Why Mobile Matters

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It’s no secret that mobile advertising is taking over in a big way. This transition is quite possibly the single most important trend in digital marketing at this time. So what are you doing to enhance your advertising strategy for mobile users?

A recent Nielsen report shows PC usage down in every demographic, while mobile usage through tablets and smartphones only trend upward. It is clear that users are shifting away from desktops in favor of more convenient mobile devices.

An article by Forbes gives 15 examples of how to lead the way in mobile digital advertising. One of their strategies is to optimize the first 3 seconds of your ad in order to quickly gain the attention of the viewer.

Many consumers are giving less and less consideration to ads, so it is imperative that your message is delivered quickly and clearly. In general, all interactions should be faster. Increasing speed relates directly to increasing convenience, which in turn increases the likelihood of a response from the user.

Another suggestion is to treat mobile as an entirely new practice. It will not benefit you to copy over all of your old tactics and beliefs to the mobile realm. Instead, try to picture it with a fresh mindset.

Do some research, find out what works best. Look over other industry trends, like the ones mentioned in this article of ours: 4 Digital Marketing Trends to Follow, and figure out how you can implement them into your mobile campaign structure. Do not assume that mobile will work in the same way as all other advertising methods.

Also pay attention to changes in digital marketing platforms. Many large advertising platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Bing Ads are constantly trying to innovate and improve their services. Google recently redesigned their AdWords platform for the first time in 8 years. Another Onimod article discusses the 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Google AdWords.

Continue to stay up to date with other platforms by subscribing to their newsletters and webinars. The best way to stay ahead of the competition is to stay informed.

Here at Onimod Global we are regularly reporting on digital marketing related news. Visit our blog to view recent articles, or contact us to subscribe to our email newsletter.

How to Reach Senior Citizens Using Digital Marketing

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Today’s aged consumers were not raised in a technologically advanced world. However, this does not mean that they should be counted out entirely when it comes to digital marketing.

By The Numbers:

Older consumers possess huge amounts of people that are primed for purchases. These older generations are in control of of large majority of the disposable income used each year in the United States.

The volume of potential customers is staggering, and could definitely be utilized by businesses wishing to reach out through digital advertising. Do not let them go unnoticed.

Primary Devices:

Aged consumers are also not as resistant to digital devices and platforms as many may assume. In fact, a Nielson report shows a 16% increase in use of tablets by those 50 years and older. The same report also claims a 12% growth in smartphone use for this same demographic.

As older citizens are adapting to newfound technology, it is important to appeal to them just as you would to any other consumer.

This generation is following many of the same trends and patterns of behavior as millennials. Both groups are starting to shift toward mobile in a very large way. This shift creates the perfect opportunity to reach baby boomers.

Utilizing mobile targeting options through various platforms like Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, etc. is essential to meeting the needs of this consumer base. Refining your options to target those who are retired, within a certain age range, or are located in popular retirement destinations such the state of Florida are all excellent ways to get started.

Strategy:

Begin by casting your net as far as you possibly can. Include everything, don’t hold back. Once you’ve accomplished this, you can start to dial it back in and optimize your targeted areas. Trial and error is the best way to figure out what will work best for your business.

Over time these small alterations will begin to show great growth. This whole process is called achieving “micro-wins”. You can learn more about this process by reading this article of ours: “Micro-Wins: The Key to AdWords Success”.

4 Digital Marketing Trends to Follow

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The world of digital marketing is ever-changing. Constant updates, innovations, emerging technology, it all makes it a bit difficult to keep up. Here is a quick highlight of current trends to pay attention to within the coming months.

Best Advertising Platforms

It comes as no surprise that Google is the premier digital advertising channel. A report by Craig Smith states that Google earns 77% of total search revenue generated in the United States. This is not to mention the other ad variations that can be created on Google’s AdWords platform.

The second largest advertiser in command is Facebook. The social media platform recently boasted its audience of 2 billion users. This immense amount of people creates the perfect kind of market for nearly any and every business. The Facebook Ads Manager also allows for very precise targeting, which only appeals to advertisers even more. Low conversion costs and high ROIs combine with these aforementioned factors to create the ultimate advertising experience.

Benefits of Native Advertising

These two strategies are limitless in their potential. Consumers have become a bit blind when it comes to obvious banner ads. However, when an ad appears to be part of the site itself, users are much more likely to engage with it. In fact, HubSpot records that these native ads are viewed 53% more than traditional banner ads.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that users don’t trust banner ads because they typically view them as possible spam tactics. Simply put, the more natural your ad looks, the better.

The Age of Mobile

Your ads are in serious trouble if they are not optimized for mobile devices. More searches are being conducted on mobile than on desktop, which includes both browsing and actual purchases. A seamless user experience is key. Without it, 53% of these users will abandon their search, according to DoubleClick by Google.

Various platforms are changing to integrate their processes into one easy action. Facebook now allows you to generate a form within your ad that will never even take the consumer off site to complete. This is exactly the kind of interaction that individuals are looking for as they make the shift toward mobile.

Influence of Social Media

If you can get a consumer to stop and take a look at your product, they are much more likely to convert. This means pulling out all the stops. In general, it is better to create content that contains an image or gif if possible. It also helps to use hashtags or mention other noteworthy people or brands in your posts to seem more legitimate and trustworthy.

The other major component to social media marketing is reviews. Consumers trust what others have to say about a product or services. These opinions weigh in heavily on the buyer’s decision making process. A trustworthy review translates to affect 84% of consumers, according to a survey by BrightLocal. This makes it imperative to include reviews in your social media.

Google Hit With Record Breaking $2.7 Billion Fine From the E.U.

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It was recently discovered that the search engine giant, Google, was giving preferential treatment to their own products and services in their search results. Once this information was revealed, the E.U. immediately took action.

Margrethe Vestager, the E.U. antitrust chief, explained the matter simply to reporters in Brussels when she said, “What Google has done is illegal under E.U. antitrust rules. It has denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits and to innovate. And most importantly, it has denied European consumers the benefits of competition.”

Vestager and the rest of the European Union have taken it upon themselves to set the standard for digital regulations across the globe. In addition to this latest Google scandal, other American companies like Apple, Facebook, and Amazon are also garnering attention for their questionable digital practices. Obviously the larger issue of concern here is what governments are doing to prevent these kinds of wrongdoings in the first place.

The Message:

Those in Europe are holding a firm stance on these issues with this recent fine. Even if companies are technically upholding the laws of their own country, they must also comply with the laws of others, or risk being reprimanded.

The $2.7 billion fine against Google is much higher than predicted. The amount also more than doubled the previous record-holder, Intel. The E.U.’s intent with their charge against Google is clear: follow the rules or pay the price.

Google’s Response:

There is little chance that Google will accept the initial fine. The company has already announced their consideration of an appeal. Kent Walker, the senior vice president and general counsel of Google, put a more positive spin on the situation by saying, “When you shop online, you want to find the products you’re looking for quickly and easily. And advertisers want to promote those same products.”

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Client Spotlight: Theory in Chicago

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Theory is an upscale sports lounge located in the River North area of downtown Chicago that prides itself on being better than your typical sports bar when it comes to food, service, and comfort. It’s well known that the market for this industry is highly competitive, especially in an area like downtown Chicago. Theory decided it was time to take the next step in gaining a competitive advantage in their industry – building a strong digital presence. With our expertise and digital services at Onimod Global, we have helped Theory stay on top of the game and continue to create strong brand awareness in Chicago.

Initial Challenge:
Localization of a brand and geo-specific location via myriad digital mediums. Website development. Creating visibility for a local bar and restaurant in as saturated market as there is for this industry, downtown Chicago. Theory wanted to immediately capture new business via a new website, digital marketing and increase brand awareness while optimizing allocated ad budget.

Strategy:
Our cross-channel digital marketing expertise, data analysis, precisely targeted digital marketing campaigns make sure the brand and product meets the consumer when and where they need them.  Theory being a local business needs relevant day to day advertisements, promotions and ad content creation.

SEO, SEM, Social Advertising, Website Development, Customer Behavior Analysis, A/B Testing, Advanced Segmentation Targeting, and Reporting were some of the digital strategies implemented. This is also referred to as our Digital Synergy Service.

Immediate Results:
In the First 6 Months of Onimod Global’s ‘Digital Synergy’ campaign, Theory saw:

  • Social Interactions +538%
  • Organic Traffic +87%
  • Local Map Traffic +226%

An explosion of social interaction across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Natural rankings and subsequent traffic increases due to organic SEO and local business optimization. Ultimately, with assistance from our expertise at Onimod, Theory continues to stay on top of the game due to their strong cross channel digital presence.

Contact Us: If you’re a local business like Theory seeking an upgrade in brand awareness or digital marketing services, feel free to reach out to us at Onimod Global on our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to Create Digital Marketing Plan for Start-Ups

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Having a strong online presence has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes.

You just launched a startup and need to get your brand in front of as many eyes as possible. The problem is you are not just competing in your industry, you are competing with the millions of other marketing messages that consumers are bombarded with every day. What’s an entrepreneur to do?

Statistics show that more than half of consumers turn to the internet for information before making purchases:

  • Data reveals 67 percent of consumers are influenced by online reviews (Moz)
  • 54 percent of online buyers read online reviews before purchase. (Marketing Tech Blog)
  • More than half (54 percent) of online purchasers said they had read online reviews prior to hitting the buy button, while 39 percent of consumers who made purchases in-store did so, according to a study from customer ratings and review firm Bazaarvoice Inc. (Internet Retailer)

Fortunately, there are a few digital marketing tips for startups we wanted to share:

  1. Use your starting position as a baseline to measure your overall progress against.
  2. Determine your startup’s goals; ensure these goals are specific, measurable and realistic.
  3. Identify your customers.
  4. Study your competitors.

To start, it is important to set up a website for your startup if you haven’t already. Whether you hire someone to design and create your website or choose to build your own is up to you. However, it is often more cost-effective for a startup owner, especially one with a low budget, to build a website. From smaller websites for start-up to multi-language sites across the globe, Onimod Global has a perfect website for every budget.

Once you have your website set up, you’re ready to take the next steps to develop your digital marketing strategy:

    1. Implement perfect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by researching keywords and building links.
    2. Create relevant content and use content marketing to attract potential clients as well as satisfy Google for ranking purposes.
    3. Consider email marketing to share the content you have created on your website.
    4. Use social media marketing to boost your startup’s online presence and increase traffic to your website
    5. Analyze your results to determine where you are seeing success — and make changes in the areas where you are not.

Onimod Global are here for you every step of the way as you build your company. We are Digital Marketing gurus with expertise in multipl-digital channels.

Contact us today and find out why we’re the best choice for launching your new business to where it needs to b this 2017.

Happy Holidays from Onimod Global

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At the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. It is in this spirit that we say… Thank you and best wishes for the holidays and happy New Year!
The team at Onimod Global.

 

Industry News: Apple Launches Swift Playgrounds for iPad to Teach Kids to Code

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Apple today announced Swift Playgrounds for the iPad, a new project that aims to teach kids to code in Swift.

When you first open it, Swift Playground presents you with a number of basic coding lessons, as well as challenges. The interface looks somewhat akin to Codecademy, but it’s far more graphical and playful, which makes sense, given that the target audience is kids. Most of the projects seem to involve games and fun little animations to keep kids motivated.

To make coding on the iPad a bit easier, Apple is using a special keyboard with a number of shortcuts and other features that will make it easier to enter code.

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With Swift, Apple introduced a new programming language (which is now open source) and hence needs to get people to learn it — and the earlier they get comfortable with Swift, the better for Apple. Swift Playground clearly isn’t meant for experienced programmers who want to learn Swift but instead is meant for kids who want to learn some of the basics of coding. In the end, these kind of lesson-based services can provide some useful introductions to a language, but in the end, a project-based approach typically works far better than working your way through lessons.

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Swift Playground, by the way, was a project that also aimed to teach kids to code. It was started by Stefan Mischook back in 2014 when Apple first announced Swift. As far as I can see, the two projects are not related, though, but it is interesting that Apple essentially used the same name as this project.

The developer preview of Swift Playgrounds is launching today and the final version will ship with iOS 10 in the Fall. The app will be available for free.

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H/T: Tech Crunch. Ref: SwiftPlayground.