Some companies have apprehensions about the efficacy of online advertising. Used effectively, the Internet is arguably one of the most interactive, direct response mediums available today. The key is to leverage the medium for what it does best--interaction and direct response. It’s about the right creative message in the right place. How do you make it work? Here's our top ten tips for an effective online advertising campaign:
1. Business Metrics: What are your objectives? How much does it cost to acquire a new customer? How are you measuring ROI? Determine your metrics for success.
2. Research: Develop a detailed profile of your target customers and research media to determine optimal sites to reach your audience.
3. Location, Location, Location: Placement is key. Grab your audience while they are in an environment they are interested in, leveraging another company's brand power.
4. Be Creative: Target your audience. Use different messaging relevant to each of your target audiences; ensure the creative fits the media. Work with the media properties to identify creative media opportunities--way beyond banners, to really capture your target. Develop creative based on the media plan (and not the reverse!)
5. Call to Action: You have less than 10 seconds to capture a potential customer's attention. Emphasize what's in it for them! A call to action such as "Download"; "Free trial"; "Buy"; "Only $9.95" help increase response rates; Make sure words such as are visible.
6. Landing Pages: After the user clicks on your ad, do they get sent to your home page only to get lost in your website? Landing pages that guide the customer from the ad through the transaction improve the user's experience, reduce attrition and increase conversion rates.
7. TEST, TEST, TEST: Test multiple creative messages and different placements to get the optimal combination and best results.
8. Third-party Tracking: To ensure data accuracy, use third party ad-serving tracking systems to compile the data so you can make changes and optimize your campaign effectively.
9. Diversify: Diversify and integrate search engine marketing, email, contextual and affiliate marketing for optimal results.
10. Resources: Sounds like a lot of work? You bet it is! Online marketing and optimization requires intense media management to plan, buy, measure, track and optimize the media. Be sure to get a good media partner to assist you with media expertise and negotiation buying clout, and allocate internal resources for a successful program.
Online Advertising - To learn more about this author, visit Michele Harris's Website.
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Michele Harris
(Visit Michele's Website)
Founder and President of SMARTi Solutions
(www.get
smarti.com), industry veteran Michele
Harris has spent 17 years developing
savvy, revenue-rich marketing and business
development programs for a client
portfolio that reads like a veritable
"Who's Who" among Fortune 500 companies
and the nation's premier advertising
agencies.
In 2001 Michele launched SMARTi Solutions,
a company that—in the span of five
years—has become the leading agency search
and business development firm for the
mid-size marketplace. Additionally, the
firm has received recognition, and a Small
Business Award, by the New York City
Mayor's Office for entrepreneurial and
business success.
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