5 COMMON ONLINE MARKETING MISCONCEPTIONS TO D R O P IN 2014 TO DRIVE REVENUE
Introduction The world of online marketing is constantly changing and can be overwhelming to keep up with. What drove success in 2013 may not necessarily increase revenue in 2014. In this ebook, we have compiled the top 5 common online marketing misconceptions for SEO, Paid Search, Social Media, Email and Affiliate marketing along with the realities for successfully increasing the ROI of your online marketing efforts.
SEO Misconception Businesses should write content around specific keywords within their industry and product offerings and report on these rankings to effectively measure ROI.
Reality While keywords and product offerings are important, companies that develop a strong content marketing plan focused on generating content that answers the needs and concerns of your buyer personas will enable search engines to index your site for related queries that work to drive targeted traffic to your site. Data of B2B marketers use content marketing of B2C marketers use content marketing Content creation ranked as the single most effective SEO tactic by 53% of marketers Source: Marketing Sherpa 2013 Source: emarketer 2013 The biggest change in SEO is the fallout from Hummingbird and the insistence by Google that companies not "do SEO, but instead focus on an optimal user experience which will result in higher rankings. Many companies write their site content focused on internal jargon instead of end user language; this will be a fundamental shift for many forcing them to take a step back and really understand their target audience and personas. This will lead to an overall shift for many companies in how they position not only their website but all produced content, which in the end will improve the users experience which is after all what Google says it wants. Nessa Felleson, Lead SEO Strategist NordicClick Interactive
Paid Search Misconception An effective paid search strategy utilizes the majority of the budget on text ads on the Google Search Network. =
Reality The Google Search Network is only one-fourth of the available ad space on Google. A more effective paid search strategy is founded on the diversification of ad placement to test shopping, display and video ads and will ensure your brand is visible during all stages of the buying cycle. Data A consumer who is exposed to both text ads and PLAs is more likely to +77% +90% +73% Visit Website Visit Product Page Add to Cart www. +75% +83% +20% Make a Purchase Search for Brand Click Store Locator than a consumer who is exposed to only text ads. Source: Google Think Insights 2013 Product Listing Ads are typically less expensive than clicks on text ads, and work to attract visitors looking to purchase a product online. By featuring an image of the product these ads stand out from the on-page copy and work in tandem with text ads. Rachele Cermak Lead PPC Strategist NordicClick Interactive
Social Misconception In order to successfully implement a social media marketing plan, a business only has to develop a posting calendar to push out content to all social channels on a regular basis. Content Calendar
Reality While pushing out content on a regular basis is important, measuring the effectiveness of the messaging in the social channels will propel the level of engagement with your customers and prospects by allowing you to generate more of the type of content they re interested. Know Your KPI s Weekly KPIs Base %Increase Goal Current %Goal Complete Posts 14 17 Comments 63 10% 69 52 75% Reshares 180 10% 198 163 82% Plusses 6.4 10% 664 486 73% Conversion rate 4.58 5% 4.81 3.08 64% Amplification rate 13.27 10% 14.6 9.81 67% Applause rate 44.26 5% 46.48 29.43 63% Businesses need to be creating clear and measureable goals for amplification rate, conversation rate, and applause rate, as well as report on the results in order to measure success. - Carrie Emgarten, SEM Specialist NordicClick Interactive
Email Misconception The most effective way a business can increase brand awareness via email is to send out a monthly eblast to their entire email database.
Reality Businesses that use email marketing effectively are the ones engaging with their email contacts by segmenting their database into persona based lists to deliver tailored and relevant content. Data 30% Email marketers estimate of email revenue derives from targeting to specific segments. Source: DMA National Client Email Report (2013) The key to successful email marketing is to utilize list segmentation when setting up your campaigns. You need to break up your company wide contact list into different groups based on your buyer personas. By breaking your database up into categories such as open activity, purchase history, age, gender, location, and job role it will enable you to cater your message to the exact needs of that list. Maggie Perrill Interactive Account Manager NordicClick Interactive
5 Common Marketing Misconceptions to Drop in 2014 to Drive Revenue Affiliate Misconception Affiliate marketing is only effective for B2C ecommerce retailers. B2C Retailers B2B Retailers
$1,905 $1,675 $1,615 $2,077 $2,489 $2,958 $3,436 $3,944 $4,474 5 Common Online Marketing Misconceptions to Drop in 2014 to Drive Revenue Reality Affiliate marketing can be a valuable addition to any online marketing program. From form sign-up to software download conversion goals, the affiliate channel can be a significant source of new traffic for both lead- and sales-oriented businesses alike. Data Total affiliate marketing spend (in millions) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Source: A commissioned forecast conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Rakuten LinkShare, April 2012 Online marketers looking to expand new customer acquisition efforts in 2014 should consider adding an affiliate marketing program to the mix. A highly cost-effective channel, affiliate marketing utilizes a pay-perconversion pricing model making it an ideal option for increasing online visibility and driving goal conversions at a fixed cost (and favorable ROI). Jeff Polley Interactive Account Manager NordicClick Interactive
Thank you for reading We hope you gained useful insights from this ebook that will help drive increased revenue with your online marketing efforts in 2014. If you are currently managing online marketing programs and looking for further insights, please check out our website at www.nordicclick.com.