Since the mid to late 90s, digital technology has played an instrumental part in how we find, exchange, and use information across the world. As a result, digital technology has created an ever-changing playground in the digital marketing world. Fast-forward to 2016 and you will find that digital marketing strategies you see today may very well differ from 12 months ago. Digital marketers have access to an extensive list resources including but not limited to social tools, analytics software’s, and big data to optimize their strategies. Today’s digital marketing techniques can increase your marketing ROI more than ever before.
1. Video Advertising on Mobile
From 2013 to 2014 alone, the United States’ mobile video ad-spend doubled to $1.5 billion. By 2018, it is expected to reach $6 billion. More than two-thirds of Americans are smartphone owners and so, this development of video advertising on mobile is self-explanatory.
Right now, most mobile advertising opportunities take place in game applications, on YouTube’s pre-, mid-, and post-roll ads, and on social media platforms. In most cases you have the option to skip the ad after a certain amount of seconds. In other cases, you either view the entire ad or you can even be incentivized to watch the ad until the very end.
Here are a few best practices for video mobile advertising:
- Understand pain points of your audience and how your brand plans to solve them.
- Create a strong call-to-action for your viewers after the video ends. If viewers want to know more and you don’t have a link to take them there, they will likely not take a next step in finding out who you are and what you can do to help their problems.
- We humans have short attention spans so try to make the video advertisement interactive.
2. Behavioral Targeting
Have you ever browsed a pair of shoes online? Have you ever seen those same shoes or the online store you were checking the shoes out at on another webpage seconds later? This is behavioral targeting. Behavioral targeting uses web browsing as well as search data to target specific ads towards the user’s interests.
Behavioral targeting also takes into account demographics and geography so that marketers can better tune their ad messaging.
Here are a few best practices for behavioral targeting:
- Lets say someone is viewing a pair of shoes on your website. Take the opportunity to offer the lead a limited-time only discount and/or free shipping to quickly close a sale.
- On the other hand, if the lead is searching for a specific pair of shoes that you and a few other retailers house, try sending him or her to a testimonial page. The lead may respond better to customer reviews, as his or her message search shows no priority on cost.
3. Beacons and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
Approximately one-third of all smartphone devices are compatible with BLE. BLE is a signal emitted by “beacons,” which retail stores use to better target clientele. There is a popular BLE application called Shopkick where retailers like Toys “R” Us and Macy’s are now using BLE to offer rewards for their consumers. These rewards can be redeemed for gift cards or “kicks,” as they call them, when you visit stores.
The digital marketing techniques listed above are just a few of many tips that aid in helping brands better reach their customers when and where they are ready to buy. Companies that are able to find the right digital technologies to help drive higher marketing ROI’s are few and far between. It can be overwhelming when trying to find technology that works best for your brand because there are so many digital technologies and software’s out there. This is why budget allocation of a brand’s marketing strategy is imperative to achieving a high marketing ROI.
Mobile-friendly videos may work best with lower-tech companies who are looking to create content quickly and easily. For companies with larger budgets, native advertising could really make a difference. E-commerce companies may seek behavioral targeting as a way to direct potential buyers to their website more effectively and can result in an increase in sales. No matter the company or industry, there is a digital marketing technique out there that will help fulfill your brand’s goals.
