April 3, 2020
Don’t Quarantine Your Marketing
There’s no question these are uncertain times. But how we as businesses and leaders react to situations and proactively prepare for the future will set us apart.
We are also in unprecedented times with social distancing. Yet quarantine or self-isolation doesn’t mean we’re cut off from all contact with one another. Technology is allowing people to carry on in many areas of their work and lives. It also presents new opportunities for businesses to engage with their audience and consumers.
The question for many remains how to adjust creatively now to survive — while also preparing for a future “normal” in which something like this could happen again.
While some predict the warm weather will curb the novel coronavirus transmission, others believe it’s here for the long haul. Of those who believe it will stick around, some think it will become just another seasonal cold.
Of course, time will tell how serious the pandemic really is, how prepared we will be to handle it, and how it will impact our daily lives.
That said, I want to share some real-time and forward-looking strategies for businesses and search marketing companies to understand how to face this pandemic. In this article:
- Impact of the novel coronavirus on marketing
- Don’t quarantine your marketing
- 10 to-dos for marketers in the current crisis
- Impact on search marketing vendors
- The Impact of the Novel Coronavirus on Marketing
At the time of writing, conferences and any gatherings of more than 10 are being avoided or outright canceled.
Working from home and self-isolation are the new norms until further notice. So there is less traffic on the road, in the air, and walking into businesses.
Companies that invest marketing and advertising budget into things like signage, billboards or airplane magazines will find they’re getting less visibility than ever before. And organizations that rely on events and gatherings to generate new business and revenue may struggle to make up the difference.
It is entirely possible that radio and TV advertising spend will go up. It’s also likely that companies will hold on to cash, including marketing budgets, to brace for impact.
Some industries will fare worse than others during this crisis. For instance, as this article points out, if a business can’t get a product to market, they may cut marketing.
Reports from Search Engine Land show that industries like travel, events and restaurants are pausing their PPC campaigns altogether. Amazon has all but turned off its Google Ads campaigns, and instead is focusing on the demand for specific in-demand goods.
If you are in one of those most-affected industries, your search traffic may also have tanked in recent days.
Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg recently echoed the sentiment many people are feeling — that no one knows how big of an impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on marketing.
Is there a silver lining for search marketers? Yes, but we have to look for it.
We can assume that the more people are working from home, the more flexible the “workday” becomes. This means that people may be doing personal or business types of searches at any hour of the day or evening.
And of course, search behavior will vary by industry and query. For example, coronavirus is dominating searches on top news and social channels as of late. And the query “toilet paper” has gained popularity since the beginning of March.
What does this mean to search marketing? For some industries, some marketing budgets and certain queries, the need for SEO and PPC will be greater than ever.
Don’t Quarantine Your Marketing
As with any crisis, how an organization responds is key. Are you calm and taking action, or panicked and paralyzed?
Two things people should not be doing right now: hoarding toilet paper and hoarding search marketing budget.
How a business treats marketing can make or break them. The answer in these times is to not stop marketing. For many though, it may be a good idea to reallocate the existing marketing budget (like the budget for events or billboards) to different digital channels.
10 To-Dos for Marketers in the Current Crisis
Here are 10 things businesses should consider when faced with the current situation or future situations like it.
1. Know search trends.
To be more relevant for short-term SEO and PPC campaigns, be aware of what’s being searched for now (I suggest using Google Trends). As a retailer, you might have huge gains from your SEM campaigns if you have the products people are searching for. On the other hand, if you know what type of search results are showing up for a query right now (remember: query deserves freshness), you can create relevant content to answer it.
2. Create timely and relevant content.
What does your audience or consumer want to know from you right now? Take this opportunity to communicate and give branded, unique insights on the situation. Make sure you have a good mix of content that’s both “business as usual” and relevant to the crisis so that you don’t look tone-deaf.
3. Ramp up your digital content.
Consider setting up your business now to produce more digital content like podcasts and webinars in both the short and long term. If you are a business with a lot of in-person consulting or training, now is the time to explore online training. By 2025, research estimates the e-learning sector will be valued at about $158 billion, so it’s not a bad time to get in on it. Lessons learned now about these strategies will prove useful should you need to continue to make them a part of your business.
4. Shift offline to online or modify.
If you are a local business or retailer, you’re going to have to think long term. Is it possible to shift a portion of your business online or change your business model? Can you shift in-store experiences to virtual or in-store shopping to delivery?
5. Optimize your content.
If you are creating content about the coronavirus or anything that’s trending, you want to ramp up your optimization efforts so that it can be found in the search results. Schema.org recently added COVID-19-related structured data types, for example.
6. Use search marketing for branding and crisis communications.
Even if the sale of your products and services is slowing down, you can use search engine marketing for branding purposes. For example, ads could point to landing pages with key information on them.
7. Use search marketing for reputation management and trust.
Corona beer, for example, may need to do this based on people’s perception of its relation to the coronavirus. You also should monitor how online sentiment may be impacting your trust signals during this time.
8. Stay ahead of your competition.
If you pause your search marketing campaigns, and your competition doesn’t, who will be set up for success when this whole thing passes? Which brands will people follow through all of this — those that stay in contact, or those that shut down?
9. Remember that SEO is a long-term strategy.
Unless it’s critical, you should not divert your SEO budget. You should keep calm and carry on because Google’s algorithms are not taking a break during a crisis. In fact, this slower period may be just the opportunity you need to do the back-burner projects (such as new content creation or server improvements) that can position you for SEO wins down the road.
10. Don’t buy cheap SEO.
When budgets are tight, the tendency might be to go with cheaper SEO programs or buy bundled marketing services instead of using experts that specialize. In times like these, companies cannot afford to implement anything less than expert SEO. After the dust settles, they will be dealing with another crisis: no rankings, no targeted traffic, and possibly Google penalties.
What Will Be the Impact on Search Marketing Vendors?
This will likely not be a fun time for marketers. Unless you’re on the right side of things. For many search marketing firms, staff cuts are inevitable.
A search marketing agency cannot survive as a company of interns. Many large agencies that are used to thriving on less-experienced professionals will not succeed. That’s because for a portion of this workforce, the work-from-home approach will not be successful. Lack of experience without close mentorship does not produce stellar results.
For this reason, I speculate that a lot of search marketing firms will not make it. Tougher times do not bode well for agencies without a majority of senior staff.
Agencies will also need to do what is necessary to continue servicing new and existing clients. For some clients, budget cuts could be a concern (although the hope is that they see the value in continuing search marketing for all the reasons outlined in this article).
That means having to modify current campaigns and programs to focus on what is necessary now. Some may have new strategies while others may choose to do baseline tactics but not be as aggressive as before.
Some clients may consolidate vendors in these times. They may choose to bundle all their digital marketing services with one agency for a discount.
What we learned in the last recession was that these agencies weren’t experts in everything. Some of them even subcontracted to us at Bruce Clay Inc. for the SEO portion of their agreements.
Unfortunately, businesses that didn’t have SEO experts working in the background realized they had shot themselves in the foot with mediocre services after the recession ended. Many of them came to us to fix what was done in that time period.
At the end of the day, search marketing professionals, especially SEOs, are no strangers to reinventing themselves at the mercy of rapid changes (like algorithms). So I am confident that many vendors can rise to the occasion and survive.
Closing Thoughts
Now is the time for all of us to be leaders — businesses and search marketing vendors. We need to create short-term solutions and future-oriented strategies for our businesses and our clients.
We need to be creative with our products, services and communications. We need to send the right message: that we can carry on in the face of a crisis.
In the eye of the storm, it can be hard to see anything but chaos. The best defense is to do what is necessary to still be standing after the storm.
March 24, 2020
Coronavirus and the marketing industry: what happens next?
Coronavirus is at the forefront of everyone’s minds at the moment. We’re officially living in the midst of a pandemic, and almost everyone has been affected. Whether you’re self-isolating, working from home, or are anxious about what the future might hold, the chances are that coronavirus has already affected you in some way, shape or form.
We don’t really want to contribute to the negative literature on the topic - of which there is a lot. The facts are pretty bleak, however, in the wake of the crisis it seems that people have been turning to social media for a sense of community.
The million dollar question is how long will all of this go on for and how will it affect the marketing sector? Here, we are taking a deep dive into how coronavirus might affect marketing in the next few weeks and months.
Traditional marketing forms take a hit
While the UK government is yet to call for a nationwide lockdown, as we’ve seen in other countries, the advice to stay inside and limit all unnecessary outings is likely to lead to a notable decrease in out of home ad spend, with brands opting to focus on online, digital ads instead.
TV has also been affected, with many businesses cutting TV ad spend as a precautionary measure. This is so much so that ITV, which acts as a kind of benchmark for the British TV ad market as a whole, estimates that they will see a 10% decrease in revenue due to coronavirus .
This is also on top of the fact that large sporting events and tournaments have already been cancelled, and sponsorship deals have been cut, resulting in a TV ad market that is naturally in a decline.
However, some are predicting otherwise. TV tends to see a spike during times of bad weather or other periods where people are more likely to stay indoors, and thus, some TV executives are predicting huge increases in ad spend as consumers are forced to stay at home.
Online marketing may increase
We’re predicting that there will be a huge increase in digital ad spend over the next few months as consumers will naturally be spending more time online, especially choosing to shop online versus leaving the house. These predictions are supported by research from Dentsu Aegis Network, who found that of 155 clients and client leaders surveyed, 14% said they were moving budget online, from offline media.
Additionally, as people travel less and work from home more, we also expect to see mobile and social opportunities increase. Research by Global Web Index found that we are seeing a huge increase in people checking social media across all age demographics; 27% among Gen Z, 30% among Millennials, 29% among Gen X and 15% among Boomers. This may be not least because people are free from the watchful eye of their manager and are able to check their phones more regularly, but also because 4 in 10 of us are checking the news more frequently!
Social media ad spend is set to increase
Due to increased use of social media, spend across the social platforms is likely to increase.
With more people on their phones, looking for engaging content to keep them busy as they try to tackle the emotional burden of self isolation, social media will become a daily routine that people need to keep them grounded, give them a sense of community and regular updates on the global crises.
It’s therefore thought that social media spending will rise by 22.2% as a result of coronavirus, as consumer-led brands harness the power of social media to engage their audience. We have already seen a huge jump in influencer marketing engagement, with a recent study finding a 76% increase in daily accumulated likes on Instagram #ad posts over the past two weeks.
What content do people need in the midst of coronavirus?
As content creators, providers or facilitators, we have a unique responsibility to be conscious of the content that we publish at this time. Consumers need support from the brands they love, and social media provides a great vehicle to deliver that.
People are turning to their most trusted brands to lead the way and deliver content that shows true consideration for the consumer. At a time when studios may not be accessible for producing branded content, brands should consider working with a vetted network of content creators, in order to ensure that your brand message is creatively translated to your target audience by a trusted partner.
Content centred around mental health and keeping healthy will naturally be of interest to consumers at this time. Equally as important is content that keeps us busy, optimistic and excited about the world as we collectively navigate through this topsy-turvy time.
If you have concerns about where your marketing budget is going, or want to discuss how coronavirus might affect your marketing strategy then get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
By Ben Jeffries - Open Mic
To view full article click here
Marketers always strive hard to boost website traffic. A significant metric which quantifies the performance of websites is the bounce rate, indicating the percentage of users who leave without delving any further than the initial page.
In this context, it is important to understand web accessibility. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and provides equal opportunities for accessing the web to all users.
Disabled users find it inconvenient to access disabled-unfriendly websites and their sessions naturally tend to bounce. A 2016 study from Click-Away Pound, a surveyor focusing on the online shopping experiences of people with disabilities, found that 71% of disabled customers with access needs usually clicked away from a website when they found it difficult to use.
These customers who click away have an estimated spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK, which figures to approximately 10% of the total UK online spend in 2016. The survey also found 82% of customers with access needs will spend more if websites were more accessible.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) elaborates on making the web accessible to disabled users. Adhering to the WCAG standards not only helps site owners improve the reach of websites, but also steers them away from unwanted legal repercussions.
What is AI marketing and how can it help reduce bounce rates?
AI marketing is empowered by the building blocks of artificial intelligence, helping develop creative services to simplify website accessibility. It leverages customer data with the help of machine learning to automate processes like extraction of data and prediction of customer behaviour that improves customer experiences.
Here are a few ways AI marketing contributes towards engaging disabled users and reducing bounce rates on websites:
Improving web accessibility
Website accessibility ensures equal access to users with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments without any barriers. Empowered by technologies like natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, AI marketing helps marketers deliver personalised and contextualised experiences.
For example, Facebook has incorporated the automatic alternative text tool backed by object recognition technology to help the visually impaired. This tool uses screen readers on iOS devices to generate detailed descriptions of the elements in photos as the user swipes past them.
Private website owners should consider accessiBe, an AI-powered, pioneering web accessibility tool that simplifies the way business owners deliver accessible content to disabled users. This automated tool creates accurate alt text descriptions for images on websites, improving accessibility for visually impaired users. The application also ensures the website is compliant with WCAG 2.1.
Among the features that accessiBe offers to apply website accessibility are:
- Optimisation of websites for keyboard navigation to accommodate users with motor impairments
- A built-in dictionary which explains expressions, slang, and phrases for users with cognitive disorders
- Granular adjustments in colours, fonts, and typography to make content more accessible for users with visual disabilities
Boosting customer engagement
Customer engagement is naturally a defining metric to reduce bounce rates. With a diverse online community, identifying customer types and engaging them based on their requirements is a challenge for marketers.
AI marketing helps marketers deal with this challenge by categorising disabled users and self-optimising websites to improve conversions. For example, users with hearing difficulties may find it difficult to access video or audio content. It also helps users with hearing difficulties by offering textual scripts. Adding this script not only helps augment the customer base, but also boosts search engine ranking.
Previously, such scripts were entered manually. With the advent of AI-powered technologies, however, these scripts can be generated automatically. YouTube uses this speech recognition technology to create captions for videos.
Offering recommendations based on buying personas and search history
AI marketing offers product recommendations based on the individual needs of customers. These recommendations are derived from the user’s purchase history and preferences from browsing behaviour, which makes them highly relevant. With AI, marketers can obtain intuitive insights from scanning volumes of data on customer behaviour.
The AI algorithm leverages data such as account information, customer preferences, purchase history, and contextual information about the customer. Product recommendations are based on this data. This technology ultimately helps improve user convenience and helps with online purchases.
According to the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), web usability for the disabled is defined as the extent to which users can use a product to obtain specified goals. This guideline throws light on the need to include simplified and understandable instructions on websites to help people with cognitive and learning disabilities.
Providing AI-enabled product recommendations eases the complications of searching the web for products and information for disabled users. The website automatically offers recommendations based on the history of the customer which narrows down the search results. These recommendations prevent customers with cognitive or learning disabilities from getting lost in the deluge of online information. The recommendations aim to direct them with sufficient information to accomplish the intent of their online visit.
Helping derive customer information to enhance the quality of service
It’s no secret that personalised services result in exceptional customer experiences. Using traditional analytics for this purpose will be time-consuming and tedious. The result will also be confined to pre-defined metrics. AI marketing, however, enables marketers to deliver quick and seamless customer services that are backed by insights obtained from numerous customer journeys.
AI-powered marketing uncovers numerous relationships from data to predict customer behaviours with the utmost accuracy. It also finds the drivers and inhibitors of delivering seamless customer services. Unlike conventional methods of collecting customer data, such as feedback forms and sign-ups, AI-enabled marketing initiates the right questions to derive insightful customer data.
In the context of users with disabilities, AI marketing helps websites optimise their usability based on intent.
Conclusion
AI marketing opens up new avenues to accelerate website performances. The above-mentioned factors of AI marketing will help marketers extend their customer base, understand and explore a different segment of the audience, and reduce bounce rates while driving potential traffic.
Written By: Manish Dudharejia - Marketing Tech
January 23, 2019
8 Reasons to Hire a Virtual Marketing Agency
Running business operations requires much effort and time. It could leave you exhausted and at times, you end up with little or no enthusiasm. To avoid burning out just when you badly need results, you need to outsource some of the critical functions. Presently, everyone has embraced digital technology, and if your entity is not in line, you may end up lagging behind in your line of business. However, computer-driven media does not necessarily mean ditching the old platforms such as print media. Nonetheless, marketing can take many forms, but it is the digital ones that have a high potential for results.
As the name suggests, virtual marketing agencies do not operate from a brick and mortar office. Every professional hired by the entity works remotely, but they are all interconnected online. If one has got internet linked via back office software, the workflow does not get interrupted. However, from time to time, the team needs to, and they do indeed meet up to map out their clients’ strategies. Their meeting place can be anywhere from your boardroom to a coffee break at an eatery.
Remain relevant
Whether you have any marketing background or not, you don’t need to be told that you must carry out intensive industry research. Launching a campaign of any magnitude without studying consumer behavior can have a severe backlash. You must understand the industry. Take for instance the print magazine that people used to love. Most of them have now stopped publishing hard copies and have moved their publications online. If you are in this sector, it would be detrimental to continue churning out volumes of papers and taking them to newsstands. Few people will buy them, but there are millions of readers online. Marketing agencies know about these developments and can guide you on the right strategies to adopt.
Does this leave you feeling scared of losing out in the competition? If so, there are compelling reasons for you to hire a virtual marketing agency.
You tap into the endless creativity
Virtual marketers can be a weird lot. If you have never met them, you should walk into their offices one day. They are the type of guys that come to work dressed in rugged jeans and t-shirts. You hardly see creatives adorning in suits and ties. However, you should not mistake this for a fun club since these are some of the most talented people you could ever meet. Their diversity regarding education and work experience makes them the go-to persons. Furthermore, their technological know-how and innovation in solving problems are second to none. Their teams come fully equipped with:
- Creative directors
- Skilled graphic designers
- Copywriters
- Media buyers
- Media planners
- Office assistants
Competitor evaluation
Virtual marketing agencies have an in-depth knowledge of the market where businesses operate. They know the approaches that work as well as those that do not. Following an intensive interaction with different clients, they can quickly adopt strategies that can easily turn around your fortunes. Take for instance campaigns that target millennials. Placing print ads for such a group might result in their getting ignored. However, buying media on online social platforms will get the attention of these youngsters. Only an outsourced agency can evaluate and know this. The marketers will:
- Help identify where your target audience hangs out
- Determine the most appealing content
- Streamline your campaigns on social media
- They research on keywords, analytics and search management
No staffing headaches
To succeed in your marketing efforts, you must be consistent. An employee who suddenly falls ill when you are running a crucial campaign can ruin everything. That person who takes leave of absence for unavoidable circumstances could be the best that you have. For example, he or she might be the only one who understands how to curate content and optimize blogs. Besides, the timing of their leave could coincide with an important festive season when you had hoped to cash in on consumer spending. With a marketing agency, such worries do not exist.
- No need to carry out recruitment, the agency hires its team
- Agencies have their way of dealing with staffing issues
- If one of their employees falls sick or goes on leave, that becomes none of your concerns
- With a virtual agency by your side, none of the matters affecting employees can bring your campaigns to a halt. You expect them to deliver come rain or shine
Data analysis, monitoring and research
Following the emergence of internet platforms, there is a high potential for gathering data and analyzing it to your advantage. An in-house team may not be of much help here. However, digital marketing agencies go out of their way to study and gather market information. They finance or procure data on consumer behavior. Out of the results, they identify trends that help in understanding why people opt for product B as compared to C or the other way around. With such feedback, virtual marketing agencies, can restructure your web content and ensure that prospective clients visit and engage your company by buying your product or service.
- All you need is develop key performance indicators and share them with the marketers
- They then figure out performance against your measures
- Agencies identify metrics that they can monitor in different channels
- They provide you with reports on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis
No training needed
Agencies come fully equipped with a team of content writers, web developers, marketers, media monitors, graphic designers, SEO professionals, you name it. If you were to hire all these yourself, it could end up being a huge gamble or counterproductive. Moreover, such people may take time to fit into your organization’s culture. This is not the case with an outsourced marketing agency. They come fully loaded with a skilled team that is passionate about what they do. You do not need to take them for seminars or hire people to train them. On the contrary, they are always ready and raring to go; all you need is to give them a little shove by way of a briefing.
- You save money that could have gone to staff training
- The company saves time that could have gone towards arranging for seminars
- There is no need to invest in software
The aspect of an outside perspective
Employees working inside an organization may not have a wide knowledge of what goes on outside. On the other hand, someone could be having brilliant ideas but holds them for fear of making his or her bosses look bad. Marketing agencies consist of people who brainstorm consistently and come up with solutions on how best to achieve results. They approach your problems from the outside view; a consumer’s eye. It might be difficult for you to ‘step out’ of your organization for a while and look at it from the other side. Virtual marketers are your best bet.
- You eliminate bias and promote out-of-the-box thinking
- People no longer remain frozen in the notion that they can keep doing things the same way as before
- An outsider sees things differently since they do not know you or any of your employees
Helps you focus your energy where needed
Running successful online marketing campaigns requires hiring an experienced and deeply motivated team. Plus, you need to re-focus your attention towards ensuring that the new hires understand what you do on a day-to-day basis. All this takes time and you could spend much money on in-house training. Your efforts could result in strained resources and reduced profits. Why not let a virtual agency take the burden? The resources you could have spent can go a long way towards growing other aspects of your business. With an outsourced marketer, you only must appraise them on your needs, objectives and timelines. You need not train or manage anyone.
- Running a business requires your commitment, time, and energy
- Agencies have all the time to run marketing aspects on your behalf since that is their area of specialization.
- They take time to understand your business and deploy measures for the right marketing tactics
Reduces costs significantly
When faced with the prospect of outsourcing or grooming an in-house team, many organizations make comparisons and opt for the latter. However, you eventually realize that a virtual agency is less costly. Do you know why? Part of the reason is that these agencies do not have physical offices. Their employees work from home most of the time. They can even meet at a coffee house and develop a strategy in no time. As a result, they charge you a retainer or commission that is much lower than what you would have paid your internal team. Another cost aspect is that you need not subscribe to marketing tools available online. Most agencies already have them.
- Virtual agents do not have to work from an office
- They pay no rent for use of premises
- No need for them to buy furniture or office equipment
- Every team member works from the comfort of their home or wherever they feel most productive
- Part of their cost comes from internet subscriptions or online coordination tools
- They pass these benefits over to their clients through reduced fees
In a nutshell
Many companies prefer to hire in-house marketers, and with good reasons. Part of this stems from the fact that insiders know the brand better than others. Besides, they live, breath and eat the organization’s culture which makes it hard for outsiders to match these aspects. However, having an external point of view helps expand your vision. The level of expertise found in virtual marketers is unmatchable. These are people drawn from the best pool of professionals in the industry. They bring with them unrestricted passion and the desire for results.
At the same time, outsourced agencies are more in touch with reality. They view your business from an outsider’s point of view and with no bias. Ordinarily, your in-house team may feel constrained by the fear of making you feel disappointed. Also, every so often, an employee will fall sick or take leave, and you cannot deny them this. It will be a massive setback if the person who goes away is the one you highly depend on to drive the advertising strategy.
Agencies have their unique way of procuring data from their peers or carrying out their research. They use an array of tools that would be expensive if you were doing it alone. Fortunately, they can leverage this by offering you up to date statistics that are measured and found to work. Hiring your team also means that you must take them through training and induction. Virtual marketers need none of this as they come fully equipped and only need a briefing on your expectations.
Running a business requires focus with no room for distraction. In-house marketers can divert your attention, and by the time you come around, you will have lost much ground to competitors. Agencies take and bear the burden for you. Someone else receives the beating and fights to get you ahead. In the meantime, you are more than happy to concentrate on your area of specialization. You only begin to see results trickling in as if by magic.
Every organization worries about cost minimization versus revenue maximization. Here, a virtual marketing agency is your best bet. Outsourcing your marketing work can significantly reduce your running costs. Since these professionals save money by way of not having a physical office, they pass these benefits to your company.
Lastly, by their position in the market, virtual agencies are more in touch with reality than you. They keep up with the current trends and are also on the lookout for emerging ones. Reputable agencies will tell you what strategies can work well in the present. They bring new perspectives into things you were doing before but yielding little or no results. They can determine where to find your audience and target it correctly. In the end, your brand remains relevant.
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