Halloween—13 Hair-Raising Marketing Stats for this Holiday to Know

 

 

Photo by John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Halloween has become a prime retail holiday where billions of dollars will be spent on costumes, decorations and candy. It’s considered a “gateway” holiday to kick-off the busy holiday retail season. And retailers believe that sales for this holiday are a good indicator of what’s in store for the upcoming holidays. “Halloween has become the canary in the coalmine that helps retailers get a final holiday forecast. It’s not a big gift-giving holiday, but it is a big party time, and also indicates the consumer’s propensity to spend,” says Paula Rosenblum, co-founder and Managing Partner at RSR Research.

We’ve uncovered 13 stats that prove Halloween will be booming:

1. Halloween-related spending is expected to reach $11.3 billion. [ICSC]


2. 75% of US households plan to spend money on Halloween-related items this year—from spider webs and pumpkins to decorate the front yard to costumes and Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters. [eMarketer]


3. 34.2% of adults will use online search for inspiration for Halloween costumes. [statista]


4. 90% of households will select brick-and-mortar retail stores as their preferred venue for Halloween shopping and online. [ICSC]


5. $1.4 billion will be spent on adult costumes and 1.1 billion will be spent on children’s costumes. [NRF]


6. 23 million people will dress up their pets in costumes. [NRF]


7. 67% of adults plan to celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities. [NRF]


8. 81% adults surveyed feel that the state of the U.S. economy won’t   impact their Halloween plans. [NRF]


9. 8 out of 10 households plan to spend the same or more on Halloween compared to last year, with one out of five households planning to increase spending. [ICSC]


10. Consumers spend $21.05 per person on average on candy, with
    $2.2 billion spent on candy overall. [NRF]


11. 43.3% will begin shopping for Halloween the first two weeks of October. [NRF]


12. 34.2% of Americans shopping online for Halloween. [NRF]


13. Last year, nearly half (49 percent) of marketers surveyed suggested they would launch holiday campaigns before Halloween.  [Experian]

With such a favorable marketing forecast, you’ll want to get your marketing in gear to make the most of this pre-holiday period. Follow these simple tips to get started:

• Offer consumers enticing deals and coupons that represent good value to them.


• Be where your customers are—Halloween is as social a holiday as they get, be sure to engage with them on the platforms where they are most. Generate buzz around your store or product, have your fans post photos, have a contest or giveaway.


• Make sure your website is optimized for mobile shopping. Be sure to offer on the spot promotions or coupons.


• Start now to prepare your holiday ad campaigns, to launch right after Halloween. With such a short holiday season (only 26 days from Black Friday to Christmas Eve) the extra time could be crucial.

Make your holiday selling season a treat—start early and apply a few of these tricky tips to super-charge your seasonal sales!

If you’d like to get ahead of the competition, and start on your holiday campaign early, why not download our Step-by-Step Guide to Holiday Campaign Planning, to ensure your online advertising campaigns are in tip-top shape and super-charge your holiday season!

We want to know what you are doing to engage Halloween shoppers this year. Post them in the comments below or tweet us at @withNTENT.

Reflections of a Young Advertising Professional

Featured on Ad Club Insider. 

As The AD Club concludes the third week of the A&M Series, a seven-week course offering presentations from masters of the industry who are redefining our business, audiences have already gained tremendous insights and access to some of the brightest minds in advertising and marketing. Kicking off the series on October 7th, Michael Duda, Chief Executive Officer of Johannes Leonardo,  discussed the fundamentals of the business and how to transcend the hype.

Attendee Patricia Garcia, Marketing Assistant at NTENT, reflected on the valuable takeaways from the evening. Read more below!

Reflections of a Young Advertising Professional

As someone who works in marketing for a digital advertising start up, NTENT, my job is to take these learnings and implement them into our business model while we work to cement our brand. I look forward to applying what I learned from this discussion to internal conversations at my company and am eager to continue to develop as a young digital advertiser with The ADVERTISING Club of New York’s Advertising & Marketing Series. Here were my key takeaways:

The Advertising Space is Cluttered. 80% of CEOs think their products are different and one-of-a-kind, but only 8% of consumers agree with them. So what’s the issue? In our age of information, consumers are constantly being bombarded by messages from various companies all claiming to do the same thing, leading to a confusion of brands.

Your Brand is Everything. What is a brand? A brand is everything – your employees, mission statement, set of values, site and product experience. Even the intangible emotional aspects associated with a brand adds to your brand. Duda believes: the most potent marketing strategy is when your brand strategy equals your business strategy. In his opinion, a brand can be even more powerful and elevate a company further than the actual products.

• BRAND > PRODUCT
  
  
  
  • Duda explained that often times, a company’s brand or perceived value affects a consumer’s decision to purchase or not. You might have the best product in the world, but if nobody knows what it is or understands why they should want it, no one is going to buy it. 
  
  
  
  

• STORY > ATTRIBUTES.
  
  
  
  • Creating a good brand story can be even more effective in increasing sales than focusing solely on product attributes. TOMS is the perfect example of this—the brand has seen huge success by focusing less on their shoes and more on the fact that they will donate one pair for every pair sold.
  
  
  
  

• BRAND VALUE > SALES.
  
  
  
  • A brand’s perceived value can not only elevate sales, but can also be more valuable than sales generated. A Coca-Cola Executive explained that “if Coca-Cola were to lose all of its production-related assets in a disaster, the company would survive. By contrast, if all consumers were to have a sudden lapse of memory and forget everything related to Coca-Cola, the company would go out of business”.
  
  
  
  

It’s Easier to Create a Product Than to Convince People to Want it. A good brand strategy can help your business stand out from your competitors by adding value to your offer and connecting to and engaging with your consumers. Duda quoted Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, in saying that “it’s a lot easier to think of an app and write it than to convince people to buy it.”

View article on Ad Club Insider.

 

4 Spooky Cool Halloween Campaign Ideas

You’ve Got Great Content--Now What?

Featured on CMO.com

By Bill Drolet SVP Of Video Strategy And Sales NTENT

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Well, what about, “If you have great content and no one watches it or reads it, does it exist?”

In many ways, it may as well not exist–that’s how important having an effective distribution strategy is to video and content marketing. The field itself, still in its infancy, is described by content marketing guru Michael Brenner as “real content created for consumers by people who care about creating quality content.” He emphasizes that the audience needs to be top of mind when creating content. Anticipating what people will both want and need is key to editorial strategy. It is storytelling material that attracts an audience to a brand.

Content For The Right Audience
While Brenner makes a good point about the quality of the content, it is apparent to anyone who has produced content that quality is only half the battle. As we all know, consumers have become inured to a near-constant barrage of information. According to Nielsen’s US 2014 Digital Consumer Report, Americans now own four digital devices on average and spend 60 hours a week consuming content across multiple screens.

Despite those numbers, a study from Microsoft Research shows that users generally stay on a Web page for less than 20 seconds–unless the content is relevant to them and offers a clear value proposition.

So the question now is, how is it possible to ensure that your content is not just seen, but reaches the right audience?

Companies like Red Bull have made the most out of sharing and distributing unique video content. And most recently, Coca-Cola transformed the way content marketing works during real-time events with its World Cup-centered content marketing strategy. The company created and distributed video and editorial content that centered on how soccer (futbol) can be a source of social good and happiness around the world, giving the brand exposure to a worldwide audience.

The company did this by using an innovative strategy that didn’t necessarily push their product, but created goodwill by going on an 88-country tour and making documentary-style short films that portrayed local soccer teams from around the world, tailoring each film to each country. The content was pushed heavily on social media and fans were encouraged to share the content, participate in events, and converse with both the brand and other fans.

That’s just one example of a distribution strategy done right, but the key takeaway from Coca-Cola is that it’s more about how you promote your content than what exactly it is. You just have to be willing to venture outside your comfort zone.

The Importance Of Relevance
It’s no surprise that companies like Facebook, Apple, Hulu, and YouTube are frantically searching for as much contextual data as they can get their hands on. They understand the importance of relevance. In fact, a recent study found that that 74 percent of consumers grow aggravated with irrelevant content, even if it’s quality content.

Think about that for a second. You could have just released a video or posted something you find useful and engaging, but a consumer will actively become upset if it’s irrelevant to that consumer.

An effective content marketing strategy provides value to the end user, so the first crucial step is to target your content based on users' interests and ensure it’s something that is directly beneficial to them. Angering your audience with irrelevant content means they’re less likely to actually pay attention when you do have something tailored to their interests.

Another key factor to consider are your own marketing goals. What exactly is it that you’re trying to accomplish? Do you want to increase sign-ups to your site or reduce customer complaint calls? Create content that addresses those very issues, since it will also be relevant to your audience.

Remember that going viral doesn’t just happen. It’s planned with a well-thought-out content strategy, answering the question of what’s useful or entertaining in a fresh way that’s coordinated with social media, PR, and paid media strategy.

Location, Location, Location
All right, now you know that your content needs to be engaging and relevant. Where to go from here? Take a hint from the real-estate industry; it’s all about location, location, location. In order to enhance the odds that your content is getting placed in the right locations, you’ll need to move beyond traditional platforms and embrace the idea that you’ll need to post it across multiple platforms multiple times.

This means that your video on "the five best places for Java coffee in Boston" will need to be shared on social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter when your audience may want it--perhaps in the morning? Think about how you can utilize that content across other platforms as well. Could you take a snippet of the video and post to Instagram with relevant hashtags or share with your circle of followers on LinkedIn, asking them for their own recommendations?

Get creative with how and when you post content, and remember that there’s a fine line between offering good content and bombarding your audience with information. According to this handy infographic from SumAll, the most effective time to post to Facebook and Twitter is during the afternoon lull of 1 to 3 p.m. and for LinkedIn, right before the work day begins between 7 and 8:30 a.m. and again after work between 5 and 6 p.m. Don’t just post once or only to one platform.

Share the love and cross-pollinate to where your audience may find it relevant, and post again when it’s relevant. Not everyone will see it the first time or in the first place you post.
 
Targeting Groups And Subgroups
While demographics and category targeting are important, the ability to target topics, specifically subtopics, is the last and crucial step of creating a solid distribution strategy.

For example, if you know your audience is concerned with car safety, instead of targeting everyone within that umbrella category, create content that targets subgroups with topics like “car safety for families” or “safest cars for the urban-dweller.”

Targeting the interests of the subsets who are most active and who hold the most value to you can be difficult and time consuming, but choosing the right targeting partners and technologies is essential to the success of your distribution strategy. Tailoring content to these subgroups offers a better ROI for the time spent creating the content because you know that these groups are interested and the content is relevant to them.

To help marketers with this problem, emerging targeting technologies and cross-channel marketing strategies have become available in the form of semantic search technology.

Instead of relying solely on traditional keyword tagging, semantic search significantly improves accuracy and relevance by understanding the intent and context behind a query or phrase. The technology “thinks” about what you mean when you search for something, taking into account word variation, location and context of the search, giving you the most relevant and targeted results.

These new technologies can help you pinpoint where your audience is and what they’re looking for. Going back to the earlier example, if you’re creating content about Java coffee, you can be sure you’re targeting people who are searching for the beverage and not the software program or the island of Java.

Additionally, any content marketer should take advantage of paid and social media analytics tools like Hootsuite that can provide a cursory understanding of who and how to target. Audience reach is everything when it comes to deploying an effective distribution strategy. Go beyond just targeting, placement, and location; think about how partnerships for distribution could streamline the process of reaching an audience that normally wouldn’t come to you. This just sets the stage for a more in-depth conversation, but here are some other useful tips to keep in mind:

1. Plan your content ahead of time: Create an extensive (but flexible if necessary) editorial calendar that will help you keep tabs on what you’ll be posting and when. This will also help you stay on target and budget.

2. Remember, content promotion fails when it is trying to sell something: Make this about engagement, which will drive the audience back to your brand without pushing them away with an overt hard pitch.

3. Stay on top of SEO strategy and content tagging: You want your audience to find your content organically as they’re searching for what they need and want:

4. Search is about finding something: Discovery is about becoming aware of related content that matters to you in your search process; make sure you’re discoverable both ways.

Remember, content marketing may be king, but distribution is queen, and she’s the one calling the shots. Get creative with your distribution strategy and make it relevant, put it in the right places, and target the right topics. Your content–and your brand--will thank you.

About Bill Drolet

Bill Drolet is SVP of video strategy and sales at NTENT. He previously worked at The Weather Channel and Time Inc.

View Article on CMO.com

25 Holiday Stats to Spruce up your Holiday Campaigns

WEBINAR Video: Monetizing Content with Semantic Technologies

Want to learn what’s powering the intelligent web?

In partnership with the SemanticWeb.com, our CTO Gerald Burnand will take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of how the magic of semantic technology is unlocking the "context" of content, discovering the intent of website visitors and what it means for content owners, publishers, advertisers and the digital ecosystem.

What you will learn:

• How semantic technology helps online publishers monetize their content by surfacing relevant content and advertisements


• How semantics reduces errors and time spent by marketers when defining their campaigns; yielding better results for both advertisers and publishers


• How NTENTs’ platform automatically discovers the relationships between publisher's content and advertisements


• Take a walk–through of the semantic and linguistic processing of web pages

 

5 Spooktacular Marketing Ideas for Halloween

Everyone loves Halloween.  It’s the fun fall festivity that kicks-off the coming holiday season and reminds people that their favorite holiday is just around the corner (if it’s not Halloween).  Over the last decade, Halloween has turned into a “BOOming” consumer spending event that has grown to nearly $7.4 billion in sales according to the National Retail Federation.

The ghoulish holiday is not limited to costumes, candy and the odd decoration; the obsession with Halloween extends to many retail segments, including everything from toys to food to pet supplies. So whether or not your business has products that are directly related to Halloween, here are 5 ideas to get your business and customers “in the spirit”:

1) Get the Caldron Boiling with a Contest

At its core, Halloween is about dressing up in your favorite costume and showing off.  The exhibitionist nature of the holiday lends itself nicely to a contest, and with a mobile device in every hand, your customers could snap a photo or shoot a quick video for a chance to win some cool prizes. This user-generated content builds excitement among customers, generates online traffic and provides you with great content to share.

For example, a pet supply retailer might hold a pet costume contest. Entrants photograph a costumed dog, cat or other furry creature and submits the picture for a chance to win a year’s supply of pet toys and treats. The retailer would then promote the contest on their website, Facebook page, Twitter and potentially have their followers vote for the winner.

2) The Black Magic of Bundling

Bundling products together is a great way to sell items during the Halloween shopping season and attract curious site visitors. As an example, a specialty food supplier might offer Vampire Survival Kits that include a selection of pastas and garlic-rich sauces shipped with wooden bowls and stake-shaped utensils or an outdoor equipment merchant selling a Werewolf Hunting Kits, including red-lens flashlights, neck gaiters, and crossbows.

Start by reviewing your product line to see what items would make an interesting themed bundle, then go create some buzz on your social media channels, infuse into your online advertising campaigns and promote via email.

3) Give Your Customers a Treat

Find a low-cost product that's small and easy to ship with every Halloween order -- such as pumpkin carving kits or a simple face painting kit. These incitements will push reluctant customers to make purchases, and will help regular customers feel like they’re getting something special.

If your company doesn’t normally offer any Halloween-related products, these freebies will lend more credibility to your holiday-themed marketing.

4) Online Deals to Scream About

Give the recommendations above some added legs by injecting them into your online advertising campaigns.  Promote the bundles, leverage the pictures that your customers submitted and generate additional traffic to your contest.  All of this will increase interaction with your products and your brand in a fun, engaging way.

Then give them something to scream about by giving them an offer they cannot pass up like “Buy One, Get One Free” promotion or a “Save 30% On One Item” or “Free Shipping”.  Do not forget to create a Halloween themed code ("BOO2014") for tracking and ROI analysis and to promote via your social channels and online advertising campaigns.

5) Scare Up Some Local Business

Halloween is a holiday that brings communities together. Just look at trick or treating – what other holiday has kids knocking on neighbors’ doors asking for candy? This means it’s a great opportunity to promote your brand in the community. Host a creative pumpkin competition and invite customers to bring in their carved pumpkins into your store to display or keep your doors open on Halloween night and offer a special treat for the neighborhood kids and their parents.

We hope these ideas will keep you from being a marketing zombie and get your customers, employees and you into the Spooktacular swing of things!

Have more ideas to share?  Please post them or tweet them to us @withNTENT, so we can keep the conversation flowing.

 

 

 

 

13 Frightening marketing stats

Technology is ever changing and because of that, so is marketing. With Halloween just around the corner here are 13 frightening marketing statistics you may not know about!

1. 
   

     There is currently 7.2 billion mobile devices in the world, that’s more than the 7 billion people living here!  (Independent)

   
   


2. 
   

   Consumers engage with native ads 4.1 times per session compared to 2.7 times for banner ads. (Search Star)

   
   


3. 
   

    48% of Webs users start their internet experience by using a search engine. (Smartinsights)

   
   


4. 
   

   Mobile Web Traffic accounted for about 27% of web traffic in 2013, up from 18% in 2012. (Smartinsights)

   
   


5. 
   

    The average click through rate for display ads is about 0.1%. (Hubspot)

   
   


6. 
   

   83% of organic search goes to the first 3 links, with the first link taking 59%. (Search Engine Watch)

   
   


7. 
   

   Only 15% of Paid Search Is clicked on over organic Search. (Search Engine Watch)

   
   


8. 
   

   46% of consumers say they are less likely to comparison shop when on mobile. (adknowledge)

   
   


9. 
   

   45% of online users view a video online each day (Video Brewery)

   
   


10. 
    

    Video Ads have the highest engagement rates yielding 36% higher than display and text ads. (Digiday)

    
    


11. 
    

    Two Thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2016 (B2C)

    
    


12. 
    

    Television advertising is expected to be surpassed by online ads in 2016 reaching 35% of total ad spending. (Forbes)

    
    


13. 
    

    For the first time in 20 years, total household television has decreased (Nielsen)

    
    

 

Holiday Events and Planning Cheat Sheet

Halloween Search Trends

NTENT Uncovers New Audience Segments for Dr. Praeger’s

Learn how NTENT’s patented semantic search technology introduced Dr. Praeger’s meatless food options to consumer segments beyond vegetarians. By targeting content related to fitness, nutrition and fostering healthy eating habits in children, this campaign drove 95% unique visitors to the corporate website and resonated with parents, people who exercise and health-conscious audiences.

Click to view the case study.

 

3 Scary Reasons Why Your Content Marketing Strategy Will Fail

10 Steps to Holiday Campaign Planning

Our month-by-month holiday campaign planing guide will help ease that overwhelming feeling you might have by giving you monthly goals to make sure your campaigns are in tip-top shape as you head into the holidays this year.

Download the Guide here:ntent.com/guide-holiday-campaign-planning/ 

 

Advertising Week 2014 Highlights from NTENT's POV

Advertising Week, where 95,000 industry professionals converged together in NYC for four days to attend over 250 panels and events. Want to know what topics were sizzling? Get the inside scoop with NTENT's view. 

 

IAB MIXX AWARDS PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE

IAB MIXX AWARDS PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE

If you missed out on the IAB MIXX Awards of 2014, no worries NTENT has got you covered with all the winners!

Judges selected the best interactive marketing content for each category to unveil what works in today’s digital age. What might surprise you is the role that technology played in this year’s digital campaigns. Check out the winners of this year’s 2014 IAB MIXX Awards:

The ‘Best in Show’ goes to Chipotle Mexican Grill’s “The Scarecrow Campaign” winning the ‘Brand Awareness and Positioning’ award as well as  the ‘Brand Content’ award.

For ‘Brand Utility’, Nike takes the cake with their new “Nike SB App”.

For ‘Cross Media Integration’, Cover Girl receives the award with the latest partnership of “The Hunger Games”. By combining the latest in movie culture with their brand—they bring the movie “The Hunger Games” to life!

For the best ‘Data-Inspired Creative’, Ubisoft uses shocking and revealing data to promote their new game.

For the greatest ‘Interactive’ video, Ken Burns wins the vote with their new app that allows users to compare scenes of their films together to see just how they interrelate.

QoL Devices get the gold for the ‘Mobile’ award with their Alvio Mobile Device that helps kids improve their lung health with intuitive games using such a device.

Coca-Cola won the hearts of the judges with their “America is Beautiful” campaign combining multi-cultural aspects of America into one commercial.

The winner of the ‘Product Launch’ award goes to Wendy’s for its unique “Pretzel Bacon Cheese Burger Love Songs” campaign.

The greatest ‘Public Service’ award goes to Cancer Council NSW with their “I Touch Myself” campaign through an anthem tribute to breast cancer.

And finally, ‘Social’! “Dallas Pets Alive” won the award using a very creative social campaign “#Muttbombing” where they placed rescue dogs in need of new homes into people’s very own selfies! Promoting the need to adopt pets.

Did you miss the 7th annual IAB Leadership Conference? get the Recap here!

Why B2B Marketers Need to Embrace Native Advertising

By Helen Grimshaw, Senior Vice President of B2B Sales at NTENT

Though questions remain about how to define native advertising and use it to reach the right audience, most B2B marketers agree on native advertising's importance, especially as it is replacing traditional advertising.

Defining Native Advertising

Native advertising can be best described as a form of paid media that seamlessly integrates with the form and function of a site to contribute value to the user experience.

Need an example of native advertising? Imagine online ads about the latest in faucet technology running alongside a how-to article about fixing a leaky faucet. You also may see ads for your local home improvement store or handyman beside the article.  Though native advertising now is used by the biggest consumer brands in the world, B2B marketers also have realized that they can use native advertising effectively.

B2B marketers can no longer rely solely on traditional ads.

What About Banner Ads?

In just a few years, banner ads have become ineffective; audiences have been conditioned to tune them out. The efficacy of traditional Internet display advertising, such as banners and pop-up ads, has become almost nonexistent, according to Solve Media.

In 2000, the banner click-through rate was 9%. Currently, it stands at a paltry .2%, plummeting 4,500% in just the past decade.

In contrast, here are some of the latest stats about native advertising from Business Intelligence.

• 52% of people who click on native ads have purchase intent compared to only 34% for banner ads.


• 70% want to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertising.


• 75% of publishers already offer some type of native advertising, with 90% saying they either have or will consider it.

Those statistics show how native advertising can help reach the right audience with the right message at the right time to influence buying behavior.

What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Native Advertising

So, how do you use native advertising the right way? What does a B2B marketer need to know before publishing content and ads on third-party sites?

You need to remember two things:

1. Placement—Go where your audience lives.


2. Relevance—Be useful to your audience.

Placement

The old joke in the real estate business is that it's all about location, location, location. Similarly, the placement of your native advertising is key to its effectiveness. For example, Relendex, a secured peer-to-peer lending company, was looking for an online vehicle to target its audience and build awareness efficiently. The company wanted to "meet" and educate prospects about the intricacies of funding and investing.

Relendex's strategy [PDF] was to use its existing educational content and partner with Property Week, a commercial property magazine with a large audience of lenders and borrowers—the influencers that Relendex wanted to target. The publication co-branded webpages with Relendex's content using semantic ad targeting technology. It encouraged readers to click on educational links via a "related company sources" widget that led traffic to Relendex's site.

Not only did the links create value for the reader, but the results were astounding. With more than 500,000 branded impressions in just four months, Relendex received more than 3,000 visits from Property Week readers alone. The drive in traffic also helped boost SEO on critical search terms, such as "peer-to-peer lending mortgage," which bumped up to the top 10 rank on Google and positioned Relendex as a thought leader in the industry—all from prioritizing the location of its content.

Relevance

Placement may be the first key to effective native advertising, but relevance is just as crucial to its success. If the publisher's overall editorial goals are in line with your product or service, then integrating ads or relevant content that enhances the user experience makes sense.

One example of the power of relevance [PDF] comes from a division of Delta Airlines, Delta TechOps, a full-service aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company. The organization's challenge was not just in being seen as an exclusive maintenance service for Delta Airlines but becoming the premier destination for any airline seeking MRO services. The company created a dedicated site that showcased its solutions and educated other airliners, but it needed a way to bring relevant ads to its audience.

Delta TechOps employed native advertising by targeting Flightglobal, an online news and information provider for the aviation and aerospace industries. Semantic search technology made it possible to create the connection between Flightglobal's articles to Delta TechOps's own related content. That meant users who visited Flightglobal would receive only the most relevant material from Delta TechOps based specifically on what they were reading at that exact moment, lending value to Flightglobal's audience while generating traffic for the Delta TechOps site. In one year, Delta TechOps's content led to a marked increase of 5,400 qualified visits from Flightglobal readers alone.

* * *

Even as native advertising's definition remains opaque, its reach and importance will only increase as the world of B2B advertising shifts and becomes more niche. As a B2B marketer, knowing where to place your ads and how they are relevant to your audience is vital to an ROI-driven strategy.

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2014/26145/why-b2b-marketers-need-to-embrace-native-advertising#ixzz3F14AbLva

3 Scary Reasons Why Your Content Marketing Strategy Will Fail

You’ve heard it over and over before: “content is king” and a great content marketing strategy will work miracles in converting leads and driving sales. So why is it that only 42% of B2B and 34% of B2C content marketers in North America consider their marketing strategy to be effective? Now, that’s a scary statistic! Here are 3 reasons why your content marketing strategies are failing and easy tips on how to fix them:

 

1. Your content is all about you. Content marketing is all about giving customers what they want or need. Content that solely relates to your business, products, or services does not connect with consumers or have the same “shareable” factor as videos, educational blog posts, or how-to-guides. If you want your content to travel, you need to create it with your target audience’s interests in mind, while keeping true to your industry and company vision. According to Econsultancy, 94% of marketers and 90% of agencies agree that “personalization of the web experience is critical to current and future success.” In fact, 61% of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom content and are more likely to buy from that company. So how can you appeal to your audience? Think about their needs and how you can position yourself as the solution or a knowledgeable industry leader with insights they will benefit from. Be on the lookout for industry news and trends and create content that relates to them. It’s all about teaching, not selling. 

 

2. You’re not simplifying your message. On average, your readers will only read 28% of the words on a page. Can you tell your story or get your message across in 3-4 sentences? Probably not. It is important to create content that is quick, informative, and to the point. Two easy ways to do so is by (1) creating a list or (2) using data visualization. Readers LOVE lists. Why? Because they make readers’ lives easier by prioritizing and shortening content, and catching their eye in an otherwise lengthy stream of content. Lists also make it easier for readers to scan through content while easily ingesting the gist of the overall story. Try summarizing and breaking down your content into 3-5 bullet points. Another great way to simplify content is by creating a visual representation of your data or story. A great way to do so is with an infographic. Visual data provides consumers with relief from today’s era of information overload. The use of visualized information on the Internet has increased 9900% since 2007! By conveying your message in a visually appealing way, you can make people more likely to support your cause, share your message, or buy your product.

 

3. You haven’t added video to the mix. Video is taking content marketing by storm. After all, YouTube is the number two search engine in the world! Nielson expects that in the near future, 64% of marketers will have video dominating their strategies. Today, 96% of US consumers find videos helpful when making purchase decisions online and nearly ¾ are more likely to purchase a product or service if they can watch a video explaining it beforehand. In fact, a new report from Invodo reveals that online shoppers who view video are nearly two times (1.8) more likely to make a purchase compared to shoppers who did not watch a video. Think video production costs are too high for small businesses? Think again. These days you no longer have to be a technical genius or have a huge budget in order to create promotional videos, with apps and websites such as Vine, Animoto and Instagram at your disposal. These apps not only make it easy for you to create great video content, but also socialize it across multiple channels, both online and on mobile devices. If you want your video marketing strategy to succeed, it is important to create content that you would like to share as an audience. Connect with your consumers by appealing to their interests. Follow these tips for developing successful online video strategies.

 

These three mistakes might spell doom for your content strategy, but if you follow the easy steps we outlined above, you are sure to succeed. Remember to appeal to your consumers’ interests and needs, simplify your message, and add videos to your content marketing mix. For more tips, check out these other content marketing mistakes to avoid.

 

Have more to add to the list? Share them in the comments section! 

Get Your Pink On!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Times Square is turning PINK along with the help of EBeauty.com!

This October 1st, 2014, EBeauty.com will sponsor the first annual Lighting Times Square Pink. From dawn-to-dusk on the first, there’ll be an array of events to benefit EBeauty, and a kick-off of the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” that takes place in Central Park on October 19^th, 2014. ABC Good Morning America will be present at the affair, conducting various events, which they will broadcast on their television show that morning. Along with many companies, NTENT will also be on hand that day in support of this very worthy event!  

For those unfamiliar with EBeauty, it is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charitable organization, which was founded in 2007 by Carolyn Callahan Keller to assist women undergoing treatment for cancer. EBeauty sponsors various community programs including a Wig Exchange Program that donates wigs to women who could otherwise not afford a wig during their cancer treatment.

A spectacular array of events is scheduled for the day, beginning with the 1st Times Square Lighting—in pink, of course! More fun includes, makeovers, yoga, pink popcorn and more. On the healthful side, the American Italian Cancer Foundation’s Mobile Care Clinic will be accessible for free breast cancer screenings for qualified women, and one can register for the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk”, as well.

The fun continues later in the evening, with the EBeauty Times Square Goes Pink Lighting Ceremony with pink wands, pink wigs and pink suits courtesy of Ricky’s NYC. The evening ends with a Wine and Pink Roses cocktail reception (RSVP required).

The lighting of Times Square Pink will act as a beacon of hope for all those families in their time of need. With over 400,000 people passing through “the Cross Roads of the World” everyday, the lighting of Times Square Pink will represent the single largest display of support for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the world.

Brilliant, EBeauty, brilliant!

Innovation, Technology and Disruption: The Must-Attend Events of NY Advertising Week 2014

By: Kerstin Recker, VP of Marketing and Business Development at NTENT 

It’s almost here: Advertising Week 2014, the week-long congregation that brings together 90,000 industry professionals to the streets of New York – and hosts a litany of impressive events that boast big names and even bigger ideas.

Scattered throughout New York City, Advertising Week’s events (Sept. 29-Oct. 3) shed light into some of the most pressing issues, concerns and emerging trends in the industry, with a particular focus on programmatic, mobile, and video disruption this year. As consumer tastes shift and technologies evolve at lightning speed, it’s more crucial than ever to stay ahead of the curve. With so many panels and events to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to begin, though the themes of innovation, technology and disruption arise repeatedly. Below are several exemplary events that highlight those values, along with some thoughts on how any digital marketer can gather some invaluable insight:

 

• Masters of Monetization: Mobile (Monday, Sept. 29, Times Center Hall, 11:30am). Finding a way to monetize mobile has become one of the hottest topics for discussion in the past few years, and leading practitioners in the field discuss how best to achieve return on investment (ROI) in the burgeoning mobile market.

 

• Inside the Programmatic Ring (Monday, Sept. 29, NASDAQ MarketSite, 1:30pm). If programmatic advertising (using software to purchase digital advertising) is seen as the next great wave of efficiency in the industry, then why is it still so little-understood? According to the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester, only 23% of client-side marketers understand the concept.  This must-see panel will help clear up the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding 2014’s hottest topic in advertising by featuring leaders in the field debating its merits, and how it can (and will) shape growth in the future

 

• Where the Cookie Crumbles: Solving the Cross-Device Problem (Monday, Sept. 29, Times Center Hall, 2:00pm). In this day and age, as consumers switch between a variety of devices throughout the day, it’s nearly impossible for marketers to reach them at every touch point. Just a few years ago, tracking cookies gave marketers a sense of what people wanted and when, but as cookies simply don’t work on mobile, there’s a sense of urgency in reaching them now more than ever. This panel features innovators and experts  (including the managing director for the ad platform Atlas on Facebook,) who will focus on how the advertising and marketing industries are combating the issue, and what you’ll need to know for it.

 

• Future.Video.3.0 (Wednesday, Oct. 1, Times Center Hall, 9:00am). Nowadays, it seems that every brand is utilizing short-form content to reach an increasingly wary consumer base. But are they using it well? The explosive growth of video to tell a story is fueled by breakthroughs in audience targeting, and this panel of experts discuss what’s to come in the future for this recent trend.

 

• Hey, What’s Up: How Mobile Messaging is Changing the Face of Advertising (Wednesday, Oct. 1, B.B. King Blues Club, 3:00pm). Private messaging has overtaken social media in some ways, becoming the preferred way for consumers to share content and communicate with each other. While this is not necessarily a new phenomenon, this panel delves into the way marketers can tap into consumers on these messaging platforms, a space they have not previously been able to break into.

 

• Creating Great Creative with Neuro: Now That’s What I Call Brain Science (Thursday, Oct. 2, The Microsoft Stage, 10:30am). This panel could almost be the subject of its own TED talk: Industry experts sit down to discuss how to develop an emotional connection to your consumer using neuroscience-based solutions.  Sure to be a fascinating and enlightening panel.

 

• From Start to Finish: Content Distribution (Thursday, Oct. 2, Lucille’s at B.B. King Blues Club, 1:00pm). This event focuses solely on content marketing and native advertising, quite possibly the most influential (and least-understood) topics in advertising and marketing right now.  Specifically, this event promises to hone in on the end user and what it is they’re seeking from brand-based content.

 

These are just a few of the 250+ events happening this year, all at a critical time of change in the advertising industry. The full agenda is available on the official event page: http://www.advertisingweek.com/calendar/. Which events are you most looking forward to?

Step-By-Step Guide to Holiday Campaign Planning

Don't let the holidays sneak up on you (again) this year!

It’s hard to believe that marketers all across the country have already begun their holiday campaign planning.  Without a doubt, getting your mindset into the “holiday spirit” is a challenge with summer winding down and fall about to begin—the truth is, savvy marketers are already busy plotting their online retail strategy ensuring that they are one step ahead of the rest.

Don’t let the holidays sneak up on you this year. Each passing day is bringing us closer to the busiest online shopping season: Last year, online sales reached over $61.8 billion in November and  December. The National Retail Federation expects a 12% increase in online retail sales this year! It might be painful to think about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the last minute Christmas Bonanza now, but it’s important to jump on the holiday bandwagon early. Advanced planning can position your business for online success, more sales and more joy as you head into 2015!

Download our exclusive guide to get insights and optimization tips to help you create and execute an impactful holiday campaign.

IAB’s Definition of "Illegitimate Activity" in "Anti-Fraud Principles" Needs Clarification

The principles could help form an industry-wide standard of what illegitimate traffic is, but experts say the definition of "illegitimate activity" requires further explanation.

In an effort to combat malware and stamp out fraudulent ad traffic in the digital ecosystem, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a collection of "Anti-Fraud Principles." But while the guidelines will help treat the symptoms of the ad fraud issue, many say they're not comprehensive enough to solve the problem, especially because companies view "illegitimate activity" differently.

The IAB's principles require publishers, ad networks, and exchanges to "implement technological and business practices to identify ad bots and illegitimate human activity, and prevent such traffic from being sold." They should also provide "assurances to buyers" that inventory is from a "legitimate" source.

"It's a good start in trying to wrangle in a very complex issue in the digital ecosystem to ensure that advertisers actually reach 'real humans,'" says Bill Drolet, senior vice president (SVP) of video platform sales at NTENT, a semantic search technology company.

But according to Drolet, the problem is that currently each industry participant defines and views instances of "illegitimate activity" in different ways.

"One company will say you have 60 percent 'good' traffic, while another can say you have only 40 percent. And it's difficult to know who to believe," he explains, adding that making the situation worse, companies usually don't share data details that show where the "bad" traffic comes from.

It seems that in order to get everyone on the same page, one unified definition of illegitimate traffic is necessary. "The principles are the start of a framework from which advertisers and sellers can build on," Drolet notes.

Craig Simmons, manager of product strategies and operations at Exponential, a global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions, agrees that the IAB anti-fraud initiative can help build an industry standard of "illegitimate activity," but "needs to progress a little further."

For example, he notes the definition of "illegitimate human activity," especially "incentivized browsing," requires further explanation.

According to the IAB, "illegitimate human activity" includes "incentivized browsing," or "a human user that is offered payment or benefits to view or interact with ads," as well as "AdWare traffic," a device "where a user is present and additional HTML or ad calls are made by the AdWare independently of the content being requested by the users."

Both are pay-for-play tactics that can hurt ad buyers and sellers, because the ads may not actually be seen by the audience that marketers are trying to reach.

"Imagine that you are paying to market a new car, and your engagement rates are through the roof. Upon looking at the click data a little more closely, you'd be horrified if you found out that most of the data was coming from a kid's game with repeated clicks," explains Drolet.

But although incentivized browsing and AdWare traffic are deceptive, there's little legal action taken toward "bad actors," according to industry participants.

"It's just hard to drop a line on what is or is not fraud," Simmons notes. "Incentivized browsing totally disregards what the brand message is. But my problem with the incentivized browsing principle here in the guideline is: What is advertising? Advertising, and therefore 'incentivized browsing,' keeps the Internet free. The wording may be a little tricky because it's tough to draw a line in the sand."

Most free content providers are supported by their users viewing ads when they are streaming online videos or listening to music, continues Simmons. "Should we call this 'incentivized browsing?' So the question becomes how will 'incentivized' be defined? That said, this is still a great first step for the IAB."

Drolet thinks the bottom line is if a publisher decides to give a user an "incentive," it needs to be transparent. "If you are offering coins for a video game or a discount on a purchase to incentivize consumers to watch or read content, that needs to be transparent," he says. "It's not illegal, but it just needs to be clear that that's the audience you are placing your ads in front of."

Mike Zaneis, executive vice president of public policy and general counsel at the IAB, tells ClickZ that although not all incentivized browsing and AdWare traffic are fraudulent, they can be a red flag for publishers or ad network.

"Those definitions are unlikely to change," he says. "But we will probably refine these categories to be more explicit types of adware or incentivized browsing that is fraudulent or illegitimate or deceptive."ead the Full Story - IAB’s Definition of "Illegitimate Activity" in "Anti-Fraud Principles" Needs Clarification

The Rise of OTT Messaging is Disrupting Consumer Engagement and Content Distribution

By Colin Jeavons, CEO and Founder at NTENT

OTT messaging services such as WhatsApp, Viber or BBM messenger operate over an Internet connection, giving users access to free and fast communication.  Use has exploded in popularity , officially taking over SMS messages as the primary way to communicate.  According to the GSMA, over 50 billion app-based messages will be sent every day this year compared to just 21 billion “regular” SMS text messages, with the average user sending more than 36 messages via OTT apps daily.

This disruption is presenting new revenue models on mobile, which have huge implications for brands and content providers. From a content discovery distribution standpoint, this can be frightening because consumers are opting for a direct one-to-one or one-to-many communication platform, injected primarily with the content they’ve elected to share. So what’s in the foreseeable future for advertisers? All signs point to strategic partnering with OTT messaging providers to reach consumers when they are most engaged – it’s clear that only using closed destination models, i.e. SMS, just won’t cut it for the future.

While advertisers may jump at the opportunity to advertise via OTT messaging, it shouldn’t be disruptive in any way to the user. Content that gets in the way of messaging, rather than assisting it (or at the very least being relevant), will irritate users. An example of a partnership that understands this concept very well is the one between cartoonists in Korea and the game-based OTT messaging platform, KakaoTalk. They’ve partnered to provide branded badges and product-related emoticons for consumers to share that clearly displays the brand’s logos, but offers entertainment value to the user. KakaoTalk and the cartoonists employ a model where revenues are split based on user engagement (i.e. usage of sponsored emoticons), meaning both sides win as users engage with and enjoy using the extra content.

Integrating new technologies into distribution models will be key to getting content in front of the right audience. Push notifications, recommendation engines, and real-time suggestions based on conversations are quickly becoming methods of distribution for reaching consumers in the most engaged environments. If you are a content creator wishing to reach consumers in a meaningful way, you must deliver messaging in a relevant manner to consumers in their channel of choice. It’s all about offering useful and personalized content. Once you’ve reached them in the right place, effectively monetizing that content and exposing them to your brand becomes much easier and lucrative.

Many companies are already well positioned for this new trend – Facebook, WeChat, Alibaba/Tango, Kakao, Line, Kik and BBM – are actively adjusting their models. The question now lies in what needs to be taken into consideration today when thinking about future monetization. A successful OTT content distribution campaign will be one that consumers ultimately enjoy while encouraging advertisers to think outside the box. It’s all about enhancing the messaging experience with relevant content and driving value to the user. In a world of big data and the Internet of Things, it’s not about what users may want, it’s what they can discover.

Read More - The Rise of OTT Messaging is Disrupting Consumer Engagement and Content Distribution

 

Context or Bust: The Road to Reaching Consumers More Effectively

By Bill Drolet, Senior Vice President of Video Platform Sales at NTENT

When the content you are marketing to consumers is irrelevant, you run the risk of having your brand leave a bad taste in their mouths — or in the worst case scenario, consumers will simply block you altogether. Take this as an example: you log onto Facebook and see a slew of suggested (sponsored) posts taking over your newsfeed. Many of these posts may not have anything to do with what you’re interested in – or even worse, you find them creepy or disturbing. These instances are minor annoyances for users, but they can have great repercussions for advertisers.

In advertising, personalizing campaigns, content and videos to appeal to users’ interests is an increasingly significant consideration. According to Econsultancy, 94% of marketers and 90% of agencies agree that “personalization of the web experience is critical to current and future success.” One way to make it ‘personal’ is by focusing on context – getting an ad to someone at the right place and time. A brand can have an ad that is tailored specifically for a person, but if it’s not delivered correctly, it can make all the difference in how an ad is received. When thinking about context, consider three things: site placement, relevance, and platform.

Read the full story - Context or Bust: The Road to Reaching Consumers More Effectively

NTENT Joins the Great Debate at Advertising Week: Masters of Monetization: Mobile

 

Each year Advertising Week brings together the best and brightest minds in the industry to reveal changes and emerging trends in the marketing and advertising industry. This year, NTENT™ is thrilled to be joining the discussion and covering the event. In fact, Colin Jeavons, President and CEO of NTENT™, a rapidly growing semantic search technology company that provides enhanced semantic search and content discovery platforms, will join the panel of experts for the  session  "Masters of Monetization: Mobile", Monday, September 29, at 11:30 am EST during Advertising Week 2014. 

 

Romy Newman, Head of Digital Advertising at WSJ, will lead the panelist in a lively debate that discusses ROI in the burgeoning mobile ecosystem. Joining Jeavons on stage will be: Bill Blummer, SVP at Keek, Djamel Agaoua, CEO of MOBPARTNER, Monica Ho, SVP of Marketing at xAd and Alex Linde, SVP of Monetization at the Weather Channel.

 

"This debate will go a long way toward answering a vital question for marketers regarding the future of monetization and content distribution on mobile," said Jeavons.  "Mobile, specifically, OTT messaging and social media, are rapidly changing the way people communicate, share and discover content. This has huge implications for content creators and advertisers. At the end of the day, these constituents must adapt their strategies to reach consumers where they are spending the majority of their time. I'm honored to have been selected as  a panelist, and expect an insightful session."

 

Stay up-to-date on what is happening at Advertising Week and what’s shaking at NTENT™ by following us @withntent.

 

Contact Kerstin Recker for questions  about this panel or NTENT.

 

About NTENT

NTENT enhances cross-channel digital experiences by matching content to consumers’ passions and interests. NTENT leverages its proprietary semantic search and natural language technology to provide relevant experiences for consumers, as well as enhanced monetization opportunities for marketers, content providers, carriers, app developers and distribution partners. NTENT has an established record of success with innovative solutions in search, video, messaging, mobile and marketing, and has already been implemented by major online publishers and global brands such as Meredith Corporation and Taunton Media. Learn more about NTENT at http://www.NTENT.com. 

3 Misconceptions about Click-Through-Rates

As a marketer, you’ve probably heard the term “click-through-rate,” or CTR, before. You know it is an important metric to pay attention to with an online advertising campaign. Generally, the belief is that that the higher a CTR, the better the campaign performed. But does a high click-through-rate really equal campaign success? What does a “click-through-rate” really mean?

A click-through-rate is the ratio of clicks your ads receive to the number of ad impressions

CTR = (clicks/impressions) x 100%

Today, more and more marketers are running multi-platform campaigns. Each of these individual efforts ties into each other and drives a consumer further down the sales funnel over time. If you are only looking at CTR and not relating it to your other campaigns, you are not getting the most out of your marketing initiatives. For example, if you are looking to drive traffic, then the main metric of success isn’t CTR, but time spent on site. There are several misconceptions about CTR and just how important of a metric it is. For the essence of clarity, here are the top 3 misconceptions about CTR.

Misconception #1: A high CTR is everything. 

A CTR lets you know how many people are clicking on your ad. A CTR is important when running any online advertising campaign because it can determine whether or not your ads will be shown. Most online advertising platforms, such as Google AdWords, Facebook, and Bing, use CTR to determine your quality score. The ads that are clicked on the most are deemed the most relevant to a consumer’s query and therefore have a higher quality score and are shown more often, in a better position. If your ads have a low CTR, not only are they not getting clicked on, but they are also not showing up as much as they should, limiting your audience.

A higher CTR can also mean a lower cost-per-click. However, a CTR is not the end all be all when determining the success of a campaign. A CTR only tells you the number of times your ad is clicked on. It doesn’t tell you what happens after someone clicks on your ad—whether they engage with your brand, spend time on your website, or convert into customers or subscribers.  A CTR doesn’t tell you the quality of your visitor either, for example a single click can originate from malicious bots. Combat click fraud with this checklist. It is important to also pay attention to other metrics such as bounce rates, time spent on site, pages visited, and conversions to determine the overall success of an online campaign and optimize accordingly. A CTR is only one piece of the puzzle.

Misconception #2: There is an average CTR.

Average CTRs vary by industry. Some industries are more competitive than others and each industry has an average CTR so you should be measuring your click-through-rate accordingly. As you continue to optimize your online advertising campaigns, you will notice that your CTR will improve beyond your industry average.

Average CTRs also vary depending on the style of the ad (search ads, display ads, etc.) and the advertising platform you might be using (AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, mobile ads.) The audience and targeting, B2B or B2C, branded or non-branded, ad copy and creative messaging (CTA), type of offer, display URL, and keywords placed in the search funnel can also affect CTRs. Average CTRs may also vary depending on campaign goals, language, and distribution. All of these factors determine what CTR you should aim to have. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB,) “there is no reliable service that tracks CTR [as a] CTR is highly subject to creative effectiveness which is very campaign specific.” So if you think your CTR is too low, remember a good CTR is relative and you might be in line with the average you are looking for.

Misconception #3: A high CTR will lead to more sales.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while a high CTR is a good thing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will lead to more sales. There are several factors that can contribute to a conversion and several other metrics you should be paying attention to. Think of your website as your virtual store. A high CTR can bring multiple people to your store, but if it is not inviting, or hard to navigate, if it does not have the prices or products consumers are looking for, they will leave (or bounce) and not buy anything. Entice consumers with appealing web design and great content on your site. These factors are not to be overlooked because they help boost your conversions, and if done correctly, will help move consumers further through the sales funnel.

 

Conclusion

A click-through-rate is an important metric to keep track of in order to gauge which ads are attracting the most clicks and are therefore shown preference by search engines, but by no means does this measurement determine the overall success of your campaign. As a marketer, you must pay attention to engagement metrics, as well as CTR and conversion rates, in order to fully optimize your digital marketing campaigns.

Are you committed to making your campaign a success? Follow these 6 Keys to Paid Search Marketing Success and share your thoughts and opinions on CTR in the comments section!