Many of you would have seen TV adverts for catalogue company Argos over the last few months. They end with the phrase - 'Don't shop for it, Argos it'. They have long running advertising campaign pushing the fact that when it comes to buying things, it is easier to use the Argos services, rather than spend your time touring your local shopping centre. Nothing unique in the message that Argos are trying to portray, they have been offering an alternative to the Saturday afternoon high street scrum for decades, but it is the way that they have done it which interests me.
For those who may remember, a few years ago Google caused a bit of fuss in the blogging world by saying that they didn't like it when people said 'Google it' instead of 'search for it' as it infringed on their trademark. Google went to the press twice about this issue, once in 2003, and then again in 2006. They claimed that the use of the Google brand name in this way was a trademark violation and that people who referred to 'Googling' shouldn't do so; they even sent out letters to people to ask them to stop/change references to using Google as a verb.
For many marketers, having a brand name or company name synonymous with an activity or industry would be the holy grail. Some companies have already achieved this, here are just some examples I can think of;
'I didn't watch it last night, I sky plus'd it' or
'Do you want a copy? I'll xerox one off now'.
I'm still pretty sure that when Google came out saying that they didn't want people to use Google with reference to search it was a massive double bluff. Why wouldn't they want their name to become so strongly tied to one of the fastest growing industries on the Internet, especially when competing against one of the biggest companies in the world?
Regardless if Google did or didn't want people to use their name with reference to searching, it certainly hasn't done them any harm. Google is now the most powerful brand name in the UK. They have even overtaken Microsoft in the world of brands as well as search.
It's not surprising then that other companies have tried to borrow ideas from the best brand in the UK to try and build their market share and brand profile. It always pays to 'borrow' from the best doesn't it!?
In this case, Argos, in my opinion, have tried to 'do a Google' and make their brand synonymous with brochure shopping. A smart move given that other companies exist, and are entering into, their market space.
Maybe it's me putting two and two together and getting five (Google started complaining about their infringements in 2003 and Argos started their campaign in 2005) but it seems that this is just another example of where the online world and online brands have had impact in the offline world and established companies.
Showing posts with label online marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online marketing. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Managing Micro Budget PPC Campaigns
This is the first part of Pay Per Click campaign management blog posts. I will be posting more tips and tricks here that will help you manage your PPC campaign effectively.
As new entrants in the market (or an old player with unoptimised website), small and local businesses need immediate clicks and customers. Achieving higher organic listings in search engines can take time, sometimes over six months.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can be an effective short term online marketing strategy for managers who are desperate for their websites to be found on search engines quickly. However, small businesses with micro or small budgets often find themselves competing with big rivals, who have more resources and budget to spend online. SMEs have to utilise their resources intelligently and often they do not as they try to cut corners and do things themselves without knowing the tricks of the trade.
Managing a micro PPC budget (typically less than £500 p.m.) is a tough job for marketing managers. However, by following some simple rules given below, they can use their PPC budgets wisely to get the most of the paid clicks.
1. First of all, use your website analytics data to find out some of the keywords people type in to reach your website. If you don’t have analytics code set up on your website, ask your web master to install it - it's a must.
2. Think like a customer. If you were a customer, what phrase would you use to find your services/products. When you've got a list, think again. Check with your colleagues, friends or family members to see you are along the right lines. We've seen that you get the best results if you involve some customers (prospective customers) in this “keywords research”.
3. Create your first keywords list. It is safer to select only those keywords which are relevant to your product or service. Often we see that customers come up with vague words around their business which are not specific to them at all. Don't push yourself to create a "fantastic long list of keywords".
Choosing keywords which have little or no relevancy to your business would only waste your budget. Select only a sensible number of keywords and spend more on phrases which are mostly clicked by users.
4. The next thing to do is to create a list of negative keywords in your campaign. You have a small budget to spend, you can't afford paying for clicks look relevant to your offers but actually they are not. Negative PPC words are those which you DON'T want your adverts to appear for when searching for your services. Often these include the words 'free', 'cheap' or places where you do not want to get clients e.g. Manchester if you are based in Dorset.
For example, while working on a PPC campaign for a client offering “fleet management services”, I found people searching for fleet management software. In that particular case, I added keywords like software, systems, computer etc in negative keywords list of the campaign. This trick saved approximately 35% budget of my client, that otherwise would have gone for wrong clicks.
We will be posting more PPC tips and tricks on here in the coming weeks. If you'd like to share any others, please leave a comment below.
As new entrants in the market (or an old player with unoptimised website), small and local businesses need immediate clicks and customers. Achieving higher organic listings in search engines can take time, sometimes over six months.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can be an effective short term online marketing strategy for managers who are desperate for their websites to be found on search engines quickly. However, small businesses with micro or small budgets often find themselves competing with big rivals, who have more resources and budget to spend online. SMEs have to utilise their resources intelligently and often they do not as they try to cut corners and do things themselves without knowing the tricks of the trade.
Managing a micro PPC budget (typically less than £500 p.m.) is a tough job for marketing managers. However, by following some simple rules given below, they can use their PPC budgets wisely to get the most of the paid clicks.
1. First of all, use your website analytics data to find out some of the keywords people type in to reach your website. If you don’t have analytics code set up on your website, ask your web master to install it - it's a must.
2. Think like a customer. If you were a customer, what phrase would you use to find your services/products. When you've got a list, think again. Check with your colleagues, friends or family members to see you are along the right lines. We've seen that you get the best results if you involve some customers (prospective customers) in this “keywords research”.
3. Create your first keywords list. It is safer to select only those keywords which are relevant to your product or service. Often we see that customers come up with vague words around their business which are not specific to them at all. Don't push yourself to create a "fantastic long list of keywords".
Choosing keywords which have little or no relevancy to your business would only waste your budget. Select only a sensible number of keywords and spend more on phrases which are mostly clicked by users.
4. The next thing to do is to create a list of negative keywords in your campaign. You have a small budget to spend, you can't afford paying for clicks look relevant to your offers but actually they are not. Negative PPC words are those which you DON'T want your adverts to appear for when searching for your services. Often these include the words 'free', 'cheap' or places where you do not want to get clients e.g. Manchester if you are based in Dorset.
For example, while working on a PPC campaign for a client offering “fleet management services”, I found people searching for fleet management software. In that particular case, I added keywords like software, systems, computer etc in negative keywords list of the campaign. This trick saved approximately 35% budget of my client, that otherwise would have gone for wrong clicks.
We will be posting more PPC tips and tricks on here in the coming weeks. If you'd like to share any others, please leave a comment below.
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
The decline of traditional marketing Vs the growth of online marketing
I joined Adido after studying marketing at Southampton Solent University and throughout my three years there we not once taught about online marketing techniques. Given the growth in online spending in the last few years it now seems strange why we didn’t even cover some of the basics of online marketing.
Given the current financial climate, I’m glad I know about online marketing now but wonder why more companies don’t make more use of effective online marketing strategies which can help businesses outperform the competition and stay ahead of the game?
The growth of the internet within our homes, work and education has brought many very distinctive benefits to marketing. Online marketing lowers costs of distribution to a vast amount of people, and can bring you an immediate global audience if you want it (although most SMEs still need to have a local presence).
Traditional marketing is normally the most expensive way of advertising and in the current financial climate businesses are trying to cut back on costs. However I’ve learnt that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) are both online marketing methods which can be controlled in-house where the out-goings and results can easily be monitored.
I’m not the only one who thinks that traditional advertising is on its way out, Wikipedia also agrees that online marketing is cost effective;
“Internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. (Wikipedia, 2008)”
So can the traditional marketing methods be repaired and make a come back?
Well…I’m not too sure about this question, working alongside SEO and PPC professionals has made me realise that these methods are easier, more cost effective, save time, have a better response rate and can reach a vast audience with a click of a button. However, I’ve also learnt that most people need some help from an SEO/PPC professional to get the best results (like us!)!
I’m not saying that the traditional marketing methods do not work anymore as they do for specific products and brands, however for most SMEs I would definitely recommend using online marketing techniques first to get the most from smaller budgets.
Given the current financial climate, I’m glad I know about online marketing now but wonder why more companies don’t make more use of effective online marketing strategies which can help businesses outperform the competition and stay ahead of the game?
The growth of the internet within our homes, work and education has brought many very distinctive benefits to marketing. Online marketing lowers costs of distribution to a vast amount of people, and can bring you an immediate global audience if you want it (although most SMEs still need to have a local presence).
Traditional marketing is normally the most expensive way of advertising and in the current financial climate businesses are trying to cut back on costs. However I’ve learnt that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) are both online marketing methods which can be controlled in-house where the out-goings and results can easily be monitored.
I’m not the only one who thinks that traditional advertising is on its way out, Wikipedia also agrees that online marketing is cost effective;
“Internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. (Wikipedia, 2008)”
So can the traditional marketing methods be repaired and make a come back?
Well…I’m not too sure about this question, working alongside SEO and PPC professionals has made me realise that these methods are easier, more cost effective, save time, have a better response rate and can reach a vast audience with a click of a button. However, I’ve also learnt that most people need some help from an SEO/PPC professional to get the best results (like us!)!
I’m not saying that the traditional marketing methods do not work anymore as they do for specific products and brands, however for most SMEs I would definitely recommend using online marketing techniques first to get the most from smaller budgets.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
BEWARE - Google Adwords Phishing Emails
GOOGLE ADWORDS PHISHING SCAM - BE AWARE!
I have just been made aware of some dodgy 'phishing' emails which are sent out which look like they have come from Google Adwords. The email looks exactly the same as the normal Google Adwords emails, but the link goes to a very bad website which will try and take your Google Adwords login details.
Here is the email text;
-------------------------
Dear Google AdWords Customer,
We were unable to process your payment.
Your ads will be suspended soon unless we can process your payment.
To prevent your ads from being suspended, please update your payment information.
Please sign in
to your account at http://adwords.google.com/select/login,
and update your payment information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for advertising with Google AdWords. We look forward to
providing you with the most effective advertising available.
Sincerely,
The Google AdWords Team
-------------------------
If you receive this email and are taken to this website;
http://www.adwords.google.com.startopl.cn/select/Login/
Which looks the same as a normal Google Adwords login screen but it isn't. Whatever you do...
DO NOT ENTER YOUR ADWORDS ACCOUNT INFORMATION!
The website is set up to take your details and then exploit your account and credit card information. This practise is known as 'phishing' and unfortunately happens all the time with online banking and eBay accounts, but now it looks like they have gone after Google Adwords customers.
If you have any more information/details about this phishing scam or any others which are 'doing the rounds', please let us know.
I have just been made aware of some dodgy 'phishing' emails which are sent out which look like they have come from Google Adwords. The email looks exactly the same as the normal Google Adwords emails, but the link goes to a very bad website which will try and take your Google Adwords login details.
Here is the email text;
-------------------------
Dear Google AdWords Customer,
We were unable to process your payment.
Your ads will be suspended soon unless we can process your payment.
To prevent your ads from being suspended, please update your payment information.
Please sign in
to your account at http://adwords.google.com/select/login,
and update your payment information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for advertising with Google AdWords. We look forward to
providing you with the most effective advertising available.
Sincerely,
The Google AdWords Team
-------------------------
If you receive this email and are taken to this website;
http://www.adwords.google.com.startopl.cn/select/Login/
Which looks the same as a normal Google Adwords login screen but it isn't. Whatever you do...
DO NOT ENTER YOUR ADWORDS ACCOUNT INFORMATION!
The website is set up to take your details and then exploit your account and credit card information. This practise is known as 'phishing' and unfortunately happens all the time with online banking and eBay accounts, but now it looks like they have gone after Google Adwords customers.
If you have any more information/details about this phishing scam or any others which are 'doing the rounds', please let us know.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Yahoo for Ladies
Though Microsoft may find sufficient reasons not to raise it's bid to overtake internet pioneer, Yahoo is continuously expanding its content network.
Yahoo has rolled out a new content rich site, Shine targeting the female Internet community between ages 25 and 54. The new site is a combination of original content, female bloggers as well as content from popular female publications. Yahoo explains the Shine, in there About Shine page:
Yahoo is confident in it's latest move to compete with arch rival Google AdSense, as they believe women pay attention to ads.
Yahoo has rolled out a new content rich site, Shine targeting the female Internet community between ages 25 and 54. The new site is a combination of original content, female bloggers as well as content from popular female publications. Yahoo explains the Shine, in there About Shine page:
When we started talking about creating a new website for women, we wanted to avoid all of the common categories that advertisers or marketers tend to put us in. We didn’t want to be a site just for moms or just for single women or working women, or any specific demo- or psychographic. We wanted to create a smart, dynamic place for women to gather, get info and to connect with each other and the world around them.
Yahoo is confident in it's latest move to compete with arch rival Google AdSense, as they believe women pay attention to ads.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Three talks in a week!
So, the Easter holidays are over for another year and the four days off has certainly helped the batteries recharge a little. Which is very good for me as this week I'll be giving three talks to various businesses in Hampshire and Dorset, spreading my words of wisdom about web design and online marketing.
If anyone is interested in coming along, the three talks are as follows;
Wednesday 26th March - 7am - 10am - Understanding Google Analytics
This will be very much along the lines of the talk which I gave a few weeks ago in Poole, Dorset. I'll be examining how Google Analytics can be used to get better understanding of how your website is working and how best to capitalise on the information.
Book here - http://www.businesslinkhampshireiow.co.uk/events/
results.aspx?keywords=&EventSubjects=412
Thursday 27th March - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Benefits of social networking sites for businesses
Going on from the presentation I gave last year in Dorset, this talk will be looking further into social networks and getting to grips with how they can be used to benefits businesses looking to target more clients online.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/resources/events/dorset-events.aspx
Friday 28th March - 12pm - 2pm - Discover the power of PR and website marketing
I will be presenting with national PR and marketing agency Aylesworth Fleming to talk about how PR, both offline and online, can be used to increase exposure for businesses to help reach new markets.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/cms/site/news/
adido_and_aylesworth_fleming_pr_one_off_seminar_.aspx
I always like giving presentations. It helps me to clarify things in my own head sometimes and also allows me to put down how these technologies work in the simplest terms so that anyone can understand them. Standing on stage and talking for 45+ minutes isn't easy and the hardest part I find is actually knowing which level to pitch the talks at. Are the people in the crowd new to this? Have they been doing it for years?
My assumption is always that a certain percentage of people will come along because they may have heard about whatever subject it is, without knowing anything about it, so if I target the talk for them, then at least everyone should be able to understand. (e.g. What does SEO mean? PPC - how does that work?, What on earth are social networks? What's the future of the Internet? I want to know about web design basics etc)
Do I get it right all the time? Probably not, but I've got a lot better and more confident over the years and the feedback seems to be more positive.
I guess getting 'engagement' face-to-face is a lot easier than online!
If anyone is interested in coming along, the three talks are as follows;
Wednesday 26th March - 7am - 10am - Understanding Google Analytics
This will be very much along the lines of the talk which I gave a few weeks ago in Poole, Dorset. I'll be examining how Google Analytics can be used to get better understanding of how your website is working and how best to capitalise on the information.
Book here - http://www.businesslinkhampshireiow.co.uk/events/
results.aspx?keywords=&EventSubjects=412
Thursday 27th March - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Benefits of social networking sites for businesses
Going on from the presentation I gave last year in Dorset, this talk will be looking further into social networks and getting to grips with how they can be used to benefits businesses looking to target more clients online.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/resources/events/dorset-events.aspx
Friday 28th March - 12pm - 2pm - Discover the power of PR and website marketing
I will be presenting with national PR and marketing agency Aylesworth Fleming to talk about how PR, both offline and online, can be used to increase exposure for businesses to help reach new markets.
Book here -
http://www.adido-solutions.com/cms/site/news/
adido_and_aylesworth_fleming_pr_one_off_seminar_.aspx
I always like giving presentations. It helps me to clarify things in my own head sometimes and also allows me to put down how these technologies work in the simplest terms so that anyone can understand them. Standing on stage and talking for 45+ minutes isn't easy and the hardest part I find is actually knowing which level to pitch the talks at. Are the people in the crowd new to this? Have they been doing it for years?
My assumption is always that a certain percentage of people will come along because they may have heard about whatever subject it is, without knowing anything about it, so if I target the talk for them, then at least everyone should be able to understand. (e.g. What does SEO mean? PPC - how does that work?, What on earth are social networks? What's the future of the Internet? I want to know about web design basics etc)
Do I get it right all the time? Probably not, but I've got a lot better and more confident over the years and the feedback seems to be more positive.
I guess getting 'engagement' face-to-face is a lot easier than online!
Friday, 1 February 2008
Why (most) forums DON'T work
Whilst doing a bit of research a few days ago, I came across a website which had a 'Forum' link. This also reminded me of a talk I did at the Business South exhibition in 2007, when someone in the audience from Southampton Chamber asked me if I thought having a forum was a good idea or not. My answer then is the same as now. In 99% of cases, NO.
Now back in the day, forums where were it was at. Big banks of forums and threads with people 'chatting' around themes and ideas and sharing knowledge. Then along came social networking and sort of replaced the whole idea of chatting to people in virtual rooms by closing the conversion to people who we're in their 'network' or part of a bigger, approved network.
That's not to say that website forums are dead because they aren't. Some forums to this day still get hundreds of thousands of visitors a month. Some are still hugely important and have great influence (esp. in the web design and SEO arena). Infact, one forum post in China about the Nanfang Weekend managed to get nearly 250,000 views (if you can read Chinese you can read it here), while some forums still get over 500 people online at any one time. (bit of trivia for you pop pickers there...)
However, most forums fail. They just don't work. Why? I've tried to get to the bottom of the reasons, and I've come up with my (quick) top five list below;
Now back in the day, forums where were it was at. Big banks of forums and threads with people 'chatting' around themes and ideas and sharing knowledge. Then along came social networking and sort of replaced the whole idea of chatting to people in virtual rooms by closing the conversion to people who we're in their 'network' or part of a bigger, approved network.
That's not to say that website forums are dead because they aren't. Some forums to this day still get hundreds of thousands of visitors a month. Some are still hugely important and have great influence (esp. in the web design and SEO arena). Infact, one forum post in China about the Nanfang Weekend managed to get nearly 250,000 views (if you can read Chinese you can read it here), while some forums still get over 500 people online at any one time. (bit of trivia for you pop pickers there...)
However, most forums fail. They just don't work. Why? I've tried to get to the bottom of the reasons, and I've come up with my (quick) top five list below;
- Promotion
I often speak to companies who think that when they have their website designed that adding a forum will automatically get loads of people coming to their website. This isn't the case as the forum is just added on the side of the website instead of traffic being driven to it. How is anyone going to post on a forum unless they know about it? If the website isn't properly marketed or optimised, then no one will find that, let alone the forum. Still a very common assumption by 'non web people' - Audience
Many of the forums which I find myself emptyily trawling through, seeing unloved thread after unloved thread with no activity, are aimed at small businesses. Small businesses find themselves too busy to get the books done, let alone find the time (or even have the skills) to post in forums. Know your target market before you start one up! - Effort
It takes a lot of effort to post regularly in forums to make them interesting. Additionally, if it is your forum, you need to oversee it. Who's going to make sure those pesky 'medicine' automated posts are going to be deleted? If you're going to make your forum work, you need to look after it and this can take some time. - Focus
This comes back to point 2, really. When you go on some forums, you can be overwhelmned with the number of choices that you're faced with. Do I post in this section? What about this one? The fewer the choices, or the better they are chosen, the better the experience for your users. Make their choice easy, they're more likely to post and stay. If you've got lots of ideas and growth plans, add them once established, not before. - Bloggin'
Forums need input from a hardcore set of users. Blogs only need one person. Sure, forums are more of an open platform, but they need a few key posters in order generate regular discussion. As anyone (like me!) can set up a blog and start posting in minutes to drive content, then the chance of success is much greater.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Taking a look at Google tools - #1: Google Trends
This is going to be a regular feature on this blog. Google as we all know, is the
Where to begin? Ok, let's start with Google Trends. Why? Well, I can't think of anything else at the moment :) But also Google trends is very, very useful tool to help users identify how popular given search phrases and words are, as well as when they are popular.
Google trends allows users to compare up to five key phrases against each other to see which one is more popular. It does this by drawing nice looking graphs so you can see instantly which one is the best.
Let's have an example. Below shows an example of 'web design' vs 'online marketing'
What does the screen show? First, it shows the nice graph. What you can see is that 'web design' alot more popular than 'online marketing'. However, web design has been on the decline over the last few years, while online marketing is very gradually improving. Underneath the main graph si the graph which show the trends of news items. This is a rough figure of how many times the phrase entered has been used in Google News items. You'll see that the most important or 'relevant' (this is Google remember - relevancy!) news items are shown on the main Google trend graph along the time line and listed to the right of the graph, which can then be clicked on to to go the story.
Underneath the graph are the countries and towns which are have done the most searches on Google, for the phrases you entered. So, in this example, the Google users in Indonesia have made the most searches for web design. It is important to note, that Google 'normalizes' the search data from the towns and countries. What is normalization? It basically means that a calculation is made to reduce the amount of searches overall and shows which places have a higher propotion of searches. For example, London would nearly always have the most searches, as it has the most amount of people. But proportionally, for some phrases, other parts of the country might have comparatively more.
Why is Google trends important then? Well, prior to this tool, we had know way of knowing which phrases were more popular on Google. We had no idea of when the phrases we popular. We had no idea which places made the most searches. Google trends allows us to peak into the head of searchers across the world to help us better understand their habits. Using this information, we can now put together better and more efficient online marketing strategies and gain better results for our clients. And all this for free!
Even, if you are not bothered about search marketing, it's just fun to play with. Who's more popular? He-man or She-ra? Star Wars or Star Trek? Man Utd or Liverpool? Beatles or Rolling Stones? The list is endless.
Have fun!
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