Elemental Know-How

OK, sorry for the Starland Vocal Band reference in the title, but it’s almost Independence Day, and we have some big news a brewin’ that makes me so excited that I just can’t hide it. [Crud, I guess huge developments in IP targeting makes me speak in ‘70s song lyrics…I think I’ll stop now.]  

We constantly hear this question from online marketers: How can I get more out of my online advertising and promotions?

Our answer: Start by delivering messages that resonate with your audiences.  In most instances that means targeting your messages as close to your visitor’s home as possible. As frequent readers of this blog realize, that geographic pinpoint on the map where we call home drives so many of our purchasing decisions.

So, their next logical question is usually: So how do we do that?

Our answer: Simple. IP Intelligence with geo-targeting capabilities

Their follow-up question: How accurate can you actually get?

Our answer up until now: 95 percent accurate down to a city-level worldwide…

But, the next generation of geo-targeting is on its way. The new-found ability to deliver ZIP code targeting is right around the corner, giving online marketers more bang for their buck. It’s the difference between delivering a targeted message to everyone in the Metro New York area or serving content to people just in the local suburb of Queens.

With Fourth of July coming up, we’re trying to create a few Fireworks of our own here at Digital Element as we move our IP Intelligence to that next level. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement in the next few weeks.   I promise…it’ll really be hot stuff.   :)

Never one to shy away from shamelessly promoting one of our customers, here’s a good read in Forbes on “How Smart Web Guys Win”. We’ve been saying all along that—online—you only one chance to make a good impression. Accordingly, we preach about how site usability plays a vital role in the ability to create a more personalized experience for online users. Forget about me…hear it straight from Omniture’s CEO Josh James 

We all want to ensure Dear Old Dad is well taken care of this Father’s Day, whether it’s the gift of a new BBQ grill, an outing at the local golf course, or dinner at his favorite steakhouse. But, let’s face it. Sometimes our good intentions are tempered by our own motivations, interests and purchasing power. Who wouldn’t want to arrange a father-son VIP weekend golf trip to this year’s U.S. Open Championship (over Father’s Day weekend) at Bethpage to watch Tiger Woods defend his title? I think we all would, but it’s senseless to waste time daydreaming about something we might not be able to actually afford.

Similarly, online marketers have struggled to deliver content and advertising based on user motivations, preferences, interests and purchasing capacity—mainly because current online behavioral data provides limited insight into anonymous and registered site users.

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We’re finally getting our real spring here in Atlanta. You know that time of the year that signals growth, renewal, the start of baseball (which, in my case, means driving my son around to places in Georgia you didn’t even know existed), etc.

Spring has also come to be a metaphor for the start of better times. And, after this past year, we could all use some of those. And, there’s no better time to “spring” into online video. Okay—that made me sound more than a bit dorky, but it works….read on.

IPG’s media and audience research group, MAGNA Global, forecasts a 32 percent increase in online video ad spending this year. According to the forecast, video advertising revenues will rise from $531 million in 2008 to $699 million in 2009. MAGNA believes spending will exceed $1 billion by 2011, implying a compounded annual growth rate of 36 percent each year between 2006 and 2011.

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A recent posting on the StoreFrontBacktalk blog provides an E-Commerce Wishlist When Times are Tough for retailers. It specifically cites Wal-Mart as a retailer that could (and should) beef up its online experience.

The blog gives an example of a consumer visiting the Wal-Mart web site to find out if a product is in stock at local store. Lo and behold the consumer has to jump through hoops to make that happen. And, I’m still hazy on whether she actually found the information she needed. Consumers want more than generic searches that produce generic results. Consumers want relevant information—quick. 

Wal-Mart needs to get on the “customized content” bandwagon and automatically deliver content that’s relevant for online visitors. Take for example, the Store Finder and Local Ad links across the top navigation bar. Why bother asking visitors to type in their zip code to get that information? Automatically, deliver it to them using geolocation technology.

With geolocation technology, Wal-Mart and other retailers can easily turn this wishlist into a reality. However, some retailers, such as Ace Hardware, are already ahead of the curve.

Social networks have some of the lowest advertising response rates on the Web. Why, you may ask, since this medium has been anointed as the next Big Thing in advertising?

Many say that people who hang out on MySpace, Facebook and other social networking sites pay too little attention to ads because they’re more interested in chatting with their friends. Even though websites struggle to convert traffic into revenue, their click-through rates are better than social networking sites—much of it because website visitors seem to be more in the buying mood.

People are on social networking sites…well…um to be social, so the sell is a little more difficult and almost impossible if the message is irrelevant to them. They’re there to spend time with friends—not ads, after all.

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“Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you.”

Every retailer should feel that way about their online customers, right? Especially in this economy. Stopping short of sending this traditional Valentine Day’s poem  to each and every customer or prospect (I tried this last year, and, it didn’t really help close business, though I did get some…err…rather interesting responses, and one restraining order <grin>), retailers can spread the love by getting to know their audiences a little bit better—in order to deliver promotions and merchandise that are most relevant to their individual lifestyles.

For retailers, knowing their online audience is just as important as gaining insight into those customers walking in the front door of a store. Basic audience website intelligence should involve examining: 

• Who is visiting the site?
• How did they find out about the company, product, or site?
• What do they want from the site?
• How do they interact with the site?

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Recent posts by online media analysts Matt Booth and Greg Sterling talk about the ongoing demise of newspapers, citing recent Pew Research that shows that the Internet is only second to TV for how people get their news these days. As newspapers continue to move more and more of their content online in order to stay financially viable, they still need to maintain the one benefit that has made them relevant from the start—the ability to deliver local news and advertising. With competition for digital readership growing, it is imperative that newspapers understand how they can automatically deliver local content and advertising using online technology tools, such as IP Intelligence. 

Barack Obama clearly embraces technology and the Internet. His campaign includes a sophisticated web presence, blogging and email outreach campaign.However, being the geo-intelligence geek that I am, I was wondering, why am I presented with a “where do you live?” menu when I visit the Barack Obama campaign web site?

If your kids are like my kids, then summer never seems long enough (and allowance never seems to be large enough, but that’s a subject for a different blog J). However, reality has set in and it’s time to go back to school. Which means it’s time for back to school shopping…along with more arguments about why doing your homework is more important than IM’ing your friends about the latest ‘cool’ CDs (again, the latter is a subject for another day and another blog).

One thing’s for sure: Mom and Dad are struggling with gas prices and food prices so they’re going to be making some tough choices when it comes to those back-to-school basics like clothing, electronics and school supplies…and…err…allowance (OK Rob, stay on topic please…this blog is about geo-targeting, not parental whining). Accordingly, retailers need to get back to the basics themselves and start merchandising more effectively if they expect to get their piece of the back-to-school sales pie. According to the National Retail Federation, the average family will spend $600 on back-to-school purchases. That’s a lot of bread, no matter you slice it.

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