Loving your job as a Digital Marketer

Once upon a time, in the land of marketing, there was a team of marketers who felt uninspired and burnt out. They trudged through their workdays, counting down the minutes until they could go home. But, little did they know, their perspective was about to change. One fateful Valentine's Day, Cupid's arrow struck and the marketers realized the secret to loving their job was right in front of them all along. Join us on this journey of self-discovery as we explore the tips and tricks for falling head over heels in love with a career in marketing.

So what’s the secret?

Short answer: The secret to loving your job as a marketer lies in finding the passion and purpose behind what you do. By connecting with the impact you're making for your clients, embracing creativity and innovation, and cultivating positive relationships with your colleagues, you can turn a humdrum job into a fulfilling and enjoyable career. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, these tips will help reignite the spark and reignite your love for marketing.

Keep reading for the long answer!

Digital marketing is a career that's easy to both love and turn into a passion. That's the beauty of a great job. However, it's important to acknowledge that digital marketing is not always a breeze. For those running their own agency, it can bring stress with its deadlines, ever-changing landscape, and concerns over scalability. Despite this, digital marketers tend to be a contented group. So, what makes us so happy? Here are 10 reasons why we love what we do.

1. A Future Full of Opportunities

When it comes to finding a job, stability is key. And with digital marketing, you can rest assured that your career will have longevity. After all, as long as people are using the internet, there will always be a need for digital marketing. Think about it, in 2015, companies spent a mere $59.82 billion on digital advertising, but just a year later, that number skyrocketed to $72.09 billion. And the trend doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. According to the latest projections, an estimated 616 billion U.S. dollars were projected to be spent on digital advertising worldwide in 2022 and this figure is forecast to increase rapidly in the coming years. In fact, it's estimated that global digital advertising revenue will surpass one trillion U.S. dollars by 2027! It's clear that digital marketing is here to stay and the future is looking bright!

2. Embrace Your Inner Personality

Digital marketing agencies often have a startup-like vibe, where individuality and creativity are highly valued. This is reflected in the relaxed dress codes and unconventional office spaces, fostering an atmosphere that allows employees to feel at ease and free to be themselves. Hiring decisions are often based on cultural fit, so simply being yourself and showing your personality goes a long way. And, of course, it doesn't hurt to be a hard worker and have a solid understanding of digital marketing.

3. The Freedom to Work from Anywhere

All you need to get the job done is a laptop and a solid internet connection, plus the skills and knowledge to succeed. This means you can work from the comfort of your own home, a coffee shop, or even while travelling the world. The potential client base for a digital marketer is virtually limitless and is only limited by your reach and perhaps language barriers. While local clients are important, it's not uncommon for digital marketers to have a diverse clientele spread across a large geographic area, including clients in different countries. So, whether you're a nomad or just appreciate the flexibility of remote work, digital marketing gives you the freedom to work from anywhere you choose.

4. Making a Difference for Others

In digital marketing, your success is directly tied to the success of your clients. You're not just designing or optimizing a website; you're helping your clients reach their target audience and establish an online presence – two essential components for business success. When you do your job well, your clients should see an increase in website traffic, leading to more conversions and new customers. Many of your clients will likely be small business owners, people who have turned their passion into their full-time careers. By helping these businesses succeed, you're not only doing what you love but also making a difference in someone else's life.

5. Staying Ahead of the Game

It's no secret that technology changes rapidly. Just think about how often you upgrade your phone or laptop. The same goes for digital marketing, where new technologies are constantly emerging and advancing. As a digital marketer, you offer a variety of services, from web design to search engine optimization, and each service comes with its own set of tools that are always competing to offer the best solution. This competition drives digital marketers to stay current with the latest technologies, so they don't fall behind the competition. By staying up-to-date, digital marketers get to enjoy the thrill of constantly learning and adapting to new trends and tools.

6. Great Pay and Benefits

As the importance of digital marketing grows, organizations are investing in the skills of their digital marketers, which results in very attractive salaries and benefits. The industry is constantly evolving, and companies understand the need to invest in the development of their digital marketing teams to stay ahead of the competition.

7. Outsourcing Helps You Scale

Scaling a business can be a challenge, but digital marketers have the advantage of outsourcing services to support their growth. This allows them to focus on expanding their business while having a team of experts handle the more tedious or time-consuming tasks for their clients. Outsourcing services are often white-labelled, meaning that clients are unaware of the outsourcing relationship, which can lead to a seamless partnership between the digital marketer and the outsourcing team.

8. Constantly Evolving

This constant evolution of the digital marketing industry keeps things interesting and exciting for digital marketers, as we are always learning and adapting to new trends and technologies. This dynamic and ever-changing environment helps to keep digital marketers engaged and motivated, and helps to prevent boredom in our job. The need to be flexible and adapt quickly is a huge part of what makes digital marketing a rewarding and fulfilling career choice.

9. Discover Your Calling

For individuals who haven't discovered their true passion yet but have an aptitude for technology or an eye for details, a career in digital marketing could be the perfect fit. The work has a tendency to turn into a passion for those who choose it as a profession, due to the many benefits mentioned earlier. Many digital marketers initially started off with website design or SEO as a side hustle while holding a full-time job. For others, digital marketing served as a temporary solution during a career transition. Regardless of the starting point, digital marketing eventually became their passion and a primary source of income for them.

10. Honestly, It Sounds Cool

Admit it, saying "I'm in marketing" just sounds cool. It connotes creativity, innovation, and the power to influence people through the medium of advertising and promotion. Digital marketing, in particular, adds a tech-savvy edge to that cool factor, making it even more appealing. Whether it's at a social gathering or a professional networking event, being a digital marketer is sure to spark interest and admiration from those around you. 

At Markception, we're smitten with digital marketing and think it's the ultimate romance. With technology always changing, the opportunities for growth and learning never cease, the ability to help clients reach new heights, and the possibility of turning a passion into a full-time job - there's so much to adore about this field. As we celebrate Valentine's Day, we want to share our love affair with digital marketing and encourage others to consider it as a career. Our blog is a platform for us to share our expertise and experiences, and we hope to inspire and guide others on their own digital marketing journey. So, why not join us and find out why digital marketing is worth falling head over heels for!

by Martin

Top Digital Marketing Trends in 2023

Well, folks, it looks like by leaving 2022 behind we've made it to the end of a wild and exciting ride in digital marketing. But buckle up because 2023 is shaping up to be even more of a thrill! Our anticipation for the new trends in digital marketing has finally been met, and let us tell you, this year is set to be a game-changer. So, if you're ready to create campaigns that knock the socks off your customers and establish a digital environment that's the envy of the industry, 2023 is your year. In this article, we're sharing the hottest trends that will be leading the charge for marketing strategies this year, so get ready to take notes, fellow marketers!

Top Digital Marketing Trends in  2023

It's no secret that the past few years have been very shaky, with the pandemic turning the world upside down, political tensions causing a ruckus, and economic uncertainty making us all a bit uneasy. But, as they say, when one door closes, another one opens, and for many businesses, that door was digital marketing.

The industry saw a massive boom as businesses scrambled to find new opportunities, and it brought out the best in marketers. We've never seen such creativity and competitiveness in the industry before. This rapid growth and innovation has  us convinced that the future, specifically 2023, is going to see the digital world evolve at a breakneck pace. It's only natural for brands to want to be at the forefront of this revolution.

So let’s dive in and see what 2023 has to offer.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing

Listen up, if you haven't realized it yet, social media optimization is the new black. It's not exactly a new concept, but it's definitely grown bigger than a basic trend. Just look at TikTok, ranking in a whopping $11.04 billion in ad revenue in 2022 alone, that's a 200% increase from the previous year. Companies are now seeing the value in targeting their potential customers and communicating with their audience directly through social media channels. And let's be real, TikTok is at the top of that list. And that's where the real MVPs come in, the Influencers, they are the ones who can make or break your campaign on TikTok.

Source: eMarketer

Influencer marketing is the new darling of the digital world, and it's not showing signs of slowing down. In fact, it's expected to grow even bigger in the next few years. And why wouldn't it? It's been riding the digital wave for the past years and it's only getting more powerful. As influencers continue to amass large audiences, marketers are getting more and more creative in finding ways to tap into that power. Integrating influencers into digital marketing strategies is no longer an option, it's a necessity. And trust us, this trend is only going to get bigger and better in the years to come.

“The market grew from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $9.7 billion in 2020. In 2021, it soared to $13.8 billion, indicating steady growth. In 2022, the market to expand to a whopping $16.4 billion industry.“

Source: influencermarketinghub

CSR Campaigns

Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your eco-friendly water bottles because solving environmental issues has become a must-have ingredient in any successful digital marketing recipe. Just like we consumers are prioritizing sustainability, companies are also doing it  and the more they show it, the better. More and more businesses are jumping on the environmental bandwagon, creating or joining different causes to help solve global issues. Socially responsible companies not only impact the future of our planet, but they also help to create a positive change for society. This movement is only gaining momentum, with big companies leading the charge, and others are sure to follow in their green footsteps.

Strong Partnerships

Let's face it, the internet is a crowded place, and it's easy to get lost in the noise. But, like a needle in a haystack, there's still valuable content out there, you just have to know where to look. That's why partnering with the right companies is just as important as choosing the right influencers. When original and helpful content meets the right partnerships, you're on your way to digital marketing success. 2023 is all about growth and expansion for companies, and brand partnerships are the cherry on top. Imagine a line-up of companies waiting to repost and share your content with their audience, organically boosting your online presence, driving potential clients to your website and social media, and increasing brand loyalty. It's like hitting the jackpot of digital marketing trends.

Example:  Luxury meets style with the BMW and Louis Vuitton marketing powerhouse. These two titans came together to cater to their jet-setting clientele seeking exclusivity, comfort, and of course, luxury. By co-branding their retail products, they cleverly reached their audience's shared values and desires. The result? A $20k four-piece luggage collection, custom-made to fit snugly in the trunk of a BMW i8. Talk about a match made in cross-promotion heaven.

Anticipation Marketing

According to science, anticipation activates the release of dopamine in the brain, which is associated with pleasure and motivation. This is why anticipation can drive us to take action towards achieving a desired outcome. When we connect a potential action with the expectation of pleasure or ease, we are more likely to take that action. For example, when considering purchasing a product or service, we anticipate the potential positive impact it may have on our lives and decide to buy it based on that expectation. This is why understanding and utilizing the power of anticipation in marketing can be highly effective in motivating customer action.

Anticipation marketing is all about tapping into that irresistible human desire for something new and exciting. Marketers want to spark that feeling of longing, the "I-have-to-have-it" sensation. Instead of pushing the product itself, they sell the idea and the experience of what it feels like to have it. And let's be real, nothing makes us want something more than a little bit of waiting. Just like Guinness Beer says "Good things come to those who wait" and that's the secret sauce of anticipation marketing. It not only increases the product's value but also the excitement in getting it.

Brand Ambassadors

Brand Ambassadors are like secret agents for your brand, infiltrating the hearts and minds of your target audience with their genuine love and enthusiasm for your product or service. They're discreetly promoting your brand in their niche and building trust with their audience. Think of them as the secret ingredient to your marketing strategy - a little bit of authenticity goes a long way in building brand loyalty.

Artificial Intelligence

It's clear, we can no longer fight back, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is about to take over the marketing world. Now, becoming a lote more than just a buzzword, AI has already infiltrated the majority of social media channels, with algorithms determining which posts and ads customers see based on their browsing history. As AI technology becomes even more advanced, marketers will be able to predict with greater accuracy what their target audience wants and when to connect them with products they're already searching for. The future of digital marketing is all about personalization and automation, and AI is the key to achieving both. Companies will be looking to save time and money, and AI might be a solution to do just that. However, AI is not yet that advanced in the emotional intelligence field, so we’ll have to depend on our own content creation skills for another year or so (fingers crossed we’ll still have this job after that).

Ready! Set! Go!

So hold onto your hats folks, 2023 is here and we at Markception are ready to make it a year to remember for your business! We're all about building trust and loyalty with your audience and we're the team to help you do just that. Our marketing wizards are dedicated to providing powerful solutions and implementing innovative strategies to help your company reach new heights. We're passionate about helping businesses like yours excel in the digital landscape.

So, if you're ready to leave your competitors in the dust and take your brand to the next level, give us a hollar! We're ready for any challenge and can't wait to hear from you. Let's make 2023 a year for the books for your business!

by Martin

Google Sends Webmaster Guidelines to the Past and Goes Google Search Essentials

In October, Google said “Goodbye” to its Webmaster Guidelines for good, changing them officially to "Search Essentials." This change came after several significant shifts that Google has done this year.

Google introduced Webmaster Guidelines about two decades ago, in 2002, but now they have let the name go for good, significantly changing the tools' guidelines. Professional marketers anticipated this major shift because it is not only a name change but a new form of simplification in the overall format of the tools. In this article, we will take a closer look at what has changed and what it means for professionals in the field and site owners.

In August 2022, Google made another major update and introduced "People-first Helpful Content." It naturally preceded the Google Search Essentials, as it complements the new "key best practices" we will elaborate on more in this article. “Helpful content” essentially means providing useful information, primarily for people and meeting their specific needs and requirements, instead of generating content that can rank better on search engines, packed with keywords, but without being useful for people.

The motivation behind this significant change isn't only to replace the term "webmaster" but also to simplify and expand. In a nutshell, it means that Google has made it easier to understand these tools.

Google Search Essentials now consists of three sections. And it is intended for more than webmasters, it is also helpful for website owners, developers, publishers, content creators, etc. In the past few years, Google gradually stepped away from the "Webmaster" term, rebranding it first to Google Search Central and now to Search Essentials.

What Has Changed Essentially? 

As mentioned earlier, this new update by Google has added new clear terms and better, simplified guidelines to follow in just three sections. The update includes:

New Technical Requirements Section 

Google created this section to make it easier for people to understand how to publish content so that it can be indexed and accessed by Google. There are three main requirements for Google to index a webpage now. 

• Googlebot isn't blocked
• The page works without errors
• The page's content is accessible and indexable 

Although these requirements aren't hard to achieve and are considered the bare minimum for Google to access and index a website, published content needs to be in a format that's easy to comprehend by users, and getting a good ranking will take a lot more effort. That leads us to the next section.

New Spam Policies Section

Google's new spam policies update focuses on content creation. It's meant to avoid creating content that isn't helpful for people who use Google search. It is necessary to mention that this spam policy already existed on Google Search Central before its rebranding to Google Search Essentials and was under "Quality Guidelines." However, there are a few new additions, including online harassment, scam, and deceptive behaviour, making it clear what quality content shouldn't include.

Check out some of primary Google’s spam policies are the following:

• Hacked, spammy, and automatically-generated content
• Content with keyword stuffing 
• Machine-generated traffic 
• Copyright removal requests 
• Hidden text and links on the website 
• Link spam or User-generated spam 

Key Best Practices Section

Under this new section, Google offers more intuitive and less complicated guidance for people to follow when creating content for websites ensuring that they provide helpful information. Google has listed that content needs to serve people for it to be found more easily on Google Search.

You can see here some the main key best practices, which include: 

• Create helpful content for people
• Make links accessible for Google’s crawlers 
• Follow Google’s guidelines for images, videos, data structure, and JavaScript
• Enhance website appearance with rich snippets 
• Use keywords that people search for in titles and headings

In our practice, implementing successful keywords in our SEO strategies shows that they can do wonders for your website. 

What do marketers think about Google Search Essentials Guidelines? 

After Google sent Webmaster Guidelines to the past, introducing Google Search Essentials, professionals in the field were eager to share their opinion on this significant shift. Marie Haynes, one of the leaders in the SEO industry, shared a few great strategies to boost Google performance for websites following Google Essentials documentation. One of her major points is to follow strictly and stay up to date with Google's spam policies and refer to "key best practices' guidelines" to make content that ranks higher. 

When it comes to content, Neil Platel, one of the top influencers on the web, commented on the new Google Essential's set of requirements and focused on AI-written content. He said that it isn't about Google not liking content written by AI, but it needs to be significantly modified by a content writer so that it is useful for people. Platel also mentioned that content needs personality to rank higher on the search engine. In his commentary, he also emphasised video content, stating that it is becoming a vital part of any website. In his opinion, Google already realises that the future of SEO is not only text-based content. That's why Google Essentials includes guidelines for images and videos to help content creators ensure good SEO results, regardless of how Google adjusts its requirements in the future.

In Essence

With this update, Google is now making it easier for site owners and content creators to engage with users and rank better by providing helpful information for people. It has updated its guidelines and policies that include harmful behaviour leading to websites ranking lower or de-indexing and introduced new "key best practice guidelines" for specialists to follow to enhance the website's performance on Google Search. 

As the new generations rely primarily on short video content to gather information, we anticipate the future changes that Google will implement in its guidelines regarding content creation. Since they released shorts on YouTube with over 1.5 billion viewers today, we welcome the changes yet to come. If you want to adapt and stay on top of the digital waves of transformation, don't hesitate to contact us and discuss the successful marketing strategies that will help you achieve your goals.

by Martin

Top 5 Digital Marketing Strategies That Boost Conversion Rates in 2023

Conversion rates refer to the percentage of users who have completed the customer's journey and have purchased from your website or do another action that shows serious interest in your offering - complete your survey, make a reservation, sign up for your newsletter, and etc. It is easy to establish the rate by a straightforward formula. Take the total number of the above mentioned customers and divide them by the total number of people who visited your website. Thаt is the number of visitors who have converted into customers. But why are conversion rate statistics so important? They show us what practices and factors influence your audience and, most importantly, what we need to improve.

What Are the Latest and Most Effective Digital Marketing Strategies to Exponentially Increase Your Conversion Rates?

In this article, we have gathered and extracted essential information regarding conversion rates and the latest trends in combination with our most successful practices. Our primary goal is to help you increase your conversion rates, so we have listed the top strategies to help you increase revenue, attract more visitors and convert them into clients.

Educate Customers 

Educating your potential customers is one of the most impactful strategies for 2023. Providing engaging information is only one side of the story. Today more and more brands provide useful, well-presented information that actually helps customers realize that they need their products or services and that using them will make their life much easier and much better. The information must be presented as to help people solve a concrete problem or satisfy a particular need. Systematically offering helpful information about your products or services with the attitude to educate and turn the information about your offering into a fun and engaging learning activity will boost your conversion rates and customer retention. 

Personalization

With personalization, digital marketing experts address each customer's unique needs and preferences. This practice helps ensure a smooth customer journey and make sure that the customers have great interaction with your website and that they find exactly what they want because your marketing messaging shows that you know who they are.

Delivering a positive customer experience is never easy. Тhat's why digital marketers focus so much on tailoring the best possible personalized messages based on analysis of their previous actions, purchases, demographic, browsing behavior, and other parameters.

First-party data 

First-party data referred to as "declared data," is the most important information for marketers. It is the most reliable information they can get about their targets because it is provided by customers voluntarily. It includes the customer's needs and preferences besides the demographic information that they have provided.

Video Content and Livestream 

Using video content has never been more valuable than today. And according to analysis, it will continue to be a vital aspect of business conversion rate strategies. Video content helps brands stand out and convey their message faster and easier, reaching their audiences effortlessly. That is especially true for companies that take it to a new level and make their video content more personal in the form of ads on social media platforms. Unlike other types of content that tell your customers what your service or products are about, videos show them. They are much more engaging and easier to comprehend by users.

Livestream is a new form of reaching your target audience, especially if you want faster conversions and offer discounts. According to researchers, in 2023, live shopping might go up to $25 billion. 

At first, interacting with your customers in real-time may seem somewhat overwhelming, but it is much easier for brands to engage with their potential clients. Moreover, livestreams help companies create a more community-driven experience for their customers and exponentially increase brand loyalty and trust.

Successful SEO strategies

When we talk about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), the phrase "Good things come to those who wait" couldn't be more accurate. Because SEO results come with time, they deliver and solidify a long-term boost of visitors and increase conversion rates. Organic traffic has always been the best approach to getting more visitors to your page and converting them into clients. 

Successful SEO strategies include the website's design and content analysis and audit, A/B testing, and, ultimately, implementing proper optimization and data-driven strategies for profit increase. Optimization may include better link building, improving meta descriptions, as well as providing helpful content tailored to target the right audience after analyzing multiple factors, and much more.

Social Media Marketing 

One of the best ways to see exponentially increasing ROI (return on investment) is by running an ad campaign on social media. Today, you will not only meet your objectives, but with a successful ad campaign, especially with ads that don’t feel like ads, you can boost your conversion rates through the roof. 

Every business wants real engagement, more subscribers to their newsletters, and more people adding items to their cart and making purchases. That's why social media platforms are the best tool, regardless of your industry. Today, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are the predominant platforms where you can easily reach your audience. A solid social media presence will ensure good engagement with your customers and increase brand trust.

Other Bonus Factors That Influence Your Conversion Rates to Keep In Mind

Here, we will share with you a few extra bonus factors that influence conversions and will continue to impact conversion rates significantly. 

Page Speed 

Page speed matters when it comes to shopping online. Imagine yourself ready to buy something online and the page doesn’t load. The frustration can often leave you with less enthusiasm to continue with the purchase. Researchers estimated that the load time that suits the best conversion rates is 0-4 seconds, which means that websites that load within that span have the highest conversion rates. The eCommerce websites with the highest conversion rates will load pages between 0-2 seconds. 

Fewer distractions on the Landing Page

Marketers who specialize in conversion optimization are attention management experts. Your website has one goal - to turn visitors into customers. In this case, the most wanted action is for them to purchase. By having fewer distractions on your landing page, you can ensure that your visitors will navigate smoothly toward taking that action and converting. It would also be nice if they would subscribe to your newsletter, so these should be the clear and straightforward sections of your landing page. Fewer distractions mean more conversions. That is one of the cases where we can safely say “less is more.”

E-mail Marketing 

E-mail marketing remains on top of the list of successful strategies to boost conversion rates, and over the past few years, it has remained one of the main drivers for higher ROI (return on investment). However, it has become more sophisticated and much more personalized. Now, customers need to engage with brands more than ever before and feel like a part of a community. That’s why e-mail marketing has turned into science when it comes to giving customers precisely the information they need at the right time.

As digital marketing experts, we value results. That's why we implement the most innovative digital marketing strategies in combination with our years of experience and gathering know-how to help our clients boost revenues and see a real return on investment. Our expert team of marketers will do an in-depth analysis of your industry and the specific needs of every business to deliver the best possible results fast.

There are many different digital marketing strategies that, when implemented by the right team of marketers, can do wonders for your business. If you need help from a professional and creative marketing team, feel free to contact us.

by Martin

Video Ads on Google - what you should know and how to use them

Google is possibly the world’s largest search engine today. In the more recent past, just two years after it was created in 1998, this “information highway” launched what are called Google Ad Words. Today, these are known as Google Ads and they have a profound impact on the ways in which businesses advertise. But apart from the standard types of ads that we see on Google, we’re increasingly seeing a rise in YouTube usage. 

With 2.1 billion monthly and global active users, the number is increasing each year and YouTube shows no signs of slowing down. With this in mind, it’s important to emphasise that ads on YouTube result in large purchase rates. Recent research puts this at 43%. As a massive search engine in its own right, modifying your Google ads for video is an important step to take for your business’ success. Here’s why.

Google Ads: a brief outline of the different types

Google ads come in many shapes, sizes and types. For the novices among you, a brief outline of the types of ads you can see on Google include the following:

• Search ads: ever typed in a search query on Google and saw an ad at the top of the search results page? Well, this is a search ad. It’s a text ad that is displayed among the search results on Google. 
• Display ads: these are generally image-based ads and are shown on web pages within the Google Display Network (GDN).
• Shopping campaigns: these types of ads appear in two primary areas: firstly, they appear among search results and secondly, they can be found in the Google shopping tab.

• App campaigns: here, ads are optimised across websites and within app stores such as the Google Play Store.

• Smart campaigns: with these ads, Google finds the best targeting in order to achieve the highest possible returns on your ad budget.

• Performance Max: this is a new campaign type. It enables advertisers to have access to all Google Ads inventory from a single campaign. 
• Video ads: finally, we have video ads. These are between six and 15 seconds long. They are generally found on the YouTube search engine. Visually stimulating, these are the ads we’ll be focusing on in this article.

Video ads: what they are and how they work

Although video ads may appear in one category of Google ads, as mentioned above, they can be further subdivided into various video ad types. Here are the main ones you need to be aware of:

1. In-feed/in-search video campaigns

Perfect for brands that are looking for affordable ways to reach audiences related to a certain topic, in-feed video campaigns can appear on the YouTube homepage, in search results or in the related videos section of a watch page. Essentially, they use placement targeting, which roughly translated means that advertisers are able to choose the specific pages and search queries that they would like to appear under. The way that these ads work is by having your video ad placed alongside YouTube content which is relevant to a user’s search. It’s great for building brand awareness, driving sales or even growing your YouTube audience. 

2. In-stream ads

In-stream ads are meant to be used by brands that are seeking to drive major awareness campaigns. So, how do they work? It’s important to note that these ads can be skippable or non-skippable. The skippable ads are charged on a cost-per-view basis while non-skippable ads are charged based on the number of impressions. In addition, they can appear before, during or after a video if it is over 10 minutes long. These ad types can also appear as related videos as well as across websites and apps that run Google ads. The purpose of in-stream ads is to help drive conversions and reach new audiences. They are also quite cost effective. 

3. Bumper ads

Next up, we have bumper ads. Ideal for retargeting purposes, they help give your target audience more information about your brand or product, especially those who have already made a purchase. These ads are short - only about six seconds long. As a result, they’re considered less disruptive and create a sense of urgency. These are the shortest type of video ad that YouTube currently supports. However, although short, they can truly help drive conversions with short, punchy messages. 

4. Masthead ads

Masthead ads are typically found at the top of YouTube’s homepage feed. This applies both to desktop and to the YouTube mobile app. These are quite a unique advertising opportunity that can help brands drive conversions. However, their costs are considerably higher than the three YouTube ad types mentioned above and they will need to be reserved through a Google sales representative. In addition, it’s good to note that although these ads can reach a much wider audience, their relevance, however, may be lower. It should therefore be a careful balancing act in terms of your conversion and campaign goals. 

Steps to creating video ads on Google

With all the options available to you in terms of advertising on YouTube with video ads, there are a few essential steps involved in the process to getting started. 

1. As a starting point, you need to know exactly what your goals with a particular ad are. In your Google Ads account, you’ll be able to select from the following: Sales, Leads, Website traffic, Product and brand consideration as well as Brand awareness and reach. The main goal will also determine your campaign subtype. This will play an instrumental role in the ad formats that you can use to help you achieve your goals.
2. Secondly, it’s important to have a clear budget set out because this will determine how often your ads are shown and their prominence when featured. Be aware of your bidding because this will determine the way in which your budget is spent. Luckily, you have options to choose from. For example, you can select whether you’d like your budget to be targeted at ad views, clicks, site conversions and more. In addition, you can always readjust your campaign to improve its performance.
   
3. The next consideration relates to your targeting. With your campaign, you can explicitly focus on reaching people in specific locations, who speak a particular language or those who have a given interest. There is also the option to add content exclusions to help you reach a more focused audience.
   
4. Furthermore, you will also be able to organise your ads with ad groups. This is an important way of helping you refine your targeting. It’s a great way of showcasing various products in a range. Alternatively, it’s a way to show different product categories.
   
5. Lastly, there’s the aspect of actual ad creation. Some of the most important features of successful ads include creating relevant headlines and calls-to-action. Being creative means that you’re more likely to inspire your audience to take an action. 

Other related aspects to consider for a successful video ad campaign

When it comes to the actual creation process of your video ad, you need to always be thinking of your target audience. Create something that they’ll want to watch from start to finish. Interactive content is one of the best ways to do so. 

You’ll also want to make sure that you show real and satisfied customer reviews. With their massive influence on consumer behaviour, don’t hesitate to include these in your ads as well. 

Your ad should also be short and to the point. Since you’re essentially interrupting a user’s video watching experience, you want to make sure you do not frustrate them with overly long videos. Sticking to the best practice of 12 to 20 seconds should help you achieve this goal. 

Research is another crucial element to consider. It not only involves studying what your competitors are doing but also understanding your target demographic’s needs. 

Finally, you may have created the perfect ad but it’s no use if your entire digital presence doesn’t support it. For example, an ad that requires a purchase should lead your audience to an ad landing page. Ensuring that you actually have such a page will mean that you do not waste your precious clicks. There are also optimised “thank you” pages for new leads post-conversion. Therefore, it’s vital to have a comprehensive and complete offering to support your ads. 

Final thoughts

Video ads can be a powerful way for you to target and engage your audience. However, they require knowledge of the right ad format and a clearly defined strategy that is supported by a holistic online offering. With this in mind, are you ready to create your next video ad? And do you need any help? Remember that at Markception Digital, we’re just a click away and ready to offer our assistance. Simply reach out to our friendly team and we’ll get the ball rolling.

If you need some assistance with your overall social media and digital presence, let us know and get in touch with us. We’d be happy to help.

by Martin

B2B Marketing Guide for Beginners

B2B or business-to-business marketing is the process where one business markets their products or services to another business as opposed to individual customers. The decision-makers of this business are usually the target market of a marketing campaign instead of ordinary people. Whether you’re a micro-business or an SME, you need to employ the right tactics and strategies in order to have a cohesive marketing approach that will land you the much-needed sales you’re after. This approach should involve a variety of factors which are considered simultaneously. Wondering what they are? Let’s take a closer look.

Website design and build

Most small businesses start with a website. And in this day and age, where digital tools are at practically everyone’s fingertips, this is the right approach to take. Think of your website as the proverbial sign above your front door or your business card. It needs to be attractive, catchy, informative, user-friendly and functional. It would be best if you had calls-to-action (CTAs), a flawless design, informative copy, and most importantly, your website’s various functionalities (e.g. a booking form) should work optimally each time. You can track your website's performance through various available mapping tools to see how much time users spend on it, which pages they visit most and where they may get stuck in a process.

In addition, ensure that your website is well-optimised for keywords and performance in terms of loading speed so that you not only rank high in search results but also don’t alienate or lose out on B2B customers who are visiting your site for more information. Finally, you need to optimise your website for mobile use because the business world is primarily online, and thatwill ensure that you catch every possible customer.

Social media

Social media is a huge marketing channel to exploit in your B2B endeavours. It has a massive global audience and an ever growing number of individuals and businesses are keeping up with their favourite brands online by following their social media accounts. The critical point here is to ensure you use the appropriate platforms for your business, as not all will suit your purposes. Whereas a micro merchant will use Instagram to showcase their goods, these merchants are typically not B2B but are rather B2C (or business-to-consumer) organisations. Working B2B, you need to be on the right platforms. These may include LinkedIn and Q&A sites like Quora, where professional exchanges can take place.

Remember the 80/20 rule: publish as much as 80% of informative content on your selected social media platforms and leave the remaining 20% for promotion, marketing, special deals and more. That is because customers (even B2B ones) get fatigued by marketing that simply tries to sell to them. The name of the game these days is adding value, which comes through high-quality content. Offering content such as white papers, downloadable resources, blog articles that answer particular queries, and more can be a great way to strengthen and solidify your social media offering.

Paid ads / Google AdWords

Paid adverts should be another part of your marketing toolkit, and that involves paid advertising on places such as Google and social media. You necessarily need to set aside a budget for your targets, and you also need to ensure that you refine, measure and monitor the success of your ads while revising them where possible to ensure maximum efficiency for your marketing spend. Google ads appear at the top of search results on a Google results page and compete with other businesses’ ads for certain keywords.

Therefore, you need to target the right keywords and prior research is essential. In addition, there are paid social media ads which you can implement as well. However, keep in mind your target audience and where they spend most of their time. Some may be found on platforms like Facebook, whereas others are most likely on LinkedIn. Having a clear ideal buyer persona will help ensure that you tailor your ads to your audience more effectively to ensure you make the most out of each marketing cent you spend.

Public Relations

Public Relations was typically linked to advertorials and media coverage in traditional media sources such as newspapers and magazines. While this is still the case, current PR has evolved to include the fact that most news and publications these days take place online. As a result, you need to build backlinks to news sites from your own published content so that you are viewed as a more authoritative and trustworthy source of information and a credible business.

Another part of the foray of PR is hosting or attending events and trade shows. Being invited to speak at events will give you more credibility and greater exposure, while trade shows are another way of raising brand awareness for your business by your target audience.

Local and organic SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is generally performed under two hats: local and organic. Local SEO refers to your business ranking and appearing in the top three “map packs” in Google search results pages whenever a prospective customer conducts a local query. That means having a completely optimised online offering with consistent  information, positive reviews, images where possible, and valuable links.

On the other hand, organic SEO is more of a long-term game. It requires publishing valuable content regularly to help create trust in your business. It also entails using targeted, high search volume keywords in your content, which is strategically positioned not to sound “stuffed” or unnatural. Remember that search engines have algorithms or spiders that crawl sites. They can easily pick up if a piece of content is not valuable and has done too much keyword stuffing to try to get to the top of the rankings in a way that will be unhelpful for your audience.

Email marketing

It would be best if you also had a clear email marketing strategy. That will entail segmenting your audiences into smaller groups and sending them relevant and targeted content. The primary purpose is to ensure they stay on top of your company news, get notified whenever they take a specific action or interact with your website in a certain way, whenever you’re promoting a new product or service and in many other instances.

As a rule of thumb, successful emails are usually between 200 and 250 words long (maximum). Your subject line is possibly the most essential part of your email, and it needs not only to be catchy but not overly salesy or spam-like. Many email providers can quickly sift out a spam email simply by its subject, which is why you must keep it short, catchy and relevant at the same time. While it’s a fine and quite tricky balance, email marketing remains one of the most important ways of reaching your audience.

In conclusion…

A successful B2B marketing strategy is a multi-pronged process that requires careful planning, analysis, implementation, refinement, measuring and testing. However, if implemented in the right way using the tactics and tools mentioned above, you’re ready to compete effectively in your marketplace and industry vertical.

If you need assistance with your overall social media and digital presence, let us know and get in touch. We’d be happy to help.

by Martin