Impressive evidence is beginning to mount up supporting the benefits of integrating social media and display advertising with search marketing efforts. According to a variety of recent studies, the effectiveness of search advertising—which businesses of all sizes have enthusiastically embraced due to its reasonable entry point, ease of execution and capability to measure ROI—can get a significant lift when you combine search campaigns with social media and display advertising.
Let’s take a look at specific findings from five recent reports.
Search and Display: Reach Beyond the Keyword (February 2010)
This study, conducted by digital-advertising solution provider Eyeblaster, found that for the search and display cross-channel campaigns it served from June 2008 to August 2009, almost 1 in 5 people who converted after search had viewed at least one display ad previously. According to the report, the data shows that display ads can stimulate search activity and might help you increase the reach of your search marketing campaign.
The Interplay of Search and Social Media (October 2009)
This study from search marketing specialists GroupM Search, found that searchers who engage in social media are more likely to search on brand or trademarked terms compared with consumers who do not engage in social media. Specifically, consumers who were exposed to both brand-specific social media and paid search ads were
- Almost 3 times as likely to search for that brand’s products compared with users who saw only paid search ads
- 2.4 times as likely to click organic links leading to an advertiser’s site
- 1.7 times as likely to search with the intent of making a list of brands or products to consider
- Clicking paid search ads at a rate at least 50% higher than those exposed only to search ads
The report concludes that social media exposes consumers to brands, products, features, benefits and corporate value propositions and provides a way for brands to become part of the important consideration set for purchases.
The Effects of Display Media on Search Traffic (August 2009)
In this study from digital marketing firm iCrossing, display ad campaigns increased Web site traffic from search engines by nearly 14%. The study also revealed that when search marketing is combined with an online display ad campaign, click-through rates (CTRs) for paid search ads increased about 15%, which in turn resulted in an 11% decrease in cost-per-click (CPC) expense.
According to the report, “An effective display campaign can increase search traffic by increasing brand awareness, brand recognition and brand preference. This brand affinity causes users to be more attracted to the brand website and helps media channels like SEM run more efficiently, boosting ROI.”
The Silent Click: Building Brands Online (June 2009)
The Online Publisher’s Association, in partnership with digital-marketing research firm comScore, released this report that investigates the behavior of consumers exposed to banner ads over the course of a month.
Key findings for consumers exposed to display ads—
- 1 in 5 conducted brand-related searches
- 1 in 3 visited the advertised brands’ sites
- Consumers typically spent more time on advertisers’ sites and viewed more pages
- Consumers spent more money on ecommerce overall and in the advertised categories
- Consumers had higher income than other site visitors
Search Engine Marketing and Online Display Advertising Integration Study (May 2009)
This final study, commissioned by search-marketing firm iProspect and conducted by Forrester Consulting, looks at how display ads can influence Internet users’ actions. The research found that Internet users might take one of several specific actions initially after seeing a display ad, including:
- Clicking the ad (31%)
- Searching for the product, brand or company in the ad using a search engine (27%)
- Typing the ad’s Web address directly into their browser and navigate to the advertiser’s site (21%)
- Investigating the product, brand or company through social media or message boards (9%)
Almost as many Internet users search for a product, company or brand as click the ad, and a third as many check out the product, company or brand through some type of social media. Furthermore, when actions over time are considered, 49% say they perform a search on the product, company or brand at some point after seeing the ad. So display ads trigger actions other than ad click-throughs, and advertisers need to use search and social media campaigns to fully take advantage of the demand their display ads generate.
What Can You Do to Boost Your Search Marketing Efforts?
If you’re not already doing so, these studies should convince you that it’s worth your while to consider integrating social media and display campaigns with search marketing efforts—especially if your competitors aren’t. In 2008, Jupiter Research reported that only 26% of marketers coordinate search and display buys, with even fewer practicing cross-channel management. If you’ve cut back—or put off starting—display or social media campaigns to feed your search budget, you might reconsider your strategy to take advantage of the lift integrated online campaigns can deliver.
Taking Care of AACPM with a Website Designed to Help
New site launch: AACPM
ACS Creative just launched the fresh new face of AACPM (www.aacpm.org), a nationally recognized education organization that represents the nine accredited U.S. colleges of podiatric medicine as well as over 200 hospitals and organizations that conduct graduate training in podiatric medicine.
The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine’s (AACPM) mission is to serve as the leader in facilitating and promoting excellence in podiatric medical education leading to the delivery of the highest quality lower extremity healthcare to the public. AACPM’s membership consists of nine podiatric medical schools and more than 200 hospitals and institutions that offer postdoctoral training in podiatric medicine. The Association serves as a national forum for the exchange of ideas, issues formation and concerns relating to podiatric medical education.
AACPM’s vision is to ensure, through collaboration and other appropriate means, that academic podiatric medicine is a vibrant community of schools and residency programs and other entities staffed with administrators, teachers and researchers capable of educating and training a podiatric workforce relevant to the needs of the public, generating new biomedical knowledge and providing academically based health services.
The AACPM administers several national service programs, including:
AACPM staff also support the activities of the Association’s Board of Directors and several Councils representing member podiatric medical schools and residency programs.
AACPM is an Affiliated Organization of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), which represents practicing podiatric physicians in the USA.
Is Your Website Content Killing Your ROI?
Content Marketing the Wrong Way Loses Customers and Google Rankings
If your website isn’t getting the traffic and click-throughs it used to, it may be because your content is still playing by the old rules. Check out these 3 strategies that worked well once upon a time, before search engines and site visitors wised up.
1. Aiming for visitors, not sales.
This concept is a holdover from the heyday of passive income websites. The sole purpose of those sites was to be a billboard for banner ads, so the sole goal of the website content was to bring in the visitors to see the ads. The content on such websites was largely gibberish packed with the keywords (search terms) likely to be used by their target audience; but it achieved its goal.
However, this is not, and never should have been, the goal of a business website. If it’s going to pay for itself, you need conversions: visitors who will stay long enough to learn about and buy from your business. To do that, you need intelligible, useful content that keeps people reading. In any case, Google has changed its algorithms so that keyword-packed sites are now penalized by being kicked to the bottom of the search results pages.
2. Bulking up with weak or copied content.
Text for the sake of text, either purchased at cut rate prices from a provider who knows nothing about your business or simply plagiarized from another site, was once an accepted SEO tactic. Again, the mistake was assuming that increased traffic would automatically lead to increased sales. To be effective, content marketing must keep visitors engaged, informed and loyal. If they’re disappointed or bored with what they read, they’ll perceive your business as low value as your site. (Especially if they already read it on your competitor’s site!) Another thing to keep an eye on is the quality of the writing itself: spelling, grammar and syntax. You don’t want prospective customers to think that you dropped out of school in the 5th grade.
3. Setting it and forgetting it.
It used to be enough just to have a presence on the internet. The website was created and then simply left for people to find through search engines or links. But now that there are billions of sites competing for a share of audience attention, a static website will fall by the wayside.
Content marketing today means constantly providing new reasons for people to come back to your site. It could be as simple as a short weekly blog. Or having your tweets and Facebook posts automatically displayed on your site (and vice versa). If appropriate for your product, you could post how-to videos or user reviews. There are many ways to keep your content unique, fresh and valuable to your visitors.
That’s how content marketing builds brand recognition, generates sales leads and increases revenue … in short, delivers a great return on your investment.
Let’s chat about your next web project!
A Big Win for Google SEM: No More Sidebar Ads
A strategy adjustment is in order for SEM and SEO marketers
As you may have noticed, right hand sidebar ads have disappeared from Google. Instead, there are now up to four PPC (paid) ads at the top of the search results, where there used to be only two. This means fewer organic (nonpaid) results visible above the fold … and a new dominance for Google SEM ads.
It also means that updating both SEM and SEO strategy is essential. Here’s what our internet marketing experts are thinking.
SEO must aim for top 3, not page 1.
Once upon a time, if your website appeared in the first page of search results, you received the best click-through rates and your SEO efforts were deemed a success. Not anymore. Now the competition will be to appear above the fold, and the space available there for organic results has been reduced by the doubled quantity of paid ads.
Plus, the paid ads at the bottom are still there. So it’s harder than ever to even make page 1.
ROI of top position ads must be evaluated.
The new top positions are reserved for premium search terms, which cost more per click, so you need to be sure that the ad is worth the expense. To add value, Google has allowed more features in these ads that make them look like organic results, which are more trusted — and clicked — by users.
Another thing to consider: if your website receives top 3 placement in organic search results, there’s nothing to be gained by having a paid ad right above it.
The change must be kept in perspective.
While it’s clear that SEO is now taking a back seat to SEM on Google, we believe that profiting from the new order is more a matter of fine tuning than a complete overhaul. If you’d like to discuss this further with one of our experts, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Definitions
5 Ways to Market Your Business with Your Website
Like every other sales effort, it’s a means, not an end
Great, your website has gone live. But if you think your job is done, you’re missing out on huge marketing opportunities. Check out this list of proven strategies to keep your website working for you every day.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Make your site more visible to search engines like Google, so when people search for businesses like yours the site will appear in the first page or two of Google’s results. The phrase SEO typically refers to unpaid efforts (as opposed to paid ads) to drive traffic to your site, including:
2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
This means paying someone to promote your site on the Internet.
3. Retarget
Once someone visits your site, you can have your ad appear wherever he goes on the Internet (at least, until he deletes the cookie your site placed on his computer). Since 98% of site visitors are not converted on the first visit, reminding them to come back is a great way to increase your conversion rate.
4. Place your content on other websites
This is the most controllable and effective way to populate the web with inbound links to your website. Create articles, videos, reviews, discussions, contests or whatever else you want on high traffic sites such as:
5. Get your site in others’ content
This means promoting and managing public opinion so that people mention and link to your site without you paying them to do it.
Your Website Design: a Keeper or a Loser?
How to keep visitors on your site or lose them in 50 milliseconds flat
That’s right, it takes just 50 milliseconds or less for a viewer to decide whether to stay on your website or hit the back button. And the biggest factor in that decision isn’t the content: it’s the design.
• Compare: the average eye blink takes 100 to 400 milliseconds
Image is everything and everybody
Now if you’re thinking this doesn’t apply to your type of business, product or service, guess again. It’s an inescapable fact of human nature that appearance dictates our first impression, no matter what walk of life or business we’re in. Studies show that:
• 75% assess a company’s credibility based on its website design
• 89% search the web before making a purchase decision
• 94% of first impressions are visual-related
“Keeper” design according to Google Research
When Google studied user behavior, it found that two design factors make the difference in whether a website is judged positively or negatively.
• Complexity: Simpler is better. The more elements (images, colors and type styles) that are crammed in, the more repelling the design is to the eye and brain.
• Prototypicality: Familiar is better. Designs that were too far outside the expected box for that industry were perceived as confusing, unsatisfying and unprofessional.
How to follow the Google rules
DIY website creators often believe that all of their important messages must fit into the first screen of the home page (or any other page), and the result is like 20 people all shouting for your attention at once. But you don’t have to eliminate your messages; just make them easier to digest.
• Guide the viewer’s eye with a dominant main message
• Let them scroll: 66% of viewer attention goes to content below the fold
Mobilize it
Another ignore-at-your-peril aspect of successful website design is its accessibility from mobile devices. Here’s what users say about it:
• 67% are more likely to purchase a product or service
• 62% of companies reported increased sales after mobile optimizing their site
• 48% who encountered a non-optimized site thought the business didn’t care
Does your website meet the criteria to be a “keeper”?
Well, one way to find out is by analyzing your visitor metrics. Another is to give us a call. We’ll be happy to provide a FREE, NO OBLIGATION professional assessment.
ACS Creative Wins Addy Awards Again in 2016
And That Means Our Clients Win Too!
We’re starting to sound like a broken record … but in a good way! After taking home three medals last year from the annual American Advertising Federation Addy Awards (our industry’s Oscars), and we’re thrilled to announce that ACS Creative has won two more for our work in 2015. We’d like to thank each of our clients for giving us the opportunity to partner with them in achieving these outstanding results.
Here are their stories.
Guotai Spirits
guotaispirits.com
How does one of Asia’s most distinguished and popular liquor brands break into the U.S. market which is unfamiliar not only with their label, but with the entire category? With an elegantly designed website that establishes brand identity while educating the consumer on all levels.
Painkiller Tattoo
painkillertattoo.com
How does a new start-up make an impression in a crowded market? With a logo and website that conveys its brand identity of top-end artistry and professionalism, yet is relatable to the target customer. Much as we enjoy receiving Addy Awards, we believe they are more about success for our clients than ego boosts for us. Our goal is always first and foremost to solve a critical marketing challenge for our clients, as each of these websites did. The Addy is just the recognition of that achievement.
5 Reasons Why Self-Branded Websites Fail
If you’re thinking about DIYing your website, read on.
It’s no longer enough just to have a presence on the internet. It’s a big playing field now, and the only way to get a return on your investment is to make sure your website fully expresses your company brand.
First, What are Branded Websites?
When we refer to ‘self branding’ or ‘branded website’ we mean the color scheme, logo, page layout etc. The branded aspect of the website becomes the feeling visitors get when they interact with your site and the consistency throughout your materials. So many businesses try to create branded sites themselves without considering all the graphic aspects.
Here are the top 5 mistakes we see DIYers make:
1. They didn’t understand what branding is.
Branding is not about designing a logo or picking a web page template. All such activities should come AFTER you’ve established your brand identity. Brand is what your customers think and feel about you, your products and service. If you don’t have that clear, you won’t be able to communicate it in your advertising and marketing, either visually or verbally.
2. They listened only to internal opinions.
Nobody knows your company better than the insiders: yourself and your key staff. But nobody can tell you how your company is truly perceived like an outsider: a pro who can do the research, analyze the results and give you an objective picture of your advantages and disadvantages in the minds of your audience.
3. They copied some other company’s brand strategy.
Maybe they Googled “most successful branding campaigns ever.” Or maybe they even had someone on staff with experience marketing to their industry. But what succeeded for another company, or in previous years, probably won’t for this company, now. To get current, deep branding expertise, you really need to go to a company that specializes in it.
4. They didn’t spend enough time on it.
There are many claims on a business owner’s time and attention, from production to sales. Throwing together a website in a couple of hours is a recipe for disaster, both in terms of functionality and visitor impression.
5. They didn’t consider the long-term effects.
Failing to attract or convert new customers on a daily basis is bad enough. But what about how you’re perceived by potential investors or lenders? If your website comes across as amateurish or off-brand, it could raise doubts about the wisdom of doing business with you. Having a cookie cutter website that’s not consistent with the company’s brand can have far-reaching consequences. It — and you — deserve better.
Contact ACS Creative about your future graphic project, web design or marketing needs!
Marketing vs. Branding: What’s the Difference?
Honestly, have you ever sat down and thought about what separates Marketing vs Branding?
Hint: you can’t effectively do one without first doing the other.
These two words are used interchangeably so often, it’s no wonder most people think they mean pretty much the same thing. But there’s a fundamental difference that every organization operating in a free market economy should know.
Branding is who you are.
Your brand is how you are perceived: by customers, potential customers and even your own employees.
All these characteristics combined make up your brand: the strong, unique identity that produces recognizability, confidence and loyalty in your audience.
Marketing is how you sell it.
If the brand is strategy, marketing is tactics. Using your brand identity as a guide, you can make high-return, cost-efficient decisions on how best to reach — and sell — your audience.
Say your company is a high end clothing boutique known for giving customers a luxury shopping experience. To reinforce this selling point, you send out elegant invitations to a private VIP wine & shopping night. The customer experience is your brand. The invitation is your marketing.
Branding is the horse. Marketing is the cart.
You might think your brand is self-evident and doesn’t need to be spelled out. But without having such a platform in place, it’s easy to react to a passing fad or market condition and sabotage your brand without realizing it.
What if your clothing boutique, instead of promoting luxury goods and service, sent out a Black Friday flyer offering “50% discount to the first 50 customers”? Yeah, you might get some extra traffic from people outside your defined customer base. But you’ve weakened your original reputation … and probably the customer loyalty you had because of it.
Marketing wins the day. Branding wins the lifetime.
Branding is an investment that pays for itself the more — and the longer — you do it. That’s a difference you can take to the bank.
To have a chat with us about either or find out more information, access our service pages or contact us about your next project!
Pump Up Your Search Marketing Strategy with Social Media and Display Ads
Impressive evidence is beginning to mount up supporting the benefits of integrating social media and display advertising with search marketing efforts. According to a variety of recent studies, the effectiveness of search advertising—which businesses of all sizes have enthusiastically embraced due to its reasonable entry point, ease of execution and capability to measure ROI—can get a significant lift when you combine search campaigns with social media and display advertising.
Let’s take a look at specific findings from five recent reports.
Search and Display: Reach Beyond the Keyword (February 2010)
This study, conducted by digital-advertising solution provider Eyeblaster, found that for the search and display cross-channel campaigns it served from June 2008 to August 2009, almost 1 in 5 people who converted after search had viewed at least one display ad previously. According to the report, the data shows that display ads can stimulate search activity and might help you increase the reach of your search marketing campaign.
The Interplay of Search and Social Media (October 2009)
This study from search marketing specialists GroupM Search, found that searchers who engage in social media are more likely to search on brand or trademarked terms compared with consumers who do not engage in social media. Specifically, consumers who were exposed to both brand-specific social media and paid search ads were
The report concludes that social media exposes consumers to brands, products, features, benefits and corporate value propositions and provides a way for brands to become part of the important consideration set for purchases.
The Effects of Display Media on Search Traffic (August 2009)
In this study from digital marketing firm iCrossing, display ad campaigns increased Web site traffic from search engines by nearly 14%. The study also revealed that when search marketing is combined with an online display ad campaign, click-through rates (CTRs) for paid search ads increased about 15%, which in turn resulted in an 11% decrease in cost-per-click (CPC) expense.
According to the report, “An effective display campaign can increase search traffic by increasing brand awareness, brand recognition and brand preference. This brand affinity causes users to be more attracted to the brand website and helps media channels like SEM run more efficiently, boosting ROI.”
The Silent Click: Building Brands Online (June 2009)
The Online Publisher’s Association, in partnership with digital-marketing research firm comScore, released this report that investigates the behavior of consumers exposed to banner ads over the course of a month.
Key findings for consumers exposed to display ads—
Search Engine Marketing and Online Display Advertising Integration Study (May 2009)
This final study, commissioned by search-marketing firm iProspect and conducted by Forrester Consulting, looks at how display ads can influence Internet users’ actions. The research found that Internet users might take one of several specific actions initially after seeing a display ad, including:
Almost as many Internet users search for a product, company or brand as click the ad, and a third as many check out the product, company or brand through some type of social media. Furthermore, when actions over time are considered, 49% say they perform a search on the product, company or brand at some point after seeing the ad. So display ads trigger actions other than ad click-throughs, and advertisers need to use search and social media campaigns to fully take advantage of the demand their display ads generate.
What Can You Do to Boost Your Search Marketing Efforts?
If you’re not already doing so, these studies should convince you that it’s worth your while to consider integrating social media and display campaigns with search marketing efforts—especially if your competitors aren’t. In 2008, Jupiter Research reported that only 26% of marketers coordinate search and display buys, with even fewer practicing cross-channel management. If you’ve cut back—or put off starting—display or social media campaigns to feed your search budget, you might reconsider your strategy to take advantage of the lift integrated online campaigns can deliver.
Good People: Our well-Digging Designer
Is there anything Madeline Burgos can’t do?
She designs beautiful brand communications. She plays a mean game of tennis. She swims like a mermaid.
And she digs wells in Central America.
It wasn’t easy. Madeline and fellow members of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield VA spent 4 days drilling and digging through 50 feet of rock, clay, gravel and sand to reach a clean aquifer.
The trip was organized by Living Water International (www.water.cc).
The experience changed her, Madeline said. “I learned the importance of getting out of my comfort zone. I think everyone should take at least one trip to somewhere unfamiliar, to have a good worldview.
“I met people living on less than $1 a day, and living so joyfully. It made me more thankful. It opened my heart.”
That’s our Madeline. She opens our hearts, too.
*A now-and-then series about ACS folks you might like to know