04/04/09 by seobrien | Advertising, Analytics, Display Advertising, Video | 3 Comments »
Long one of the shortcomings in the transition from TV to online was the gap from online video to the rich analytics available through banners, search marketing, or email; each complements, in many ways, to similar traditional formats of their own. What made online advertising, search, or email so compelling was that one could easily evaluate ROI; a task, in reality, impossible with billboards, Yellow Pages, or direct mail. That gap is closing as sophisticated entrepreneurs pull together new technologies that make it easy to publish, distribute, and track the performance of viral and commercial video.
One such technology, that which seems to lead the pack, is TubeMogul, a platform so impressive that they’ve raised capital in these questionable economic times.
TubeMogul’s analytics technology aggregates viewing data giving you access to insight on when, where, and how often videos are watched. Now, you can easily track subtle changes in videos, comparing effectiveness, popularity, and ROI for differences historically only available through other forms of online media.
An attractive solution in that regard alone, more appealing for some is their easy to use distribution model which publishes your videos to a couple dozen different sites. Best of all, you can get started for free.
TubeMogul’s Universal Upload service is used by publishers to upload their content to one or all of the major video sharing sites and social networking sites in one shot. Video publishers then use the company’s aggregated analytics to understand when, where and how often their videos are watched, track and compare what’s hot and what’s not, measure the impact of marketing campaigns, gather competitive intelligence, and share the data with advertisers, colleagues or friends.
Of course, the long sought metric of course, is not views but click through and engagement. For those hosting video, TubeMogul’s InPlay, which is set up in any Flash video player within minutes, tracks rich viewership metrics such as audience engagement, attention span and site performance.
They have an impressive roster of clients, including CBS, Red Bull, and The Home Depot, and a sophistication for data that rivals Avinash Kaushik. My favorite discovery though? That you can get free music lessons with TubeMogul fan Walt Ribiero.
01/13/09 by seobrien | Display Advertising, Yahoo! | 3 Comments »
Should you be so kind as to spare me a few moments, A couple thoughts on the opportunity before a company with such a renowned history and such incredible possibility. I share these thoughts without consideration of the recent trials and tribulations that have garnered attention; instead, from the perspective of one who, in a small way, pays the bills to keep the lights on. As to who merges with whom and what powers what, I care not. Let’s talk as a user and advertiser.
As I look to the evolution of the internet, and its vast and ever changing opportunities, there are only a couple concepts which repeatedly drive success for a company. Concepts which Yahoo! has seemingly struggled to hold dear; instead, chasing trends or seemingly low hanging fruit, oblivious that said fruit has all but been picked clean competitors. Two words to summarize those concepts: Simplify and Innovate.
Consider the unparalleled network of properties you have developed; easily the envy of any internet company. A Sports property that rivals ESPN, Finance that gives Bloomberg a run for its money (ahem), News that gives CNN pause; you have hot jobs and photos that make screens flickr. It could be said that your most significant competitors are trying to replicate Yahoo more than the internet race is about search. You hold so many cards, knowing peoples’ horoscopes, the cars they drive, websites they like, and who they date! Why is the plight of an advertiser therein so challenging while the experience of a user, so fragmented?
A few years ago a young guy essentially took MyYahoo, Yahoo Mail and Address Book, IM (chat), Y! Groups, and a few personal preferences, smashed them together and made an straightforward site that defines social network. An impressive experience, one can interact with millions of peers in an environment that improves as it learns more about you. Plug in widgets designed by people that aren’t even on their payroll and on it goes. Innovation. I’m in awe and filled with disappointment at what an amazing experience that would be, should be, were it on Yahoo! You have my calendar, address book, and travel plans; bookmarks and even what pets are in our family. Heck, you once had a killer app on Yahoo! Finance that centralized all my finances and transactions – it was Quicken online merged with net worth calculators and personalized opportunities based on my financial needs – you knew my deepest financial secrets. One day, in an example of reverse innovation, that was simply shut off, while walls remain between those immensely powerful properties.
There is a valuable lesson in the social networking experiments of the last few years; the size of your audience does not determine one’s fate or success. Sure, every site with more than 10M uniques is considered successful, and I could hardly argue that social networks are struggling, but I think it is fair to say that merely aggregating users is no more attractive to an advertiser than a Zombies App on said social network. In truth, one network was replaced by another as is so frequent in this industry. Size did not determine one’s persistent success. The real, and frankly only, appeal to an advertiser’s dollar is efficiently reaching the right audience at the right time and having the analytics to validate and optimize budget allocations. Instead of delivering the later, that which Yahoo is uniquely qualified to provide, Yahoo builds out new properties faster than American Idol churns through America’s talent. 
Has anyone counted this list lately? I didn’t even know you had Green (which is great because St. Patricks Day is coming up), Family Accts (apparently AKA Yahoo Safely (?)), and have I caught a typo or is there something called People SRCH? As an advertiser… well… I shudder at the prospect of getting a media plan that has a dozen different properties, with hundreds of lines for ad placements that I then turn over to an agency who I pay double-time to build as many ad formats, each with unique tracking codes, that don’t really matter anyway as no one spends the daunting time required (nor understands how) to evaluate performance – let alone benchmark it (That sentence runs on intentionally: exasperating isn’t it?).
But we don’t stop there, let’s throw in Bix, Buzz, Zimbra, Voice, OMG and Shine (By the way, I fail to see the real difference between these two) and 360 to the incumbent del.icio.us and flickr aliases to keep us confused. At least HotJobs infers “Jobs”. Of all, Zimbra might best summarize the message of my post as it is the very enhancement of Yahoo Briefcase, Mail and Calendar – so why isn’t it the enhancement of Yahoo Briefcase, Mail and Calendar? Please understand I mean to point this out with only the most passionate plea that you redirect resources from more layers and sections. I love Yahoo yet you have Yellow Pages AND Local, and Maps, and… Upcoming. Throw in Real Estate and Travel and what’s a local advertiser to do??
Yahoo has the potential to be so much and yet it seemingly prefers to attempt to be everything by repeatedly reinventing the wheel (or buying new ones) instead of making the wheel fit a better car.
Let’s simplify
Put yourself in our shoes. Think of an online advertising opportunity in which, though perhaps complex, you need only make a straightforward, single purchase. The buy is so simple it can be done without Sales support, while performance data is so rich and clear that you can easily justify the spend, optimizing in your sleep to later budget more. Raise your hand if you aren’t thinking of Google Adwords right now? Why isn’t that Yahoo? And I don’t mean that in the context of search, Yahoo’s tremendous opportunity lies in Advertising – why isn’t online advertising as simple? That local advertiser should need only buy one thing from Yahoo – X million impressions in their metro: a buy which includes a business listing, promotion of sales and events, and a pinpoint on a map. What one could garner from Procter & Gamble alone makes Google blush, yet no opportunity exists online as easy and effective as is TV. Disappointingly; as without question, online can be so much more valuable when you consider the possibilities available through few but Yahoo.
I imagine a world in which I can buy the Superbowl online (and if you think I mean a distinct section about the Superbowl I’m going to smack you back to the beginning of this post). I’m talking about one ad buy that reaches so great a behaviorally targeted segment of the population that I can rest on my laurels the next 11 months. Possible? Where, online, can I possibly even reach 100M unique users in a day? I imagine a world in which that advertisement reaches only engaged consumers while delivering insight on brand recognition, purchase intent, and my impact on awareness and demand. Most importantly, I imagine that world as not requiring incremental nickels for unique targets, ad formats, tags, research, or studies. It so happens we marketers are already nickeled and dimed by third parties we have to involve in a vain attempt to create such a world. How can there not be an online property that delivers this? There must be a single domain capable.
Online Advertising Buy Yahoo! Corney I know. Did you catch the play on words as I tried to be whitty? *ahem* of course you did…. But that is, conceptually, who Yahoo should be. Without the complication of properties or categories – do I want geo or demographic targeting? Is this a pointroll, flash, or video ad? I imagine a world in which my Display ad (not a “banner,” “video,” or “rich media ad” but an ad, which people see) simply runs on Yahoo reaching an ever improving target audience based on data only you can see with such depth. As a user, you know what car I drive, where I live (*read* size of mortgage and lifestyle), my entertainment preferences, my favorite sports teams. You know what products I buy and where I shop. You know if I’m single (or pretending to be) and where I’m planning my vacation. Elsewhere, such insight can only be accomplished through complicated partnerships between other sites (some might call them ad networks were they so capable) but on Yahoo, a single domain has it all. As an advertiser, obviously I can only conclude that you alone are capable of delivering my ads to people who want them, not based on keyword context or stated preferences but truly matched to interests and intent. More importantly, you can surmise when that audience’s demand for such products wanes or ripens to optimize delivery of my ads where most effective. Why do I see ads for a new printer when a month ago I researched them? Bad Credit when you alone should know that I’m doing just fine? NutriSystem? I’m 140 lbs! (okay that’s extreme but you do have Y! Health) An online Bachelors degree? I’m all set thanks. You alone know better.
Frustratingly, that’s hardly even the potential. Google may own search marketing but few can deliver the promise of Online Advertising. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not asking for ROS (run of site) behavioral targeting or leveraging those user defined preferences or opt-in permissions. You alone see search behavior, an indication of my desires and intent, as well as the products I’m comparing or dumping, where and when I travel, who my favorite sports teams are and perhaps, what I eat for lunch (by the way, it is worth validating my consternation here as while, obviously, you’d know what I eat for lunch through Yahoo Food the validation is that you insist on calling it both Yahoo Food and “part of Shine” … a wholly owned subsidiary of Dunder Mifflin 
). Not only should advertising on Yahoo be a single buy for advertisers, one which is completely personalized and relevant to users, but the entire Yahoo experience could be, should be, personalized, consistent, and ever improving given the comprehensive visibility you have to life.
Getting back on track – a question of Innovation?
I haven’t seen a formal study to validate this presumption but, established internet companies and traditional brands with an online presence seem to think there is value in constantly redesigning their website. Certainly at least, value which outweighs the cost of never ending redesign. Its as though an ad agency runs their websites (I shudder to think anyone does that). I get the sense that Yahoo launches a redesign of the homepage only to put heads down to start work on the next one. Worse, this habit is hardly limited to the homepage. Constantly changing. But ever really improving? At what expense?
Perhaps, just perhaps, considering the birth of Zillow (Yahoo Real Estate), Hulu (Y! TV), and Facebook (Y! 360 or one of the two iterations that preceded it), perhaps too many brilliant resources are spent on redesigning and expanding instead of integrating and innovating what you have? Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the pockets of brilliance: Mobile and Answers, recent Search enhancements, the way the tabs on the homepage open when I mouse over them (is it possible to shut that off?), but imagine what Yahoo could do if those properties functioned as one while Silicon Valley’s best developers, instead, work to evolve the experiences therein.
I don’t presume to appreciate how great a challenge such an evolution would be for the company. Many, far greater than I, have tried, while I propose this as a mere armchair quarterback. I wish you tremendous success with a company who’s heritage deserves to own online advertising. With hope, I look with excitement as a user and with confidence as a marketer.
Simply, please, knit together the dozens of properties and innovate; not just the properties and their features but, more importantly, the way in which Online Advertising works so when asked, Online Advertising? Whether who or how, the obvious answer is Buy Yahoo.
12/18/08 by seobrien | Blogs & Blogging, Comparison Shopping, Display Advertising, Fun, Natural Search / SEO, Paid Search, Search, Social Media | 3 Comments »
On the radio today, I heard some laughter over the Jesse Jackson Jr. / Rod Blagojevich “scandal” (?); primarily, that Jackson’s handlers have taken offense at CNN’s labeling Jackson an ‘informant.’ The amusement stems from, with few exceptions, the fact that for all intents and purposes, that’s exactly what he is. Spokesman Kenneth Edmonds described Jackson’s interaction with federal authorities this way:
“As a responsible citizen and elected official, Congressman Jackson has in the past provided information to federal authorities regarding his personal knowledge of perceived corruption and governmental misconduct.”
um…..
This is not meant as political commentary so… moving on…
What struck me was how stark an example we have of our predilection for renaming things as terms fall out of favor. We aren’t considering economic “bailouts” but “rescues.” During this economic challenge, many haven’t been “laid off” but are victims of a “reduction in force.” (should we throw one more on the political debate?) Are they “illegal immigrants” or “undocumented workers?”
As we practice SEO, we’re burdened with misunderstanding and confusion about what it is that we do; and more importantly, how.
Is search engine optimization more than the optimization of a site for search engines? It is to me and if you are enabling and communicating SEO properly, it is to you. Through SEO you are designing URLs that are intuitive and easy to recall. Your optimization favors not just third party engines but your own site search functions, making it easier for your audience to find what they want. Most importantly, if you are smart, you aren’t optimizing specific pages but all of them; attracting as many customers as possible to the point at which they are more likely to convert = $$.
If you are merely assisting in the design of your website on behalf of search engines, you aren’t doing your job. Better put, you are an engineer and designer, working with (or better IN) marketing with all the experience and obligations as such. Your are architecting a better site.
SEO is Performance Architecture
As I mulled the idea, more came to mind. First, the infectious entertainment that invades your mind with subliminal messages; Viral Marketing. Is it really Viral? It is Community Commercialization.
Search Engine Marketing? Link Bait.
Think about it for a minute… just a link in search results, a hook to attract your fish.
Bloggers? Fishers (edit the site is 404 so I’ve nofollowed)
(see previous supposition)
(it just occurred to me that my attribution to Kimberly Bock’s article might come across as my using her as an example of a blogger fishing for links and traffic. I mean just the opposite with her article a great explanation, give her article a read, and this follow up from Bill Slawski – then watch your blogging!)
Comparison Shopping? Price Comparison or…. things that make you miss Magnum P.I.
Banner Ads? Conversion Commercials
okay okay! Firefox Favors might be more accurate.
Widgets or Gaskets?
And of course, Social Networking is really a Face Book
10/29/08 by seobrien | Display Advertising, Vendors / Agencies, Vertical Search | No Comments »
Could this be the year of the vertical ad network? With the struggling economy leaving many, including one of my favorites, to circle the wagons and batten the hatches, we’re increasingly discovering that large “traditional” ad networks are doing as well as Yahoo and AOL at effectively monetizing their inventory. That is to say, the one thing the portals still have going for them is the monumental amounts of traffic that enable them to maintain a somewhat healthy businesses on remnant CPMs because they just can’t move the inventory. Port that model over to the major ad networks and one has to ask how they can maintain a network publishers, satisfied with making less than is possible through Google Adsense. The answer is, they can’t, and that isn’t good news for you the advertiser; or is it?
From the ashes, rise vertical ad networks which, though they’ve been around for years, really seem to be garnering attention and, arguably, will excel in 2009. Simply, Vertical Ad Networks are vendors through which you can advertise exclusively to a specific target (say, travel or autos) by way of a network of contextually relevant websites or publishers. On behalf of the publishers, vertical ad networks hold the promise of higher CPMs; at rates though that effectively perform for advertisers, bringing together targeted publishers with advertising that works as never before possible. Ok…. I can’t say that last part with a straight face – truth be told, I find it amusing that the big networks and portals actual work like vertical ad networks; that is, if you want to buy just music on Yahoo or technology with Tribal Fusion, you can. For whatever reason, be it a Larry, Curly, and Moe organization or a lack of understanding on the part of the advertisers, they seem to struggle on both sides of the equation creating opportunity for the vertical players.
So who are the vertical ad networks? If you are doing any display advertising for the holiday season or beyond, I encourage you to take a serious look at this list.
One of the best ways to reach c-level executives and business professionals? Try a mobile network which reaches those most likely to be tapping away on their blackberry. If mobile doesn’t work for you, even Forbes has their Forbes Audience Network.
The last that I think worth sharing with you, that which I find most impressive, is Martini Media Network. The first to reach an affluent vertical and certainly, an ad network from which I expect to be on the receiving end of advertising some day. Martini Media Network is not about the typical affluent demographic we strive so hard to reach, assuming those with money are more likely to buy; I’m talking about the wealthy. MMN, and its sister property MartiniLife, best serve advertisers such as Rolex, Gucci, Montblanc, Bayliner, and Flexjet (or even LearJet, a brand so exclusive it doesn’t even come up on an search for something obvious like “private jets”).
Perhaps most interesting, vertical ad networks might be best positioned to weather the downturn in our economy with advertisers turning to the most targeted use of their dollar to maintain sales amongst those most likely to convert. One indicator of vertical ad network success? Or, more importantly, one indicator that they work? At least someone is hiring 
09/26/08 by seobrien | Analytics, Brand Marketing, Comparison Shopping, Display Advertising, Insights / Research, Local, Paid Search, Search, Social Media, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment »
eMarketer has a great jump on the holiday shopping season (it isn’t even Halloween yet!) with brilliant perspective on the increasing demands made by online consumers.
They expect retail Websites to provide powerful search and navigation, quality product information, simple checkout and cross-channel shopping options—at a minimum.
Surprisingly, according to a survey by Retail Systems Research, 56% of online merchants can’t figure out how their customers use their sites!? Troubling, as today’s site should be designed by metrics and performance, not focus groups and theories. In this day and age when everything can be tested and optimized, you have no excuse. (funny, I wrote that last sentence before reaching the end of the eMarketer article; that is, the point where it highlights that “customer behavior tracking” – no explanation of what that is by the way – is both the most effective and most disappointing priority. At least, I think that’s what the chart is meant to say – please comment if I’ve misread it).
Worse, the study suggest that nearly half, haven’t figured out how to coordinate channels to create a shopping experience that creates synergy rather than conflict. I don’t want to get into this topic now other than to say look to your friendly neighborhood search engines and social media to effectively promote both.
Now, how’s this for a challenge:
While you are busy meeting increasing customer engagement and performance online, the DMA finds that your old fashioned print catalog still accounts for, on average, 50% of sales. Dealing with channel conflict with a catalog is certainly much more of a challenge, but not impossible. The real question is where you put those resources. Significant development work to support performance based online marketing and conversion improvements as well as rich and social media solutions to increase online engagement OR attention on maintaining half of your revenue stream? The answer is again, “effectively both.”
I’ve seen tremendous success in using online insights and performance to drive catalog optimization. How? Search behavior is perhaps the best leading indicator of consumer demand and trends while a catalog can easily blend product promotions with online resources, promoting the opportunities you create for customers to socially interact with your brand.
What else has your attention? I’m not aware of too many other priorities that can have as significant an impact on your holiday season but I’d love to hear from you.
09/25/08 by seobrien | Brand Marketing, Display Advertising, Vendors / Agencies | 2 Comments »
How does one best distribute online video promotions, rich format advertisements, or engaging interactive banners? With the incremental cost of media creation, marketers need the most efficient and effective means of delivery and targeting available. Adbrite has announced that it now supports rich media across a network of 70k sites. I’m told by Paul Levine, AdBrite VP, Products & Marketing,
“Marketers are constantly looking for ways to get their messages out there in an increasingly noisy market. Especially marketers with experiential messages (like TV premier trailers) trying to pierce the noise on intensely experiential sites. The reason why paid search CTRs are insanely high (20% CTR plus) is because the ads blend in with the content in format, relevance, etc. Boring text ads on engaging content sites don’t stand a chance. But engaging entertainment messages on social sites seem to be working nicely, for our customers at least.”
The #3 fastest-growing advertising company is quickly turning in to the must-use advertising platform for marketers with its performance based costs and exceptional use of behavioral and re-targeting to pinpoint advertisements to your preferred audience. A leading indicator of their value to you is that Fox Broadcasting has signed up as their debut rich media advertiser, promoting my personal favorite new X-files / Medical Investigation like thriller, Fringe.
“Advertising with AdBrite’s network was a key part of our FRINGE fall season premiere campaign,” said Laurel Bernard, SVP Marketing, Fox Broadcasting Company. “Combining unique rich media experiences with advanced targeting, a broad range of distribution, and full transparency made AdBrite a great media partner for our launch.”
Rich media ads, of course, allow advertisers to create engaging, unique experiences. AdBrite has partnered PointRoll, EyeWonder, and EyeBlaster to offer a variety of rich media formats. If you haven’t tried AdBrite yet, give it a shot now; my experience has always been positive.
09/15/08 by seobrien | Affiliate Marketing, Analytics, Blogs & Blogging, Brand Marketing, Comparison Shopping, Conferences / Events, Display Advertising, Insights / Research, Local, Natural Search / SEO, Paid Search, Search, Social Media, Vendors / Agencies, Vertical Search, Web 2.0 | 5 Comments »
One of the advantages of working for a local search engine that uses event listings to promote the business listings, is that I have, at my finger tips, a rich index of seminars, summits, and conferences all rank ordered by demand (popularity), based on the search query volume for each. It is amazing what a search engine can tell you.
Where do you need to be? (in no particular order)
- Search Engine Strategies (SES)
- Pubcon (WebmasterWorld)
- ad:tech
- eTail
- Search Insider Summit
- Affiliate Summit
- Shop.org
- Online Market World
- Direct Marketing Association
- eMetrics Summit
- Search Marketing Expo (SMX)
- OMMA Expo
- Internet Marketing Conference
- SXSW – which you should attend just because
- iMedia Agency Summit & iMedia Summits
- PPC Summit
- MarketingProfs
- American Marketing Association (AMA)
- Online Marketing Summit
- MIXX Expo
- Media Relations Summit
- ACCM (DMA)
- DM Days (DMA)
- Searchnomics
- ClickZ Specifics
- Internet Retailer
- Web Analytics Association Base Camp
- Next Generation Marketing
- eRetailer Summit
- New Marketing Summit
- IAB Events
- MarketingSherpa’s Email Summit
- Apartment Internet Marketing – really!
- Frost & Sullivan Marketing World
- T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
- Catalog & ECommerce Club
- Blog World Expo
- eComXpo
Missing anything? Let me know in the comments and be sure to add it here
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