Interactive Advertising Q&A Roundup

As an active member of communities touching the interactive advertising world I answer many questions on a daily basis. Each week I will round of some of the best questions and answers for your consumption.

Simone Katz, Media Planning and Buying Professional, asks:

What are common metrics used to measure the success of a social networking campaign?

When building a brand through the use of social networks, what are typical goals and how is success measured?
Thanks!

ADMAVEN answers:

Simone,

The direct answer to your question is metrics are either generated in-house or through a partner that specializes in such research. The reality of world today is that social media campaigns are absolutely critical, however clients often balk at integrating them due to poor data quality (i.e. you can't get clear metrics from so many different data points).

Saying "don't focus on the metrics just run with the campaign" is a naive outlook. Metrics must be integrated into the pitch and monitored throughout the campaign to understand what areas are effective and what areas need improvement.

Now to the specifics of the tools; if you do your own research, you will need to use Google Analytics and Alexa to get a clear picture of how your campaign is doing versus the competition. This will only work if you are running a fairly simplistic campaign, however the upside is that you will have virtually no research expense save for the time it takes to monitor data and produce reports.

For complex campaigns, you will need to hire an outside company such as Sway Inc. to produce what is called a Social Media Map. This document outlines the fine points of how your target audience is responding to your efforts. The data is complex, however the results are a better campaign and a greater understanding of how to connect to the target audience.

Typical goals depend on the product or service and target audience. You must compare your sales with industry averages or competitors and gauge the success of your campaign based on a comparison study. Alexa is particularly good at this bit.


Jennifer Dube, Marketing Manager at Cisco Systems, asks:

What's the marketing difference between a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page?
From a marketing standpoint, when would you choose a Group vs Page to promote your company, product, brand or service? What are the pros and cons of each?


ADMAVEN answers:

Jennifer,

My recommendation is to both have a page AND a group. The two are not mutually exclusive and provide two different ways for your audience to connect with your company or product. One route you may choose to take is have a top executive create their own personal Facebook profile and follow with a Group administered by this person.

In social media, the more points of potential networking the better. Some individuals may want to join the Group (a less proactive way to be involved with a product or service) while others may want to network directly with the person they see to be in charge of the concept.

The bottom line is that a technical analysis of Group vs. Page is irrelevant as either one can be created in thirty minutes and require virtually identical promotions channels to be effective.

Remember Jennifer, social media will not be effective as a marketing solution unless you provide a reason for individuals to connect with you and give you their attention. This requires you providing - up front and at no charge - relevant, useful, or entertaining content with little or no branding.


Ben Ayed, CEO of NorkaTech, asks:

What is your experience with viral Bluetooth marketing? Does anyone have experience with low cost beacons such as BlueMediaServer.com for couponing, interactive point of sale or guerilla marketing?

ADMAVEN answers:

Ben,

My advice to you is seek council from the Asian and European markets. Though Bluetooth marketing is in it's infancy in the United States, other more mobile technology oriented markets are taking full advantage and have been for some time.

I recommend contacting an agency that specializes in innovation or digital marketing techniques. If your budget allows and your interest is serious, research into Bluetooth initiatives for your target audience would be the best strategy.

If you have further interest in this subject I may have a case study for you to review.


Steve Crosetti, Owner/Guide at MoJoBella Fly Fishing, asks:

I think the proliferation of video on the web is awesome, but does a mediocre video help your individual brand?


ADMAVEN answers:

Steve,

A mediocre video can actually harm a brand through opportunity cost. The mediocre video will certainly not hurt the brand reputation (assuming it is an aberration in an otherwise outstanding campaign) itself, however the budget expended on that video could have been used to send a more effective message elsewhere.

A mediocre video will generate little attention and fade to obscurity within a week (or less). Your digital advertising budget should be spent on truly outstanding and innovative concepts, thus maximizing your exposure to your target digital audience.

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Interactive Advertising Q&A Roundup

As an active member of communities touching the interactive advertising world I answer many questions on a daily basis. Each week I will round of some of the best questions and answers for your consumption.

Joy Abdulla asks:

How can social marketing be shown to be effective in terms of dollar sales?

Is there a mechanism/ method/formula through which we can effectively forecast or project what would be potential earnings for a brand by utilizing social marketing techniques on various sites?

ADMAVEN answers:

Joy,

The answer to your question is that you must have a third party software (or design your own) to measure the effects of your campaign. If the campaign is simple you may be able to track metrics yourself, but if there are any added layers of complication you will need extra help.

I have linked a company called Sway that does this very thing for many campaigns rooted in social media.

LINK: http://www.swayonline.com

Rich Dettmer, Director of Digital Strategy and Partner at Slack Barshinger, asks:

What law governs web based data collection?

When collecting data on a web site, is the collection governed by the laws of the country the data is collected from, or the country where the site is hosted? For example: If I am collecting user registrations from Europe on a site that is hosted in the United States, who’s laws govern that transaction?

ADMAVEN answers:

Hi Rich!

International law is tricky in the traditional corporate sense, but combined with the Internet there is very little case law to call upon.

The generally accepted concept is that you are governed by the place where your business is incorporated (whatever mechanism that may be). If you do not have a brick and mortar establishment, you may be subject to the laws of any country through which you transact. For example, collecting money from a UK citizen and storing that money in the United States exposes you to legal liability in both countries, however collecting data with no financial transaction most likely does not expose you to the country in which the individual providing the data resides. There is some case law along these lines regarding spam as a method of collecting data, and I do not recommend mass emails as a foreign campaign strategy.

In general the United States is a rules based country when it comes to law. You can review case law and find clearly (sometimes not so clearly) written torts, statutes, and laws that govern our businesses. In Europe (since this is in your example I will use it here) the laws are principle based. In other words, courts tend to look at your intent more than your action when deciding cases. If you are not doing anything blatantly illegal, I would say your liability is very low.

You can always seek council through an international attorney, but this is a costly engagement and may not provide you with a clearer answer.

I highly recommend contacting the consulate of each country in which you are interested to discover more about what your legal exposure may be. In my experience they are very helpful and willing to discuss these issues as well as the culture of their home country (which may help you formulate regional marketing strategies).

DISCLAIMER!

I am not a lawyer, though I do hold a Bachelor of Science in International Business and am almost through my MBA in the same subject. These kinds of questions appear in case studies and course materials. I hope my answer helped!

Laura Fitton, Principal and Founder of Pistachio Consulting, Inc., asks:

How can businesses use Twitter and other microblogging tools?

Communications, advertising, PR and social media agencies, what are your client's burning questions about Twitter and other "microblogging" platforms? Where do you look for the answers to what they should be doing?

ADMAVEN answers:

Laura,

Clients do not typically know about Twitter as a business tool. When appropriate, I may suggest microblogging as a way to engage a passionate target base.

The important thing when using Twitter - or any blog based tool - is to provide relevant content that is of interest to the target audience. Because Twitter is an opt-in service, target users must feel as though they are receiving something in exchange for their attention.

You can read more about how to use blog and microblog tools in ADMAVEN - The Interactive Advertising Blog, which I have linked below as a resource. Scroll down to the article entitled, "SEO vs. SMO Part 3: The Social Metropolis". Read the linked materials in the article and you will have a complete understanding of how to engage a target audience with a blog or microblog tool.

LINK: http://admaven.blogspot.com/2008/08/sem-vs-smo-part-3-social-metropolis.html

Natalia Alexandrou, Senior Marketing Executive at Report Buyer & Piribo, asks:

B2B Affiliate Marketing - does it work!?

I'm interesting in hearing your experiences (good and bad) with B2B affiliate marketing... and I'm not talking about the affiliate programs which use B2C tactics such as printer companies etc.

Are there any success stories? How did you approach possible partners? What tools work best for you?

We are a B2B company and we launched an affiliate program 5 months ago through a network with a dedicated campaign manager... and are only getting B2C affiliate sites joining our program. Is the industry just not ready to take on B2B affiliates?

ADMAVEN answers:

Ms. Alexandrou,

My experience has taught me several things about B2B Affiliate Marketing:

1) Pursue affiliates with whom you have a long and trusted business (or personal) relationship first. This may involve a C level meeting where you speak to the CEO, COO, and CTO to generate a list of companies that are willing to go the extra mile and form an affiliate relationship.
2) Be flexible. Although you should come in with a detailed plan on your Affiliate program, be willing to tweak the plan for each Affiliate. Every company is different, and applying one model to your targets may discourage them from forming a relationship.

When I started my B2B affiliate program, we went to our CEO and generated a couple of leads with whom we knew the CEO had maintained a personal relationship. These companies trusted our brand name, and were willing to at least listen. We then came in with our presentation, including the buy in figures, terms, etc... We had a contract ready to go, but never got a signature right away. Instead, we found the average time to close an affiliate was 6 months, and involved detailed negotiations with top management on both sides. Each deal was unique, but persistence and follow-up helped get the job done!

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.