Remarketing – Useful Marketing Tool or Cyber Stalking?
Remarketing is a feature that lets you reach people who have previously visited your site, and show them relevant ads across the web or when they search on Google. When people leave your site without buying anything, for example, remarketing helps you connect with these potential customers again. You can even show them a tailored message or offer that will encourage them to return to your site and complete a purchase.
Take for example, Joe Bloggs. Joe was just looking online for a brand new pair or rugby boots, but not just any rugby boots though, Puma rugby boots. He looks at them on ProDirect and decides that he won’t buy them today. He logs onto his Facebook and sees rugby boots advertised on the sidebar of his newsfeed, but not just any rugby boots people .. yes, you guessed it, they’re Puma rugby boots! Poor old Joe doesn’t know what to do and in all this craze of a situation he goes back to ProDirect and buys them! .. Poor old Joe eh!
From a business perspective remarketing can be great as it gives the business a second chance to gain that vital sale! However, some businesses may have to look at why the customer needed a second persuasion to purchase the product. Businesses will have to take a look at the checkout process, is it too long? Is it too complicated for poor old Joe? Nonetheless remarketing is a great way of getting customers to purchase your product. Here is a video about how to set-up a remarketing tool.
There are a few fears about privacy policies with regards to remarketing not to mention people getting annoyed with seeing ads constantly popping up from sites they went on a month ago.
The fact of the matter is, if you use remarketing correctly, it can be a brilliant tool for you to succeed in your business!
Until next time,
Ross
Snapchat .. Just A Fad?
Snapchat was launched in October 2013 and took off like a rocket going to the moon! 6 months on, it’s still here & interest is still huge in it! I love Snapchat and must admit that I tend to go on it everyday to see what everyone has posted on their story or what “lovely” faces I have been sent! It has encouraged people to continue the year of the selfie – one was even taken at The Oscars!
But the question asked is, is it just a fad?
In my opinion, Snapchat isn’t just a fad. In fact I think it will only build & build into an impressive APP, not just for individuals but for businesses as well! And here is why:
1. People use it, and they’re going to keep using it:
Snapchat first caught on among teenagers and now college students have bought in on the craze! the actual number. Scoffers might wrinkle their noses and shrug Snapchat off as another passing phase. But skeptics were momentarily silenced in November 2013 when Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg offered the infant startup $3 billion in cash and was promptly turned down. Whether you’re keyed in to Snapchat or not, Facebook knows Snapchat’s hot, but Snapchat knows it’s even hotter.
2. Prove you’re a “cool” company:
If you hadn’t heard of Snapchat before Facebook’s stunning $3 billion offer, you’re not alone. That’s part of what adds to the inherent allure of the app. The number of users is growing exponentially, but it’s still new enough to make those who use it “in the know.”
The Snapchat frontier is still wide open for adaptive marketers who are ready to start exploring. Those who hit the ground running will have the biggest impact, plus the chance to define the ways marketers will use an emerging genre. Can anyone say, “Innovator Award”?
3. You’ve already built the audience on other social platforms: Snapchat is part social hybrid and part revolutionary, but adding it as a marketing platform doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. After all, what about all those Facebook fans and Twitter followers you worked so hard to collect? Does Snapchat mean those metrics have an expiration date? Not at all. Existing social platforms can remain healthy even as they drive fans and followers to explore a new sharing tool with you.
Incentivize your audience to join you on Snapchat and you’ll not only gain an instant audience on an emerging platform, you’ll find a whole new way to interest them. Offer mobile coupons, the chance to take a sneak peek behind the scenes, and the promise to deliver hot brand news to Snapchatters before anyone else, and fans will follow.
4. Embrace a new wavelength of messaging: Remember when YouTube grew in popularity and politicians began to realize the simpler, less professionally-staged videos were ranking better with audiences than pristinely polished ones? Savvy marketers are realizing the same is true of Snapchat. The app is supposed to be less-than-perfect, and that’s why people love it. The bonus for businesses is that you have the chance to kick your shoes off at the edge of the dance floor and have a little fun.
5. This is the new world of advertising: Traditional radio commercials were zapped by satellite radio. Television ads were nuked when digital video recorders careened on scene. And now, even digital recorders are being outrun by instant streaming. Mute buttons, spam filters, pop-up blockers — all are ways audiences keep slipping through marketer’s fingers.
What if people actually wanted to engage with your brand? What if, instead of ducking behind junk settings and filters, people actually pushed a button of their own free will to watch your brand in action? Snapchat introduces a groundbreaking forum, one where people are interested in what you have to say and offer.
It may still be new, but it represents the new age of advertising.
Until next time,
Ross
Dinamo Riga’s 1st Time Campaign – Case Study
A work mate of mine is from Latvia and he showed me this video!
The video is a marketing campaign which his favorite ice-hockey team carried out in order to try and get more people to ice-hockey games instead of the cinema etc..
In Marketing, we often here about direct & indirect competitors. Well, in this video you will see how Dinamo Riga marketers try and beat their indirect competitors!
Enjoy!
Cork City FC Marketing Campaign 2014
For anyone that knows me, knows that I am a massive Cork City fan – season ticket holder for the last 5 years in fact! Last year, the club decided to put together a Marketing working group to come up with a marketing plan for the 2014 season and credit where credit is due, they really did a brilliant campaign leading up to the first game of the season against St. Pats (the champions from last year).
One of the things they did was put up billboards around the city & district area like the one below.
Whilst there are more creative billboards in the world, the one which Cork City produced was actually pretty good & it was no doubt one the factors for getting an attendance of 5,500 people at the Cross on the opening night of the season.
Another marketing idea which they carried out was a promo ideo which was launched the week of the first game. It can be seen below.
This created a lot of buzz for not only long-term supporters but also casual football supporters in Cork who turned up on the night.
Sports marketing would be something which I would love to get into when I finish college as I love sports and my course is really interesting.
Until next time,
Ross
P.S. City ‘Til I Die! 😀
Customers can’t…
Customers can’t always tell you what they want, but they can always tell you what’s wrong.
In this semester, I chose to study Managing Services Marketing and one of the topics is Service Recovery and how to try and gain customer feedback.
The above quote reflects what the topic is about.
Why Businesses Should Blog?
Sin
ce I’ve started blogging, I’ve come to realise that blogging can actually help businesses. “But I thought blogging was an online diary to let your feelings out” I hear you say .. well yes but it is so much more than that! Blogging is one of the most valuable tools that businesses have to engage with customers and ultimately make their lives easier. If you’re not blogging, it’s time to get started or get left behind!
So without further delay, here are my reasons ..
1. A blog is a simple, easy-to-use platform for connecting with and sharing timely and relevant information with customers. It’s your direct communication channel. Businesses such as Dell blog. Though Dell’s corporate blog rarely strays from Dell-centric news, the company posts with a great conversational voice, often breaks news on their blog (which keeps people coming back), and listens and responds to customers. Dell also posts regularly (1-2 posts per day at least) which keeps content fresh and encourages repeat visits.
2. A blog creates a two-way conversation with customers, prospects and industry peers. It encourages interaction, comments and feedback. Make sure you reply to all comments as feedback is key to any succesful business.
3. Blogs are cost-effective marketing investments. Every post you publish is a long-term asset that helps build brand awareness and promote your expertise, products and services.
Those are my top three reasons why businesses should blog. There are several more on the following YouTube clip.
Until next time,
Ross
5 Tips to help you create Facebook Like Page!
Hello again people! Back blogging again and this weeks topic is “5 Tips to help you create a Facebook Like Page!”.
But first some Facebook facts .. who doesn’t like facts! Did you know that 1 in every 13 people on earth are on Facebook and that the average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events. This means there is a huge opportunity for businesses to reach there Target Market while also promoting there name to a vast and diversified audience.
With the above in mind here are my 5 tips to creating a brilliant Facebook Like Page:
1. Customize your page URL
There is nothing more annoying when searching for a page and not being able to find it. The URL should be exactly tailored to what the page is about. A list of numbers & letters is not appealing and HARD TO FIND!!
2. Make sure your page layout fits
Pictures must be cropped to fit the profile and cover photo slots perfectly. It gives a bad impression if half the photo is cut off or cant be seen properly. The picture must be also eye catching so that people may feel tempted to visit the page. this can be done using humor, strong visuals or even something simple as an attractive person showcasing the product/service. Make sure personal information is accurate and tells the potential customer/current customer all they need to know about the company.
3. Try make your page cool, be creative
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!! Run competions & just make the page somewhat not boring!
4. Make sure the page is a like page and not a friend request page
Yes, you make think this is something people would never be silly enough to do but it happens! Trust me trying to rectify this problem is not anyway shape or form funny, I should know, in a previous job, I had to get 5000 people from the friend page to like the new “Like Page”. Before that, I was told delete people from outside the area as there was a 5000 friend limit! Absolute disaster!
5. Use Humor
Try to use humour but link the business to make people feel more reassured about your product or service. Overuse of humour tends to have a negative affect.
That is my 5 tips for creating Facebook. If you do it right, be creative and think outside the box, then the possibilities are endless!
That’s all for me right now people,
Until next time,
Ross
And so it begins ..
And so the blogging begins! What can I say, I never thought in my life that I’d be a blogger, but here I am, blogging away!
I tend to ramble and go on, when it comes to certain topics but like my slogan says, I’ll try and make it all “educated” ;).
I hope ye all enjoy my blog over the coming semester and I assure you all, it will not be boring!
Until next time,
Ross
Bateman's Marketing World 
