SES Magazine September 2010

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Groupon is changing e-commerce and is now a profitable lead-generation tool for local businesses. 8

PLUS Integrating stories into social media 4 Ads as entertainment 19 The 5 biggest analytics mistakes 22 Behavioral targeting & A/B testing 26

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September 2010

Top 10 new online advertising client questions

19

Ads as entertainment

20

Small businesses: Searching for marketing ROI

22

Analytics: The 5 biggest mistakes marketers make & how to avoid them

24

4 unexpected benefits of user-generated content

26

Behavioral targeting & A/B testing

28

USING search to get more out of a print ad

30

What can e-mail marketers learn from LeBron’s decision fiasco?

Groupon: Why the business model just works — for some Like every industry, couponing has had to adapt to changes in technology and media to reach consumers with relevance. What started as simple promotion codes for e-retailing has morphed into a popular breed of e-couponing that is changing the sales promotion game. §

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From social to video and local to mobile, the new online marketing frontier is here. Discover how to connect the dots at next month’s Search Engine Strategies conference. Learn about the speakers, sessions, workshops, and exhibitors that make SES Chicago a must-attend event. §

Terms and acronyms every online marketer should know. §

columns

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How to integrate stories into your social media marketing

6

Social media is not free: Here’s why

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Like JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, marketers need to create powerful stories that your audience wants to hear, engage with, and share. §

Social media programs can be incredibly powerful, and frank conversations with customers can lead to beneficial change. Just be sure you’re accounting for the time and money associated with these programs. §

Mobile local search and the new click fraud An update on location-based mobile products like Foursquare. Plus, check-in fraud could be the click fraud of the offline world — how is it being tackled?. §

When we deal with first-time advertisers, their questions about online campaigns are uncannily similar. This list should help advertisers and agencies alike. §

Three options that have produced some of the more memorable recent online video and ad campaigns. §

While perceived complexity has kept many local merchants out of the paid search game, small businesses are becoming adept at generating a wealth of searchable content like blogs, video, and customer reviews. §

Analytics can provide fantastic insights that can help marketers make better informed decisions that can greatly affect performance — but it’s hardly a “set it and forget it” application. §

Reviews and customer-generated Q&A let shoppers get answers to common product questions by letting the real voice of the customer come through. §

A/B testing can be a precursor to behavioral targeting — providing a foundation of knowledge to help build personas — and can be leveraged to test content for companies already running a behavioral program. §

Search phrases are the foundation of today’s marketing programs, allowing customers to move through print ads or filter in to continue the conversation about a product or company. §

LeBron James’ marketing and business team gets points for trying, although “The Decision” looks like an air ball in hindsight. Avoid similar mistakes in your e-mail campaigns. §

A

Staff Matt McGowan Publisher & Head of U.S.

Mike Grehan VP, Global Content

Magazine Managing Editor Drew Eastmead Contributors Michael Boland, Heidi Cohen, Sam Decker, Dave Evans, Andrea Fishman, Simms Jenkins, Brooke Nanberg, Lesley Ross, Ben Smith, Gregg Stewart, Hollis Thomases, Tessa Wegert

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

about SES Magazine SES Magazine, now in its fourth year, is brought to you by ClickZ, the leading online destination for news and expert advice in digital marketing. In this issue, you’ll find articles on the latest online trends, as well as a preview of our upcoming event, SES San Francisco at ClickZ’s Connected Marketing Week (Aug. 16-20).

We are grateful to our contributors and readers alike, and we’re always interested to hear your feedback and learn about what topics you’d like to see (e-mail us at magazine@SearchEngineStrategies.com).

For more information on advertising, subscribing, and contributing, or to view past issues, visit www.SearchEngineStrategies.com/ses-magazine.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @sesmag.

VP, Content Development Stewart Quealy Senior Program Director Marilyn Crafts Conference Program Manager Jackie Ortez

Want to learn more?

Drew Eastmead | Managing Editor

OPERATIONS

Get the latest information on sessions, speakers, exhibitors and more at:

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Director, Operations Michele McDermott Operations Manager Dan Hoskins Operations Manager Tamsin Parkin

Clickz & SEarch engine watch Executive Editor, ClickZ Director, SEW Managing Editor, News Senior Editor, News Staff Writer Staff Writer Copy Editor Asia Desk Editor

Anna Maria Virzi Jonathan Allen Zach Rodgers Kate Kaye Christopher Heine Jack Marshall Caitlin Rossman Adaline Lau

SALES & MARKETING Sales Directors Andrew Katz Elaine Mershon Elaine Romeo Peter Westerholm Account Executives Elizabeth Huston Katie O’Hea Director, Client Services JoAnn Simonelli Marketing Director Angela Man Marketing Manager Christian Georgeou Web Designer Rebecca Holz Online Operations Manager Louise Laberge Online Operations Assoc. Aleksey Gershin

CORPORATE Chief Executive Tim Weller Group Managing Director James Hanbury

SES: Volume 4, Issue 8 | September 2010 © 2010 Incisive Media plc

To advertise, subscribe, contribute, or view past issues: www.SearchEngineStrategies.com/ses-magazine

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SES Advisory Board

Comprised of both industry thought leaders and real-world practitioners, the Search Engine Strategies advisory board brings together top players in the field of interactive media and search. The team works to deliver continually cutting-edge search techniques, more integrated and relevant content, and professional development resources to SES attendees.

Matthew Bailey President SiteLogic

Jeff Ferguson Sr. Director, Online Marketing Local.com

Jon Myers Head of Search/Assoc. Director Mediavest

Thomas Bindl Founder & CEO Refined Labs GmbH

Andrew Goodman President Page Zero Media

Lee Odden CEO TopRank Online Marketing

Mikel Chertudi VP, Demand & Online Marketing Omniture

Mike Grehan, Co-Chair VP & Global Content Director Incisive Media

Pauline Ores Sr. Marketing Mgr, Social Media IBM Corporation

Eddie Choi Managing Director Frontiers Digital

Bill Hunt President Back Azimuth Consulting

Stewart Quealy, Co-Chair VP, Content Development Incisive Media

Brett Crosby Group PPM Google

Anne Kennedy Managing Partner Beyond Ink

Erica Schmidt Global Search Director Isobar

Bryan Eisenberg Bestselling author bryaneisenberg.com

John Marshall CTO Beyond Ink

Crispin Sheridan Sr. Director of Search Marketing Strategy, SAP Marketing

Advertiser Index For information about advertising in future issues, please contact sales at sales@SearchEngineStrategies.com or (212) 457-4993.

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7Search.com.................................................. 27 Acquisio.......................................................... 14 Brafton CustomNews...................................... 21 ClickZ.com iReviews....................................... 25 iContact.......................................................... C2 iProspect........................................................ C4 LinkWorth......................................................... 7

Marketwire, Inc............................................... 11 NVI................................................................. 23 topseos.com................................................... 13 University of San Francisco Online ................. 29 VeriSign.......................................................... C3 Wiley Publishing............................................... 3 Wpromote Inc................................................... 5

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How to integrate stories into your social media marketing By Heidi Cohen

J

etBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s high-profile exit via the plane’s inflatable rear exit chute garnered lots of coverage across a wide range of online and offline media platforms. Despite his expensive and illegal departure that delayed waiting passengers, lots of people identified with Slater’s “I-can’t-take-this-job-anymore” approach.

While the public connected with Slater’s story, his actions showed a general lack of concern for passengers. As a result, this incident hasn’t tarnished JetBlue’s brand.

Slater’s story has lessons for social media marketers. It was a trending topic on Twitter and, since quitting his job, he’s amassed over 200,000 fans on Facebook — a number many businesses will never attain. In part, Slater’s social media fame can be ascribed to his story’s urban myth quality. As the story gets embellished, Slater’s reach continues to grow because it’s compelling content people want to share. Like Slater, marketers need to create powerful stories that your audience wants to hear, engage with, and share.

to empathize with the characters.

5. Are sharable with other people. This can occur in an old-fashioned way where one person tells another person, or it can happen more quickly via social media forums.

5 ways to integrate stories into your social media marketing

It’s important to integrate stories into your content marketing on social media sites, since that’s where dialog, interaction, and sharing occur. Here are five ways to use stories on social media platforms: 1. Determine trending topics to write about. To increase the audience for your content, leverage interest around hot subjects with new, creative insights. Remember that your story has to be consistent with your brand. Assess trending topics on Twitter and other social media sites.

2. Source stories from customers and the public. Let others tell stories related to your product and brand. Bear in mind that some of these tales may not be ones that you want highlighted. Therefore, consider how you will deal with them before they’re 5 story-related attributes for posted. Sometimes third-party sites are good content marketing for this, since they allow some distance from To make your content talk-worthy on your offering. social media platforms, develop strong 3. Incorporate a human-interest stories that are in line with your brand, element into your content. Since people are including factors like its voice, language, attracted to other people, use various social and image. Here are five story attributes to media formats to portray people, particularly incorporate into your content: photos like Flickr, video like YouTube, and 1. Add emotion. Just telling people the audio like podcasts. Think about how these basic facts about your offering doesn’t give sensory attributes relate to your brand. them a reason to care. How can you make 4. Provide stories that allow for interacyour product’s story tions and additions. resonate with your Leverage interest around Social media sites are target market? the perfect platform to hot subjects with new, 2. Identify with the enable sharing in this creative insights. protagonist. Stories manner. It’s important must motivate the to consider the context audience to connect with the main charac- of the stories you present. For example, on ter in some way, preferably a positive one. Is Twitter you’re limited to 140 characters. there an element of surprise?

This means that your story either has to be 3. Are memorable. Stories tend to have stripped down to its essence or presented as basic plots with a beginning, middle, and a series of tweets, each containing a hook to end, making it easy for listeners to remem- keep the audience wanting more. ber. The ones that people remember most 5. Enables easy sharing quickly and contain elements of fairy tales and fables broadly. One of the major attributes of social that they’ve heard before. media entities is that users are connected to a 4. Can be adapted easily. Stories can be large number of their friends and colleagues. changed and embellished by the teller to suit As a result, a strong story can be dissemihis or her purposes. This makes stories more nated very quickly to a broad cross-section dramatic and increases the audience’s ability of people.

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

Want to learn more?

SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature numerous sessions on best practices in social media, including “Social Media 101” and “Search, PR, & the Social Butterfly.”

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5 story-related metrics to determine content effectiveness

To assess the impact of incorporating stories into your social media marketing strategy, here are five metrics to monitor: 1. People. Tracked by the number of people who read your content and the amount of time they spend on your site. How do influencers feel about your stories? Do they share them? In terms of earned media, how has your reach been extended through the use of stories?

2. Stories. How many stories have you used? Which types of stories are most effective — ones about your firm or ones that you’ve sourced from your customers?

Which stories get the most number of shares and/or comments? What is the sentiment of these feelings? Do they translate to sales?

3. Brand perception. How has sentiment toward your brand changed since you started using stories? How does this relate to intent to purchase? If the stories aren’t resonating with your target market, why not? How can you modify or change your story?

4. Actions. This includes steps that prospects and customers take in the purchase process. Are these stories aiding purchase?

If not, why?

5. Profitability. What product sales can be traced to your product stories? What are the costs related to your product stories?

While your product’s story may not catch on the way that Steven Slater’s did, stories help prospects and customers relate to your offering. They provide the basis for brand affiliation and make people want to use and interact with your product. § Heidi Cohen is president of Riverside Marketing Strategies, an interactive marketing consultancy.

She has over 20 years’ experience helping clients increase profitability by developing innovative marketing programs to acquire and retain customers based on solid analytics. Since 2002, Heidi has been a member of the faculty of NYU’s master of science in integrated marketing program. @heidicohen

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§ FOCUS: social

T

Social media is not free: Here’s why witter is free. Facebook is free. or organization, as a result of employees Foursquare is free. TweetDeck or staff listening, analyzing, participating, is (still) free. Google Alerts is collaborating, and in general doing exactly free. So, social media is free, what they should be doing to ensure a right? Wrong. Beyond even the successful social media implementation.

More so than many other marketing obvious costs — designing and building a Foursquare application, or stepping up to a activities — which benefit from years of fee-based listening platform like Alterian, standards, best practices, and relatively clear Collective Intellect, Cymfony, BuzzMetrics, separations between work and personal use, or Lithium’s Scout Labs, social media is far social media and its use in business is still a newcomer. Adding to this, there is essenfrom free.

Social media-based marketing costs real tially no separation between “personal” and money. While it may not be millions of “work,” since by definition social media dollars for 30 seconds of air time, making revolves around connected profiles (aka “people”) rather than sense of the social a specific location web and really getting Account for the time or context (work vs. it right takes planrequired to listen, post, play). As a result, the ning, creative insight, product management, respond, and manage a level of maturity in processes and tools and other internal social media program. and understanding resources, all of which is only beginning to have costs associated with them that you may not see at the outset. ramp up to where it needs to be, outside of One of the mistakes often made when the handful of technology firms, brands, and contemplating the addition of social media industry thought leaders that have put in the to an existing marketing program is fail- time to really understand social media and ing to account for the significant amounts its use in business.

I was asked to write the closing chapter of of time that are required by a social media Mitch Meyerson’s “Success Secrets of Social program.

For example, if your CEO begins blogging Media Marketing Superstars.” I looked at on a regular basis, what’s the cost of that what makes people like Mari Smith, Gary person’s time? If your marketing commu- Vaynerchuk, Brian Clark, Ann Handley, nications team finds itself staring at 10,000 and Keith Ferrazzi successful, and boiled unfiltered listening results, whose profit and it down to a handful of best practices that loss gets hit for the hours associated with would serve well any organization considersorting them out? Finally, if Facebook and ing a social media program. Here are some Twitter are available to employees during of the highlights. Unlike larger firms that work (and for the record, I think they should can often spread the work required for a be), where does this time get accounted for? successful media program across a team, in a To be sure, social media-based marketing small business that team is often one person. and product development programs can be And, that person already has a full-time job. incredibly beneficial. Insights gained often Managing time, and getting work done, is a lead to real innovation, and frank conversa- task in itself; a task that is complicated by tions with customers can be eye openers that the onrush of social media.

For starters, plan for — and by so doing, lead to beneficial change. Taking the time to track applicable KPIs (key performance indi- account for — the time required to listen, cators) or, where appropriate, to assess ROI post, respond, and manage a social media (for example, through call center expenses program. Creating a Twitter presence, for avoided as a result of a support forum imple- example, is easy: participating, responding, mentation) are important in their own right. and building that presence into a brand asset But getting back to the core thought here, all is the real work. Don’t shy away from social of this again adds up to the reality that social media out of fear of being swamped: Instead, plan for it, and set daily limits that balance media is not free.

What are the real costs of social media? social media marketing activities with other Start with the opportunity cost to the business duties.

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

By Dave Evans

Likewise, take care not to “socialize” personally while on the job. Many organization’s Facebook business pages are associated with an administrator’s personal Facebook page.

Why is this a potential problem? Because to do the work you need to do, you have to navigate dangerously close to your own personal activities. Take care not to mix the two: The easiest way to blow your workrelated time budget is to get wrapped into a conversation about last weekend’s offwork party. Facebook may not fully separate personal and business activities, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.

Finally, spread the work. Even if you’re a one-person media and communications department, you still have a team around you, and that team plays a role in the conversations you discover by listening.

Got a complaint or accolade due to a customer service interaction? Show the customer service manager how Twitter works, and put the responsibility of creating a genuine, thoughtful response where it belongs.

Build a cross-functional team, even if it’s only a handful of other people. Your customers will love hearing directly from other managers, engineers, and company founders. Invest in listening tools that support automated work flow so that conversations are routed to the people most able to effectively respond.

Finally, if you undertake a social media program, make your participation a regular part of your day. If you prioritize it behind “everything else,” you’ll never get to it. Not only will that create a mountain of work that you’ll all the more avoid, you’ll also miss out on the best part of incorporating social media-based marketing practices into your business: social media builds businesses. Be a part of it. § Dave is consulting director with 2020Social, based in New Delhi, India, and the author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, a practical, hands-on guide to implementing and measuring social media as part of an integrated marketing program. Working alongside his clients, Dave develops an effective, measured approach to using social media and achieving organizational and business goals. @evansdave

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Groupon:

Why the business model just works — for some

By Gregg Stewart

T

he concept of couponing is nothing new. Coca-Cola created the idea in 1887 as a way to offer soda samples to potential customers. Nearly 123 years later, couponing has become a billiondollar industry, thanks in large part to e-coupons that are outpacing print coupons 10-1. In 2009, digital coupons alone saved consumers more than $858 million, a 170 percent increase over the year prior, according to coupons.com. And from July 2009 to July 2010, more than 46.4 million American consumers used online coupons, resulting in more than $1 billion in savings — a year-over-year growth of 100 percent.

Like every industry, couponing has had to adapt to changes in technology and media to reach consumers with relevance. What started as simple promotion codes for e-retailing has morphed into a popular breed of e-couponing that is changing the sales promotion game. That’s because the couponing business model has been refreshed to keep pace with today’s consumers.

Chicago-based Groupon — one of many recent start-ups to test the new style of couponing — is thriving beyond anyone’s initial predictions (I came across one report that called the service “digital coupons on steroids”). By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that Groupon was valued at $1 billion earlier this year, making it the frontrunner in the e-couponing industry and a part of an elite group of Web 2.0 startups that have reached the milestone. As the

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

market leader, Groupon, which could reach 150 markets worldwide by 2011, has quickly gone mainstream to generate hefty consumer savings (more than $336 million since its November 2008 launch) through the sale of approximately 7.7 million units (e.g., groupons).

In short, Groupon borrows its business model from The Point, which is the company behind the e-couponing service. Through collective action, Groupon works as an assurance contract: If a certain number of people sign up for the daily deal in each local market, then the deal becomes available to all; if the predetermined minimum is not met, no one gets the deal that day. For businesses, it’s free to advertise on Groupon; the service simply takes a cut from each sale.

Groupon is cross-platform

Why has Groupon been able to impact sales generation for so many local businesses, while remaining profitable itself? Unlike print coupons that are one-dimensional, digital coupons have the potential to go cross-platform, combining different marketing facets: Online: Register online.

Local: Upon registration, indicate your local market to receive offers. In this way, Groupon can geographically segment and target subscribers, based on radius.

E-mail: Receive a daily Groupon e-mail.

Online (again): After clicking the e-mail’s

COVER STORY / FOCUS: local §

call-to-action, redirect to a promotional landing page to purchase. Rather than receive daily e-mails, visit a custom URL (e.g., Groupon.com/milwaukee) for your market.

Mobile: In lieu of e-mails, download the GPS-enabled app to browse and redeem local deals (no printer required).

Social: The landing page showcases user reviews about the featured business, facilitating online conversations among shoppers.

Offline: Groupon, like many social commerce services, drives offline response, as customers must visit the businesses to redeem the deals.

Groupon is lead generation

What makes Groupon so appealing is its lead-generation potential. Not only does your business gain local brand exposure among thousands, you’re also advertising to an audience that may not know of you or may not shop with you under normal circumstances. With a discount, they are more apt to try something “new,” which equates to new foot traffic. Remember, to get the daily deal, a minimum number must take action, guaranteeing you paying customers, who, according to Groupon, spend 60 percent above the value of the digital coupons.

rate), versus traditional, “invasive” marketing.

Groupon’s key age demographic consists of cross-platform adopters; 95 percent who follow brands on Facebook or Twitter also subscribe to commercial e-mail, and 70 percent follow brands on both Facebook and Twitter, according to Ibid.

The aforementioned statistic indicates habitual users of social media.

According to Royal Pingdom, 18-to-34year-olds comprise the largest segment of users across the 19 social networking sites studied. Factor that into Groupon’s concept of relying on users to share offers via Facebook, Twitter, and other sites, either by clicking the social-share icons embedded in the daily landing pages or by engaging in independent word-of-mouth advertising. The importance behind this is twofold: 1) No one gets the daily deal if enough customers don’t register (it benefits users to spread the word), and 2) users are rewarded with Groupon credits for recommending others (the viral buzz attracts new customers).

Is Groupon risky?

While Groupon seems like a sure-fire bet for local businesses, one common question I get asked is, “Does it generate brand loyalty, or are users likely to shop around to secure deep discounts?”

Groupon is a discount service, so compaGroupon is audience savvy nies have a legitimate concern about its abilAudience awareness is critical to Grou- ity to cheapen brands. But bear in mind that pon’s success: Groupon, at its core, is meant for local businesses with limited exposure; it’s not really Fifty percent of Groupon users go meant for luxury brands. That’s because an out at least two times per week (an underlying motivation behind Groupon’s established base of offline activities).

In fact, Groupon deep discounts is the claims that facilitation of less risk While Groupon can 92 percent of for the customer who generate new foot traffic, is unfamiliar with your business owners believe the business. it’s up to you to create service brings in As more sites repeat business. eager, “quality” appear, discounts customers, who will become easier are committed to spending because to obtain, which could teach consumers to they already purchased the deal. seek discounts first, then quality. But, in ExactTarget states that 58 percent of the end, your product must drive revenue. consumers start the day by checking It’s Groupon’s function to get customers to e-mail, making Groupon a viable your doorstep; after that, it’s up to you. Have platform. you taken an introspective look at your own Sixty-eight percent of Groupon users brand? If your product (and the experience are 18 to 34. This is significant, to secure the product) is quality, then most considering more than 90 percent of advertising platforms will work. online consumers, aged 18 and up, Consider that Groupon works best subscribe to permission-based e-mails, when your gross profit margin is greater according to Ibid. Securing permission than 50 percent of your retail price. That’s first increases your chances of eliciting why Groupon caters to and is alluring for positive response (e.g., higher open

Want to learn more?

SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature numerous tips and sessions on e-commerce and local business strategies, including an e-commerce site clinic.

SESchicago.com businesses that boost profit through add-on sales (e.g., restaurants and spas). For example, let’s pretend you own a spa that offers $200 massages. $200 x 50% (discount) = $100 $100 x 50% (Groupon fee) = $50 Your revenue = $50 My recommendation is to closely analyze your business’ goals and objectives, and factor in whether Groupon will work for you. As you strategize, ask yourself if you have slim profit margins. Can you justify cutting your price in half? Can you make a profit through volume? What discount percentage will generate sales volume? Will price reduction create enough repeat business and/or above-Groupon spending to be profitable? These questions may help you determine alternate avenues.

Conclusion

If this business model works for you, Groupon can be a profitable lead-generation tool. But be aware of settling in as Groupon does the million work. While Groupon can generate Marking Groupon’s largest nanew foot traffic, tional effort to date, Gap offered $50 worth of clothing for $25 it’s up to you to on Aug. 19 in 85 markets. The create repeat busicampaign made $11 million. ness. Plan now for A Learn more at ClickZ Stats. how you will keep customers coming back. You could develop a loyalty program with incentives to entice repeat sales. Or, through e-mail or social media, follow up with first-time customers with an exclusive offer. Whatever you do, bring customers incentives in ways that don’t deplete your margins. §

$11

A 20-year veteran of local-search marketing for Fortune 500 companies, Gregg Stewart is VP of interactive at TMP Directional Marketing and is president of its interactive services division, 15miles. As the world’s largest local search agency, TMPDM called upon Stewart to lead the charge of transitioning from a traditional agency to a comprehensive media firm. He was responsible for assembling high-performance teams that developed digital solutions to yield salesgenerating results at the local level. @greggstewart

SearchEngineStrategies.com § SES

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§ FOCUS: local

Mobile local search and the new click fraud

T

By Michael Boland echCrunch’s Social Currency Crunchup at Stanford University and Geo-Loco 2010 in San Francisco both recently discussed the monetization of social and location-based mobile products like Foursquare. Though we continue to see misguided thinking on revenue opportunities, a glimmer of realism is beginning to take over.

At the TechCrunch event, CityGrid’s Kara Nortman provided a good reality check on SMBs — the segment that’s continually proposed to be a massive ad revenue opportunity for newer entrants in the mobile local space.

Though massive, this SMB segment is filled with inconsistent buying behavior, low adoption rates, and high churn. Nortman reminded us that a combination of direct sales and networks/channels are required to scale. Foursquare lead investor Fred Wilson agreed.

“It will take a lot of technology and sales and marketing efforts,” he said at Geo-Loco.

“There will be resellers and intermediaries to take these services to small businesses.”

Google head of Local and Maps John Hanke chimed in on the challenge of getting SMBs online in the first place — one of the tech giant’s biggest ongoing initiatives.

“It’s not competition amongst Google and Yelp or anyone within this space,” he said during the TechCrunch event. “It’s more about getting SMBs online at all. We’re trying to educate SMBs why the ROI is good, and it’s far from being over.”

Getting there

Foursquare business development head Tristan Walker was also on hand to discuss how the company is tackling these issues.

Its challenge so far has been the resource constraints of a small team, and capital

Want to learn more?

SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature tips and sessions on local and mobile business strategies, including “Local Search” and “Getting Mobilized!”

SESchicago.com 10

In other words, the system can be gamed deficiencies.

But after July’s $20 million series B when I can unlock deals by checking-in to round, it’s time for Foursquare to prove itself my neighborhood bar every day from my up to the market’s escalating expectations. living room couch. Viewed in this light, Walker characterized the check-in as only a check-in fraud could be the click fraud of the foundation — the value of which will grow offline world.

Click fraud is the act of clicking on links from different applications.

“We’ll evolve how we present specials, in order to drive up what paid search providand that could involve bidding on place- ers can charge their advertisers. Check-in fraud is a bit differment, day parts or days ent, as it’s the user of the week,” he said.

Tying offers to user doing it rather than “We can open up the volume rather than the service provider, floodgates, but we want to understand the use check-ins per user avoids but you get the point.

The simplest way cases first.” unique user duplication. to battle this is with Examples of these spatial limitations use cases include the University of Wisconsin’s classrooms, (via GPS) on check-ins. Foursquare has which are each listed as Foursquare check- experimented with this, and Gowalla has ins. Whole Foods Franchises, meanwhile, done it since the start. Best Buy announced a designate individual store managers to create product in August with Shopkick, which will check-in and mayor deals, redeemable for limit check-ins to within the physical store walls. store items.

Businesses can also be urged to make In New York (Foursqure’s hometown), a “heatpocolypse” listing was created by a offers that aren’t conducive to fraud. In other user. The listing gets thousands of check-ins words, those whose greater volumes help on hot summer days, prompting specials for instead of hurt businesses. This can include “buy one, get one free” offers, or existing Tasti D-lite frozen yogurt.

Lastly, Walker cited a Milwaukee bar that offers they are pushing for scale.

Offers can also be tied to social or Grouutilized a “swarm badge” promotion (badge unlocked when checking into a place with pon-like deals where, say, the first 100 users 50-plus concurrent check-ins). Reminiscent receive a deal. The offer is unlocked whether of Groupon, deals are offered to users who you check-in once or 20 times; tying the offer to user volume rather than check-ins unlocked the swarm badge at the bar.

“How important is the check-in? It enables per user avoids unique user duplication.

Either way, this will be a source of everything,” Walker said. “What can we do investment and innovation within a quickly on top of that check-in is the question.” growing sector. Just as we’ve argued that Check-in fraud (No, not check fraud) check-ins are the new currency of mobile As this all develops, one stumbling block local search, tools will have to be applied to will be dealing with check-in fraud. This is prevent check-in fraud from becoming the my made up word — also known as “fake new click fraud. § check-ins” — for checking-in to a place Michael Boland is analyst and when you’re not really there. It’s rampant on program director of BIA/Kelsey’s Foursquare, and I do it all the time. mobile local media program. He is Until now, this hasn’t really mattered a frequent speaker and organizer (except maybe irking Foursquare purists). at top industry conferences, including SES. Previously, he spent But it could be a problem when these several years as a technology services move toward charging businesses to journalist. @BIAKelsey run various promotional campaigns based on check-ins.

SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

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11

§ FOCUS: media buying

Top 10 new online advertising client questions

I

By Hollis Thomases n May, eMarketer predicted that 2010 will see 10.8 percent growth in online advertising spend and steady growth through 2014. That means either the same advertisers are spending more or new advertisers are coming online for the first time (or both). When we deal with firsttime advertisers, their questions are uncannily similar. Maybe this list can help advertisers and agencies alike.

1

3

What’s a “conversion”? Conversion is a term that can get misused or misinterpreted if all parties do not clarify their own perception. Usually conversion means that some sort of desired action happened, but using a generic definition could lead to data skewing. There can be multiple conversions from a single visitor so better to specify, segregate, and track these “conversions” uniquely or differentiate “actions” from conversions.

How much does it cost? Ah, the What does all this CPM, CPC, cost question. Reminding clients CPA, CPL, PPC stuff mean that the sky’s the limit when it anyway? Because it’s so differcomes to advertising, I usually ask back, “How much do you have, what are you ent from traditional advertising, online media can be confustrying to accomplish, With proper early-stage ing to traditional and in what period of advertisers, but partictime?” Then we get planning, the client can ularly when it comes into a deeper discushave estimates on traffic, to pricing structures. I sion about publisher minimum buy-ins and actions, and conversions. usually give a brief tutorial. various price structures — but that ineviWhat kinds of banners do we tably leads to many of the other questions on need? Unfortunately, the word this list. “banner” has become a catch-all How quickly can we get a phrase representing any or all types of online campaign up and running? In ads. What the advertiser’s really trying to other words, what’s the lead time? understand is the kind of ad creative needed What advertisers should really be asking is, for the plan, at which point I usually explain “What are all the components that go into the options among all of the ad offerings out launching an ad campaign?” because it’s there (display, sponsorships, contextual, these factors that in large part determine how video, social, advertorial, e-mail, mobile, quickly a campaign can go live. Components white papers, lead gen, etc.). of an ad campaign include: Do these different ad types having an objective (this might sound perform differently? The short obvious, but oftentimes new advertisers answer is yes, definitely — which don’t have this yet well-defined) is why we want to develop a diversified a concept (and an offer?) media plan, particularly when the campaign budget objective focuses on some kind of direct time of year/seasonality response outcome. creative assets (ads in various sizes and formats, landing pages/microsites, What is a landing page and why video/audio, etc.) do we need it? The landing page tracking mechanisms — the page to which visitors will approval processes arrive upon clicking an ad — at first might seem superfluous to new advertisers. They have a website, after all — why can’t we just Want to learn more? direct traffic to their home page? Most SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature websites, however, were not designed numerous tips and sessions about online ad specifically with an advertising campaign campaigns, including “Ads & Content Networks.” objective in mind, so it’s not the ideal place SESchicago.com to deliver the ad message or generate the

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

desired outcome from the visitor. The clarity of that process is accomplished through a landing page.

8

How do you track the campaign once it’s launched? Even new advertisers know that digital campaigns can be tracked more granularly than almost any other form of advertising; they’re just not sure how it works. A quick explanation of coded URLs and tracking tags does the trick.

9

If we spend all this money, what assurances do we have that this campaign’s going to work? Seriously? Can someone please show me stats that prove that every single ad campaign works every single time? While we cannot “guarantee” any campaign is going to work, we can mitigate risk a number of ways like only buying performance-based advertising or running test campaigns or negotiating outclauses. With some early-stage planning, we can also do a pretty good job of estimating traffic, actions, and conversions so at least the client would know what to expect before getting started.

10

Why do we have to pay you to do media planning? Don’t you just stick up our ads somewhere, or can’t we tell you where we want our ads to appear and you buy them? If you know what you’re doing, why are you even talking to us in the first place? Good media planning requires a lot of strategy, research, and analysis, particularly if you’re trying to meet some kind of specific objective. Honestly, the media buying portion is probably the easiest part of the entire process. Setting up and managing the campaign are also far more complicated. If you want an expertly-run campaign, hire experts. § Hollis Thomases is president and founder of WebAdvantage.net, an online marketing company that provides results-centric, strategic Internet marketing services, including online media planning, SEO, PPC campaign management, social media marketing, and Internet consulting. She’s been a ClickZ expert columnist since 2005. @hollisthomases

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DAY 1 THURS, OCT 21

DAY 2 WED, OCT 20

DAY 1 TUES, OCT 19

AGENDA 9:30-10:45A

Conference Welcome & Opening Keynote: Avinash Kaushik, Author, Blogger, Analytics Evangelist, Google

10:45-11:30A

Grand Opening of the Expo Hall (open 10a-6:15p) Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

11:30A-12:30 P

Introduction to Search Engine Marketing

Sponsored Session

Introduction to Analytics

12:30-1:30 P

Networking Lunch in the Expo Hall

1:30-2:30 P

Successful Information Architecture

Digital Asset Optimization

Meaningful SEO Metrics: Going Beyond the Numbers

3-4 P

Link Building Basics

I Want it Now!

Deep Dive Into Analytics

4:15-5:15 P

Developing Great Content

Introduction to Remarketing

Digital Marketing on the Political Edge

5:15-6:15 P

Networking Cocktail Reception in the Expo Hall

9:30-10:30A

Morning Keynote: Jeffrey Hayzlet, Celebrity CMO, Best-selling Author, & Former Kodak CMO Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

11AM -12P

SEO101

News Search Optimization

Bringing SEO In-House: The Pros & Cons

12PM -1 P

Networking Lunch in the Expo Hall

1 PM -2P

Search & Packaged Goods

Search, PR & the Social Butterfly

Stretching Your Marketing Dollars: The Upside of Search

2:30 PM -3:30 P

Brand, Trademark & Reputation Management

Speaking Geek: How Marketers Can Work with Web Developers

Real-Time Storytelling

3:45 PM -4:45 P

Paid Search 101

Sponsored Session

B2B Search Marketing Tips

5 PM -6 P

How to Become a Link Magnet

Beyond the Click: What Shoppers Need Now

B2B Lead Generation Management & CRM Integration

6 PM -7P

Open Mic: SEW Black Hat, White Hat Unconferenced

9:30-10:30A

Morning Keynote: Maile Ohye, Senior Developer Programs Engineer, Google Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

10:45-11:45A

Key Points in Launching a Global Website

PPC or SEO? The Ultimate Search Marketing Battle

Eye-Tracking Research Update

12-1 P

Social Media 101

Channel Surfing: Measuring Profit & ROI Across Channels

Duplicate Content & Multiple Site Issues

1-2P

Networking Lunch

2-3 P

Social & the Marketing Mix

Reserved for Late-Breaking Topic

Ads in a Quality Score World

3:15-4:15 P

Reserved for Late-Breaking Topic

Reserved for Late-Breaking Topic

Advanced Keyword Research

4:45-5:45 P

The Business Value of Social Media

Digital Marketing & Sports

Advanced Paid Search Tactics

5:45 PM -6:15 PM

Wrap-Up Session

Go online for the most up-to-date agenda:

www.SESchicago.com

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SES ยง September 2010 {Chicago preview}

AGENDA Track 4

OMS Track

Search: Where to Next?

TBD

Introduction to Information Retrieval on the Web

TBD

Sponsored Session

TBD

Ads & Content Network

TBD

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS DAY 1 TUES, OCT 19

Avinash Kaushik Author, Blogger, & Analytics Evangelist, Google Avinash is the co-founder of Market Motive Inc and the analytics evangelist for Google. Through his blog, Occam’s Razor, and his best-selling books, Web Analytics: An Hour A Day and Web Analytics 2.0, Avinash has become recognized as an authoritative voice on how marketers, executives teams, and industry leaders can leverage data to fundamentally reinvent their digital existence. Avinash has received rave reviews for bringing his energetic, inspiring, and practical insights to companies like Unilever, Dell, Time Warner, Vanguard, Porsche, and IBM, as well as delivering keynotes at a variety of global conferences.

Track 4

Track 5

Sponsored Session

Video Search Optimization

Getting Mobilized! Mobile Marketing Strategies

Competitive Research

Holiday Shopping Tactics

Scaling Up Your SEO Campaigns

Twitter Nation & Automation

Killer Facebook Marketing Tactics

Crossing the Digital Divide: The Leap From Search to Display

Reserved for Late-Breaking Topic

Track 4

Track 5

Enterprise-Level SEO

Contextual Ads & Ad Sense Clinic

Search Marketing Toolbox

Social Media Clinic

DAY 2 WED, OCT 20 Jeffrey Hayzlett Best-selling Author & Former Kodak CMO Hayzlett is known as the “celebrity CMO” for his work at Kodak, because his countless media appearances and social media skills have made him one of the top C-level executive Twitterers in the world. He is also cowboy, literally — a South Dakota native who always wears cowboy boots and still has a little house on the prairie.

A much sought-after speaker, Hayzlett was named “Business to Business Marketer of the Year” by B2B Magazine in 2009 and has received numerous business awards and honors.

DAY 3 THURS, OCT 21 Maile Ohye Sr. Developer Programs Engineer, Google

SEO Through Blogs & Feeds

Ad Copy Continuity Clinic

Local Search

E-Commerce Site Clinic

Selling Search to the C-Suite

Site Clinic

WORKSHOPS Monday, Oct. 18: Bruce Clay SEO Training This course targets marketing and technical staff alike.

Learn the strategy and tactics necessary in today’s fast-changing search world. The course, which will cover SEO methodology, concepts, and strategies, will provide the process needed to achieve significant traffic.

Maile coordinates Google Webmaster Central outreach efforts, including the Webmaster Central Blog.

Previously, she was a systems integration consultant for several pharmaceutical and technology companies, as well as for the Department of Defense. She earned a B.A. in cognitive science with a computer science emphasis from the University of California at Berkeley.

Register by Oct. 1 to save $250.

Save an additional 15% when you use your keycode* at SESchicago.com. *Your keycode begins with “KEYCH” and is located on the mailing label (see magazine cover).

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SearchEngineStrategies.com § SES

17

SESSIONS SAMPLE SESSIONS

DAY 1 Introduction to Search Engine Marketing This session will provide a clear and concise overview of the key concepts involved in search engine marketing. This is a mustattend basic session for anyone new to SES events.

DAY 2

DAY 3

Video Search Optimization Panelists discuss the importance of optimizing for video search, and probe into tactics like keyword research, copywriting, reputation enhancement, and sponsorships and special programs.

Introduction to Analytics Cut to the chase! Use analytic tools to get the specific answers you need about your search marketing campaign’s economic performance, your users’ on-site behaviors, and how to look for major red flags.

Stretching Your Marketing Dollars: The Upside of Search Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across all industries are being forced to weigh cost versus benefit with every decision they make. Get tips and tricks that will help you pick up the valuable traffic being left behind by your competitors while putting your business on the path to profitable growth.

Search: Where to Next?

Join us for an illuminating discussion as we peek into the next generation of digital marketing and predict what search might look like in the following five to 10 years.

Getting Mobilized! Mobile Marketing Strategies This session will focus on mobile SEO, but will also touch on driving traffic and conversions with mobile applications, text messaging and mobile e-mail.

Digital Asset Optimization Search result multiplicity is not a new phenomenon, but recent advancements guarantee that search marketing will be changing forever. How do the new “blended” search results pages affect your marketing strategy?

Killer Facebook Marketing Tactics Join our panel of international Facebook marketing pioneers for a no-holds-barred look at getting found organically, Facebook ads, and Facebook competitive intelligence.

EXHIBITORS 7Search.com

Social Media 101 This session is designed to guide you through the complex landscape of social media and how it relates to your brand or web property.

Acquisio Agendize Blogsvertise Brafton CustomNews

Search Marketing Toolbox Tools, tools, tools. From small in-house accounts to ones with millions of keywords, it’s the new advances in search marketing technology that might just make the difference between success and failure.

ClearSaleing iContact iProspect LinkWorth Marketwire, Inc.

Advanced Paid Search Tactics This session will cover campaign expansion techniques, advanced ad testing, advanced auction theory, the proper use of relevant analytics reports, ideas for bid rules and campaign automation — including automating the detection of PPC scam campaigns that can divert traffic away from the legitimate brand site and increase campaign costs.

NVI Rosetta topseos.com Visibility Magazine WebmasterRadio.FM Website Magazine Wpromote Inc.

Selling Search to the C-Suite Your CMO still calls and wants to know why your company isn’t number one for the most popular, random, non-revenuerelated terms you’ve ever heard.

This very interactive session will explore how both disciplines can educate each other.

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

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FOCUS: video §

A

Ads as entertainment ll digital marketers hope that their ads will be entertaining. Naturally, they’re more at liberty to infuse some campaigns with interesting storylines and content ideas than others, but most every media strategist secretly hopes that a brand won’t just want the same old, same old. They want to build a story — to make the ads as much about a group of characters or a narrative that relates to the differentiating features of a product, as about the product itself.

Increasingly, developing online ads that are built to entertain is a necessity rather than an agency preference.

The handful of brands that are currently making the effort are setting the bar high, and setting a standard all others will soon be expected to meet.

From a web-only branded video series to a Facebook page, there are many ways in which this challenge can be approached.

What follows are three options that have produced some of our most memorable campaigns of late.

1

Brands can entertain through a YouTube video channel by transforming it into a video campaign.

Consider the popular Old Spice campaign, whereby the brand put out an open call for questions posed to its iconic Old Spice Guy through social sites and created personalized video responses for everyone to see.

Evian also used YouTube to launch its breed of branded entertainment: a video of skating babies that was exclusive to the site.

It ultimately entered the Guinness Book of World Records with 45,166,109 overall views worldwide.

A combination of technology and reach makes YouTube an ideal forum through

By Tessa Wegert

which to entertain consumers with branded videos and clever viral campaigns. There’s no question these ads were made to entertain, but they’ve also managed something more: to seep into our culture in an endearing, enduring way.

2

Want to learn more?

SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature numerous tips and sessions about online video content, including “Video Search Optimization.”

SESchicago.com

They may not be the most obvious choice Brands can entertain through a microsite designed to have a due to size limitations, but banners are capable of supporting some incredibly entertainviral effect.

When digital marketers want to tell a ing ad content.

What matters most isn’t the degree to story, they often turn first to microsites. They are perhaps the most flexible of options, and which the content engulfs the site page, but although they don’t have the kind of built- that it tells an engaging story while somein viral mechanism that YouTube does, they how highlighting the key benefits of the can be made brand or product. New Zealand Internet to facilitate and broadband provider Orcon (also known online sharing for its award-winning participation marketfor a similar ing campaign) recently launched a banner ad developed by Eyeblaster that tells four result.

With its different video stories, all of them relating to focus on all the brand message, “Freedom to change as things clean your business does.”

The user can click to see what would and bright, happen to the office environment under Wrigley’s Orbit brand of different scenarios — for example, if a new gum has been represented online by numer- receptionist was hired or the company scored ous microsites, each one offering a different a big new business win.

The banner is as entertaining as any TV take on the product benefits in an entertainspot — it’s a bit like ing way. Among the watching improv most unforgettable is Tell an engaging story theatre online. But the “Friends of Bright” while highlighting key more than that, it’s site, which presented benefits of your brand or interactive, and that the gum in the setting makes it instantly of a cult-like commuproduct. more memorable. nity where “Brightness Better still, the is not a destination, it’s company is getting all it can out of the ad a way of life.”

The site provided entertainment in the by also featuring it on the appropriate prodform of videos, downloadable mobile appli- uct section of its website – an approach that cations, and the ability to create a custom makes good sense no matter what kind of ad “membership card” indicating that the user you’re planning to entertain with. § has been enlightened by the gum, and by the Tessa Wegert is an interactive megroup. It was a comprehensive effort that dia strategist with Enlighten, one presented the product in an interesting and of the first full-service digital marunexpected context. keting strategy and services

3

Brands can entertain through banner ads that are transformed into self-contained video channels.

agencies. An industry veteran, she has worked in online media buying and planning, marketing, and online copywriting since 1999.

She is an active freelance writer specializing in interactive marketing. @tessawegert

SearchEngineStrategies.com § SES

19

§ FOCUS: search engine marketing

Small businesses: Searching for marketing ROI

S

By Ben Smith mall businesses are the lifeblood But, despite constrained marketing budgets, of the U.S. economy. Accord- small businesses are still doing what they do ing to the U.S. Small Business best when it comes to getting the word out Administration, there are approx- about their products and services: doing a imately 29.6 million businesses in lot with a little. Small business owners are the U.S. — and 99.9 percent of these busi- adopting free online tools, such as social nesses employ less than 500 people. Small media marketing, at a rapid rate.

During Q2 2010, for the first time since businesses employ over half of the country’s private sector workforce and hire 40 percent the inception of the Merchant Confidence of all high-tech workers, such as scientists, Index, social networking eclipsed all other engineers, and computer workers. Yet, along marketing channels to become the most with nearly every other sector, the small popular among surveyed merchants. More than 50 percent of business economic respondents planned engine has sputtered Small business owners to create or maintain in these recessionary times. are rapidly adopting free a social networking presence for their busiDespite the governonline tools, such as ness in the next three ment stimulus plan aimed at keeping small social media marketing. months, as compared to 41 percent in Q1 businesses afloat, the 2010.

Previously, confidence of small business owners remains broadly negative. e-mail had been the most popular planned According to the Merchant Confidence marketing technique. Location-based social Index — a quarterly survey of 10,000 small services like Foursquare, mass-market social businesses conducted by MerchantCircle networks like Twitter and Facebook, and — business owners are still stretching to video-sharing sites like YouTube are increaskeep afloat. Nearly 35 percent of merchants ingly popular among small businesses as a reported using home equity loans, personal marketing technique. credit cards, or loans against retirement to fund their businesses in the last 12 months. Fixed expenses vs. variable expenses In Q2 2010, small business owners’ confiWhy do so many small businesses, espedence hovered at just 60.65 out of 100, a D- cially those under 100 employees, avoid by academic standards. search engine marketing (SEM)? Of course, Running a tight ship in tough economic the obvious reason is that it costs money to times doesn’t leave much room for a market- buy keywords, and cash-strapped small busiing budget. That’s why, when asked in Q2 nesses are eager to try every free marketing 2010 how they expect their marketing method available before investing in paid expenditures to change over the next three search. months, 22.3 percent of small business But the real answer to this question is more owners expect to reduce spending, while complex. Certainly, small businesses would 48.5 percent expect spending to remain flat, use SEM if it delivered a substantial ROI. according to the Merchant Confidence Index. The real problem is that most small business owners don’t have the expertise to manage Which of the following marketing methods PPC campaigns; a do you expect to use in the next three months? recent survey by Microsoft found that 59 percent of small businesses did not use paid search marketing, even though three out of four businesses believed prospective customers could be searching online for the type of service their business offered. The reasons they didn’t use SEM ranged from too costly, to too complicated, to too time consuming.

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And then there’s the power of maximizing search visibility though SEO; many small businesses are becoming adept at tinkering with their websites, creating listings on local business directories, and generating a wealth of searchable content like blogs, video, business information, and customer reviews.

They believe these SEO tactics increase visibility for their businesses for free, whereas SEM is seen as a cost.

Small businesses and SEM

Small business owners aren’t ones to give up easily. Despite the prolonged recession, they are continuing to fight for their companies – using all the marketing methods they can find to drive visibility for their products and services. Their recent predilection for low-cost, high-impact social marketing and SEO tactics is not surprising.

But in the future, as the economy starts to improve, the most successful small businesses will not only be social media mavens, but will also need to explore paid advertising programs like SEM if they want to play in the big leagues. After all, small businesses realize that search is critical to growing revenues, with the majority of web users starting their search for products or services on Google or other search engines. They know that success today means engaging all prospects searching for their business — not just sitting back and hoping customers will find their websites.

The real uptick for small businesses’ use of SEM will come when merchants get access to the tools and services they need to create, manage, and optimize impactful SEM programs. Right now, most small businesses have to navigate SEM themselves, with few paid search campaign management tools aimed specifically at small business users.

Perceived complexity has kept many local merchants out of the increasingly essential paid search game.

How about it, SEM vendors? What are you doing to develop and deliver the tools and services that 99.9 percent of the U.S. business market needs to make SEM work for them? § Ben T. Smith, IV, is chairman and co-founder of MerchantCircle, the largest social network of small business owners online today.

Ben is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and business advisor in the social networking space, with a deep understanding and appreciation for small, family-owned businesses.

Custom News Marketing

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§ FOCUS: data

Analytics: The 5 biggest mistakes marketers make and how to avoid them By Lesley Ross

T

he importance of analytics is no secret. Savvy marketers understand that without it, there’s no way to know if they are achieving their objectives.

However, despite having the best of intentions, many marketers are making mistakes with analytics.

Where marketers go wrong

Analytics can provide fantastic insights that can help marketers make better informed decisions that can greatly affect performance. But it is hardly a “set it and forget it” application. Yet many marketers treat it that way.

For example, consider Joe. As a software marketer, he recently selected the most appropriate analytics package for his company’s needs. In doing so, he made sure that it had the capability to track trials and purchases from various channels. Next, Joe implemented the appropriate pixels on the website as instructed. After that, he called it a day. He felt as though he had analytics covered. Little does Joe know, but what he accomplished is just the beginning.

there is an easy way to avoid it. Marketers should designate an “analytics owner” who is responsible for ensuring that proper collection of data and analytics is taking place at all times. By doing so, you will reduce the window of opportunity for errors in analytics tracking so this situation does not occur. To start, the owner should establish a “data loss timeframe” — the amount of time that would be acceptable for your business to lose data. For some, that period might be a month; for others, it might only be a day.

Whatever the timeframe, that’s how often the analytics’ owner should check to ensure that proper tracking is taking place.

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Getting distracted: Because analytics can provide so much information, it’s easy to get bogged down from data overload. As a result, many marketers get distracted and end up examining the wrong elements of their website analytics. This is problematic because you should focus on the elements that directly impact your end goal and drive toward your previously defined success metrics. For example, are page views and time on site really an indicator of your bottom line? Or are cost per lead and converThe remedy To get the most out of their analytics sion rate what ultimately drive new custominvestment, marketers need to follow a rigor- ers? If you’re interested in understanding how consumers react ous and disciplined to different messagapproach. It isn’t Many marketers get ing, look at ad copy something that can be distracted and examine performance and flucdone overnight, nor by tuations. If the number a single stakeholder. the wrong elements of of new leads is an Instead, it requires their website analytics. indicator for next appropriate implemenmonth’s sales, this is tation and application. the metric you should Without the necessary follow — such as ensuring accurate data be evaluating and optimizing for. collection, formalizing a process for evaluation and application of relevant analytics Hyper focus: While website and insights, and implementation of findings analytics is very important, it’s across all marketing efforts — marketers only one piece of the puzzle. Yet won’t be much better off than if they hadn’t many marketers make the mistake of focusimplemented analytics at all. ing on it exclusively. Instead, marketers should keep in mind that overall web analytics offers so much more. For example, it can Avoid these mistakes Below are five common mistakes market- tell you how your search campaign compares ers make with analytics — and how you can to your display campaign. Or, how your search analytics compares to your website avoid them: analytics, and how consistent it is month Failure to monitor: Imagine how over month or year over year. In addition, you would feel if you discovered overlaying various forms of analytics can that your analytics tracking allow further insight into the value of a visistopped working two weeks ago. For an tor to your website. With this information, e-commerce site, losing all that conversion you can further optimize your campaigns data would be unacceptable. Sadly, this situ- based on the newly defined cost per visitor ation happens to many marketers; however, target. Or, if call center activity is of value to

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

your business, it should be coupled with your online media to tell a more complete story.

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Failure to act: Time and again, I see marketers invest in tracking and analytics and then do nothing with the data. What a waste of great information. Marketers should consistently be evaluating not just what the end results are, but also the implications of interim findings. For example, how can that data be applied to drive further conversions and efficiency? In short, these insights should be used to enhance media efforts and channel integration (i.e., search and display, or offline and online). Additionally, analytics are core to driving improvements on your website to enhance user experience or streamline your conversion process. Create a process for evaluating the data and implementing what you’ve learned to further enhance your marketing and website performance on an ongoing basis.

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Being selfish: Both internal and external stakeholders working toward the same goals could benefit from the insights gained from analytics. However, many marketers do not share this information. Instead, marketers should give thought to who else might benefit from their analytics, and make an effort to share the information. For instance, can another department in your company leverage your findings for their upcoming website launch?

Is your social media team aware of the blogger driving the majority of your site referrals? Does your creative partner know the common search terms driving people to your website, and are they incorporating them into the various forms of creative?

As marketers are consistently trying to maximize return on tightened marketing budgets, it is imperative not to make these common mistakes. Smart analytics users will ensure appropriate implementation and application to realize the true value they should be achieving through their marketing efforts. § Lesley Ross is client services director at iProspect. An expert in search and marketing strategy, she has grown businesses through organic and paid search in the health care, software, and CPG industries. She has provided strategic direction for Fortune 500 clients and numerous top brands.

NDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ON KETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL KETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MAR LYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARC ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONT GRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANA /GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALY EARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESE EW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL ME KETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRA RCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/ LYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD EW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVI LYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETIN KETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER IA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID S ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKE EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE AN /PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETIN NDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ON KETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVER ALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MAR LYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARC ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONT GRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANA /GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALY EARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESE EW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL ME KETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRA RCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/ LYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD EW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVI LYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETIN KETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER IA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID S ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKE EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE AN /PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETIN NDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ON KETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL KETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MAR LYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARC ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONT GRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANA /GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALY EARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESE EW/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL ME KETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRA RCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/ LYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD EW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVI LYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID SEARCH/BANNER ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETIN KETING/AFFILIATE MARKETING/ONLINE BRANDING/CONTENT CREATION/WEB PROGRAMMING/PAID SEARCH/BANNER IA MARKETING/ONLINE PR/EMAIL MARKETING/WEB ANALYTICS/ONSITE SEO/GOOGLE ANALYTICS/OFFSITE SEO/PAID S 23 SearchEngineStrategies.com ยง SES ERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/STRATEGIC ANALYSIS/KEYWORD RESEARCH/SITE REVIEW/SOCIAL MEDIA MARKE

§ FOCUS: social

4 unexpected benefits of user-generated content By Sam Decker

B

y now you know that usergenerated content (UGC) drives sales and uncovers ways to improve your offering. But the customer voice can affect your entire organization in many ways — some you may not expect. I’ve been surprised myself at some of the ways UGC has impacted businesses.

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Improved product copy and usage instructions. Rubbermaid has a great story about how it tested a product, found it to work well, released it to the marketplace — then, unexpectedly, got negative reviews from unhappy customers.

A little investigating found that people who were unhappy with Rubbermaid’s Produce Saver product were actually using Customer input can decrease the product incorrectly. customer service costs. We’ve Rubbermaid replied to the unhappy all been there — we have a quesconsumers, wrote tion about a product a blog about the that surely someone Look for hidden ways proper way to use the else has. So we use that UGC can be used, products, and then online chat, call the improved the instrucmanufacturer, or, and share the content more likely, just give across your organization. tions on the package.

Today, Produce up or buy a product Saver storage has an we may have to average rating of 4.6 stars, and 92 percent return. of customers would recommend it to a Reviews and customer-generated Q&A friend. let shoppers get answers to common product questions by letting the real voice of the customer come through.

Reduced product return rates.

For example, my wife ordered a quilt Nobody likes having to return a few weeks ago and was looking for a products to a store — and manuspecific shade of red. The picture of the facturers and retailers hate it even more quilt looked fine, but we all know that than consumers do. different computer monitors show colors Returns cost retailers and manufacturers differently. a lot of money, and analysis has shown that One of the customer reviews of the quilt only about 5 percent of returns are due to said that the red quilt was a bit darker than product defects, leaving me to assume that the color shown on the website. This gave many product returns are due to the unmet her the confidence to buy the quilt, because expectations of the consumer. a darker red was fine with her.

As I mentioned before, reviews and One retailer, Canadian Tire, found that, online Q&A help shoppers make decisions once it added customer Q&A to its site, — and their decisions are more likely to its call center got much fewer incoming stick.” calls about products. This means that the For example, PETCO found that prodcompany’s operators are now more availucts with reviews tend to have about 20 able to take orders and field other custompercent fewer returns than those without ers’ requests. reviews.

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

Want to learn more?

SES Chicago (Oct. 18-22) will feature numerous sessions on best practices in social media, including “The Business Value of Social Media.”

SESchicago.com

4

Better products. Consumers still get really excited when brands actually respond to their reviews — especially negative reviews — and I think it surprises some people how some of the world’s best-known brands actually read customer reviews, then use that input to improve products, negotiate with vendors, and solve major product flaws.

One retailer had a top-selling home décor item that suddenly began getting negative reviews. They investigated the latest batch of the product and found it to be faulty, so they replaced consumers’ purchases and removed all the less-than-stellar products from the shelves, which staved off future consumers’ disappointment.

So how do you get the maximum value from user-generated content? Take all the ways it can impact your brand into account.

Gather a variety of departments together to look for hidden ways this content can be used, regularly share the content across your organization, and make it easy for different teams to access the information that’s most relevant to them. § Sam Decker is CMO of Bazaarvoice, the market leader in hosted social commerce applications that drive sales. Sam has almost 20 years of marketing and online retailing experience, has written two books on wordof-mouth marketing, is a frequent speaker at marketing and e-commerce events, and is an award-winning blogger. @samdecker

iReviews

where your voice counts.

ClickZ.com/ireviews

is where marketers and executives like you can write product reviews, share experiences, and build a reputation in the online marketing space.

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§ FOCUS: behavioral programs

Behavioral targeting and A/B testing: What’s appropriate for your business? By Andrea Fishman

I

magine delivering a customized, dynamic consumer experience — generated in real time for each unique visitor to your site. For many marketers, this is the promise of behavioral targeting — the possibility to deliver unique content and offers based on a customer’s profile and behavior. Now, imagine the knowledge needed to make informed “projections” about what your visitors want to see when they get to your site.

The potential payoff from behavioral targeting generates high enthusiasm among executives, often triggering a corresponding rush to action without consideration as to the value and impact such a program can deliver.

Effective behavioral targeting requires both extensive knowledge about your consumers — and a rich array of content to cater to their unique desires. Without a solid foundation, content may be off-target — or worse, off-putting.

Another option for marketers looking to optimize their messaging and content is to leverage A/B testing. A/B testing enables organizations to test multiple messages and/ or creative directions across a broader audience. A/B can be a precursor to behavioral targeting — providing a foundation Americans spent 43 percent more time on social networkof knowledge to ing sites in June 2010 than help build persothey did during June 2009. nas — and it can Source: The Nielsen Company be leveraged to A For more details, check out ClickZ Stats. test content for companies already running a behavioral program. Assessing the complexity and maturing of your marketing model will help identify which solution is most effective for your campaign.

43%

Do you know enough about your visitors?

How much actionable information do you have about your visitors? Can you predict their goals and needs? Are you working with

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ad networks, collecting data across multiple Do you have a wide array of external sites and clickstreams? products and services?

If so, the potential to deliver targeted Are your products diverse enough to content and offers based on their previous support uniquely rendered content based behavior is great. You can construct detailed on consumer behavior? For companies with matrixes that serve up content based on the large, diversified product sets, behavioral family of sites they have visited — and the targeting offers opportunities to suggest predicted traits and interests visitors to that products and services within a broad catefamily of sites demonstrate. gory. Consumers shopping for CDs will However, if the first known point of have very different behaviors, search terms, contact with your visitor is their arrival at and past site views than consumers shopping your site, predicting their targeted area of for sporting goods interest is a tricky — which makes the High-performing behavioral probability of success proposition.

A more effective targeting programs are for delivering targeted approach may be content to each group based on having a rich performing an A/B test high. of two broader offers profile of your consumers.

But for businesses to your universe of site that have relatively visitors and see which few large and complex solutions, serving up performs better. This would ensure that no unique, relevant content may not be feasible. audience is excluded or misdirected — and Is it worth developing comprehensive data requires less historical data to drive the offer. sets and behavioral models if, regardless of the profile, the product and offer are fundaHow different are your mentally the same? consumers?

If diversity of products is limited, A/B Segmenting your visitors into unique testing messaging that supports the buying profiles — or personas — is one of the first decision can deliver category-level insights steps in most behavioral programs. High- applicable to a broader audience. performing behavioral targeting programs Whether you determine behavioral targetare based on having a rich profile of your ing, A/B testing, or some combination of consumers, and comprehensive, differenti- both is the right approach for your business, ated profiles illustrating how each segment keeping your focus on delivering relevancy is expected to behave. and measuring performance will ensure your When you are marketing to a broad range site’s optimization is headed in the right of personalities (with different emotional direction. § needs and behavioral triggers), creatAndrea Fishman is VP of global ing distinct personas is not a challenge. strategy at BGT Partners and However, if your core market is limited to managing partner of BGT Chicaa relatively small set of profiles (e.g., inforgo. Since joining BGT in 2003, she mation technology executives within finanhas driven value to the agency’s cial instructions), there may not be enough clients through the development variation between the visitors for immediate of competitive assessments, strategic delivery plans, and integratbehavioral targeting to pay off.

In cases where the persona set is small, ed marketing programs. A graduate of Brandeis UniA/B testing offers based on different value versity, Fishman is a national expert on all things related to web marketing and contributes regularly to propositions may provide greater insight ClickZ, BtoB Magazine, Chicago Business, and into what is driving consumer behavior and eHealthcare Strategy and Trends. @andreafishman response.

SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

pay-per-click search network

SearchEngineStrategies.com ยง SES

27

§ FOCUS: creative

Using search to get more out of a print ad

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By Brooke Nanberg Foley ou’re telling me that ugly platform was retooled to ask the question, little search window is more “What are people searching for?”

The unmet need (a drink with no compropowerful than my advertising creative? Yup. And it’s not an mises, all natural, no sugar added but with ugly little search window. It’s functional benefits such as energy, relaxone of the most powerful marketing tools you ation, and restoration), and the brand differcan leverage, it’s driven by your consumer, entiator (high quality botanicals with propriand — from a media standpoint — it’s one etary blends) were all factored into the copy of the most ever-present windows to your of the print ad, the microsite, and the SEO brand your current and future customers will as a layered approach. At the same time, words and phrases like “plants,” “flowers,” ever encounter.

As a creative, I don’t think I ever saw and “herbal extracts” — as well as the key myself starting a brief or a campaign from ingredients — were also factored in.

The Solixir commuthe perspective of a nication strategy standardized search Consumers are learning started with, “What box in the upper left more and more about are my customers corner of a browser chrome. But today, as companies while “on the searching for?” The ads strived for a marketer in general, go,” discovering brands print emotional connecif you don’t start by on their smartphones. tions to the primary asking yourself, “What elements customers are my customers searching for?” you are missing the biggest would be searching and seeking, while a opportunity that technology has afforded us specific URL drove customers directly to all as researchers. While search engines are a microsite that housed deeper content. In constantly scanning for relevancy, so are addition, a well-coordinated set of search phrases captured the key thought drivers customers.

The trend that we’ve noticed in both large from customers who were hitting the digiand small clients is that search has become tal world from the outside window — the the place where it all starts — and ladders search box. The search phrases were the back to. It’s all about content. It is the foundation of the Solixir program, allowing people to move through a print ad or filter primary strategy driving the brief.

As budgets shrink, staff is reduced, and in from the search window to continue the the customer’s attention span is stressed, the Solixir conversation.

Search results are examined as a whole — question “What are you searching for?” begs for when consumers search for term X, what is creative thinking to take the full window of results that will display advantage of it. Almost for them? How can we concept, write, and all of our clients have design those search phrases so that they recently relooked at tightly tie together the website (the primary how their market- house for deep content), the microsite (a ing efforts approach quick but informative sampling of content), a total program — and the social media (Facebook and Twitter) starting with search and moving all to tell a complete story?

For Solixir, like most clients, every the way through advertising and social.

Solixir, an entrepreneurial sparkling dollar and every touchpoint needs to work botanical beverage, entered the market with that much harder to deliver the message. a very strong focus on who their customer Ultimately, customers of Solixir and other was. At first, their website was all Flash brands today are learning more and more (pretty, but unhelpful from a marketing and about companies while “on the go,” discovtracking standpoint). As they entered more ering products on their smartphones while distribution points (Whole Foods, Vita- eating lunch or standing in the grocery aisle.

Starting with the perspective of “What min Shoppe), they needed a more nimble marketing machine to drive smart media are my customers searching for?” allowed placements to specific content. The brand Solixir to create a program that was

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SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

user-centric and lower in media and production costs. This amplified each dollar spent by leveraging natural behaviors that almost all consumers exhibit at this point when they’re interested in a product.

Some key things to keep in mind when developing a searchcentric program: Start with the brief. Retool it so that every strategy — including broadcast, print, and social — answer back to search. You will be amazed at the customer-centric difference it makes in your end creative.

Keep it natural. Develop starting with key phrases that are natural to the customer, and then use those to support the creative message in all media. Witty and tricky search terms cost a lot to “seed” in advertising, which is great when you have the budgets.

Know your specifics. Use specific strings or phrases — people are getting smarter with how they filter prior to searching. These filters affect how customers are exposed to your messages from mobile to interactive TV to scanning magazines at the grocery store counter.

Leverage the basics of good SEO copywriting as you think about your brief. Consider meta tags for search engines, leverage headlines and page linkage to increase presence, and stay focused on a page-by-page basis to reinforce key phrases and relevancy.

The content you harvest from this exercise should then be used to drive creative messaging and vice versa. § Brooke Nanberg Foley is the executive creative director at the Chicago-based Jayne Agency.

She earned an MFA in graphic design from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and she’s been involved in the Chicago creative and digital marketing community for more than 18 years. She is well-known for having cultivated four of the city’s most successful (and now competitive) creative digital agencies: Taproot Interactive (1994-1996), Tribal DDB (1996-1999), Ogilvy Interactive (1999-2001) and Avenue A|Razorfish (20012007). Nanberg has worked on projects for JCPenney, Kraft, AT&T, Budweiser, and Jim Beam, and she’s spoken at numerous industry events.

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§ FOCUS: e-mail

What can e-mail marketers learn from LeBron’s decision fiasco? By Simms Jenkins

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he hype has dissipated for the time being, but LeBron James’s primetime South Beach defection was one of those moments that seemed to captivate America. I’m guessing Europeans mocked our culture and priorities, but it was a big deal (Steve Carell mocked it in a far more entertaining “decision” interview) stateside during this hot summer.

Well, LeBron’s marketing and business team gets points for trying, although it looks like an air ball in hindsight. They, like many of you dear readers, crafted what seemed to be a unique strategic marketing plan that had win-win components and seemingly no downside. Delivering a huge audience for the top media dog in sports? Check. Raise awareness for LeBron’s brand? Check.

Include a children’s charity? Check.

Imagine the feeling of sitting in a closed conference room plotting out such a good plan that no one has ever even dared to attempt it. Then you start to think of the rewards you will reap from this genius plan and how this will take your career to the next level. Or something like that before the door opens.

But then, the reality goes a different way, and the reaction (externally and internally) isn’t what you planned. Digital marketers can make this a teachable moment to prevent something similar happening with their e-mail program. Most of us can’t withstand the negative impact that LeBron’s image took, so the lessons learned here are for mere mortals in the e-mail marketing universe:

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Know your customers: Remember how and why the subscribers ended up on your list. If they signed up for a monthly missive from the

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thinking of the possibility of an errant e-mail to a million subscribers, a suppression file going askew, or a subject line with an expletive.

Whether by accident or a campaign that really missed the mark, a contingency plan is always needed. What do you do next?

How do you say it, or do you just hope for the best and stay silent?

Most digital disasters seem to happen when the silo is exposed and broken. MeanHave the business case to back ing, the liability with your e-mail campaign up the risk: Calculated risks are may have nothing to do with your e-mail what often separate great busiprogram and team, but on the tail of the ness leaders from the average ones. What click. happens when you roll the dice on a progresIf it involves a coupon, special giveaway, sive e-mail campaign? If you are savvy, you or something similar, ensure that you (and have “sold” this internally to minimize the legal) pored over the terms and conditions, risk of exposure (yours and the company’s). thought about the coupon blogs, photocopyA home run makes you a star and a strikeout ing, printing multiple, can permanently derail and so on and so your ascension or be a If you plan to take a risk forth. Basically all minor hiccup. with an e-mail campaign, the stuff that could What makes the difference between the envision how it might play go wrong after the two? Usually a busiout on the social networks. message is sent. If that isn’t your group’s ness case backed with responsibility, make metrics from a test sure you have assisted them with the due (we all do this for each and every e-mail diligence, as it will be your problem should campaign, right?) supporting demand, trouble surface. projecting results, and listing any variables that can impact success or cause a failure, as well as any contingency plans and secondary Transition gracefully (and research that support this unique approach. quietly): Don’t be mad at your subscribers for behaving in a way you didn’t expect or in a fashion that disapControl your message: Any points you. All you have to do is go to any good public relations profeslarge brand’s Facebook page to see even the sional will tell you it’s all about most ardent fans act a bit unpredictable and controlling the message rather than the schizophrenic on occasion. So after you message controlling you. If you go out on a implement your contingency plan, adapt, limb with an e-mail campaign, make sure monitor, learn, and move on. § you have the ability and thoughtfulness to envision how this may play out on the social Simms Jenkins is CEO of Brightnetworks and other channels that can help Wave Marketing, an award-winlight a viral fire (for better or worse). Which ning agency specializing in e-mail means you must…

CEO, and your brilliant campaign involves a series of promotional offers, then you likely will and should fail. After all, your customers gave you permission for one thing and then you threw them a curve ball, which could alienate them — the way most Clevelanders felt after LeBron left them high and dry for the Miami Heat on decision night.

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Have a plan B: Any e-mail marketer should plan for the worst just about every day. Most e-mail marketers break into cold sweats

SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

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marketing and digital targeted messaging programs. Jenkins is regarded as one of the leading experts in the e-mail marketing industry and is the author of “The Truth About Email Marketing.” @ SimmsJenkins

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glossary advertising network: A service where ads are bought centrally through one company, and displayed on multiple websites that contract with that company for a share of revenue generated by ads served on their site. algorithm: The technology that a search engine uses to deliver results to a query. Search engines utilize several algorithms in tandem to deliver a page of search results or keyword-targeted search ads. anchor text: The clickable text part of a hyperlink. The text usually gives visitors or search engines important information on what the page being linked to is about. click through rate (CTR): The rate (expressed in a percentage) at which users click on an ad.

This is calculated by dividing the total number of clicks by the total number of ad impressions. CTR is an important metric for Internet marketers to measure the performance of an ad campaign. content network: A group of websites that agree to show ads on their site, served by an ad network, in exchange for a share of the revenue generated by those ads. Examples include Google AdSense or the Yahoo Publisher Network. contextual advertising: Advertising that is targeted to a web page based on the page’s content, keywords, or category. Ads in most content networks are targeted contextually. cost per action (CPA): A form of advertising where payment is dependent upon an action that a user performs as a result of the ad. The action could be making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or asking for a follow-up call. An advertiser pays a set fee to the publisher based on the number of visitors who take action. Many affiliate programs use the CPA model. cost per click (CPC): Also called pay-per-click (PPC). A performance-based advertising model where the advertiser pays a set fee for every click on an ad. The majority of text ads sold by search engines are billed under the CPC model. cost per thousand (CPM): An ad model that charges advertisers every time an ad is displayed to a user, whether the user clicks on the ad or not.

The fee is based on every 1,000 ad impressions (M is the Roman numeral for 1,000). Most display ads, such as banner ads, are sold by CPM. geo-targeting: Delivery of ads specific to the geographic location of the searcher. Geo-targeting allows the advertiser to specify where ads will or won’t be shown based on the searcher’s location, enabling more localized and personalized results.

Googlebot: Google uses several user-agents to crawl and index content in the Google.com search engine. Googlebot describes all Google spiders. All Google bots begin with “Googlebot”;

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Below you will find commonly-used terms that every online marketer should know. Keep this list handy!

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for example, Googlebot-Mobile: crawls pages for Google’s mobile index; Googlebot-Image: crawls pages for Google’s image index. inbound link: An inbound link is a hyperlink to a particular web page from an outside site, bringing traffic to that web page. Inbound links are an important element that most search engine algorithms use to measure the popularity of a web page. invisible web: A term that refers to the vast amount of information on the web that isn’t indexed by search engines. Coined in 1994 by Dr. Jill Ellsworth. keyword: A word or phrase entered into a search engine in an effort to get the search engine to return matching and relevant results. Many websites offer advertising targeted by keywords, so an ad will only show when a specific keyword is entered. link bait: Editorial content, often sensational in nature, posted on a web page and submitted to social media sites in hopes of building inbound links from other sites. Or, as Matt Cutts of Google says, “something interesting enough to catch people’s attention.” link building: The process of getting quality websites to link to your websites, in order to improve search engine rankings. Link building techniques can include buying links, reciprocal linking, or entering barter arrangements. meta tags: Information placed in the HTML header of a web page, providing information that is not visible to browsers, but can be used in varying degrees by search engines to index a page.

Common meta tags used in search engine marketing are title, description, and keyword tags. pay per click (PPC): See cost per click (CPC). quality score: A score assigned by search engines that is calculated by measuring an ad’s clickthrough rate, analyzing the relevance of the landing page, and considering other factors used to determine the quality of a site and reward those of higher quality with top placement and lower bid requirements. Some factors that make up a quality score are historical keyword performance, the quality of an ad’s landing page, and other undisclosed attributes. All of the major search engines now use some form of quality score in their search ad algorithm. return on investment (ROI): The amount of money an advertiser earns from their ads compared to the amount of money the advertiser spends on their ads. search advertising: Also called paid search. An advertiser bids for the chance to have their ad display when a user searches for a given keyword.

These are usually text ads, which are displayed

SES § September 2010 {Chicago preview}

above or to the right of the algorithmic (organic) search results. Most search ads are sold by the PPC model, where the advertiser pays only when the user clicks on the ad or text link. search engine marketing (SEM): The process of building and marketing a site with the goal of improving its position in search engine results.

SEM includes both search engine optimization (SEO) and search advertising, or paid search. search engine optimization (SEO): The process of making a site and its content highly relevant for both search engines and searchers. SEO includes technical tasks to make it easier for search engines to find and index a site for appropriate keywords, as well as marketing-focused tasks to make a site more appealing to users. Successful search marketing helps a site gain top positioning for relevant words and phrases. search engine results pages (SERPs): The page searchers see after they’ve entered their query into the search box. This page lists several web pages related to the searcher’s query, sorted by relevance. Increasingly, search engines are returning blended search results, which include images, videos, and results from specialty databases on their SERPs. social media: A category of sites based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del. icio.us, social news sites like Digg or Reddit, and other sites that are centered on user interaction. spider: A search engine spider is a program that crawls the web, visiting web pages to collect information to add to or update a search engine’s index. The major search engines on the web all have such a program, which is also known as a “crawler” or a “bot.” title tag: An HTML meta tag with text describing a specific web page. The title tag should contain strategic keywords for the page, since many search engines pay special attention to the title text when indexing pages. The title tag should also make sense to humans, since it is usually the text link to the page displayed in search engine results. universal search: Also known as blended, or federated search results, universal search pulls data from multiple databases to display on the same page. Results can include images, videos, and results from specialty databases like maps and local information, product information, or news stories. web 2.0: A term that refers to a supposed second generation of Internet-based services. These usually include tools that let people collaborate and share information online, such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies.

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