Consumers Rely On Search

The web is a vast resource.  It’s the place most consumers start when looking
for data.  As a business, you need to make it a priority that consumers can easily find information about your company. With so many records available, making sure your business natively rises to the top of the heap can be a challenge.

• Over 60% of consumers use search
engines on a daily basis, another 21% use them fairly often

• Less than 5% of adults nationally rarely
or never use search engines

• Over 60% of consumers said they can easily find the information they need on search engines about half the time.

• Over 25% say they always easily find what they need

• Nearly 90% of consumers say that non-relevant sites show up when they
are searching

• Females are more likely than males to use search engines on a daily basis

• Men are slightly more likely than women to always easily find what they need on search engines

What Does This Mean To You

It’s very important that your organization be easily found on the web. Very few searchers look beyond the first page.  In fact, most contact the first listing.
When was the last time you reviewed at your search results?
Are you the first listing?
If consumers have a hard time finding your company, what is the likelihood they will visit your site?
How many different listings from competitive companies have they seen?
With so many searches being performed via mobile device, are you losing physical floor traffic because of your search strategy?

Among Metro Orlando adults:

• Roughly one million adults have visited a search engine in the past month

• Nearly 500,000 have visited a search engine via mobile device in the past
30 days

Search should be part of overall marketing strategy, robust search tactics will help ensure that your message is being seen.   For more information on how to effectively utilize search to grow your business, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; AYTM; The 2011 Scarborough Report, Release 1

Mobile Banners Deliver

It is estimated that businesses will spend over $2.6 billion in mobile ad spending this year with one-third going towards mobile banners and rich media.  Companies aren’t just making these big investments in mobile just because smart phone adoption continues to rise – they are doing it because mobile ads perform. Mobile banners, in particular, are an ad unit that tends to connect companies and consumers.

• Mobile banners had a clickthrough rate (CTR) of .87 during the first half of 2012 across the US

• Standard banner ads viewed on a PC had a CTR of .10.  The CTR for expandable rich media banners was .18 and polite rich media banners came in at .12

• Clickthrough rates for all rich media ads vary greatly by industry.
Globally, the top 5 clickthrough rates by industry were:
› Entertainment – .33
› Tech/Internet – .30
› Health/Beauty – .30
› Careers – .27
› Telecom – .27

What Does This Mean To You

No matter what industry your business is a segment of or what ad types you invest in, you need to ensure that you messages are engaging consumers. Clickthrough rates are one form that can be measured.  There is also dwell rate (a measure based on percentage of users that may hover over your rich media message but not click on it) and average dwell time (the average number of seconds consumers spend hovering over a rich media unit).  Any metric that you employ should be balanced against your target audience.
Is it more beneficial to reach a large number of consumers or a smaller audience that is more likely to be your best prospects?
The more efficient you can make your advertising campaign the better.
The starting point for any campaign should be at minimum two questions -
Who is my target audience?
What are my actionable goals/objectives?
Creating your campaign and making a media investment with these two things in mind will help you create clear communications, effective marketing campaigns and you can measure your campaign’s success.
But there is one thing to keep in mind -
Everyone is not a target audience and make more money is not an
actionable objective.
Think in more quantifiable terms.
For more information on creating engagement and campaign development, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; MediaMind

Why Some Mobile Campaigns Do Not Perform

Advertising is an investment in your company. You need to keep your brand top of mind with consumers -so when the need arises, they contact you for goods or services.  Making an investment in a mobile campaign is a wise decision because of how much consumers now depend on mobile devices.  Knowing the reasons why consumers don’t interact with certain ads can help you not make bad decisions and keep your mobile investment paying dividends.

• Over 40% of consumers said they did
not interact with a mobile ad was because
it was not relevant to them.  This lack of relevance was the top reason why there
was no interaction

• Nearly four in 10 did not interact with a mobile ad because it did not appeal to them

• Over 30% ignored a mobile ad because they thought it might be spam

• One in five chose not to click on an ad because they were unsure of its source

• Less than 5% did not engage an ad because it did not work on their phone

What Does This Mean To You

Everything comes down to targeting your message.
Make sure the audience you want to reach uses the vehicles you are
messaging through.
Proper targeting will help you create the most effective and efficient campaigns possible and maximize the advertising investment you are making.   In yesterday’s post, we talked about creating valuable offers – targeting your offer will help ensure the audience sees value.  For more information on reaching the targets that your business needs results from, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: HipCricket 2012

Top Types Of Mobile Engagement

Over the past few days, we’ve looked at mobile shopping trends and the types of mobile ads consumers viewed . Today, we’ll take a deeper dive and show the types of interactions mobile consumers are involved with.

• Nearly 40% of mobile consumers clicked or tapped on a mobile ad units

• Over 30% redeemed a mobile coupon

• Nearly three in 10 clicked on a sponsored link in a text message or downloaded an app that was advertised

• 28% of consumers had engaged with a mobile ad to earn coupons or rewards

• One in four visited a mobile website as a result of a mobile ad

What Does This Mean To You

When creating a campaign or marketing message, how much time do you spend developing your offer? The offer is one of the most important components in the success of your campaign.
Ask yourself, will the target audience find it valuable?
Are they willing to bypass your competitors to purchase from you?
The more value your offer provides, the more likely you are to increase traffic and minimize “showrooming”.  For more information on to get results from mobile campaigns, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: HipCricket 2012

Mobile Ads Deliver Success

We’ve had several recent posts on the growth of mobile and smart phone penetration.  Consumer adoption of smart mobile technology has gotten to the point where mobile can no longer be considered a niche media.  New research has been developed that shows consumers aren’t just using mobile devices to communicate, they are also using them to make purchases and mobile ads a large driver of those purchases.

• Nearly half of smart phone owners have seen mobile advertising messages

• 45% have made a product recommendation as a result of seeing a mobile ad

• Nearly two-thirds of smart phone owners have made a mobile purchase due to mobile advertising

• Among 25 to 34 year olds, 70% have made a purchase because of an ad and almost 60% said they would be willing to provide personal information if they were offered a reward or coupon

• Over 60% of adults in the 35 to 44 age group said they would click on a mobile ad if it had a coupon

• High income adults are more likely to click on mobile ads.  55% of those who interacted with a mobile ad had household incomes of $75,000+, nearly 30% had incomes of $100,000+

• Men are more likely than women to make mobile purchases and recommend products because of mobile advertising

What Does This Mean To You?

Mobile ads don’t just encourage initial sales but they also have a follow-through effect.  They can also help you reach into the elusive male target audience.  There are volumes of research available on this blog and other sources that can show you how important mobile is in reaching customers and affecting purchases, but there was one thing in this research that was alarming:
Nearly three-quarters of consumers stated they had not seen a mobile ad from their favorite brands
The question is, are these brands not involved in mobile?
Well, it’s estimated that 45% of companies globally have some kind of
mobile presence.
So it may not be the fact that they are missing the mobile boat, it maybe the mobile boat they are using is very leaky.
They are probably not taking advantage of all the targeting options that mobile offers or just targeting badly.  Targeting is key in efficiently and effectively connecting with the audience you want to communicate with.  You know the type of consumers you want to reach, you probably have some kind of loyalty program to encourage your frequent customers to return more often.  These are the types of things you need to include in your mobile strategy.  Targeting ads will help ensure that your messages will be seen. For more information on effectively targeting the audience you want to reach, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: HipCricket 2012

Trusted Forms Of Advertising

Consumers tend to connect with and engage with brands they trust. Where you market your company can have a big effect on how consumers view your business. If shoppers don’t trust the products you advertise in, how likely are they to trust your brand? New research looks at the types of media advertising that have earned the most trust with consumers.

• The most trusted form of advertising are recommendations from people you know – over 90% of consumers trust personal recommendations

• Nearly half of consumers trust newspaper advertising

• 47% trust magazine and TV ads, radio comes in with 46% and just over 40% trust billboard advertising

• Over 25% of shoppers trust ads they are delivered through search engines, one-third trust ads through social networks or video ads and roughly three in 10 trust online banner ads

• Over one in four consumers trust display ads on mobile devices and text ads on mobile phones

What Does This Mean To You?

While personal recommendations may not always be considered a form of advertising, it is one of the most influential factors in consumer purchases.  Think of your own situation.  If a friend recommends a restaurant, aren’t you more likely to try it as well?  Or if someone you know pans a movie, how likely are you to buy a ticket?  You can tell everyone how great you are, but it will never have the influence as a recommendation from a friend.  This is one of the reasons that testimonials and reputation management are so important.
This is where you can leverage the voice of your loyal customers.  Use your customers in testimonials; reward them for “liking” your business and recommending you through social media, incorporate them in pictures or video interacting with you and your products.  The more love you show these brand evangelists, the more likely they are to sing your praises.
Reputation management will help keep your image positive across many digital platforms.  You need to be vigilant in watching your social media presences.  If there are unanswered questions or problem posted about your business, customers are likely to not buy from those companies.  Basically, negative comments about your business or your products are likely to gift wrap sales to your competition.  For more information on creating loyal, long term customers, contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Nielsen

Mobile Ads And Effectiveness

Over the past year or two, mobile has become a consumer-driven force.  There has been much research done on who is using mobile devices, the activities they participate in, the apps they use and the content they want.  With all
this information, there is still one question businesses need to know – how effective is mobile in delivering my message.  A newly released study looked
into the acceptance levels of mobile advertising and the affect mobile ads had
on consumers.

• One in three tablet owners and one in five smart phone owners think that ads on mobile devices are acceptable

• 22% of tablet owners and 15% of smart phone owners don’t mind if they get ads on their device as long as they are relevant to them

• Nearly 20% of tablet owners clicked to view the full ad or product offering on a mobile device

• 8% of tablet owners and 5% of smart phone owners made a purchase on their mobile device after seeing an ad

• One in four tablet owners and 22% of smart phone owners made a purchase on a PC after seeing a mobile ad

• 17% of tablet owners looked for more information about a business after seeing a mobile ad

What Does This Mean To You?

The key to success with mobile ads, much like any form of marketing, is targeting.  The most effective and efficient campaigns are based on connecting with a target audience through media products they rely on and content that engages them.  The message you convey must speak to the needs of your target audience.  There is a time and place to talk about the features your product has or services your company provides; but to move the needle, you need to speak to the value you deliver.
Does it save your target audience time?
Will it save them money?
How does it enhance their life?
What problems will your goods and services solve?
Consumers look at mobile devices as a solution to great many things. By marketing your company or products as solutions as well, it will help you forge relationships and create awareness.  For more information on creating strategies that develop results, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Nielsen

Tablet Advertising Drives Purchases

Tablet owners want content.  The main actions taken by tablet users are accessing content and information.  But, that doesn’t mean they are ignoring product advertising and marketing messages.  In fact, tablet advertising spurs many consumers to not only research products but to also make purchases.

• Nearly 30% of tablet users say that advertising messages on their devices motivate them to make purchases, over
a quarter say it encourages them to research products

• 37% of tablet users described advertising on tablets as hard to ignore, one-third said they were eye catching and almost three in 10 consider them unique and interesting

• Tablet owners who multi-screen are much more likely to make purchases, research products and click on ads

In the six months after seeing an advertisement on a tablet:

• Nearly 40% made a purchase

• Approximately three in 10 researched a product

• 23% clicked on an ad

• One in five used a special offer or coupon or visited the product’s web site

• 15% visited the product’s Facebook page

What Does This Mean To You?

Advertising and marketing is all about driving traffic.  Whether it’s to your physical location or your virtual destination, whether you employ a hard sell or a softer approach, your message should be designed to create awareness and entice consumers to visit.  The functionality and engagement tools that tablets offer combine with the “newness” of tablet technology add to the purchase driving behaviors and ad affinity on the devices.  As a business, you should capitalize on tablet technology while consumer satisfaction for the devices remains high. In tomorrow’s post, we’ll look at the products that are most researched on tablets and the top purchased categories of business.  For more information on tools that can help you sell more products on tablets, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Center For Media Research; OPA; Frank Magid Associates

Customer Service And Social Media

As a business, virtually everything you do can be considered customer service oriented.  Your social offerings are not any different.  In fact, the nature of social media means your social presence is often the digital face of your company and social interaction point.  How you deal with customers is on full display for other customers and potential shoppers to see.  New research is out that looks at how consumers use social media as a customer service function.

• 17% of consumers in the past year
have used social media to obtain a
service response

• Social media users who have a great experience will tell 42 people – Those who are not on social media will only tell 9 people

• Over 80% of shoppers who use social sites said they have not completed a sale because of poor customer service

• Social networkers who had a bad customer service experience will tell 53 others about the incident

• Less than half on non-social media users reported that they had not completed a sale because of poor customer service.  Those people only told 17 people about their experience.

• Social media users are willing to pay 21% more for brands that deliver great customer service through social media

What Does This Mean To You?

Social media users are, well, more social.  They tend to communicate with brands about their experience and expect action from them.  Their activity is the precise reason you need a reputation management strategy.
If these consumers will tell over 50 people about a negative incident, imagine the exponential damage your company can receive because of social media.  The social space and negative comments do not just go away.  A sound reputation management policy can help you mitigate the negative and help you convert them into positive comments.  At the very least you need to engage those with a negative experience and offer to fix it.  Ignoring the problem will only make it worse.  Others will see a company that not only provides bad customer service, they see a company that also doesn’t about care about its shoppers.  Social users who have good experiences will tell others, just not at the same volume.  A social reputation plan will help you use these positive comments and turn them into a testimonial for your business.  Your organization should take advantage of the good stuff and make sure as many people as possible see it.  Rewarding customers for good comments is great and will help foster other positive happenings.  One of the best things about social networkers is that they are willing to a premium to shop at brands that deliver top flight customer service.  If you maximizing are your positive comments, promote it.  This will increase the value of shopping with you – even if you cost a little more.  Just like the song says – you have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.  For more information on how to grow your business with reputation management, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: OnlineMBA.com; Kalena Jordan, SearchEngineCollege.com; sitepronews.com; MediaBistro

Social Media And SMBs

Social media success is not just for national businesses and regional companies. Small businesses can have great success leveraging social networks, fans
and followers

• Currently just over half of small businesses are using social media

• Nearly nine in 10 believe that exposure is the biggest benefit

• 19% of companies use Facebook, 15% use LinkedIn and 4% utilize Twitter

• Just 12% think social media is a must, 24% only get pay attention to their
social media when they have time and 14% admit they don’t know enough
about social media

• Only one-third of SMBs track their social ROI

What Does This Mean To You?

Social media can help your small business move the needle.  It may seem like a good bit of work to integrate a social media strategy, but the payoff can be well worth it.

• Nearly half of consumers are at least somewhat likely to make purchases from businesses they “like” or follow

• 80% of consumers in the US prefer to connect with brands through Facebook

• 40% of consumers would rather use their social login rather than create new  or guest accounts

With social media, the juice is worth the squeeze.  Your customers are using it, once they “like” or follow your business they are more likely to buy from them and its shoppers preferred way of interacting with companies.  Social media can not only give you the testimonial strength of your national competitors, it
can help you cultivate localism and deliver better customer service.  As a small business, you can more easily manage your reputation and create meaningful offers.  For more information on how social media marketing can be made easy and profitable for small businesses, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: OnlineMBA.com; Kalena Jordan, SearchEngineCollege.com; sitepronews.com; MediaBistro