Man Cannot Live By PPC Alone. Can He?
**
**
by Debra Northart
**
Much has been written
<https://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=112833&passFuseAction=PublicationsSearch.showSearchReslts&art_searched=search%20and%20display&page_number=0>
lately about the value of combining text ads with display/image
advertising online in order to boost visibility and brand awareness.
This trend is not necessarily a new one: Yahoo/comScore issued a study
in 2006
<http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AmvKTDaopziNxyTzBceoBhBG2vAI?p=%22Close+the+Loop%3A+Understanding+Search+and+Display+Synergy.%22+&fr=my-myy&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8>
showing an increase in �online and offline purchasing by consumers
who are exposed to integrated campaigns� that combined search and
display. It struck me that using only search ads or display ads or
even a combination of the two needn�t be the only method by which
small businesses tap into their potential customer pool. I would
suggest that there are a variety of other products that can also help
connect a customer with a business that meets his/her need. Among
those: �call tracking phone numbers, video ads, and splash or jump
pages.
Let�s take a look at how some of those options can assist local
businesses in promoting themselves.
Give em a picture!
Back in the day, display or banner ads were the basic format for
online advertising. Standard 468�60 banners were found on publisher
sites and were the launching pad for businesses seeking online
visibility. As time passed, other display units � buttons, pop-ups,
rectangles, and skyscrapers � appeared and were standardized by the
IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). Banner ads were the most common
online ad format until peaking around 2000-01, when the dotcom crash
led to a re-evaluation of the most effective online ad format. The
result was paid placement in the form of Yahoo, Google, MSN, and all
the other providers who were gobbled up by the big players in the
space.
Due to the emergence of search, display or banner ads lost cach� and
before long did not get the attention once afforded. However, recent
recognition of display ads in conjunction with search ads has lent
display a new credibility. There are many display networks
(ValueClick, Burst, Adify, etc.) that can fulfill the need for online
advertising, and Google has made a new commitment
<http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?answer=7678&cbid=7o4famtw6k3l&src=cb&lev=answer>
to combining search and display via AdWords.
How did they get my number?
While it has been suggested that using call tracking numbers (CTN)
can be problematic for local search
<../../be-wary-of-call-tracking-numbers-in-local-search-26895>
, I would contend that when used wisely, call tracking numbers can
provide a very useful means for measuring the effectiveness of ads. If
used with a call recording feature or a whisper element prior to
answering, businesses can gain insights on how well their ad campaigns
are performing. Callbright, Ifbyphone, eStara, and Marchex VoiceStar
among others provide various services depending on merchant needs.
If, for example, one call number is used for a campaign in
conjunction with a splash page, the merchant will know that any call
reported from that CTN is a result of the ad campaign with which the
number is associated. Regarding concerns over using multiple call
tracking numbers (see SEL article �Be Wary Of Call Tracking Numbers In
Local Search� linked above), a merchant could be advised to use the
same CTN in each medium: one for search, one for print, one for
display.� That way the number can help evaluate success of each ad
medium.
On special this week
A great way to focus user attention on products you want to emphasize
or promote is by using a splash or landing page in your campaign.
Sometimes called a jump page, this one-page site allows users to see
just the information for a product on which the advertiser wants to
focus sales. If Best Buy is offering a discount on plasma televisions
for the month of October, a jump page can be the destination showing
the info on the special offer with ad copy created for the campaign
that mirrors the special offer on the page. This provides a specific
connection between the ad copy and the jump page that draws users to
the product discounted. The direct correlation between ad and page can
reveal efficacy of campaign features. Going forward, as other products
are spotlighted the same process may be employed.
Almost like being on TV!
Online video is one of the newer ad formats available to advertisers.
Advertisers have used video on television for decades, and now video
format can be viewed online. If a small business already has a local
commercial running on television, the video from that television
commercial can be linked to the online campaign for a dynamic means to
convey the ad message. If an advertiser website has no video, �Windows
Moviemaker and Jivox are just two sources available for creating video
for online ad campaigns. �If your ad campaigns are outsourced, have
your provider create a video for you!
Online marketing provides a myriad of ad types and formats, all of
which can boost exposure for a business. For the small business that
is not ready to jump into the effort using all of these suggested
methods, adding one at a time and measuring the impact of the new ad
type can provide important insight regarding how to allocate ad
budget. Some of these may be more useful than others; it depends on
the type of business. The point here is that small businesses should
not limit their exposure by using just one sort of online ad format.
Multiple points of interaction increases exposure to potential
customers, which is what all advertising is about!
Opinions expressed in the article are those of the author, and not
necessarily Search Engine Land.
Debra Northart <http://searchengineland.com/author/debra-northart/>
is a founding employee and Director of Media Operations for
WebVisible <http://www.webvisible.com>
. Dr. Northart�s experience spans nearly a decade of key management
and implementation for large scale local online marketing initiatives.
<font size="-1">
Upcoming Search Marketing Expo events you won't want to miss:<ul><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingexpo.com/west/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=text&utm_content=footertext&utm_campaign=SMX%2BWest%2B2010">SMX
West - Santa Clara, CA</a> - March 2-4, 2010</li><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingexpo.com/advanced/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=text&utm_content=footertext&utm_campaign=SMX%2BAdvanced%2B2010">SMX
Advanced - Seattle, WA</a> - June 8-9, 2010</li><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingexpo.com/munich?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=text&utm_content=footertext&utm_campaign=SMX%2BMunich%2B2010">SMX
Munich</a> - March 23-25, 2010</li><li><a
href="http://www.searchmarketingexpo.com.au/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=text&utm_content=footertext&utm_campaign=SMX%2BSydney%2B2010">SMX
Sydney</a> - April 22-23, 2010</li></ul>Attend a <a
href="http://searchmarketingnow.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=SMN%2Bgeneral">Search
Marketing Now</a> Webcast - it's free! Upcoming webcasts:<ul><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingnow.com/webcasts/wc091028">Managing Search
Marketing Success at the C-level: What Your CMO Should Know</a> - October
28, 2009</li><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingnow.com/webcasts/wc091103">Ask iProspect: PPC
Strategy & Tactics from the Experts</a> - November 3, 2009</li><li><a
href="http://searchmarketingnow.com/webcasts/wc091112">PPC Advertising &
Geo-Targeting</a> - November 12, 2009</li></ul>Interested in advertising or
sponsoring Search Marketing Expo or Search Marketing Now webcasts? <a
href="http://thirddoormedia.com/contact/sales.shtml?utm_source=searchcap&utm_medium=email&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=General%2BSales">Contact
us</a>.
<div><a href="http://www.superbhosting.net/"><img
src="http://www.searchmarketingnow.com/_images/superb.gif"
border="0"></a></div>
You are receiving this email because you subscribed to a Search Engine
Land, Search Marketing Now or Search Marketing Expo newsletter. To update
your subscriptions or unsubscribe, use your newsletter preferences page at
http://third.thirddoormedia.com/lists/?p=preferences&id=2&uid=f9779113b77d03598707df46ae032f9b.
Or send your written request to: 279 Newtown Tpke., Redding, CT
06896</font>
--
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com --
0 comments:
Post a Comment