Tag Archive for: Digital Marketing

The Final Results of Cyber Monday

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Since its beginning in 2005, Cyber Monday has grown to become the most profitable day of the year for many online retailers. This year is particularly special, because it marks the largest online shopping day in US history, according to CNBC.

By The Numbers

All of the following statistics have been reported by Adobe Insights, regarding Cyber Monday of 2017.

  • $6.59 billion in transactions
  • 16.8% increase year-over-year

Cyber Monday officially surpassed Black Friday this year, which only generated $5.03 billion in transactions. It is clear that purchasing decisions are changing.

A New Generation

A lot of this change in behavior has to do with changes in the consumer base. The millennial market is currently the largest living generation, and they are having a major impact on the world of products surrounding them.

Mickey Mericle, vice president of Marketing and Customer Insights at Adobe, noted, “Consumers are also becoming more savvy and efficient online shoppers. People increasingly know where to find the best deals and what they want to purchase, which results in less price matching behavior typically done on desktops. Millennials were likely another reason for the dramatic growth in mobile, with 75 percent expecting to shop via their smartphone.”

The Age Of Mobile

Adobe Insights also reported that 33.1% of revenue on Cyber Monday was brought in via mobile devices. The Onimod Global Content Team is always producing new material on this subject. A few of our favorite articles that discuss the many benefits of mobile shopping and advertising are:

These three blog postings highlight some of the key reasons that explain why mobile is such an important asset to any business. Visit our blog to learn more by clicking HERE!

Small Businesses Conquer

It is also important to point out that small businesses were significantly better at utilizing mobile marketing strategies than large corporations. Adobe reported that these small businesses doubled the amount of conversions generated by big businesses.

4 Digital Marketing Trends to Pay Attention to in 2018

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The scope of the digital marketing industry is constantly changing, so being able to adapt to these changing trends is a must. So far in 2017 we have seen new technologies like the IPhone X, Google Home, and other innovative products that continue to change the dynamic of marketing. Listed below are some digital marketing trends that organizations need to watch out for as we approach 2018.

1. Voice Optimization
With technologies like Siri, Google Home, and the Amazon Echo becoming popular, marketers must understand the importance of optimizing content for voice search queries. According to Google, “in 2016 more than 20 percent of online searches were conducted through voice search. And by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 50 percent.” Therefore, with an increasing number of voice searches, optimizing for longer keyword phrases and “conversational language” is an SEO strategy that should be implemented moving forward.

2. Instagram’s Value Increasing
The continued growth of Instagram is a trend that all marketers should be paying attention to. This year Instagram announced that “about 800 million users are active on the platform each month.” They also noted that their updated story feature is now “more popular than Snapchat.” Because of their focus on images/videos and appeal to younger generations, it’s no surprise that this platform continues to gain popularity. Some marketers like Deep Patel even believe that Instagram is “poised to become the go-to channel for brands interested in social media marketing.”

3. Twitter on the Decline
Contrary to Instagram’s continued growth, Twitter is a social media platform that has seen a decline in activity so far in 2017. It appears as if Twitter has put little effort towards their advertising platform compared to their wants of acquiring more users. Moreover, advertisers have allocated more time and money to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat as a result. In the end, this trend of decline is expected to continue for Twitter and according to Patel, Twitter is “dying a quiet death.”

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Messaging
Although artificial intelligence (AI) exists today, it’s future implications on digital marketing can’t be ignored. According to the Entrepreneur article, Deep Patel mentions how “artificial intelligence is taking over website messaging.” More and more businesses are now utilizing AI live chat programs to communicate with their consumers. Essentially, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve with messaging platforms, marketers must be able to adapt and learn how to most effectively communicate with consumers online.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise and news, visit the Onimod Global Website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Is Blockchain the Next Big Thing in Digital Marketing?

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Recent use of blockchain in cryptocurrencies is leading experts to believe that its uses may go far beyond the crypto market. This technology could be utilized in many different ways, particularly in digital marketing and advertising. While it is still early, the possibilities of blockchain have caused quite a stir in the digital world.

What Is Blockchain?

As defined by Don and Alex Tapscott, “The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”

BlockGeeks released an article that breaks this definition down in many different ways. This article quotes several experts in an attempt to break down the technical jargon in a way that makes it easy for every reader to understand the concept of blockchain.

Specialist William Mougayar explains blockchain by comparing the differences between a typical Word document and a Google doc. The major difference between the two is that the Word document can only be accessed by one user at a time, while the Google doc can have multiple authors editing it simultaneously. Mougayar goes on to explain that many systems in today’s society are like that of the Word document, and the blockchain is revolutionizing this system with its Google doc qualities.

Consumer-Centric

The most notable qualities of a blockchain, as given by BlockGeeks, are:

  1. It cannot be controlled by any single entity
  2. It has no single point of failure

This means that no one can alter or corrupt the data within a blockchain. This keeps everything honest and transparent, which as we have discussed in our article, “The Importance of Transparency in Digital Marketing”, is incredibly important to consumers. The entire concept of using the blockchain in digital marketing and advertising is to create a better experience for the consumer.

Consumers are the center of the marketing world. Without them, our efforts would be meaningless. That is why blockchain is such a game changer. It provides ways in which to enrich the consumer experience, and put more power in their hands.

While this may not bode well for major digital advertising platforms like Google and Facebook, it is ultimately the consumer that we have to keep in mind when considering the future of this compelling technology.

The Importance of Digital Marketing in Business

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Many people still have their doubts about the immense effect that digital marketing can have on a particular product or service. A common caveat of marketing is that its results are not always entirely measurable. We have already discussed the internal struggle organizations have between finance and marketing departments in our article, “Ending the War Between Finance and Marketing Departments in Your Company”, but this issue is a bit different.

Now we are talking about companies that question their marketing strategy altogether. Is digital marketing really that important? Let’s explain why the answer to that question should always be a resounding “Yes!”

Keeping Up With Consumers

One of the biggest benefits of digital marketing is that it allows your business to keep its finger on the pulse of consumer culture. An article from Mashable highlights a recent report stating that there are currently over 3 billion active social media accounts around the world. This means that half of the global population is using social media every single day.

This consumer base is so incredibly large that there is no reason why it should ever be overlooked. Digital marketing strategies are focused around these kind of users, and getting them to purchase products and services of virtually any company. Without such strategies, your business is missing out on truly massive opportunities.

It is also a common misbelief that these avid social media users exclusively consist of tech-savvy millennials, meaning that they are worthless to companies targeting other age groups. This is, of course, completely false.

Use of smartphones and tablets increased in every age grouping between 2015-2016, according to a Nielsen report. This same report states that smartphones reach 85% of all 35-49 year olds, and 60% of all 50+ year olds. Clearly, digital devices are not just for kids. To learn more about marketing specifically to older age groups, please take a look at our article, “How to Reach Senior Citizens Using Digital Marketing”.

Digital marketing can do more than just help you access your target audience. An article by SmartInsights discusses 10 of the biggest reasons why your company needs a digital marketing strategy. Some of the reasons listed are:

  • Provides Direction
  • Integrated Business Strategy
  • Avoids Wasting Money
  • Optimization

Not All Agencies Are Created Equal

When implementing a digital marketing strategy, many companies look to outside professionals at a digital marketing agency. These agencies provide specialized knowledge in all of the major digital mediums and paid online advertising platforms.

CampaignLive released a publication by Brent Trimble detailing the process of choosing such an agency, and what to look for in the very best of them. Trimble highlights many important features of digital marketing.

It is always crucial to remember that there is so much more to digital marketing than social media posts and Google Adwords. Not every business requires much in terms of digital marketing, but typically, those looking into partnering with an agency have more complex wants and needs from their digital campaigns.

Trimble expresses similar opinions as he says, “Impressions, clicks, click-through-rates, starts and stops are easily obtained by basic web analytic platforms like Google Analytics. This is useful information and certainly important, but true data science requires more patience and talent investment.”

In the world of digital marketing, you get what you pay for. Many agencies are primarily driven by the bottom line: profit for themselves. This can leave organizations to wonder which angency is really worth trusting with their future investments. When searching for a credible agency, Trimble suggests that companies focus on the 3 C’s:

  • Consequential: What is the effect that your company will have on this agency? Where do you rank in terms of size when compared to their other clients? This can help you determine how significant your business is to the agency and if you will stand out to them, or if you are just another drop in the bucket.
  • Chemistry: What kind of a relationship do you have with the agency? Sometimes when the numbers and statistics are put aside, you can begin to focus on the feeling that you get from a certain agency. If you cannot say that you would genuinely enjoy working with the agency and its representatives, then it probably will not be a good fit.
  • Case Study: Can they prove that they are up to snuff? Past behavior is the single most important predictor of future behavior. An agency grounded in successful past case studies will likely be able to produce similar results for you and your business.

Onimod Global

Naturally, we would like to use this opportunity to tell you about the digital marketing expertise that we have to offer here at Onimod Global. We strongly believe in the impacts of digital marketing, and that we are a credible agency that is qualified to deliver positive results to a wide variety of clients.

Our approach is based around working closely with your organization on an ongoing basis to adapt and stay ahead of your competition in a dynamic digital marketplace. We combine experienced and knowledgeable talent with world-class technologies to efficiently create digital marketing programs that deliver real results.

Learn more by visiting our website, or scroll through several of our client case studies by clicking HERE.

Snapchat App Debuts Pixel To Help Marketers Track Conversions

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Despite still being a bit young in the advertising world, Snapchat is starting to step up their game with the introduction of the new ‘Snap Pixel’. This new addition to the wildly popular social media app will give marketers incredible insight into their ad’s success rate amongst targeted consumers.

What Is A Conversion Pixel?

The idea of a conversion pixel may be a bit foreign. Essentially, a pixel is a tool used to help track conversions. Digitaland.tv describes a pixel as being a, “tiny, transparent, pixel-sized images embedded in everything from emails to banner ads during Digital Banner Production.” Digital advertisers use these pixels to see if their advertisements generated the desired response from consumers who viewed the ad.

Once embedded, these pixels can show marketers if the user converted after viewing an ad or not, which helps marketers determine if the ad is effective or not. It also tells them how well their ad dollar is being spent, which is incredibly important on the bottom line.

How It Can Be Used

We have already discussed how pixels can be used to tell marketers about an ad and its effectiveness, but what else can it do? An article by Casey Wilson of Forbes shares insight into how this tiny tool can be used to better understand your target audience.

Specifically, Wilson says that a pixel can help digital marketers produce the following 3 audience segments:

  • All Site Visitors
  • Cart Abandoners
  • All Converters

It is always critical to understand your target audience. The more information you can gather, the better. This information is what is going to help you generate solid conversions, and in the end every business is looking for more conversions because more conversions mean more money made.

Other Pixel Platforms

Google and Facebook have already been using pixel tracking for quite some time, and have received great results. Social media has shown itself to be an incredible digital marketing medium. Facebook recently released their third quarter reports for 2017 to reveal an astounding $10.14 billion in advertising revenue.

This is the very same stage that Snapchat is now competing on. It will be very interesting to see the effects that the new Snap Pixel has within the industry of digital marketing. It is doubtful that Snapchat will ever rise to the same level of advertising at which Facebook currently operates, but it will certainly be intriguing to see how it all plays out in the months to come.

 

*Feature image courtesy of: ThoroughlyReviewed

How to Avoid the Most Common Millennial Marketing Pitfall

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There is a huge, understated problem with millennial marketing that so many marketers have been ignoring. The fact of the matter is that the millennial market is huge. In 2015, Millennials surpassed the Baby Boomers as America’s largest living generation at 75.4 million people.

The Simple Truth

It would appear obvious that not all 75.4 million millennials are the exact same. How could they be? Unfortunately, so many marketers and advertisers have failed to remember this simple fact. This mistake consistently results in chaotic and ineffective mass marketing.

A Huffingtonpost article written by Grant Owens brings attention to another problem with this millennial marketing strategy by stating, “Another problem is that we’ve been calling Millennials 18–35 for over 5 years. That’s not how these things work. Despite rumors, science has proven Millennials are aging at the exact same rate as the generations before them.”

Segmented Solutions

The millennial market is extensive. Common millennial stereotypes such as being technology addicted, rebellious, and environmentally conscious, are not the keys of marketing to this generation. The real key lies in your product or service, and who that specified target audience is.

In order to create an effective marketing campaign, you cannot generalize the massive millennial market. You need to find ways to segment within it. This is the only way to save you from wasting your ad dollar, and to find the more concentrated area of your target market that will actually purchase what you have to sell.

Once you have identified a specific target market and found out who is really interested in your product, show them why they should buy from your business. This can be done with relatively little data.

For instance, let’s say you are an outdoor clothing manufacturer who wants to target millennials. You specifically want to target millennials with a higher level of disposable income who will be looking to buy outdoor wear for the upcoming winter season. Using location and previous purchases, you can easily suggest new products to customers that are ready to buy.

For example, Brian in Minneapolis, Minnesota makes regular purchases from your business throughout the year. He would be the kind of consumer that is highly likely to respond to an ad for the latest and greatest winter coat you have to offer.

More From Onimod

Our digital marketing agency team members are constantly providing news on the digital marketing industry. Like what you’ve read so far? To access more of our articles please visit our blog by clicking HERE.

Why Digital Marketing Expertise is Critical for Startups

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With the rise in the number of startup businesses, how can you ensure your startup will succeed and stand out from the competition? Many startups claim to implement digital marketing practices, yet most don’t invest enough time and money, and have little or no knowledge of effective digital marketing strategies. According to a startup study from Profoundry, “71% of the startups researched did not have a documented digital strategy in place.” This post will explore the importance of digital marketing for startups and ultimately why outsourcing may be the best option.

Because of the increase in startups across the globe, it’s no surprise that online presence can “make or break” the success of a startup. Brand awareness and customer acquisition are two of the main benefits that effective digital marketing strategies can provide. Listed below are a few introductory steps to internet marketing that every startup organization should implement to start on the right track.

Beginning Steps

1. Website Development:
Depending on what the product or service is, it should typically start with the creation of a professional website. Without this, everything else that follows becomes difficult or unfeasible. Although a decent investment is required when outsourcing to a developer, it is worth it in the long run. Unprofessional websites or not having one at all is setting your business up for failure. Check out Our Work and see what website development solutions Onimod Global has to offer.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
Having a website is one of the first steps for startups, but if it is not optimized for search engines how will it drive traffic? Ensuring that your startup’s website is highly optimized will require a lot of SEO knowledge and time. There are many components of SEO that involve “on page” optimization like paying attention to title tags, content, meta descriptions, keywords, and internal link building. There are also “off page” optimization tactics like blogging and utilizing local directory sites. Click Here to run a free scan and see how well your website currently ranks online. Ultimately, outsourcing SEO efforts to an experienced agency is your best bet to increase online visibility for your startup and rank well for relevant searches.

3. Social Media Marketing:
Once your website is fully developed and optimized for search engine visibility, social media marketing is the next step to follow. Creating accounts on as many social media platforms as possible (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus) will only benefit your organization by creating more visibility. According to Statista’s Report in 2016, “89% of startup owners indicated that social media initiatives have greatly increased exposure for their businesses.” A presence on social media not only increases exposure, but it also has the potential to increase SEO, develop a loyal following, and can even establish thought leadership within your industry.

Why Outsource to an Experienced Agency?
This is a typical question that most startups have, and why should an investment to an advertising agency be made? The answer is pretty simple – knowledge and experience. One of the worst moves a startup can make is investing money into their marketing budget without having any knowledge of where their customer base lies and how to effectively generate leads/conversions. A lack of internet marketing knowledge is one of many reasons why today’s startups fail in a digital world. Outsourcing to an experienced agency like ours ultimately ensures success and a positive ROI for your startup in the long run.

View our digital marketing expertise at Onimod Global  and see how our experienced agency could help fuel your next startup endeavor!

Contact Us: At Onimod Global we are a full scale digital marketing agency that serve our clients’ needs in website development, SEO, SEM, Social Media, E-Mail Marketing, and much more. Feel free to reach out to us on our Contact Us Page and see what digital marketing solutions we can provide for you.

Client Website Launch: Midwest Solar Control

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Midwest Solar Control (midwestsolarcontrol.com) is the Midwest’s premier 3M Authorized Prestige window film dealer offering the highest-quality products in the industry. In need of a new website and better SEO presence, our website development expertise at Onimod Global has taken Midwest Solar Control to the next level.

Objective:
To build Midwest Solar Control a highly functional website from scratch with engaging content and an enhanced SEO presence. At the same time we wanted to ensure device accessibility through Responsive Web Design. Midwest Solar Control didn’t just need an appealing website, they needed to showcase their window film expertise and generate as many new business leads as possible.

Onimod Global’s Strategy:
We implemented an effective Website Development and SEO strategy to develop a highly responsive website. We built a robustly designed and developed website that empowers Midwest Solar Control to attract clients and create a user friendly experience.

Old Website:

Current Website:
Chicago website design agency


Massive Upgrades:

  • Enhanced on-page Call to Action Tools
  • Enhanced SEO Presence
  • Custom Design
  • Increased Security
  • Mobile Responsive Upgrade
  • Custom Back-end for easy client-side updates.
  • Clear Navigation
  • Enhanced on-page Menus
  • Advanced Firewall
  • Job Application Portal
  • Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
  • Full-width Image and Transparent Headers
  • Redesigned News section


Contact Us: If you’re an organization like Midwest Solar Control seeking an upgrade in website development or any other digital marketing services, feel free to reach out to our expertise at Onimod Global on our Contact Us page. Also be sure to check out our other work by viewing our Case Studies!

Marketing Strategy Advice From Forbes Contributors

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We have compiled articles discussing marketing strategy that have been published on Forbes over the last couple of weeks. While we offer plenty of our own digital marketing advice here at Onimod Global, it never hurts to get another perspective. So, what do the experts have to say about building up a successful marketing strategy?

Flywheel Effect

A flywheel has many different spokes. This same principal design can be easily transferred to marketing. As Lisa Allocca described in her Forbes article, “The best marketing results come from integrating marketing activities from different spokes of the marketing flywheel to see success.”

Each aspect of a marketing strategy (search engine optimization, social media marketing, paid advertising, etc.) represent a spoke of this flywheel. The specific spokes may vary depending upon the goal of the business, but the idea remains the same. All strategy objectives are equally important to achieving the organization’s overarching goal.

Rule of Seven

The same article by Allocca brings another significant strategy to light: the rule of seven. The basic meaning of this rule is that in order to effectively market any product or service to the target market, it must be repeatedly presented to them at least seven times.

This rule is by no means a new idea. It has been discussed for years as a surefire way to make a lasting impact upon consumers. Unfortunately, this rule is quickly and easily forgotten by most marketers.

This once again brings us back to the flywheel analogy. It is critical that your marketing strategy does not overlook any components just because they are simple to understand and execute. You need every piece of the puzzle, not just a few.

Big Wins vs Consistency

Forbes contributor, Same Page, debated the pros and cons between a high-risk and high reward marketing strategy compared to a low-profile and consistent marketing strategy.

Page noted that many people recognize the riskier organizations that target the biggest fish in the pond. After all, who doesn’t remember the horrendously creepy Burger King campaign from last year? Consumers had a violently negative reaction to the King, and the ads were quickly pulled off air.

Positive results are not impossible with a risky strategy. As Page pointed out, the Dos-Equis campaign that followed the day-to-day lifestyle of the “Most Interesting Man in the World” was a huge hit.

On the other hand, we have consistent marketing strategies. Page brought attention to several brands that many consumers pay little attention to, but are still achieving success year after year.

In the end, Page concludes that the main aspects to consider when deciding between these two types of marketing strategies are, “your product, the customer base you’re marketing to, how risk-averse your company is and how creative your marketing team is.”

Changes in Future Marketing Strategies

As digital technologies continue to advance, marketing strategies are sure to change in the coming years. Brian Solis describes his expectations for the future of marketing in his own Forbes article.

Solis breaks down modern day consumers and their recent marketing trends into the following 3 categories:

  • Availability of Information
  • High Expectations
  • Impatient Attitudes

These 3 trends represent the shift going on in marketing right now. Consumers have more information at their fingertips than ever, and there is no where for brands to hide.

Expectations are also growing higher and higher as organizations adapt to the consumer and their every need. Brands that cannot or will not adapt to these needs will soon be left behind and forgotten.

The desire for instant gratification is also rapidly growing among consumers. This is a very logical standpoint because who would really want to wait around for any kind of product or service when they have the option to get it immediately? The faster brands deliver, the better.

As patterns of behavior and attitudes shift among consumers, it is important that marketing strategies shift along with them. Any resistance to these changes will only have negative impacts upon the brand itself. So what are you waiting for?

Women to Watch in the Digital Marketing Industry

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We have already discussed the importance of women in digital marketing, but let’s take a look at how a few specific women are shaping its future.

Many brands are currently shifting their target audience to include more millennials. After all, it is a huge market of potential revenue.

Women & The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal has recently launched a campaign that targets women of this generation. This news comes from an article by Sami Main of Adweek.

The article discusses the strategy behind the WSJ campaign and why they anticipate its success. The campaign will showcase a diverse and ambitious female character.

The goal is for the Wall Street Journal to take a positive stance regarding ambition and action, which are very often reflected by millennial women. Suzi Watford, evp and CMO of the Wall Street Journal, explained the concept further by saying, “People want and need a more diverse business leadership of the future.”

Up and Comers

Adweek recently released another article that brought praise to several “rising tech stars”. The list was comprised of many accomplished men, but also included 5 outstanding women in the digital field. These women are:

  • Stephanie Horbaczewski: Founder of StyleHaul, Stephanie shows a particular focus in the areas of analytics and social networking. Her company has combined the two into a product called Society. This product works to provide creators with access to data about every piece of content that they produce and post through their page.
  • Nithya Thadani: Recently named president of digital consultancy for Rain, Nithya has been pulling the company into the future as a leading tech-focused innovator. Despite Rain’s fast paced growth, it aims to continue this positive trend in the near future. As Nithya put it, “We’ve barely scratched the surface of how this will impact marketers.”
  • Anda Gansca: Coming all the way from Transylvania, Gansca has a more objective viewpoint than most in this industry. With plenty of technology resources at her side, Gansca offers incredible insight to advertisers that ultimately help them to better serve their own consumers. This human element is very important to her and she elaborates by stating, “I think it’s really easy in our industry to lose track of the fact that we’re ultimately serving people, not impressions.”
  • Tiffany Zhong: Although she is the youngest in this short list of impressive ladies, Tiffany Zhong has used her few years of experience wisely. She places a particular interest on Generation Z. Zhong claims that her company, Zebra Intelligence, is one of a kind because, “No one has done Gen Z research to such an extent.”
  • April Underwood:Slack id a platform that works to connect teams with everything they need to get the job done. April has taken their original base of 1 million users and grow it to an astounding 6 million. Underwood told Adweek that her advice for other female executives is to take time to develop relationships outside of your day job and find a career that allows you to focus on more than one thing.