Marketing Pilgrim Published: “Cup of Joe: Don’t Start Celebrating! You’re Not Out Of The Woods, Yet!” plus 2 more

Cup of Joe: Don’t Start Celebrating! You’re Not Out Of The Woods, Yet!
Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Counting Clicks?
The Most Watched Videos and the Rise of the Video Ad Dollar

Cup of Joe: Don’t Start Celebrating! You’re Not Out Of The Woods, Yet!

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 05:44 AM PST

I think one of the hardest things for every entrepreneur, is to know when they have peaked. Too often I see entrepreneurs experience a quick boost in traffic, media attention, and sales at the beginning, and as a result they assume that they have reached the top. They end up getting lazy and spending money like there’s no tomorrow. This happens a lot with internet start ups. Fame is dangerous in business and life.

Alternatively, I also see entrepreneurs that think no matter what happens, there’s going to be something bigger right around the corner. It doesn’t matter if the largest corporation in their industry wants to buy them out, they think they are worth more.

If you aren’t used to the spikes in traffic, attention, or income, then its really hard to keep a level head. But, don’t worry there are a few things you can be doing now to help from becoming completely delusional!

Have defined goals. When you set short term goals that you can measure you tend to focus more on the immediate and get things done. The only draw back to this is that focusing too much on the present can make it easy to loose sight of your vision. But, attaining goals is the quick way to sustaining sanity.
Research your market. The more you know about the market you operate in the better your understanding of your current situation.
Don’t lose sight of your roots. As time goes by you are going to become so busy with new responsibilities and events, you might find it easy to lose focus on where you came from, and all the folks you have delt with along the way. Remembering your roots will ensure that you have a sense of presence strong enough to find clarity when faced with decisions.
Don’t drink your own kool-aid. If you find yourself constantly using marketing language when discussing your company, it might be time you lay off your own kool-aid. Too many entrepreneurs start to believe all the hype they are generating. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you shouldn’t believe in your company, but it is important to understand that the way we talk about our companies and ideas have a direct reflection on our attitude. Some language should have a marketing intent, and that’s important. But it’s also important to remember that, that’s all it is.

What ever you do to keep a level head, the most important thing is to always be mindful of your own success and humility. If you can master that then, you won’t lose sight of reality.

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Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Counting Clicks?

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:44 PM PST

Click.

That’s the sound of another consumer moving from the webpage they’re on to your page via a display ad they found in the sidebar. Hooray!

Unfortunately, these days, the sound of the click, click, click is less of a tap dance and more like the lazy snap of a pleased beatnik. ComScore says that the average click rate on a display ad is 0.1%. Compare that to the average click rate on a paid search ad campaign (3.5%) and it’s easy to see why the digital intelligence company is calling for an end to counting clicks.

Why the fascination with the click? I suspect one reason is that computing clicks on display ads is fast, cheap and easy. In a world where time and money are of the essence, these factors may well be sufficient for some to put aside concerns about the click's relevance. If correct, that's certainly not a positive commentary on the state of the online ad business.

Statistics show that search ads are better performers than display ads which makes sense since “search’ implies that the person is looking for an answer. When they find it, they’re going to click it. Stats also show that display ads are good for brand awareness. Even if I don’t click on that McDonalds ad, a Quarter-Pounder is likely to end up on my plate at lunch. Humans are highly suggestible creatures, especially when it comes to calorie laden treats!

So what happens if we stop counting clicks? My first thought is, how would you measure a campaign’s success? Then I think, maybe it doesn’t matter. Look at magazine ads and TV commercials. People don’t interact with either of those delivery methods and yet we have ways of determining the effectiveness of each.

These days, where all forms of media and communications are melding into one tablet-sized package, maybe it’s time to stop looking at clicks and start looking a the total picture. Because in the end, the only number that really matters is the one with the dollar sign in front of it.

The Most Watched Videos and the Rise of the Video Ad Dollar

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 12:46 PM PST

With only a few weeks left in 2010, it looks like the trailer for Twilight Eclipse will take the title of Most Viewed Video of the Year with more than 220,000,000 hits.

Every week, AdAge posts a list of the most popular viral videos. Since they’re primarily interesting in brand marketing, they don’t include movie trailer and game trailers because they’d take top numbers every time. This week, however, they decided to switch it up and let the chips fall where they may.

Seven out of the top ten videos were movie trailers, two were for video games, but sneaking in at number ten is the Old Spice Guy, proving that brand advertising can be just as entertaining as the stuff the Hollywood studios are turning out. Of course, the Old Spice guy is funny as are the Evian roller skating babies and that crazed Target shopper. But funny isn’t the only way to catch the viral viewers eye. Other top brand videos this year include a deathly (literally) serious video from Australia’s Transport Accident Commission and action / stunt videos such as the bike rider for Red Bull.

Turning out a stunning commercial that takes the internet by storm is one way to make money from the video craze, another is to hitch your wagon to someone else’s star.

Video advertising is the fastest growing segment of online ad spending and it’s expected to continue rising at its current rate for at least a few more years. eMarketer expects video spending to go up 39% next year while banner and search show a rise of only half that.

Though it’s not ready to take the place of TV advertising, online video advertising is becoming the preferred option due to its highly targeted nature, and accessibility. Not only are more consumers watching video (and sitting through the ads), but there are more sites selling online air time on everything from niched how-to videos to the hottest new shows on TV.

Want to be the next viral video star? All you need is a camera and a brilliant idea. How easy is that?