drew participation from 8,400 and 15,000 participants, respectively—and doubled the size of Starwood’s Travel Professional database within one week. Explosive campaign results, in addition to general performance indicators within the industry, show that Travel Professionals continue to have value and are a critical target audience to be included in any marketing plan.
Who can really speak for your brand?
Posted by Emily McDonough | Filed under Advertising, Interactive, Media, Social Media, Tips and Trends Series
I recently attended the PR News Online Digital PR Summit in New York City. A discussion of topic arose, and it centered on who is participating on behalf of brands across the various social media platforms. In other words, who is managing a brand’s voice?
In one case, Pizza Hut announced in April of 2009 the position of “Twittern,” an internship opportunity with the sole responsibility of posting on Pizza Hut’s social networks. This raises the question: Who has the authority to speak for your brand?
Executives who lack a greater understanding of social media often assign the task of social participation to associates with an already full plate of responsibilities or pass them off to a junior-level associate who may or may not possess the skill set needed to properly represent your brand.
It basically comes down to this: Would you have this same individual write the content for your corporate website? The answer is probably no. In effect, this individual is creating the presence for your brand in the social media world. After all, a Google search on your brand name will likely produce the corporate website along with social media results such as Twitter postings and Facebook status updates. This content is being given more and more credibility in shaping one’s opinion about your brand.
Messaging, style and content should be consistently represented across all channels to maintain brand integrity. Although social media is the distribution means via which these messages are delivered, there is need for having a structure in place—one that is similar to any communications plan.
At Dana, we understand that our clients’ individual responsibilities have grown and that they are being asked to do more under the same job title. We offer a full suite of social media services, including robust implementation packages and ongoing support models, with proven track records.
Not sure where to begin? Dana can help you get started with social media or simply help you get more out of your current efforts. To find out more, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
Is it really Brand Awareness versus ROI?
Posted by Mark D’Amico | Filed under Advertising, Media, Tips and Trends Series
In the last two years, as the financial crisis escalated and our economy struggled, clients focused like a laser on their return on investment (ROI). This makes complete sense, as marketing budgets have come under increasing pressure and scrutiny, resulting in the need to measure and evaluate the effect of every marketing dollar spent. And to be honest, this should really be standard practice regardless of the economic environment.
But in tough times, ROI-speak is ubiquitous. And if taken too far, this kind of thinking can promulgate the idea that brands must choose between generating brand awareness or producing ROI. Often, the decision is, “I don’t need awareness. I want ROI!”
In our view, this kind of thinking is backwards. Because in reality, brand awareness is never at odds with ROI. On the contrary, awareness is actually a primary driver of ROI. Consider the following data from an example hotel’s analytics:
This data shows the property’s top ten site traffic sources, ranked by revenue for a recent 30-day period. What you see here is typical: the bulk of the measured revenue is attributed to organic search and direct site traffic.
Logically, it makes the most sense to try to increase organic and direct traffic. A 10% increase in those referral sources would do more to improve the bottom line than doubling all the other sources combined. So how is that accomplished?
First, you must understand what those sources of traffic represent. Your organic traffic is, quite simply, what your site is optimized for in Google and other search engines. Assuming that these engines do their job well, the traffic you attain organically should come from keywords that describe your property.
While it’s likely that you are receiving good organic traffic from generic search, i.e., “(your city) hotel,” it’s even more likely that your organic search is dominated by brand terms. After all, no keywords describe you better than your brand keywords.
The next greatest source of revenue—direct traffic—comes from users who have either bookmarked your site or entered your URL directly into their browser. This traffic is very similar in quality and qualification to brand search. These are prospects who know you by name and are seeking you out.
What do I do with this information? Is the answer more brand search?
We do believe in the importance of brand search, yet in this story, it is not the cause of success, but rather the result of it. As illustrated above, a large percentage of all the revenue measured by analytics was a result of brand awareness. Strong brands that invested in their brand for years before the economic crisis were better positioned to reap the benefit of that awareness during the crisis.
How do I know if my marketing activities are generating brand awareness?
Generating greater brand awareness means reaching new, uninitiated prospects. Advertising is a prime source for new visitors. This includes non-brand pay-per-click, email and rich media.
Site-usage statistics are key to determining the effectiveness of advertising in creating brand awareness. If a referral source is generating quality visits, then you can be sure prospects are interested in your property and that you’re creating brand awareness.
But brand awareness and brand advertising are not the same thing, and driving brand awareness does not have to be expensive. For instance, social media is an important key. Facebook and other social networks have real potential for increasing brand exposure. While your fans know you, their network may not. Every person connected to your fan page is also connected to people who don’t know you. Pushing quality content and exclusive offers through social networks is a cost-effective way to gain brand awareness. (Click here to read more on managing social media.)
In the end, those with the most brand awareness win. Get your brand terms onto the keyboards of your best prospects. Contact mdamico@danacommunications.com to learn how the right mix of search, email, rich media and social media can create brand awareness.
Brand Stewardship: Who Are You?
Posted by Lynn Kaniper | Filed under Advertising, Media, Technology
In today’s frenzy to gain business, keep costs low and make owners happy, have you lost who you are?
These days, everyone is heavily concerned with driving ROI and maximizing the bottom line. We’re all looking for more cost-effective ways to spend our dollars. But in doing so, have you lost your brand? Do you still know who you are? Does your audience?
Organizations that want to thrive in today’s marketplace must have greater concern for upholding the higher values that support their brand’s promise and preserving a distinctive relationship with their markets. They must accept responsibility for ensuring that their brand stands for value, service, quality and the other attributes that matter most—over the long term—to the people they serve.
The question is: How should you move forward while staying true to your identity?
Answer: Introduce innovation to stay ahead of the game.
You have tight budgets, so you need to act smart. Have you been putting off your marketing plan or reduced it so much that it’s lost impact? If so, think about utilizing low-cost social media marketing. It has become huge in speaking the voice of a brand, and it can help sell your product while building brand value.
Essentially, it’s all about the brand, and communicating through multiple channels is key. Surround your target audience with online, offline and social media, as well as public relations and word of mouth. If you focus too much on any one area, you may hinder your efforts.
Your goal should be to drive action, not just push readable content. More than simply creating and parking, brands must engage their targets, promote interest, feature great offers and share them across all channels.
And don’t rely solely on social media either. You can form a large fan base on Facebook, but you may be left without pertinent data to collect for your own lists. Build your lists and reinforce what works for you. The aim is to drive action over short periods of time and then integrate it into a fuller program.
It is important to manage and grow a list of go-to people that will help fill need periods and become advocates for your business as well. Without control of such a list, and without the ability to integrate your email outreach into your social media, you will lose a big asset in terms of expanding the effectiveness of your efforts.
Above all, a brand implies a promise. This promise is to remain dedicated to the level of quality people have come to expect. Brand loyalty boosts sales, and maintaining a strong and consistent expression of your company’s brand is critical to fostering credibility, authenticity and loyalty.
This is why the great brands are those whose organizations act as stewards of the brand relationship. This means communicating the vision and what the organization stands for, even at times when you need to promote value or run specials to fill occupancy. Think about how you do that now… At these times, do you stay true to who you are?
If the brand message is not easily conveyed and readily understood, chances are the brand or its strategy is flawed. It may be time to reevaluate your brand stewardship:
- What does your brand promise?
- Does it appeal to your primary audience?
- How does your current identity undervalue or undermine your brand?
- What are you doing well or need to work on in terms of branding?
- How do you position the brand so that it’s more effective?
Finally, a brand must have the depth to adapt and grow with the changing times. The world is unpredictable, and change is constant. To move forward and get ahead, it is essential that you know exactly who you are, that you communicate a consistent image of your brand and that you engage your customers to keep them coming back.
Learn more about partnering with Dana to become a steward for your brand. Contact lkaniper@danacommunications.com.
