Search Beyond Google, Part 2 of 2
In the second installment of this two-part series on how to effectively use search marketing through less-traveled options, we continue with more techniques provided by author Amber Frensley, a client strategist for search-engine marketing and optimization agency MoreVisibility, in her whitepaper, Marketing Strategies Beyond Traditional Search. Tips 1-4 can be found in the first part of this series in the 12/18 edition of Catalog Success: Tactics & Tips (formerly Catalog Success Idea Factory).
5. Display advertising. A tool used to enhance the user’s engagement, display advertising uses static and animated images (banners), as well as interactive media, including audio and video elements. Typically, online users exposed to both search and display campaigns purchase more of the advertiser’s products than users exposed to just one or the other.
A recent study by the Atlas Institute showed U.S. consumers were more likely to convert after viewing ads on multiple Web sites, indicating conversions should be attributed to a full set of impressions and/or clicks, rather than just the one preceding the conversion.
6. Broadband advertising. Many marketers find online video an effective outlet to run TV commercials on another media platform. For example, CNN.com requires users to watch an ad before viewing a news video. In order to see the video, the user must watch the 15- to 30-second ad in its entirety. The video ad is usually accompanied by an image ad beside or below it to ensure the delivery is effective.
7. Rich media. As engaging the customer becomes paramount in today’s marketing environment, the role of rich media and the Internet gain in relevance. Rich media is a unique method to advertise a product while ensuring the consumer is engaged enough to participate.
The Internet provides media options that engage consumers in ways TV, radio and print have never been able to. Often rich media involves exhibiting dynamic motion through the use of video, audio and animation. Rich media is not constrained solely to the Internet, as it can be used in all digital platforms such as mobile phones, iPods, portable media players, etc.
8. E-mail marketing. This channel is preferred by many marketers because it allows you to choose the specific industry, audience, demographic and any other specifics that define your target audience. E-mail marketing also helps eliminate the possibility of the searcher getting lost navigating a Web site because it provides a single, consistent message, limits the paths a visitor can take and eliminates the confusion of multiple points of divergence that Web sites offer.
In addition, e-mail marketing revolves around issuing a specific call to action. Marketers must clearly define what action they want the audience to take as a result of their messages. The creative should be concise, attractive and relevant to the audience the marketer is trying to reach.
Marketing involves a great deal of research and testing. It’s necessary to learn who your targets are, what their online activities are, the sites they participate in, what they look for while gathering information, whether they engage in interactive ads, etc. With this information, marketers can test which advertisements and channels engage their target audiences the most. Track your progress with analytics to ultimately achieve the optimal results.
