Facebook embedded posts

Facebook has now launched embeddable posts, a feature that, much like Youtube's embed function, allows users to embed content onto their own website via copying over code.

Digital marketing for n00bs

Digital. That word scares most marketers that are still clinging on to the traditional means of marketing. However if you don't adapt to the ever changing lifestyles of your target market, then quite frankly you will sink to the bottom of your market pool. Here is an interesting and easy to read infographic detailing the basic understanding in the world of digital marketing.

-Enna

What is Native Advertising

There is a shift emerging within the digital landscape to move towards, what is commonly referred to as native advertising. The long-lasting, favoured banner ad placements are starting to lose their charm with advertisers looking to communicate their messaging in the least disruptive, content integrated way possible.

But what is native advertising?

There lies the problem; it's difficult to find two people who share the same definition.

Putting that aside, an over-arching way to explain native advertising is when an advertiser attempts to engage the viewer by offering valuable content that is related to the user experience. It's highly comparable to an advetorial.

With native advertising spend estimated to grow by more than 12% in 2013 and statistics stating that 52% of users look at native advertising more frequently than standard banners, it really is a method of delivering content that deserves to be recognised and considered.

If you still are a little confused by what native advertising entails, check out this infographic from Mashable.

-Luke

What you need to know when starting in online advertising

If you are new to online advertising, here is a useful glossary of terms:

Ad Network

Multiple sites that can be advertised across by booking through the ad network. E.g. The Rock, The Edge, George FM all have sites that can be booked through the Mediaworks ad network.

Banner

A general term used to refer to standard online advertising, can also refer to a specific placement which usually sits at the top of a website and is rectangular shaped e.g. 728x90; 760x120. 

CMS à Content Management System

This is the system that you use to operate a site ‘behind the scenes’. These systems are set up to be easy to use so that sites can be self-managed.  

CPC à Cost Per Click

This is a common method for paying for online advertising. In this instance, a price is set for each time a user clicks on your advert.

CPM à Cost Per Thousand

This is a common method for paying for online advertising. In this instance, a price is set for when your advert is viewed 1,000 times.

Creative

The name you use when referring to advertising artwork. E.g. an MRec is creative, a TVC is creative.

CRM à Customer Relationship Management

How a company manages existing and future interactions with their customers.

CTA à Call To Action

The aspect of an advert which acts to drive a response from the user/viewer/listener etc.                             E.g. ‘Click here’; ‘Enter now’; ‘Order now’ etc.

CTR à Click Through Rate

The number of clicks an online ad placement achieves divided by the number of times it has been viewed. A CTR of 0.03% across desktop and 0.09% across mobile is the industry standard.

DM à Direct Mail

Sending a message directly to a customer/fan/follower etc.

Engagement

The number of times your advertisement, post, tweet etc. is liked, shared, commented on etc. 

FB à Facebook

Currently the most widely used social medium.

Flash

The most common format for online adverting. Also referred to as a .swf file.  

Frame(s)

The various parts of a file, can be flash, gif etc.

Frequency Cap

Putting a limit to how many times an online ad will be viewed by a unique browser.

GA à Google Adwords

Google’s main advertising product – the ads that you use within Google Display Network: an ad network that allows for advertising across thousands of sites.

GA à Google Analytics

Google’s widely used platform for running reports, gaining insights and monitoring your site.  

Gif

A series of images grouped together to display a message. As Gifs are widely supported across basically any device, they are commonly used as backup files for flash advertising.

Gutters

A possible element of a homepage takeover, large banners that run down both sides of a web page.

HPTO à Homepage Takeover

An advertising placement where you purchase the homepage of a site or the homepage of a section of a site. E.g. www.stuff.co.nz or www.stuff.co.nz/sport

Impressions

The number of times your advertising has been viewed.

Looping

Refers to an online advertisement that continues playing through its frames.

MREC à Medium Rectangle

A very common online advertising placement, also referred to as 300x250, island etc.

Non Looping

Refers to an online advertisement that stops playing and ends on its last frame.

Pixels

How online advertising placements are measured. E.g. 160x600 pixels, 300x250 pixels, 728x90 pixels

PV à Page Views

The number of times a page of a website is viewed across a determined period.

RON à Run of Network

Running an advertisement across the sites that make up an ad network.

ROS à Run of Site

Running an advertisement across a sites sections/pages.

Skin/Wallpaper

Usually an element of a homepage takeover, the background of the site.  

Skyscraper

A common online advertising placement, a vertical rectangle measuring 160x600. 

Unique Browser/Visitor

The way of counting the number of unduplicated people that have viewed your advertising.  

To end with, here is a useful chart of common online advertising placements and the name they most commonly are referred to as:

- Luke

Humanising your brand.

This has been a much debated and researched topic. When does a corporate decide to take the next level at engaging in a human manner with their audiences? Before social media, people had to voice their inquiries/complaints either by phone, mail, email or through a company website. What you would be getting back was a generic, corporate response that showed no unique human emotion that related to the brand. Uniformity is good, I believe. Every inquiry gets a response and is shown the same level of acknowledgement without discrimination. That is the supposed theory behind school uniforms, where each student is treated equally and not judged by physical appearances. 

As a consumer, how do you prefer a brand/company to respond back to your feedback? I personally prefer a customised and emotive response- but I understand that they go through thousands of emails a day. That's where social media comes in to play. This innovative movement has changed the way how brands communicate and market their products/services. It is one of the best tools for obtaining insights and listening to consumers feedback directly.

There appears to be 3 types of moderating styles I have noticed from brand pages.

1. The Corporate

These pages are not so much different from a standard response you may get from filling in a contact form on the company website. They reply back with "copy and paste" or templated responses and lack any emotive responses.


2. The Neglect-or

These brands don't bother to reply to the majority of their queries or engage with fans. This is quite common with International corporate giants such as McDonalds (who disabled their wall) and Dr Pepper.


3. One of the bros

These pages have successfully engaged with their fans, and make sure it is a priority to respond to the majority of comments on a human level. You may find this more commonly in smaller businesses who have time to actively engage with their audience.

Humans crave communication amongst other human beings. They don't want to communicate with corporate entity who doesn't share the same idiom/slang/conversational language as the common person. Some people out their have too much time on their hands and all they want to do is to talk to someone. If you actively engage with your fans, chances are they will regularly engage with your brand and talk to your brand as if they were a living entity. Twitter is a very good example of where Tweeters converse with brands on a human level.

So what is my opinion on humanising brands? I say yes- social media platforms enable us to do so, so why not jump at the opportunity to do it?

- Enna

A Facebook fan is worth $174, research says

Research has found that each fan of a Facebook page is worth $174USD, as posted on Mashable. The research also reveals that this is an increase of 28% from 2010. The full study can be downloaded here.

- Luke

A picture says a thousand words

That's right, but on Facebook it's more like a picture that says one word.

There really isn't that much to write about, as these pictures are self explanatory ;-)

-Enna