Trends in Digital Marketing to Keep Up With
Hey. My name is Justin, and I’m one of the three interns at the JAR Group this summer. I’m originally from Brooklyn so I’m pretty excited to be working here in DUMBO. I was introduced to SEO in a course I took in college and found the material to be very fascinating. In the coming weeks, I will be learning more about SEM and web analytics, and applying as much as I can, under the guidance of Param and the rest of the team.
Over the course of last week, I did some researching and came across some pieces reflecting on the latest trends in marketing. Here are those fascinating articles: (Enjoy!)
Digital Marketing Metrics: Making the Most of What You Measure
It’s clear that digital marketing is on the rise, and that more and more businesses are engaging in this lucrative practice. According to Deloitte LLP, more than 70 percent of marketers expect to increase digital marketing spending in 2009 at the expense of more traditional media like print and television.” They will all be moving into an age where web traffic metrics can determine success or failure. In order to success, however, they must understand what the numbers say and how to approach them. For example, having a meaningful increase in visits does not equal victory when majority of these do not convert. In this article, Deloitte shows some possible methods in using web analytics to determine a preferable return on investment for different marketing campaigns. Understanding your marketing campaign and traffic metrics can help your company reach its full potential.
Cost Per Click on the rise, says IPA
According to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), recent trends in digital marketing reveal that the average CTR has declined while the average CPC has increased. This sounds somewhat counter-intuitive. If the click-through rate, that is the number of unique visitors divided by the total number of clicks, is falling, why would the ads cost more and more? Search Director of BLM Quantum, Rob Raylor, suggests that “this may be a reflection of the fact that brand terms are becoming more competitive in line with a decline in the economy.” The timing could not have been better. With so many companies filing bankruptcy, it’s a winner-takes-all scenario.
My view | Marketing must evolve with economy
In this opinion piece, Barbara E. Kahn gives an overview of what has changed in the world of marketing. Before digital marketing took the stage, conventional marketing tactics focused on the quality of the product and production speed. Profit was a direct result of market share. But now in the 21st century with competition as strong as ever, the internet has become to new playing field. Companies are doing everything they can to optimize sales and brand exposure. Another aspect to notice is that “consumers’ trust has been violated. Ponzi schemes and market instability have threatened consumer confidence. Consumers now are suspicious. They demand accountability, authenticity and social responsibility.”
Building a Real-Time Social Search Engine: Why Google Should Buy Twitter
Rob Garner of MediaPost brings up a much anticipated discussion of a possible acquisition of Twitter by Google. The benefit of acquiring Twitter for Google is clear—real-time results. With practically every industry representing itself in the social media world, it’s important for Google to be able to manage the entire social network with an engine that can perform real-time social search. But what is in it for Twitter? As history has shown, persistent spammers all across the internet almost always find loopholes to exploit. While Twitter is enjoying its “Golden Age” right now, it would, too, eventually fall victim to spamming. Google has the technology to prevent this; and these two can certainly complement one another. As Garner puts it, “Google Search Options and Twitter search represent the two halves required for the whole success of real-time social search.”
Online Marketing Effectiveness
Forbes conducted a study on online marketing and reported its results at the beginning of the month. The numbers definitely confirm the impact that SEM and SEO have had on small and big businesses. Almost half of the subjects in the study reported that SEO was most effective for generating conversions. This makes sense, as the goal of SEO is to increase web traffic to one’s website, which hopefully leads to conversions. When it came to brand perceptions, site or page sponsorship had the strong effect. This also isn’t surprising because in order to build your brand, or reputation, online, you should have credible sources. Obtaining sponsorship from well-established brands only makes your brand look better. A third conclusion drawn from the study is that you should expect marketers to shift into viral marketing in response to the recession. It is logical, when the economy is bad, to steer away from expensive campaign tactics such as PPC and sponsorship, and to focus on quicker and cheaper ways to spread the word. Social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, and blog sites are so ubiquitous on the internet that there seems to be no barrier against viral marketing.
