Mega post: What does digital communication really mean?

Yes, it’s a big one.

Filed under: Advertising, Branding, Culture, DCS, Facebook, Marketing, Media, New Media, Opinion, SEO, Synergy, Theory

So, you want a new jacket? Right this way sir.

Google AdWords, SEO and Blacks retail store.

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This week, I’ll be directing my ‘little grey cells’ towards Search Engine Marketing, it’s components, and using Blacks (link) as an example, show what I believe to be general best practice when it comes to an effective SEM campaign.

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By my definition, search engine marketing (SEM), features two main strategies; ‘paid’ and ‘organic’.

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‘Paid’ SEM refers to the practice of paying search engine companies in order to get higher rankings in search results. In practice this means Google AdWords; where businesses ‘bid’ for the right to pay for their site to be included on the first page of search results (typically the top 3) based upon search terms they have chosen. This is either paid for via CTR/PPC or CPM/Cost per K-impressions.

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Do this now, (or don’t, I can’t force you), type in ‘android phone’ into Google search. When I did this the top 3 search results were from UK mobile network operators trying to sell me phones. They have paid for the terms phone and android so that I see their websites before any others. This also allows brands to reach me without me actively searching for that particular brand directly. People only search for a brand they know, which means AdWords could save brands money on traditional message-based advertising.

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The second part of SEM, organic search, or search engine optimisation is a much more complicated ‘theory’. Once upon a time, it centred on ‘meta data’ and site word content, which was used to gauge relevance to the search topic (webmasters fine-tuned this information to get better page rankings), but due to abuse by unscrupulous site owners this technique is rarely used. Nowadays, most search engines measure the amount of links back to your site, which Google sees as ‘votes’ to a particular websites legitimacy and relevance, to certain search terms (though this is also vulnerable to abuse, see ‘spamdexing’).

This new ‘voting system’ has created an interesting scenario for brands and businesses; to get your brand high up on the organic (and trusted) page rankings, you must get people to link to you. But how do you get people to link to you (and talk about you online?).

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In my opinion, the key to truly effective SEM, is through ‘content creation’. People link to content that represents added value to them, and using AdWords to promote the content. This goes hand in hand with the ‘new’ wave of advertising theory; post 2010 is the age of permission marketing. We can’t tell people what to do or feel, we cannot interrupt their productive life; we must become part of that productive life. Consumer/audiences are not passive, they are not stupid, and we must get them to come to us.

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Take for example, Blacks, a hiking and camping retail store. Being a camping and hiking specialist means they could easily create how-to videos on various aspects of camping, like the best place to pitch a tent when it’s raining, or the best sleeping bag to use in certain conditions. They could also maintain a forum where ‘industry professionals’, ‘prosumers’ and enthusiasts could get advice and opinions from each other on all things outdoors. Blogs can’t hurt either, as long as they are sincere and interesting, serving the interests of consumers and not just ‘company/product updates’. Paid for Adwords would be best used to direct relevant traffic and audiences towards your online content.

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If you contribute to the (relevant) communities, those communities will link back to you in blogs and forum and, BOOM, up goes your page rank.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamdexing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_adwords http://www.blacks.co.uk/home.html http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/925-why-online-pr-and-seo-go-hand-in-hand

So what, I’m linking to Wikipedia, get over it. They are not in alphabetical order either. Shocking.

Filed under: Advertising, DCS, Facebook, Marketing, Media, SEO, Theory

TALK TO ME, DO YOU LIKE LADDERS?

The digital divide in the UK; a 3 (not 2)tier system.

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This is a system where 10 million people just cannot be reached digitally. That’s one in six people. It’s a system where it seems every other under 30 stashes a smartphone in their pocket or handbag. And, of course, there is the majority with the ‘old school’ DNS connections at home.

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What does it mean to society to have a growing group of consumers that are ‘switched on’ 24/7, and another group of consumers that can’t be reached digitally at all?

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With the ‘virtual pint’ generation, the 4 million over 65’s who ‘don’t see the point in the internet’ generation and everything in-between. Sounds like a class system to me; at least a class system that is not based upon levels on education, but rather perspectives on emerging (well, maturing) digital communications technologies.

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Is this a problem, or a happy accident?

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[Geordie accent] “YOU decide.”

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So how is it a problem?

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For society, the digital divide means a whole class of people who will be left behind. In a world where digital communication is the main arena for our current culture and communication, and where even mundane activities like shopping and accessing government services become a chore without a connection to the web. It is also a system where those that a more connected are more likely to be more successful in the workplace; whether it is keeping up to date on the latest industry breakthroughs through blog posts, keeping up better social/work networks via Facebook or LinkedIn, or applying to the 7 million jobs posted online each year: connected people have an advantage.

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So how is it a benefit?

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If you are a media planner that thinks in demographics as opposed to psychographics, the digital divide has made your life so much easier. The facts are black and white. You just can’t reach over 60’s with digital (though that is slowly changing), so use ‘old media’ vehicles, and it is really worthwhile, as well as a whole lot easier, to ‘talk to’ or target under 30’s, so to get your ROI nice and juicy you need to focus on social and digital for the under 30’s demographic.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

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Independent: decoding Britain’s digital divide

Guardian: ML Fox and the digital divide

Exploring the digital divide: Stump et al 2008

Filed under: Advertising, DCS, Facebook, Marketing, Media, New Media, Opinion, Social, Theory