The world of Internet marketing moves so quickly that it’s sometimes easy to miss the big changes that are going on while you’re focused on the month-to-month shifts in thinking and best practices. Take a step back to analyze where we’ve been and where we’ve gone over the last few years, though, and you’ll discover that the virtual ground is moving beneath our feet.
That’s important and noteworthy because a lot of companies aren’t learning important lessons about the best ways to advertise online. They are adjusting their ads, bids, and landing pages, but are failing to heed deeper truths from the customers who keep them in business.
To give you a sense of what we mean, and why it’s so important, here are a few realities every company should be catching up to…
Internet Ad Relevance is a Huge Deal
Most online advertisers understand by now that they need to use keywords and demographics to identify potential buyers in a precise way. However, we would say you need to go even farther than that. In order for your online ads to be effective, they need to appear as if they were seamlessly integrated into the content they are going to be placed with.
Unless customers are actively shopping for your product or service, they are likely to skip over offers for whatever you have to sell. The exception comes in when your ads are so relevant that they seem like an extension of the thought process they were already engaged in.
There is a Fine Line Between Focused Marketing and Online Stalking
Using Facebook’s demographic constraints and Google’s account settings and retargeting tools, is now possible to zero in on very specific groups of customers. At the same time, it can lead buyers to feel as if you have more information about them than you should, or that you are following them from one website to another relentlessly.
Naturally, there is a balance that has to be struck here – and it isn’t one that lies strictly with raw conversion rates. Smart marketers will show off their ads in a way that doesn’t repel customers who might come back and complete a purchase or otherwise convert at a later date.
Not Every Pause is an Opening
It sometimes feels as if every ounce of our screens, and every moment of dead air, is being filled with new advertisements. To wit, Google found itself in hot water this week when it was discovered that some smart home devices were pitching unsolicited ads. For many consumers, vicious seems like the next inevitable-and-horrible step in the evolution of advertising: being spammed by voices in your own home.
It goes without saying that you want to maximize your advertising opportunities, but don’t push too far and alienate your customer base. You don’t have to fill every blog or online video with a pop-up ad. Sometimes, less is more.
Back in the days of traditional media advertising, it was assumed that if you showed a strong enough marketing message to a wide enough audience, good things would happen. That simple formula doesn’t necessarily apply today. If you want to make your online ads pay off, you had better show potential buyers something you know they’re interested in, time your ads appropriately, and do it all without coming off as overbearing.
That’s a tall order, but it’s the only way to find a positive ROI in an increasingly-competitive world of search and social media.
Weblinx Can Help
If you think your business could use a bit of help, don’t hesitate to contact a member of our creative team today so we can put our experience and insights to work for you!