DIGITAL MEDIA PLANNING

DIGITAL MEDIA PLANNING: 

1. Various Digital channels

a. Search engine optimization is a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the amount of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search engine results page of a search engine (SERP) - including Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. Search engines have two major functions: crawling and building an index and providing search users with a ranked list of the websites they've determined are the most relevant.

i. Crawling and Indexing: Crawling and indexing the billions of documents, pages, files, news, videos, and media on the World Wide Web. Links allow the search engines' automated robots, called "crawlers" or "spiders," to reach the many billions of interconnected documents on the web. Once the engines find these pages, they decipher the code from them and store selected pieces in massive databases, to be recalled later when needed for a search query. To accomplish the monumental task of holding billions of pages that can be accessed in a fraction of a second, the search engine companies have constructed datacenters all over the world. These monstrous storage facilities hold thousands of machines processing large quantities of information very quickly. When a person performs a search at any of the major engines, they demand results instantaneously; even a one- or two-second delay can cause dissatisfaction, so the engines work hard to provide answers as fast as possible.

ii. Providing Answers: Providing answers to user queries, most frequently through lists of relevant pages that they've retrieved and ranked for relevancy. Search engines are answer machines. When a person performs an online search, the search engine scours its corpus of billions of documents and does two things: first, it returns only those results that are relevant or useful to the searcher's query; second, it ranks those results according to the popularity of the websites serving the information. It is both relevance and popularity that the process of SEO is meant to influence.

How do search engines determine relevance and popularity?

To a search engine, relevance means more than finding a page with the right words. In the early days of the web, search engines didn’t go much further than this simplistic step, and search results were of limited value. Over the years, smart engineers have devised better ways to match results to searchers’ queries. Today, hundreds of factors influence relevance. Search engines typically assume that the more popular a site, page, or document, the more valuable the information it contains must be. This assumption has proven fairly successful in terms of user satisfaction with search results.

Popularity and relevance aren’t determined manually. Instead, the engines employ mathematical equations (algorithms) to sort the wheat from the chaff (relevance), and then to rank the wheat in order of quality (popularity). These algorithms often comprise hundreds of variables. In the search marketing field, we refer to them as “ranking factors.

 

b. Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising. Search engine marketing is the practice of marketing a business using paid advertisements that appear on search engine results pages (or SERPs). Advertisers bid on keywords that users of services such as Google and Bing might enter when looking for certain products or services, which gives the advertiser the opportunity for their ads to appear alongside results for those search queries.

These ads, often known by the term pay-per-click ads, come in a variety of formats. Some are small, text-based ads, whereas others, such as product listing ads (PLAs, also known as Shopping ads) are more visual, product-based advertisements that allow consumers to see important information at-a-glance, such as price and reviews.

Search engine marketing’s greatest strength is that it offers advertisers the opportunity to put their ads in front of motivated customers who are ready to buy at the precise moment they’re ready to make a purchase. No other advertising medium can do this, which is why search engine marketing is so effective and such an amazingly powerful way to grow your business.

The concept behind Search Engine Marketing is quite simple: when a consumer or business person searches the Web through either a text box or by clicking through a directory hierarchy, he or she is in "hunt mode." This psychological state is unique because it signals to the search engine (and to marketers) that the person is looking for information, often of a direct or indirect commercial nature.

Marketers understand that this "hunt mode" means that the searcher may very well be at the beginning, middle, or end stages of the buying cycle. When someone is researching a product or service to satisfy an immediate or future need they are in an unusual state: they desire relevant information and are open to digesting and acting on the information at their fingertips, all made possible by a search engine. This makes search engine results some of the best sources of targeted traffic, whether this traffic originates from "organic" unpaid search listings or paid advertising listings.

Many marketers think of search engines as delivering the search results or SERP (Search Engine Results Page) in the form of purely textual results. The truth is that search results can be any mix of text, images, video, audio, or other file formats. In the United States, search engines don’t simply include Google, Yahoo and Bing; they also include commerce sites such as eBay and Amazon, as well as specialty search engines such as YouTube and Hulu for video, restaurant search engines, "people" search engines such as LinkedIn, or online business directories for local results, including IYPs (Internet Yellow Pages) and sites such as Yelp, Angie's List, and others.

All search engines use algorithms to attempt to provide the most relevant results to each searcher, taking onto account not only the search keywords used but also the searcher’s location, device, operating system, previous search behavior, and even identity. The better any specific search algorithm for paid or organic (unpaid) results is, the happier the searcher is with the results. Because search engines compete for the attention, eyeballs, and ears of searchers, there is great incentive for constant improvement and innovation. To leverage the power contained within this targeted traffic source, marketers must understand how to effectively use both paid and organic SEM and have realistic expectations about what they can expect each methodology to achieve.

 

c. Email marketing: “Email marketing is way to target customers through email. As we send direct mail through the postal service, in email marketing messages are sent via email.”

Standard Definition: “E-mail is the most effective way to promote any product or service online. It is a direct & simple way to communicate with customers, prospects and subscribers. Email marketing is one of the most trusted & popular online marketing channel available for marketers. It is best medium to show your interest into customers which indicates that you care about them & want to work with them.”

Types of Email: There are two major types of email.

i. Transactional: Transactional emails are expected messages that are received after a specific action has taken place. When a customer makes purchase on your website, you send an email to confirm order & give them further details. If you fill out a form to register for an event, then you receive a thank you email which includes further information. Other examples of transactional emails are: welcome message, account information, order or purchase status, payment confirmation, invoices etc. These emails are highly personalized and the whole content is dedicated to user action. That’s why transactional emails have high click through rate (CTR). There is no unsubscription link.

ii. Promotional: Promotional emails are sent to promote product & service. These emails contain offer, coupons & sales to acquire customers. They could be informational like newsletters or announcements of new product for increasing sale and brand awareness. Personalization of these emails is very low. Promotional emails are template based. You must create offer clear & add special graphics because customers don’t have time to read your email. It contains sense of urgency & clear call to action (CTA) like, “Shop Now” or “Buy Now” etc. There is an Unsubscription link.

Email List: To build a email marketing list, it’s very important to know what is the difference between, opt-in, double opt-in and Not opt-in.

Opt-in: When a user sign up on your website through the sign up form. The information (Name and email id) is added to email list. There is no need of confirmation. It’s the fastest way to build list because users don’t need to remember to click a confirmation link. If you buy a product from a store and provide your email address, you are considered a single opt-in and eligible to receive email messages about the store.

Double opt-in: After the sign up process an email is generated to user. This email requires the user to click a link in the email in order to confirm that he/she is the owner of the email address and does want to receive emails from you. The email address will be added to your list only after the link is clicked. A double opt-in process help to build a strong and quality list.

Not opt-in: This is purchase list from third party/affiliate or a list which generated from web search. The subscribers or contacts on this list will not have specifically requested to receive emails from you, so your emails will be considered as unsolicited email or SPAM.

Email Marketing Terminology 

i. Unsubscribe: When a subscriber unsubscribes, this indicates that the individual no longer wishes to receive emails from your business. People can easily unsubscribe by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link.

ii. Cost per email open (CPO): In the Cost per Open (CPO) email campaigns, email marketing service providers charge clients on the basis of number of opens achieved. Email campaign open rate is defined as the percentage of unique opens achieved post the campaign. This parameter gives the number of emails that are actually viewed by the respondents. Email open rates are a crucial factor to consider, when the goal of brand is to do more than just brand awareness. To make the Cost per Open model a success, brands need to communicate their message very effectively to the target audiences.

iii. Cost per email sent (CPS): Negotiation for 1000 email send based on the hiring of email marketing service provider triggering for qualified and targeted bases.

iv. Cost per Visit: Cost Per Visit is online advertising ad model based on where advertisers pay for the delivery of a targeted visitor to the advertiser’s website. Meaning the publisher is only paid when a user goes to a website (or blog or form, etc.).

v. Cost per click: Pay-per-click (PPC), also called cost per click (CPC), is an internet advertising model used to direct traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher (typically a website owner or a network of websites) when the ad is clicked. Cost-per click is important because it is the number that is going to determine the financial success of the paid search campaigns. Advertisers return on investment, whether its over- or underpaying for each action, will be determined by how much the advertiser is paying for clicks, and by what kind of quality advertiser is getting for that investment. Since the overall ROI of the campaigns is determined by how much advertiser is paying for clicks and the quality of traffic they’re bringing in, it is important to think about cost per click in terms of both cost and value. The basic objective is to identify and target clicks that are both inexpensive and valuable.

vi. Cost per transaction: In this pricing model advertiser pay only after a valid transaction is registered from the website. This is ideally suited for websites dealing with costly products or services. There might be genuine leads but actual customers are few and therefore, Cost per transaction is suitable for the high involvement category products.

vii. Cost per form fill or cost per lead (CPL): Cost per lead, often abbreviated as CPL, is an online advertising pricing model, where the advertiser pays for an explicit sign-up from a consumer interested in the advertiser's offer. It is also commonly called online lead generation. A lead is an individual that has expressed interest in your product or service by completing a goal.

d. Retargeting/Remarketing:

Definition: Retargeting is the general term that refers to online search and display ads that target users based on cookies. Advertisers cookie users based on a

visit or action and then serve ads to them as they browse the internet via display placements or search via paid search ads.

Retargeting is most often used to describe online ad placements and display ads, served based on a user’s activity on website. A user comes to the website, a cookie’s set and advertisers can now target ads to them on other sites they visit, hence the term retargeting. What makes retargeting so appealing is that it’s done through third party networks like AdBrite and the Google display network, giving advertiser the opportunity to reach users wherever they are, on millions of sites. Within the realm of retargeting, marketers can choose from a variety of different channels/targeting strategies as well.

Here’s how it works: A consumer comes to website and his or her browser gets tagged —- which just means that the small text files known as cookies, specific to each particular computer, get added to advertising list. As the individual continues surfing the web, clicking on various sites, ads get displayed on their particular browser. These ads are only shown to these consumers who have visited the concerned site, which means you’re only advertising to people who already have some interest in the company, and the user is seeing ads for products and companies relevant to their interests. So essentially, remarketing targets relevant consumers and reinforces their exposure to your site.

 

What is Remarketing?

Definition: Remarketing has historically been a general term that refers to collecting user information and using it to market or remarket to them later. This has most often been done using direct mail or email. Google has borrowed this term for their version of retargeting campaigns that are run directly inside the AdWords platform

Simply put, remarketing is Internet advertising to people who have visited website but haven't converted. “Remarketing” is typically the term used to describe re-engaging customers with email. In our world, remarketing is used to describe shopping cart abandonment email campaigns, upsells/cross sell emails (think those very personalized Amazon emails you get after you’ve bought a product) and lifecycle marketing emails.

The biggest difference between retargeting and remarketing is the strategy that's used to reach potential customers who have left your website without making a purchase. While retargeting typically relies on cookies dropping ads, as described in the explanation above, remarketing usually uses email.

OK, so we’ve established that “retargeting” uses display advertisements as the primary medium and that “remarketing” uses email. That is, unless you’re Google. Larry & Sergey, FTW.

It’s not just Amazon who thinks email remarketing is a sound strategy. 25% of the Internet Retailer 1000 (the top 1000 retailers in the world by revenue) send shopping cart abandonment email to their customers.

Remarketing is becoming popular for many reasons. For example:

• Reduced cost per impression

• Better conversion rates

• Improved ROI

• Precise targeting

• Cost effective branding

 

e. Mobile advertising (WAP & APP)

Mobile advertising is a form of advertising via mobile (wireless) phones or other mobile devices. It is a subset of mobile marketing.

According to Business Insider report it is estimated that mobile app install ads accounted for 30% of all mobile advertising revenue in 2014, and topped $4.6bn in 2015, and over $6.8bn by the end of 2019. Other ways mobile advertising can be purchased include working with a Mobile Demand Side Platform, in which ad impressions are bought in real-time on an Ad exchange.

The Mobile Internet is quite simply a name given to the Internet when you access it from a mobile device, like a smart phone or a tablet. It's essentially the same Internet you would access from a desktop computer. However, because a smart phone is clearly much different from a desktop computer in both its size and its features many websites have created unique versions that are designed to display better on a mobile device than the traditional website would.

WAP: Mobile websites are often referred to as WAP sites. WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol, which is a standard that is used to guide how the mobile version of a website is designed, created, and displayed. Some mobile websites, including m.WXOW.com, have unique device detection capabilities. This means that the mobile website is able to identify not only that you are using a mobile device, but what kind of device you are using. The mobile website is then modified so that it displays in the best format possible for your specific device. One advantage of this is that the mobile website is accessible from a wide variety of mobile devices; there are a LOT of different types of cell phones out there! Another advantage is that the user does not have to download a program to their mobile device in order to view the website. All they need is a data connection and a mobile browser, which is a standard feature that is pre-installed on many phones sold today.

"App" is a short name for application. For the most part an application is about the same thing as a program and is downloaded and installed on your phone. Because each application is designed especially for the device on which it is installed, an app is usually able to offer unique features that take advantage of what that device has to offer. However, this uniqueness also means that an app designed for one type of device or operating system (for example, iPhone's iOS) will not work on another (for example, an Android phone) and a separate app needs to be developed. Apps often have many features that will work based on the information stored on the device, however some parts may require a connection to the Internet in order to provide updates. This is especially true for most apps from news organizations as their primary content is constantly being updated.

 

2. Various types of digital

a. Display Advertising ads and its various Ad formats

What is a display ad?

Display advertising is a type of advertising that is located on websites. It can be seen in a wide range of different formats and contains items such as texts, images, flash, video and audio. The main purpose is to deliver general advertisements and brand messages.

They can be along the top of web pages such as the traditional banner ad, or the larger text billboard, they can also be videos. These types of ads appear on distinct sections of the site that are specifically reserved for paid advertising and are aimed at generating a quick conversion.

The wider banner ads generally perform better than their tall, narrow counterparts.

According to Google, the most effective display ads are 336×280 or 300×250 pixel rectangles, 300×600 pixel half-page ads, and 728×90 or 320×110 pixel banners.

Display has come to include the many newer, more interesting and engaging digital ad formats you can find on the web pages you visit.

These include:

• lines of text, similar to search ads, that appear next to articles you’re reading

• images displayed above, below or to the side of the content you’re viewing

• ads that engage the user with animation or interactivity, either within the ad space or by expanding to take over part or all of the page you’re on.

• shown before, during or after a video clip

Why use display Advertising:

• Various studies study indicate that Indian internet users spend 48% of their web time on content sites . So when ads are placed on a content site, its increases odds that consumers will take notice and absorb the message.

• In the last year alone, total website page views have gone up 12%, and total page visits per user are up 6%.

• Display ads can be shown on sites where and when users are thinking about what to buy.

• Display ads allow advertisers to offer coupons and other incentives crucial for driving sales. Furthermore, most display companies offer a suite of solutions to help find the consumers who are most likely to convert in the first place.

• Display ads can be tracked and evaluated in more ways than any other media.

• From signup forms to user tracking and beyond, display offers many ways to build your database of potential customers – and drive them to take action.

• Data and reporting available makes it easy for marketers to fine-tune their display message with every click, conversion or interaction.

• While a search ad may help a customer in search of a particular item, what if someone isn't aware of the product or service, even though may have a need for it? Display ads helps connect with reach people further up the purchase funnel.

• Display can help search efforts by getting in front of consumers during their normal web activities, then triggering them to search for product or service.

• Display ads sit within the content a user is looking for; search ads are designed to drive users away from the page on which they’re displayed.

• Unlike simple text ads, display ads give message the power of sight, sound, motion and interactivity.

• Because they’re visual in nature, display ads can maintain the look and feel that users have come to associate with the brand.

b. Video Advertising and its various Ad formats 

The term video advertising encompasses online display advertisements such as Mid-Page Units (MPUs) that have video within them, but it is generally accepted that it refers to advertising that occurs on Internet television. It is served before, during and/or after a video stream on the internet.

The advertising units used in this instance are pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll and all of these ad units are like the traditional spot advertising you see on television, although often they are "cut-down" to be a shorter version than their TV counterparts if they are run online.

Broadcast websites such as Sky.com and itv.com have such advertising on their sites, as do newspaper websites such as The Telegraph, and The Guardian. In 2010, video ads accounted for 12.8% of all videos viewed and 1.2% of all minutes spent viewing video online.

In July 2014 Facebook paid an estimated $400 million to acquire LiveRail, a video advertising distributor which uses Real-time bidding to place more than 7 billion video ads a month.

Video ad formats:

According to Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) guidelines, there are five types of video ad formats:

Linear video ads - More commonly known as pre, mid and post-roll ads, linear ads take over the full video player space. The ads are presented before, in the middle of, or after the video content is consumed by the user, in very much the same way a TV commercial can play before, during or after the chosen program. They're linear because they run in line sequentially with the content, for example a pre-roll will appear as (ad-video); a mid-roll will be (video-ad-video) and a post-roll will appear as (video-ad). Linear ads can be 15 or 30-seconds long and do not allow for fast forwarding through the ad.

Non-linear video ads - the ads run concurrently with the video content so the users see the ad while viewing the content.

Interactive Video Ads: These ads completely take over the screen and pause the video content while they play. They allow a variety of interactions, like clicking for more information, signing up for a newsletter etc., and are usually a mix of video, animation or static images as well as interactive elements. They can show up before, during or after the content plays and are generally 15-30 seconds in duration.

Overlay Video Ads: The Overlay Ad is a graphical ad in the bottom third of the video display that displays while the video plays. These ads run simultaneously with the video content, usually in the form of an interactive banner ad in an overlay. Clicking on these ads pauses the content and the ad opens in a full screen player. Generally, a non-linear video ad will run for 5-15 seconds before rotating to another ad or reducing in size.

Companion ads Companion ads, by definition, play alongside the video. A companion ad is a traditional graphic or Flash ad which is paired with an in-stream video ad (pre-roll, mid-roll,..) or a video overlay from the same advertiser.

They are displayed in the web page around the video player and often take the form of display banner ads. They offer a persistent visual for a brand or product while the video is being watched, without taking up video player space. They can include text, static images or rich media. commonly text, or skins that wrap around the video experience.

c. Types of social media (Text + Visual, FB, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat etc)

 

THE 9 TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Before you start getting heavily involved in any type of social media marketing, it is important to understand all the different types of social media that are available and the pros and cons of each.

1. Social Networks or Relationship Network – Services that allow you to connect with other people of similar interests and background. Usually they consist of a profile, various ways to interact with other users, ability to setup groups, etc. The most popular are Facebook and LinkedIn.

While personal relationship networks aren’t the oldest type of social media, they can be called the most defining of them all. These channels were one of the first ones to offer public mini-sites, which later became known as profiles, with extensive information about the user, and most often require them to register with their real name.

Relationship networks allowed us to keep all our communications in one place, on our Walls, Timelines or private messages, and share updates with our entire networks in one click. They vary from professional relationship networks that help you find work, connect with other professionals in the field, and share recommendations, to romantic relationship networks that help you find single users in your area.

2. Bookmarking Sites – Services that allow you to save, organize and manage links to various websites and resources around the internet. Most allow you to “tag” your links to make them easy to search and share. The most popular are Delicious and StumbleUpon.

In the early days of the Internet (think “Hosting your own site on Geocities” era), content discovery online was a difficult task. Nowadays, there is a plethora of interesting, useful and enlightening content online, and sifting through all of it on your own is simply impossible. Of course, search engines like Google come in very handy when you know what to look for, but when you only have a vague idea of content you’d like to read or watch, there’s bookmarking sites. These are web services like StumbleUpon, Pinterest, and Flipboard, where users collect content from elsewhere on the Internet, and save it to their account on the platform. This content can be private or public, and shared with other users. Often, these bookmarking sites will then suggest content similar to the links or images you have already saved on the network.

3. Social News or discussion forum – Services that allow people to post various news items or links to outside articles and then allows it’s users to “vote” on the items. The voting is the core social aspect as the items that get the most votes are displayed the most prominently. The community decides which news items get seen by more people. The most popular are Digg and Reddit.

Discussion forums are one of the oldest types of social media. Before we connected to our first university friends on The Facebook, we discussed pop culture, current affairs, and asked for help on forums. Perhaps it’s that unquenchable desire to get a share of collective knowledge that accounts for the wide reach and numerous users on forums such as reddit. “The front page of the Internet,” as well as other forums like Quora and Digg, seldomly require the person’s real name to register and post, allowing for complete anonymity, if desired.

4. Media Sharing – Services that allow you to upload and share various media such as pictures and video. Most services have additional social features such as profiles, commenting, etc. The most popular are YouTube and Flickr.

This type of social network is defined by the primary type of media shared among users. Facebook and Twitter have amazing video and image-sharing capabilities; however, the majority of posts shared on these channels contain text. For channels such as Flickr or Instagram, however, images are the main focus—users have to choose, upload and edit image files before proceeding with anything else, such as captions or mentions of other users. Similarly, with sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, or apps like Vine and Snapchat, video is the primary mode of communication.

5. Microblogging – Services that focus on short updates that are pushed out to anyone subscribed to receive the updates. The most popular is Twitter.

6. Blog Comments and Forums – Online forums allow members to hold conversations by posting messages. Blog comments are similar except they are attached to blogs and usually the discussion centers around the topic of the blog post. There are MANY popular blogs and forums

Keep in mind that, while these are the 6 different types of social media, there can be overlap among the various services. For instance, Facebook has microblogging features with their “status update”. Also, Flickr and YouTube have comment systems similar to that of blogs.

7. Interest-based networks - One of the most wonderful opportunities presented by social media is the ability to find people with common interests, no matter how niche these hobbies may first appear to be. In addition to Facebook and LinkedIn Groups and Google+ communities, there are whole networks dedicated to exploration of interest—such as Last.fm for musicians and music lovers, and Goodreads for authors and avid readers.

8. Online reviews - Location-based review services such as Yelp and Urbanspoon are getting more traction as personal social networks adopt geolocation, and more users choose to consult the Internet along with their friends for recommendations of best dining spots. There are sites to review anything from hotels, restaurant or your latest employer—and user reviews have more weight than ever before. Sites like Airbnb and Uber, the biggest service providers in the emerging sharing economy, rely largely on host and driver reviews, respectively, to determine who benefits from the service.

9. E-commerce – Last but not least, a big trend emerging across all types of social media is the ability to view and purchase desired goods with a click of a button. Sites such as Polyvore aggregate products from different retailers in a single online marketplace, and services like Etsy allow small businesses and individual crafters to sell their products without an existing brick-and-mortar location. Over the past year, e-commerce elements have been adopted by many networks whose primary functionalities place them in different categories, such as Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.