Tag Archive for: Digital Marketing

Unilever CMO Collaborates with Platforms for Better Digital Advertising Standards

Keith Weed, Unilever CMO, believes that many platforms have not yet caught up to the innovative technologies of today. As a result, many of these platforms are serving poor quality advertisements to consumers, with little recourse.

Ongoing Topic of Conversation

Procter & Gamble CMO Marc Pritchard has voiced many of these same concerns. Generally speaking, Pritchard is focused on 4 ways in which brands should rethink their current digital marketing tactics:

  1. Transparency
  2. Ad Quality
  3. Mass One-to-One Marketing
  4. Messages For Good

To learn more about Pritchard’s digital marketing strategies, please read through our article, “Digital Marketing Advice From Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer”.

While Weed and Pritchard share similar concerns, they are each handling these concerns in very different ways. Pritchard has been much more forward about failures within the digital advertising industry, and has presented an ultimatum to platforms that facilitate such services.

This ultimatum basically consists of the platforms correcting their mistakes and producing a better performing platform, or risk immediately losing business from major companies like Procter & Gamble.

A New Approach

Rather than publicly address platforms with harsh ultimatums, Weed believes it is in the best interest of all (the company, the platform, and the consumer) for large corporations to work alongside these platforms to create a better experience for the end user.

In his own words, Weed expressed to Adweek that, “This has gone beyond us talking internally within the industry about the efficiencies of the media supply chain. This is now impacting trust as a societal level, which I think brings great urgency.”

Even with Weed’s compassionate understanding toward platforms, Unilever has begun shifting their ad dollars around. Weed freely admits that the company is indeed moving money around to spaces that meet their higher standards in the viewability and third-party verification of digital ads.

In the end, what matters most is the user and their experience. Both Weed and Pritchard are trying their very best to better this experience, despite their different approaches. However, their efforts are likely to produce results that all digital advertisers can enjoy going forward.

3 Important Traits That Successful Digital Marketers Must Have

Although there are numerous traits that digital marketing professionals must have to be successful, there are some in particular that appear to be more critical than others. Perseverance, detail oriented, and being a team player are all important traits. However, from our experience here at Onimod Global, here are three traits that we have found to be essential drivers of digital marketing success.

1. Flexibility
The digital marketing industry is constantly innovating with updates and changes happening on a weekly or sometimes daily basis. Just look at how quickly platforms change or what factors are most important for quality SEO rankings. Therefore, in order to become a successful digital marketer having that ability to be flexible and thriving on change is a must. Successful digital marketing agencies have employees who are willing to adapt and can keep up with the speed of the industry.

2. Focus on Fundamentals
Fundamentals and basics such as writing, communication, and listening are all crucial skills when it comes to digital marketing. Although having advanced skills like SEO knowledge and website development expertise is important, the basic fundamentals of successful digital marketers can sometimes be overlooked. An article from Marketing Land portrays an example of “having a great idea to boost website traffic, but being unable to communicate it well to a client can be a huge setback.” Ultimately, there should always be a focus on fundamentals because without them it’s very difficult to execute successful digital marketing strategies.

3. Dedication
One of the most important traits any successful digital marketer has is dedication, and the hunger to always want to learn more and become the best. The best digital marketing agencies consist of marketers who are self motivated and will do whatever it takes to rise to the top of their field. What does being a dedicated digital marketer really mean though? An article from the Digital Marketing Institute talks about how driven digital marketers “attend conferences, build strong networks, take refresher courses, stay on top of industry news, and always learn new skills.” In the end, being dedicated and passionate when it comes to digital marketing will set successful marketers apart from the mediocre ones.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

Creating a Highly Proficient Digital Company Culture

Company culture is a relevant topic for any industry. However, statistics show that workplace culture is particularly impactful in the digital space. Respondents to a McKinsey&Company survey reported “cultural and behavioral challenges” as the most significant challenge to meeting their digital priorities.

Expert Advice

Statistics like the one mentioned previously have caused many corporate leaders to reconsider their methods. Time recently released an article written by Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, on this subject. In this article, Huffington details several ways in which companies can actually improve their culture. She suggests:

  • Overworking is Overrated: Americans have long held the belief that the more time you spend working, the better. Unfortunately, this constant state of maximum exertion quickly leads to burnout of even the best employees. The truth is, we are all human and we all need a break once in a while. By giving your employees time to recuperate, you support a more sustainable business model, which keeps quality employees around longer.
  • Hold Everyone Accountable: It has become the norm to let those with extraordinary talent run the show. As Huffington puts it, these “brilliant jerks” may be causing more harm than good to your company, even if they do bring in a profit. She explains that once others see that this kind of awful behavior is tolerated, there isn’t much to keep them from behaving that way themselves.
  • Authenticity Above All Else: Consumers today, particularly millennials, are interested in companies that are concerned with more than just the bottom line. Social responsibility is not very easily fabricated. A company really needs to possess a genuine desire to improve the lives of others. This aspect is not necessary in order to be a successful company, but it is certainly a very effective way to win over younger consumers.

To read through the rest of Huffington’s article, which includes additional tips to improve your company’s culture, please click here.

More From Onimod Global

Here at Onimod Global, our content creation team is constantly working to produce relevant content about the digital marketing industry. Whether you are looking to learn about social media marketing, website development, search engine optimization, or any other digital service, we are here to keep you up to speed.

Please visit our blog to read through some of our latest articles!

When is it Time to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

Regardless of how long your company has been in business, there will come a time when you realize you need assistance with online marketing efforts. The demand for engaging and effective digital marketing strategies is increasing, and numerous organizations don’t want to fall behind the curve. According to the U.S. Digital Marketing Spending Report from Gartner, “many companies outsource up to 50% of all online marketing activities.” Moreover, it’s critical to hire an experienced digital marketing agency sooner than later, and listed below are signs that it’s the right time to outsource.

Lack of relevant skills
It’s easy to imagine how much business owners already have to deal with when it comes to overseeing their own company. Therefore, trying to incorporate marketing efforts into individuals with busy schedules is probably not the best bet. Staying current with SEO strategies, SEM, social media, email marketing, etc is very time consuming and requires plenty of effort. Once your company has realized it’s time to work with an agency, be sure to find one that is experienced and is a good fit. Review case studies and other work from multiple agencies to help with your outsourcing process.

Inadequate Reporting
Are your marketing results being measured? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter the most? Are you focused on brand awareness, leads, or conversions? These are questions that should always be addressed when it comes to an organization’s digital marketing efforts. Hiring the right digital marketing agency would give your company the ability to measure results with accuracy and evaluate if returns on investments are positive.

Website is getting poor traffic
A lack of website traffic is a common issue that many businesses encounter. They begin to realize that the traffic being driven to their site is often irrelevant and lower than expected. Is your company paying close attention to Google Analytics data? How well does the site continually rank for relevant search queries? Questions like these can be better answered by a digital marketing agency with a proven track record. Ultimately, hiring an experienced agency is most likely the best solution to increasing relevant website traffic

Content quality is lacking
Many companies need to face the reality that their internal employees are most likely not experts regarding content generation and knowing how to increase online presence. A good digital marketing agency will consist of content marketing experts that better understand effective SEO strategies, high quality content, and how to increase organic traffic. Therefore, if content marketing results are poor, it’s time to hire a digital marketing agency that will help your business grow.

Contact Us
At Onimod Global we are a proven digital marketing agency and know what it takes to fulfill the needs of our clients. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

4 Social Media Predictions For 2018

The dynamic of social media is constantly changing and 2018 has the potential to be an important year for social media. After analyzing an article from Marketing Land written by Laura Collins, there are some interesting changes that could happen in the world of social media. Listed below are some social media predictions the article points out that could have major implications on the future of the industry.

1. Instagram’s Continued Dominance
2017 was an incredible year for Instagram in terms of revenues, user engagement, and a rapidly growing user base. Instagram is continuing to innovate already in 2018 in ways that are attractive to their users and advertisers. The Marketing Land article mentions how Instagram announced last month that there is a new capability to incorporate hashtags. “Advertisers could pay to target followers of particular hashtags, or perhaps appear in the top posts section for those relevant to their business.” This hashtag integration could ultimately take the platform to new heights if utilized correctly and just like last year, 2018 could be another big year for Instagram.

2. Twitter Revamp
It’s not a surprise that Twitter has been struggling to compete in recent years with the other social media giants for ad revenue. There was very slow growth in 2017 especially and the article predicts that 2018 is “sink or swim” for Twitter’s future. It hasn’t even been a month in 2018 so far and Twitter is already making steps towards changing their ad offerings. The article mentions how new “premium video content partnerships designed to turn the platform into a destination for high-quality entertainment. Its new pre-roll and mid-roll ads will offer advertisers brand-safe inventory with high visibility standards and a chance to target people who are highly engaged and predisposed to view video content.”

3. Snapchat Revenue on the Rise
Although it was reported that 2017 was not Snapchat’s best year, there were still major strides made from the mobile based social media giant. The article points out how Snapchat is learning from their mistakes and they “recently released a pixel to address accusations of a lack of transparency or ability to measure ROI.” There is also talks of a “total redesign of the app as a response to older users reportedly struggling navigating the interface.” Ultimately, the prediction being made for 2018 is that Snapchat will become more flexible for their users and advertisers, and then see ad revenue growth from a more diverse group as a result.

4. Live Streaming Becoming the “Go-to” Option
The drastic increase of live streaming viewership has definitely caught the attention of major social media platforms. It is now a mainstream aspect of most social media channels, as brands have been utilizing live streams to capture the attention of followers. An article from Entrepreneur predicts that in 2018 “more brands will begin to realize the power of live streaming, and will incorporate it into their monthly content plans to help attract a larger following.” Moreover, the importance of live streaming can’t be overlooked by organizations and those who are not using the feature correctly or at all will fall behind.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

“Micro-Moments” Provide Better Insight into Changing Consumer Preferences

There are many steps in the consumer journey. One of the most difficult aspects of marketing is understanding this journey in its entirety. It may not simply be one single ad that inspired a purchase. There may be several interactions that are going unnoticed.

As consumers continually change, we marketers are faced with the task of keeping up. The digital world is incredibly fast paced. Those who are unable or unwilling to move along with trends eventually fall behind. That is why we here at Onimod Global are always doing our best to keep you up to date on the latest trends and topics.

Google Search Data

Big data has been a big topic of discussion for years now. The unlimited potential that exists in the tiny, seemingly insignificant, data that any individual generates on a daily basis is mind boggling. Many marketers are wondering how they can harness this power to better the brands that they serve.

One of the biggest collectors of data is Google. There is truly a wealth of knowledge to be had in the data mines that this search engine giant holds. Most recently, Google has been exploring the concept of “micro-moments”. According to Google, “Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device—increasingly a smartphone—to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something.”

This concept may not seem like much, but Google believes that micro-moments will play an increasingly large role in the life of consumers everywhere. In fact, Google has developed personas to represent the different types of consumers it believes that are represented through these micro-moments.

The Well-Advised Consumer

This type of consumer always does their homework. Whenever they make a decision in their life, big or small, they typically will consult a device first. This could range from anything as simple as a search for a nearby donut shop to a deep dive into the best types of portable bluetooth speakers for under $300.

The Right Here Consumer

Many marketing strategies focus around the idea of personalization. This tactic is touted as a sure fire way to promote better interactions with potential customers. While there is some evidence behind this statement, the method has become so widely used that it is now an expectation of consumers.

Users today do not typically feel the need to enter anything more than “sports bar” when looking for somewhere nearby to enjoy tonight’s game. Instead, they believe that their device and the apps it uses will automatically make an assumption about their location for them. Any sort of site or app that does not comply with this is quickly perceived as irrelevant by the consumer, and repeat usage is unlikely.

The Right Now Consumer

The final persona that Google developed through exploration of micro-moments is the right now consumer. This type of consumer finds satisfaction in things that are most immediate and convenient for them. This trend has become very apparent recently.

Google reports that today, “smartphone users are 50% more likely to expect to purchase something immediately while using their smartphone compared to a year ago.” This means that less time is being spent within the customer journey as users today are more apt to complete a transaction immediately from their device rather than later through non-mobile means.

Final Considerations

What this means for marketers is that they need to pay more attention to these micro-moments in order to better understand their target consumers, and which category each of those consumers fall into. This kind of attention to detail will greatly aid in any marketer’s efforts to better understand the customer journey, which will ultimately lead to better generation of sales.

5 Intriguing Digital Marketing Stats So Far in January

Although only a little over 2 weeks have passed by in January, 2018 has been an interesting year so far in the digital marketing world with some surprising statistics. Some of the stats listed are from Christopher Heine in his Adweek article that caught our attention.

1. Branded Content Booming on Facebook
Many marketers and organizations have the mindset that spending ad dollar on Facebook is the only way to receive a large amount of impressions, clicks, shares, etc. According to a study from an article in Marketing Land,  they found that branded content posts on Facebook rack up twice as many earned media impressions as paid advertising impressions. “833 branded content posts received 617,986 paid impressions compared to more than 1.2 million earned impressions.”

2. Breakdown of Social Media Users
The number of overall social media users has continued to increase so far in January. According to the Pew Research Center, they found that around “69 percent of U.S. adults are now social media users.” Another interesting statistic they found was that “86 percent of 18 to 29 year olds are the demographic that patronize Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and other social platforms.” Ultimately, social media continues to attract new individuals and it will be important to keep an eye out on the age demographics of users.

3. App Install Ads
So far in the month of January it appears as if app install advertisements have been a success. Apple claims that “50 percent of consumers who click on ads they see in the App Store download the app.” This is good news for corporations like Facebook, Twitter, and others as the Adweek article touches on how the “app install space has driven revenues for these organizations.” It will be very interesting to see how Google will respond to Apple’s recent app install successes with their Google Play Store.

4. Continued Growth of Global Advertising
There are always a large number of U.S. organizations that are looking to expand their advertising presence internationally. The article mentions how “events such as the Olympics, European Football Championship and the presidential election propelled global ad revenue to $532 billion in 2016.” The interesting part is that global digital ads “totaled around $160 billion or 30% of worldwide ad revenue.” Based off these numbers, expect to see a larger presence of international digital marketing in the future.

5. New Years Live Viewing
It appears that more people are starting to watch the Times Square ball drop on their smartphones then their televisions. Facebook found that “more than 10 million people used Facebook Live on New Year’s Eve , which is up 47 percent from 2016.” This meant that Facebook had ten times the number of viewers as CNN, as the annual countdown only totaled “1.7 million viewers in prime time.” Moreover, this shows how live viewing has major implications on the future of the television industry as pulling up a live stream on a smart phone is a much more convenient approach than turning on the T.V.

Contact Us:
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

4 Warning Signs to Look Out For When Choosing a Digital Marketing Agency

Choosing the right digital marketing agency can be a difficult decision, especially since you are trusting an organization with your marketing budget that consists of thousands of dollars. It’s critical to find an agency that understands your business style and knows what’s going on in your industry. Listed below are some warning signs to look out for when in the process of choosing the right digital marketing agency for your business.

1. Unprofessional Website
Coming across a digital marketing agency with a website that is clearly unprofessional and lacks effort is one of the first noticeable red flags. How is an agency supposed to offer superior digital services if their own website looks poor? Some specific aspects to pay attention to when going through an agency’s website include: inconsistent brand images, old copyright date, poor mobile responsiveness, no custom domain name, lack of contact information, and having an overall poor design.

2. Unrealistic Promises
It’s surprising how many agencies are out there who make promises with prospective clients that are too good to be true. Hearing comments like “we guarantee first page rankings tomorrow” or “we have inside sources at Google and other major corporations who work with us” are huge warning signs. Any good agency knows that effective digital marketing strategies usually take time in terms of planning out, implementing, execution, and analysis. Moreover, an agency that guarantees amazing results in a short period of time is most likely unrealistic and probably won’t deliver on the promises.

3. Lack of Communication and Transparency
Communication and transparency are huge when it comes to digital marketing and client satisfaction. According to an article from Forbes, they interviewed members of the Forbes Agency Council and they found that “the biggest calls of distress we heard from potential clients was poor communication from other agencies they hired.” Transparency is also critical, as agencies should always be open to sharing data and whatever else clients want to see that involves their marketing investments. If an agency refuses to give you access to AdWords and Analytics accounts then something is wrong. Also be sure an agency is truthful and has the capability to back up data with legitimate results.

4. Weak Portfolio
Who are the agency’s current clientele and what kind of work have they accomplished for them? Be sure to look out for any references or testimonials and if they’re legitimate or not. Also, when evaluating an agency’s portfolio look for important data like percent increases in page views, leads, organic rankings, conversions, and any other metrics that may be important. However, one of the most important aspects to research in portfolios or case studies is finding out if clients returned a positive ROI. Also try to find out how many clients an agency has and what their retention rates are. In the end, a digital marketing agency that portrays a weak portfolio is one that should be avoided at all costs.

Contact Us
At Onimod Global we are a proven digital marketing agency and know what it takes to fulfill the needs of every client. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

4 Digital Marketing Skills Every Professional Must Have

Digital Marketing is a very broad term that consists of many important areas for professionals to master, and is also a fast growing industry for employment. SEO, SEM, social media advertising, email marketing, and data analysis are all critical aspects that every digital marketing expert should have experience with. Besides knowledge of these key areas, what are some other important digital marketing skills professionals should have?

1. Copywriting and Content Development 
Being able to effectively communicate and deliver persuasive messages is one digital marketing skill that can never be overlooked. Content is one of the most important components of every advertising campaign, and is a major factor when it comes to SEO and ranking for certain search queries. It is crucial that every blog post, Google ad, commercial, and company website contains relevant and powerful content. Driving home the “big idea” to every potential consumer is how you get your name out there, and why others should do business with you. Ultimately, content development is a skill that more and more marketers are being asked to master.

2. Website Development Knowledge
Some people confuse digital marketing and website development as two completely separate fields. In some ways this could be the case, yet having website development knowledge will greatly benefit an individual’s digital marketing expertise. Being able to understand the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and how to operate within a content management system (CMS) are all important. Another thing to keep in mind regarding website development knowledge is that it goes hand in hand with SEO, and understanding how to achieve good organic rankings on search engines. Moreover, the more website development knowledge a digital marketing professional has, the better.

3. Research and Strategic Planning
Staying current with the latest digital marketing trends and updates will only set yourself apart from the other digital marketers in the industry. Taking 30 minutes out of your day to read up on articles from Search Engine Land, Forbes, AdWeek, and Search Engine Journal can be extremely beneficial. Effective research can sometimes require more than simply “Googling things” like understanding the industries of clientele and who their target audiences are. In addition to research, strategic planning is also very important. This refers to analyzing past data and knowing how to deliver better results in the long run.

4. Account Management
Having proper account management skills and understanding how to effectively interact with clients is huge. Demonstrating strong account management means you have a firm grasp of execution, planning, strategy, budgeting, data analysis, and more. Being flexible and customer service-oriented is important as well. Campaigns consistently need monitored, problems arise, and some clients experience their best business outside of the typical Monday-Friday 9-5 hours. In the end, account management is huge in digital marketing, and certain “soft skills” often times get overlooked.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!