by Marianna Muscat | Jan 23, 2019 | Content Marketing
Much of today’s marketing fails because it does not reach the right customers at the right time. Contextual marketing provides an alternative to the ‘needle in a haystack’ approach of reaching audiences by offering the right content, to the right audience, at the right time. If you are not sure what it is, contextual marketing offers targeted advertising to a user based on their online identity and the content they have searched for. So, no, it is not a coincidence that you Google searched ‘what is Le Creuset’ and suddenly sidebar adverts are popping up for ceramic cookware.
If you have already incorporated contextual marketing into your digital strategy, here are a few ways to maximise your outcomes:
Personalisation is a simple way to show your target audience that you understand their needs and care about meeting them. The benefit is that if your customers feel ‘known’ they are more likely to stick around. There are many ways to make your marketing messages more personal. Here are a few common methods:
- Using people’s names in email and direct mail marketing
- Dividing email lists based on interests
- Loyalty and reward programs
- Offering customised and/or personalised product or service packages
You can take personalisation further by using data to suggest products, services, etc. that your customer may like. For example, if a customer shops online and buys a shirt from your store, based on their previous purchases and ‘cart history’ you can suggest other items of clothing that will complement their current purchase.
Focusing on mobile is almost a no-brainer, since more and more consumers are accessing the web on their mobile devices and sharing a wealth of consumer data. According to recent research by the e-tailing group (http://www.e-tailing.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MyBuys-Customer-Centric-Marketing-Ebook.pdf) more than 50% of consumers are willing to share their data to have an improved shopping experience.
- Location, Location, Location
Location is the key to mobile contextual marketing. Recent research by Pew shows that 74% of smartphone users aged 18 years and older use their phones to get directions and other location-based information. An example would be a coffee shop targeting consumers who drive by their location, or when on holiday, receiving ads for nearby restaurants and tourist attractions. The possibilities are vast.
Knowing what your consumer’s behaviour is throughout the day is the key to targeting them at the right time with the right message. Some behaviours are easier to predict, like breakfast and lunch times, so restaurants offering food specials at these times is a straightforward tactic. Other ways to leverage this strategy is keeping an eye on events. An event can be as small as a rainy day. If your shop sells umbrellas, this is the perfect opportunity to win some customers with targeted advertising.
If you’re in need of internet marketing services, don’t hesitate to contact WSI OMS today.
by Marianna Muscat | Jan 11, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
It’s a new year and a new chance to make the most of your digital marketing campaigns. If you attempted to make waves with your online campaigns in the past with little success, it may be time to re-look your strategy. Here are the most important aspects to consider and implement:
Countless business owners spend a lot of time crafting incredible campaign landing pages on their websites – but what good is a campaign if nobody is exposed to it? The secret is to do everything in your power to spread the word. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean spending a fortune in the process. There are so many valuable tools online, like social media, which will allow you to do that at a fraction of the cost. Promote your campaign via your social pages and, if your budget allows, give it a boost with targeted marketing. Your reach is bound to increase dramatically.
Creating content to support your campaign is another must. Incorporate relative keywords and hashtags and, of course, don’t forget to share the content via social media. You might also want to start a competition that encourages your followers to share this content, as this is an easy way to get more likes and further enhance reach.
Influencer marketing helps to improve brand awareness, brand reputation and increase reach. Yes, we mention reach once again. After all, your campaign can’t be successful unless you have buy-in from as many people as possible. So, find an influencer who is relevant to your brand and join forces. You’ll be very glad you did!
Another way to ensure that your digital marketing campaigns soar is to enlist the help of the professionals. Here at WSI OMS, we specialise in social media marketing, content marketing, SEO, search engine optimisation, website design and link building. Contact us now to learn more.
by Marianna Muscat | Jan 3, 2019 | Digital Media Marketing
Digital Advertising Trends
2019 – The dawn of a new and exciting year. And there is no better time to reflect on the trends that we expect to define the digital advertising landscape.
A New Voice
Voice-enabled search is expected to be the next big thing in marketing. In fact, some analysts say they think that by 2020 almost as much as 50 percent of all searches will be made by voice. This means that as marketers we will have to:
Understand what their audience’s communication preferences are, and
Then use that knowledge when creating content.
Artificial Intelligence
Marketing has become more data-driven, which means that the demand for data-processing systems is increasing. Marketers of the future will have to learn to rely on AI systems for the following:
To enhance trend analysis,
To improve customer profiling, and
To develop personalised strategies.
Reality Reigns
The very exciting mediums of augmented and virtual reality will be likely to dominate the marketing scene on various fronts, including:
Customers
AR and VR offer a unique opportunity to create interesting shopping experiences for customers.
Marketers
For marketers, AR and VR offer a unique way to not only engage with their users, but to also connect potential customers with products and services.
Power Of Video
Thanks to the popularity of platforms like YouTube, Netflix, etc., it has been predicted that video will account for around 80% of all Internet traffic by the end of 2019. Video advertising has already started to follow this trend, with adverts running before, after and even in the middle of videos hosted on these services. To maximise this kind of advertising, wise marketers will implement the following strategies:
Work closer with content creators,
Utilise influencers,
Optimise their content for mobile viewing, and
Integrate shareable video content into websites and social pages for maximum exposure.
Need help with your digital advertising? Contact WSI OMS, one of the companies at the cutting-edge of the industry, today.
by Marianna Muscat | Dec 20, 2018 | SEO
The highest-ranking pages in Google are the ones we click on when we need to do research. If you’re researching surfing spots in South Africa for an article, for example, and type these keywords into Google, then you will undoubtedly find information about the best surf spots in the country within the top-ranking search results.
When it comes time to rank a source for the information that has been used for the article, the copywriter will likely link back to the top-ranking pages. This cycle means that the top-ranking pages on Google continue to get all the backlinks, which means that new content can’t compete.
New research by Ahrefs, however, both proves and disproves this theory. The top-ranking pages on Google get new links at a faster pace than lower-ranking pages regardless of the quality of content, which will lead one to believe that it is impossible to beat these pages in search engine results. The study showed that there isn’t proof that acquiring links at a faster pace leads to better rankings though.
For digital marketers and SEO consultants, it is a good reminder that backlinks aren’t the be-all and end-all of trying to get to the top of Google. Many smaller companies with fewer pages on their website and fewer backlinks are able to claim top spots simply by providing high-quality content. While backlinks are an important part of your strategy, you can outperform your competitors by investing in quality content marketing too.
Need help with your search engine optimization strategy? Then contact WSI OMS today.
by Marianna Muscat | Dec 19, 2018 | Facebook, Social Media Marketing
In October, Facebook rolled out a new feature that will allow users to post photos with 3D effects to their feeds. Despite the name, however, the photos won’t be fully 3D. You won’t, for example, be able to tilt your phone’s screen to see a picture of your dog from different angles.
The reason why Facebook is calling it “3D” photos is because the feature gives pictures a certain amount of depth. Facebook describes the new feature as being able to look at your photograph as if the object is standing still behind a window.
Not everyone will be able to post 3D photos on Facebook. For starters, you will need a phone with dual cameras. Only iPhone 7+ phones or more recent versions have this functionality on their phone.
Back in May, Facebook vaguely announced that it was planning on launching a 3D option. Soon, users will see a “3D photo” option within the list of post options when they go to make a status update. Some pictures are truly enhanced by the 3D option, while others don’t look too much different. The new feature is still a work in progress, and we look forward to seeing how the social media giant will improve these functionalities in the future.
Need help with your social media marketing? Then contact WSI OMS today.
