Interactive Content & Marketing Strategies | MarTech Series https://martechseries.com/category/content/interactive-content/ Marketing Technology Insights Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:21:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://martechseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cropped-martech_series_logo-1-4-32x32.png Interactive Content & Marketing Strategies | MarTech Series https://martechseries.com/category/content/interactive-content/ 32 32 SEO Best Practices for Bing: If your Search Engine of Choice is Bing, This is for you! https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/seo-best-practices-for-bing-if-your-search-engine-of-choice-is-bing-this-is-for-you/ Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:21:34 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=366876 Google comes to most minds when anyone thinks of SEO. While it does make sense, there are other search engines as well who can help bring more traffic to your website.

One of them is Bing.

Despite being the second most used search engine, marketers have been sidelining this lucrative search channel. By optimizing your website for Bing’s SEO norms, you can cut the chase and garner attention from your target audience.

Let us tell you more about this amazing search engine you have been oblivious of all these years.

Benefits of SEO Optimization for Bing  

Since most marketers go after Google, they often forget that Bing has lower competition and more chances of conversion. Compared to Google, the market share is a bit low for Bing, but the search engine has marked tremendous growth since 2019.

One good thing about using Bing is that it has a lower bounce rate. In fact, a few experts argue that Bing traffic boasts of higher quality than that of Google. Talking about the SEO optimizing techniques, they are more or less the same for Bing as they are for Google, but there is one significant difference. Bing is more open and wider about its ranking factors, which means you can enjoy more traffic on your website with less efforts.

Now that you know the ‘Why’ behind using Bing, let us focus on the ‘how’ here. But before that let’s bust some myths floating around it.

Debunking Bing SEO Myths 

 

1. Myth: Bing Doesn’t Matter as Much as Google.

Contrary to popular belief, Bing holds a significant market share, powering searches for Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Windows and Microsoft Edge users. Ignoring Bing means neglecting a substantial user base.

2. Myth: Bing’s Algorithm is the Same as Google’s.

Bing has its distinct algorithm and ranking factors. While some SEO principles overlap, assuming identical strategies for both search engines can lead to missed opportunities.

3. Myth: Social Signals Don’t Impact Bing Rankings.

Bing considers social signals, including shares, likes, and comments, as a factor in determining rankings. An active social presence can positively influence your Bing search visibility.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Rochelle Thielen CEO @ Traject Data

Best Practices and SEO Tips for Bing

1. Focus on Building Quality Backlinks

Google loves backlinks too, and the same goes for Bing as well. However, Bing focuses on quality links over quantity. So, do not invest your time and energy in getting more links, instead focus on the quality. Try to gain links from high authority sites.

2. More Attention to On-page SEO

By using Google as a prominent search engine, you are already aware of its sophisticated search algorithm. In case of Bing, you will find that it still relies on some old-school techniques.

Some of the on-page SEO aspects that matter the most for Bing are:

  • Using exact domains
  • Exact keyword usage

3. Write High-quality Content

Similar to Google, Bing loves and appreciate the posting of original and high-quality content. To bring your website to the top ranks, create unique and engaging content that addresses the queries of the users. With Bing, you need to understand the following three pillars of content:

  • Authority – Is the content posted trustworthy?
  • Utility – Is the content posted useful and sufficiently detailed?
  • Presentation – Is the content well-presented and easy to find?

4. Work on social media

Social media rules the world of brands and business today. While Google appreciates social media efforts, Bing has officially stated that they will use social shares to identify pages, which are popular among the users. So, if your content on social media is popular and shared widely by users, your brand reaches on the top list of brands for Bing. And in the long-run, your organic rankings will also witness an uptick.

5. Creating Quality Content based on User Intent

Besides what we stated above, there are a couple more things that Bing uses to complete the puzzle i.e. Context + Relevance.

It simply means that before you create your content, you should perform keyword research and try to understand user intent behind the search query. Since the search engine likes to see keywords in the title and meta descriptions, try to modify your on-page keywords and SEO for your existing content, and only where it makes sense.

Wrapping Up

Optimizing SEO for Bing is similar to how we do for Google because both of them love quality content on their search engines. However, there are a few specific aspects that demand closer attention in Bing. One is On-page SEO, mentioned above.

Marketing Technology News: How Sustainability When Using Marketing Tech is The Next Frontier for Tech Leaders

 

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MarTech Evolutions and Changes To Be Prepared For https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/martech-evolutions-and-changes-to-be-prepared-for/ Wed, 03 Jul 2024 08:17:33 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=362204 Neither do new MarTech trends appear overnight, nor do they disappear in the blink of an eye. These trends mature gradually and are evident only after reaching a certain stage. Likewise, they fade out from the limelight gradually, wherein the effects can be witnessed for several years before any MarTech trend goes into oblivion. The same holds true for 2024, wherein you can expect several trends from 2022 and 2023 to continue shaping the MarTech sector further, as well as some new trends coming into prominence.

Leaders who have the knack for spotting upcoming martech trends and then are prepared to capitalize on them have a distinct advantage over others. Here are some of the MarTech changes you should be ready for:

  • Zero-Party Data Collection:

Big data has become extremely important for companies globally. With government authorities becoming stringent about global privacy rules, there is an imminent need to update the methods for data collection. It is expected that in 2024, the MarTech sector will see several new developments. One of the most prominent developments would be becoming proactive with data collection operations. The forms and landing pages being used for data collection will become brief and succinct to retain user attention for extended durations and acquire conversion-related data accurately.

  • No Code Technology:

This technology has become an extremely valuable asset for companies, and in 2024, this trend is expected to continue. An increasing number of businesses will create enterprise apps through low-code or no-code technology. To power Martech strategies in 2024, solutions pertaining to web pages, questionnaires, workflows, and bots will be created without any need to write even a single line of code. This year will see rapid evolution of no-code solutions wherein they will no longer be restricted to basic uses but will also be used for complex solutions like in-depth data analysis.

  • Real Meets Virtual:

Holographic technology registered impressive developments in 2022 and 2023, and this trend will continue in 2024. This marketing technology is no longer restricted to movies or fictional stories. Marketers are widely using holograms as a marketing tool to boost brand awareness through increased exposure to the brand. Marketers are making use of this advertising technology to display mobbing pictures and interactive objects in 3D. Conventional digital advertisements are slowly being replaced by holographic advertisements to pique the interest of customers. As a result, it is expected that in 2024 this technology will simply explode and become the go-to solution for enhancing brand recognition.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Jennifer Jackson, CMO @ Actian

  • Video-first is the way to go:

Videos have been widely used by marketers as they can hold customers’ interest for longer periods as compared to static posts. In the world of social media marketing, video-first content has become a priority area. Marketers are making use of short videos such as YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, or TikToks. This strategy has been helping marketers boost the brand’s exposure and engagement amongst users from the GenZ or millennial generation. Platforms like Instagram are tweaking their algorithm wherein they favour reels, and as a result, video creators gain better visibility than content creators with a focus only on static content.

You Might Like – Episode 205 Of The SalesStar Podcast: Driving Sales and Marketing Engagement with Video-Audio Outreach: Featuring Michael Litt, CEO at Vidyard

  • Visual and Audio Content:

While video content has been experiencing steady growth, non-visual but audio content in the form of audio podcasts and audiobooks is also witnessing a resurgence. This will enable marketers to access multiple forms of interactive content to pass a message to the customers. This interactive content will help them generate inbound traffic in a more efficient manner.

This marketing trend is being touted as a resurgence because, traditionally, advertisements relied heavily on sound. Radio ads were popular for attracting the attention of customers across cities and villages. The influence of video and audio content will boost different kinds of martech growth and innovations. Therefore, podcasts will witness incredible growth with marketers who wish to create an efficient inbound marketing strategy through customer education. Certain products and services directed at older customers can be the perfect fit for this strategy. Such products have a learning phase in their marketing funnel, and through no-video audio content, marketers can easily educate the customers regarding various aspects of their products and services.

  • The Era of Genuine Influencers:

Influencers have emerged as some of the most popular people across the world, wherein their capacity to influence customer decisions is unparalleled. But during the pandemic years, customers grew disenchanted with near-perfect-looking influencers and started preferring genuine influencers who are more focused on propagating ideas instead of products or services. 2024 will see brands associating with influencers who stand for certain values and are just not trying to sell certain products and services.

The MarTech sector is evolving at a rapid pace, with numerous interesting developments taking place across the spectrum. Like 2022, 2023 and previous years, 2024 also holds a lot of promise for marketing technology, and it will be interesting to see how new MarTech solutions help marketers grab customer attention meaningfully.

Marketing Technology News: The Impact of AI Avatars on the Future of Media

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Common CDP Myths Busted: What a CDP is and Isn’t https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/common-cdp-myths-busted-what-a-cdp-is-and-isnt/ Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:11:26 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=361319 Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) have emerged as a pivotal tool in the marketer’s arsenal, revolutionizing how businesses understand and interact with their customers. At their core, CDPs are sophisticated platforms that consolidate customer data from multiple sources into a single, comprehensive database. This integration provides a unified, 360-degree view of the customer, breaking down silos that traditionally segmented data across different departments.

Strategic Importance of CDPs in Marketing

The significance of CDPs lies in their ability to empower organizations with deep, actionable insights. By harmonizing data from various touchpoints – be it online interactions, transaction history, or customer service engagements – CDPs enable marketers to craft highly personalized and effective marketing strategies. This tailored approach not only enhances customer experiences but also drives more efficient and targeted marketing efforts, leading to improved customer retention and increased ROI.

In an era where data is king, CDPs stand out as essential instruments for businesses seeking to leverage data for strategic advantage, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Common CDP Myths Busted

The advent of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) has brought with it a wave of misconceptions and myths. It’s essential to demystify these to truly understand what CDPs are and, importantly, what they are not.

Myth 1: CDPs are Just Another CRM System

A common misconception is that CDPs are merely an extension or a fancier version of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This is far from the truth. While both store customer data, CRMs primarily focus on sales and direct customer interactions. CDPs, on the other hand, integrate data from multiple sources, offering a more comprehensive and unified view of the customer. They are more focused on data aggregation and management, providing deeper insights for marketing strategies.

Myth 2: CDPs Replace Data Warehouses

Another myth is the notion that CDPs can replace data warehouses. Data warehouses are designed for storing large volumes of data and are integral to a company’s data infrastructure. CDPs, in contrast, are more agile and accessible, designed for marketers to easily utilize data for customer engagement and personalization. They complement, rather than replace, existing data warehouses by making the data more actionable for marketing purposes.

Myth 3: Implementing a CDP is Instantly Transformative

Some believe that simply implementing a CDP will instantly transform their marketing efforts. The reality is that while CDPs are powerful, their effectiveness hinges on proper integration, quality of data fed into them, and strategic usage. The transformation is gradual and requires a coherent strategy and continuous optimization.

Myth 4: CDPs are Only for Large Enterprises

The myth that CDPs are exclusively beneficial for large corporations is misleading. Businesses of all sizes can leverage CDPs to understand their customers better and create more personalized marketing strategies. The scalability and flexibility of CDPs make them suitable for businesses at different growth stages.

Myth 5: CDPs Compromise Customer Privacy

With growing concerns around data privacy, some fear that CDPs might compromise customer privacy. In reality, most CDPs are designed with robust security features and compliance with data protection regulations. They help in managing consent and preferences, ensuring that customer data is handled responsibly.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview With Seth Nesbitt, CMO @ Zuper

Top CDPs as of Today

As of today, the market is replete with a range of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), each offering unique features and capabilities. Here are some of the top CDPs that have gained prominence for their efficiency, innovation, and comprehensive data management solutions:

1. Adobe Experience Platform:

Known for its robust data management capabilities, Adobe Experience Platform stands out for its real-time customer profiles, AI-driven insights, and extensive integration options. It’s particularly favored by enterprises seeking a seamless blend of data analytics and customer experience management.

2. Salesforce CDP:

Salesforce’s offering in the CDP space leverages its strong CRM roots. It provides a unified customer view, advanced segmentation, and personalization capabilities. It’s ideal for organizations already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem, offering smooth integration with other Salesforce products.

3. Segment:

Praised for its user-friendly interface and powerful data integration features, Segment allows businesses to collect, clean, and control their customer data efficiently. It’s an excellent choice for companies looking for a straightforward yet potent CDP solution.

4. Tealium AudienceStream:

Tealium’s AudienceStream offers a versatile platform with a strong emphasis on real-time data collection and action. Its audience segmentation and orchestration capabilities make it a strong contender for businesses focusing on real-time marketing initiatives.

5. Treasure Data:

Treasure Data excels in handling vast volumes of data and provides robust analytics tools. Its strong suit is the ability to process and analyze large datasets, making it a preferred choice for data-heavy enterprises.

Conclusion

The right CDP can revolutionize how a business interacts with its customers, transforming data into actionable insights. These top CDPs offer diverse functionalities catering to different business needs, from advanced analytics to seamless integrations. The key lies in choosing a platform that aligns with your business objectives, ensuring that customer data is not just collected but transformed into a strategic asset for personalized and effective customer engagement.

Marketing Technology News: How Conversational AI Streamlines Demand Generation and MarTech Workflows

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Beyond the Music: Why Connecting with Customers at Coachella is Key for Brands https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/beyond-the-music-why-connecting-with-customers-at-coachella-is-key-for-brands/ Wed, 22 May 2024 08:19:01 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=360145 Customers are people, too. Rather than relying on traditional marketing channels to reach them, why not meet them where they’re at in real life? Every year, thousands of people flock to events like Coachella

– these events which epitomize the cultural zeitgeist, influencing and amplifying societal trends across music, fashion, culture, art and beyond.

For marketers, showing up at today’s hottest events humanizes your brand and embeds your company in the conversation – putting you in a prime position to engage with and learn directly from your audience. Armed with new insights, you can market to your audience in a fresh, relevant way that speaks to them not just as your customer, but as a whole person.

Whether it’s a street fair, film festival, music festival or conference, marketers can embrace these events as powerful platforms to learn more about their customers and become part of the cultural conversation.

Meeting People Where They Are Matters

Modern buyers expect a great brand experience – but the catch is they also expect companies to respect their privacy. 2024 research from Attest found 84% of Americans are concerned or very concerned about data privacy when interacting with brands online. Even digital natives aged 18-24 (82%) are uneasy with how their information is gathered by brands online. Capitalizing on events like Coachella offers a golden opportunity to gather data directly from the primary source through direct engagement with your customers. This method of gathering information, dubbed zero-party data collection, gets customers excited to share their insights proactively. Think of zero-party data as the ultimate backstage pass, granting brands exclusive access to customer insights.

People are more willing to engage with and support brands they trust. The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Report shows when consumers trust a brand, they’re more likely to purchase products (59%), stay loyal to and advocate for the brand (67%). With authentic investment in culture-centered events over time, consumers will come to view your brand as a familiar “face” they know, like, and trust – giving you what you need to better understand them, so you can better serve them.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Susan Ganeshan, Chief Marketing Officer @ Emplifi

Here are 3 ways brands can connect with their audience at events like Coachella

1. Interactive Experiences:

Brands should have fun while engaging customers at Global research from Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience shows 88% of people surveyed are looking for new experiences to make them smile and laugh and 79% are focusing on personal connections.

An example of a brand who nails this at Coachella is Revolve. They seamlessly blend fashion into the festival, partnering with influencers, hosting exclusive events and creating an aspirational moment during the event that resonates with festival goers and fans enjoying vicariously through social media. Another example – Wrangler is looking to break records at Stagecoach this year, asking festival goers to wear denim on April 27 to break the Guinness World Record for “Largest Gathering of People Wearing Double Denim.”

2. Incentives & Contests:

It’s no surprise that offering exclusive content, rewards, promos, discounts, contests, giveaways and loyalty points can entice consumers to share their Per a

2023 Gartner Consumer Omnibus survey, 69% of consumers are likely to share their data if they are familiar with the brand/publisher or they are incentivized by cash rewards, coupons, discounts or loyalty points.

Think about how we’re all incentivized by great food – Postmates delivered at Coachella with The Sauce Bar, serving up fries and tots in celebration of the brand new The Secret Sauce by Postmates X Benny Blanco. And Cowboy boot brand Tecovas is said to be the “first-ever official boot partner with Stagecoach.” They created a sweepstake contest with the winner receiving two GA passes, two pairs of boots and $2,000 toward travel and accommodations. If you’re not incentivising consumers to engage with you, you’re looking at an uphill battle to convert consumers to customers.

3. Surveys:

By soliciting feedback, brands show they are committed to improving based on customer input. In fact, Attest research shows consumers would rather provide data to brands than have it collected via cookies with 48% stating they are more likely to “trust” brands collecting zero-party Furthermore, 47% say surveys are their preferred way for a brand to learn about them, while 27% like online forms.

This tried and true method of conducting on-site surveys with attendees to gather information about their preferences and interests has clear, tangible benefits. Specifically, they provide brands with valuable insights to better design and tailor their marketing strategies and products, while also giving customers a way to voice their opinions, building connection and inclusion.

An example of this is Vitamin Water reaching thirsty festival goers at Governor’s Ball by having attendees fill out a survey so they can receive free samples of the drink and be entered for prizes. Similarly, Amex held an immersive experience for its cardholders at Coachella this year where they could take a survey to receive a ‘fortune’ from Reneé Rapp, explore a retro snack bar, a night market, a cave-like tranquil room and receive “mystery merch!”

Forging Genuine Connections and Insights IRL

In today’s dynamic marketing world, brands need to understand their customers not just as consumers, but as people. Events like Coachella are touchpoints to forge genuine connections with consumers, learn from them, and become part of their cultural experience. By immersing your brand in their world, you can understand your customers at depth, enabling you to create personalized engagements that resonate beyond the event itself.

Marketing Technology News: Why In-App Open Measurement Standards Are Important

Also catch, Episode 202 of The SalesStar Podcast: The Importance of Soft Skills in B2B sales with Thomas Hansen, President at Amplitude

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MarTech Interview with Susan Ganeshan, Chief Marketing Officer @ Emplifi https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/interviews/martech-interview-with-susan-ganeshan-chief-marketing-officer-emplifi/ Tue, 21 May 2024 08:33:19 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=360038
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Unified CX platform, Emplifi recently named marketing veteran Susan Ganeshan as their new CMO; Susan takes the time to chat with MarTechSeries about her three-time CMO experience and the road ahead for B2B tech marketing;

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Welcome to this MarTech Series chat, Susan – take us through your marketing highlights over the years and what you’re most looking forward to as Emplifi’s new CMO?

I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing teams and mission-critical products in the technology space. Before joining Emplifi, I served as CMO for Clearwater Analytics where I had the opportunity to play a major role in the company’s IPO. We re-branded and built a new web presence in a record nine weeks. Part of this effort included restructuring the company’s approach to digital marketing which led to a 1.5 times increase in website visitors and a 2.5 times increase in inbound requests. With marketing support, the company grows at 20% y/y and uses the brand presence to continue the global expansion into EMEA and AP.

Prior to my role at Clearwater Analytics, I held three other CMO roles. First at NewBrand where we redesigned the product and established a content marketing and demand gen engine, that resulted in Sprinklr purchasing the company. This was my first foray into the world of social media marketing and analytics. Second with Clarabridge, a CX-focused company, where we rebranded, built a demand gen engine including a new business development team, improved customer retention rates, and landed leadership positions in Forrester Waves. Third, at Granicus, a government technology provider, where we grew marketing contribution to bookings to 34% of revenue by perfecting campaigns and demand generation resulting in 99% growth in marketing qualified leads and 102% growth in opportunities which led to increased bookings all while managing through 5 acquisitions.

These leadership experiences, along with several consulting engagements along the way, have enabled me to create a proven playbook that spans all functions of the marketing organization, seamlessly integrating marketing strategies with sales initiatives and CX efforts. Now, at Emplifi, I’m thrilled to bring my proven methodology to the team but more importantly to help the world’s top brands bridge the gap between their marketing, eCommerce, and customer care efforts. The most exciting aspects of Emplifi include our industry-differentiated product and our passionate team that helps brands build best-in-class social media marketing and customer engagement programs. Emplifi just rolled out a suite of AI-powered features across our Social Marketing and Social Service solutions—all aimed at helping our customers drive efficiencies and boost productivity.

One thing that has always been clear to me is how central marketing is to company success and brand growth. The opportunity to lead marketing for Emplifi is especially rewarding as we help leading, global, household-known brands improve their connection with their customers, capture and activate customer feedback, and create a sense of community that ensures ongoing customer loyalty.

Take us through some of your core observations and thoughts on the state of B2B marketing and especially, B2B lead generation and demand generation: what in your view needs an urgent overhaul in this domain? 

We are at a pivotal moment for B2B marketing teams, with high and escalating inflation, many companies are staying flat or cutting back on their marketing spend. To grow at an accelerated pace, B2B organizations need to reuse, scale, and execute seamlessly. The go-to-market engine needs to operate smoothly and importantly there can be no break between awareness, demand, opportunity, sale, and ongoing customer success.

We all know it costs more to obtain a customer than to keep one, so reliable renewals are key. Consistency across the funnel is key, and alignment between sales and marketing will make all the difference. I like to say “don’t break the chain”.

I don’t know if it’s an “urgent overhaul” or more of a massive mindset shift in how we approach lead generation and demand generation. Gone are the days where a company could afford to have the traditional battles between the CRO and CMO. I believe there is no such thing as “healthy tension” between these groups, there must be seamless alignment. Aligned teams share goals, agree on the strategy, and work in more harmonious ways to drive results. And of course, metrics that focus on both the leading and lagging indicators are critical to uncovering areas for improvement. A healthy team will manage the metrics and use an agile approach to adjust to the changing market dynamics.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Christina Mautz, EVP of Marketing @ Valid8 Financial

How can modern B2B tech marketers and sales teams drive better customer experiences and lead generation processes with AI-powered tools? We’d also love to hear about some of the preferred martech you’ve relied on over the years to push outcomes?

I truly believe that both marketing and sales should be diving headfirst into AI-powered tools. They promise to improve efficiency, accuracy and scale not only for B2B teams but for B2C teams as well. We’ve all learned over the years that it is easier to edit than to create. Why not work with trained AI models, ones that know your business or can learn it, to help create faster. Then our job of “editing” or perfecting becomes so much easier.  AI advancements, and specifically generative AI, makes it possible for marketing and sales teams to automate many processes so that they can focus on high-value and high-impact work. You don’t have to look any further than with our customers at Emplifi. They can use generative AI to craft their social media posts, quickly respond to customer inquiries in the brand voice and using brand guidelines, and uncover what is working for their competition or other brands they admire and want to emulate. These sorts of seismic shifts only happen in technology ever so often, and fortunately, in my career, I’ve been able to witness and manage through shifts that give me the ability to pattern-match the importance of generative AI in our space. I’m a true believer.

As far as the tools I’ve relied on, I’ve used a mix of marketing technology solutions that have helped with everything from campaign orchestration and content generation to lead scoring and analytics. Tools that focus on marketing automation, demand signaling, customer connection and community building, and contribution measurement are all critical for the teams I manage. These include products like Marketo, 6Sense, Qualified, Outreach, Highspot, and so many more. But honestly, as a data-driven marketer, I don’t know what I would do without a good ol’ spreadsheet to map out requirements by product, market, sales team, and marketing programs which enables the team to lead our efforts.

What should today’s B2B marketers and sales teams do better to align on lead handover processes while focusing on creating better end-to-end B2B buying journeys for their target audiences? 

One of the CMOs, now CROs, I admire most, Latane Conant at 6Sense, talks about the gap between creating demand and managing opportunities as a “dead zone”. This is where lead routing and prioritization take place. I couldn’t agree more. Perfecting the flow of leads, ensuring no lead is left behind, and improving the velocity of lead follow-up are all critical to sales and marketing success. I like to equate it to our personal life. Do you remember what you ate for dinner last Tuesday? Unless you are a habitual Taco Tuesday person, you likely forgot. So when we find a lead, but wait 24 or 48 hours or longer to follow up, will they even remember us? You know the answer.

So when creating better end-to-end B2B buying journeys, it’s imperative that marketing, sales and customer service team leaders have an agreed service level agreement and then hold each other accountable. Marketing teams should insist on fast and ever-improving follow-up, sales leads should insist on high and ever-improving quality, and service teams should insist on detailed information flow. Ultimately, we all need a single view of the customer. That foundation creates more happy customers.

Once your team leads are aligned on how to construct a more effective buyer’s journey and lead gen strategies, lead handover between marketing and sales becomes a more frictionless process. Marketing teams feel gratified because they’ve done their job and sales teams are inspired because of the quality leads they are receiving. They actually start to act like one team. It is a beautiful, if somewhat rare, occurrence.

Catch: Episode 73 of the SalesStar Podcast by SalesTechStar.com: Tips To Double Marketing ROI With Latane Conant, Former CMO (now CRO), 6sense

 

Can you talk about the state of modern B2B marketing and martech and what trends will dominate the space in 2024?

Results. In the end, we’re all in the game for bookings, which includes net new and cross-sell bookings. And the way to get results is by realizing that there is no silver bullet. I like to tell the teams I work with that we have to do everything right. In 2024 with high interest rates burdening finance teams and inflation burdening our customers, we have to do more with less. (How I wish this was the first time I heard this mantra in business!) So what does “everything right” mean? To me it means focusing on the ideal customer and brand awareness by ensuring that you are targeting the right people, demonstrating both the differentiation and value of your offering, and ensuring you are fostering a community of referenceable customers and highly focused on their success. Ultimately it’s the whole customer journey that matters.

Our customer Freshpet is a perfect example of this trend—their customer care team was able to reduce call volumes by 40% and saw a nearly 30% drop in wait times to speak to a live agent after fully integrating social media platforms, SMS and messaging apps, and chatbot technology into their processes.

By embracing the same channels and martech solutions as the marketing organization, customer care teams are elevating the customer experience and driving outcomes that have a positive impact on the bottom line. We’re also seeing generative AI and AI-powered tools become integral to customer support efforts, delivering extraordinary efficiencies for customer care departments. With the ability to understand context, sentiment and customer histories, AI technology is improving productivity and delivering unparalleled results.

I believe more and more businesses will lean into these strategies after seeing firsthand what they stand to gain by breaking down the silos between their marketing, eCommerce, and customer care efforts.

Tell us about the leading B2B tech brands you feel have a robust digital marketing and digital ad presence: what are the key takeaways from these picks/choices? 

Honestly, I am a bit of a stalker so I tend to follow many B2B software providers to see what I can learn and how I can borrow (or steal) ideas from their success. But if I have to call out one of my favorites in the B2B software space it would be Qualified. Honestly, I don’t admire them for just their digital marketing. I admire them because they clearly believe what I believe, that there is no silver bullet, and you have to do everything right. I’m not only a user but I’ve watched as they built out their product, while everyone and their brother were talking about AI, they waited until they had the real goods to support their claims. They put their customer front and center, they demonstrate how they help real businesses through proof of value, and partner with their customers to ensure ongoing success. When they go public

Marketing Technology News: Common Misconceptions Surrounding Influencer Marketing

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Emplifi

Emplifi is a leading unified customer engagement platform that empowers businesses to reach and grow communities through digital- and social-first strategies. More than 20,000 brands like McDonald’s, Ford Motor Company, and Delta Air Lines rely on Emplifi to enable connected, empathetic experiences for the modern consumer across marketing, commerce, and care. Headquartered in New York, Emplifi partners with major social media networks and digital platforms, including Google, Meta, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, and Snapchat.

someday, I hope to be one of their first investors.

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As a five-time CMO, Susan Ganeshan brings vast knowledge and a proven playbook spanning marketing strategy, brand building, demand generation, and metrics-based decisioning. Susan’s high-tech B2B experience traverses small to midsize companies in high growth mode and billion-dollar valuation enterprises working to expand globally. She passionately builds highly effective teams and champions customer’s success. Over her 30+ year career, Susan has proudly represented software solution providers, including Emplifi, Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN), Granicus (backed by Vista Equity), Clarabridge (now Qualtrics), NewBrand (now Sprinklr), webMethods (now IBM), and Deloitte Consulting, among others.

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Why Did Apple’s New iPad Ad Spark So Much Outrage? Key Takeaways: https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/why-did-apples-new-ipad-ad-spark-so-much-outrage-key-takeaways/ Tue, 14 May 2024 08:14:06 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=359645 A recent Apple ad for their new iPad Pro tablet that portrayed an industrial press destroying various elements needed for a typical creative process in ad, marketing or film making (read: TV, musical instruments, books and such) invited major wrath among many well placed global celebrities as well as ad and marketing industry stalwarts.

If you’re wondering what all the hullaballoo was about, watch the ad here. 

This image is a screenshot of the controversial ad

While Apple must have spent a good amount of time and resources creating this ad, and while their marketing and branding team might have felt it was a solid way to portray the effectiveness of the features being introduced in the new iPad pro; here’s what led to severe backlash:

The creativity process in ad making, marketing, film making and similar such sub segments are enhanced by the innovations that new age technology provides today.

However, as established several times by industry leaders along the way; technology cannot replace what humans do, it’s meant to support how they do what they do or want to do.

The controversial ad, titled “Crush!”, shows several objects – a record player, guitar, piano, cameras, paint cans, even a classic arcade game machine; all of which gets compressed to eventually turn into the new iPad Pro – in order to show how one device can support all these creative processes and initiatives without the need for anything else. Really?

Fast forward to today, while Apple did formally release an apology for the ad, the core issue persists:

Do technology innovators feel that they should or can build technology that can replace human creativity and logic completely? This then definitely should lead to more support for Sam Altman’s call for AI regulations as well as more support basis what other industry leaders feel about unchecked AI (and also other tech) developments.

  • ->Unchecked development of technology is one problem that technologists and law makers need to reevaluate in this current tech climate.
  • ->The other lies in keeping a check on how technology innovators portray the best of their products’ capabilities, using the right ethics.

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Take an example here:

Most companies today sport a podcast as part of their content and marketing initiatives. Podcasts are valuable, easy to consume, allow brands to host and own their own show of sorts to create a buzz in their segment.

Yet, out of all the brands out there running podcasts, the ones who have AI avatars doing the hosting or presenting for them are not yet at par with the human effect. Furthermore, an AI avatar cannot yet instill the same level of conversational tactics without sounding robotic, leading to the same often argued upon point – technology is meant to support human initiatives, so that we can achieve more within shorter durations.

The controversial Apple ad is being interpreted as a potential depiction of how the tech industry can lead to cultural and creative devastation; to quote Hollywood actor Hugh Grant who commented the following about the ad on social media platform X, “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.’’

Think about it. If in the future an AI avatar replaced Hugh Grant, would you support it or would you crave for the human acting experience? Wouldn’t you rather vote to see a human act in movies you watch, wouldn’t you rather ask a human actor for autographs or would you prefer a movie full of AI avatars in it?

While having AI avatars in movies can be another good movie medium as an option, the point remains: there has to be a better balance between the human element and unchecked tech and AI innovation.

Apple has long since known to broadcast some pretty interesting commercials. Especially those that grab immediate attention. Yet, this time around, the recent iPad pro ad was not in tune with global creative tastes.

No matter how thin or sleek a device is, it cannot replace the ingenuity that comes with script writing, filming and actual ad and movie shoots (or sets!), it cannot replace the fun that comes with collaborating and building marketing campaigns, it cannot replace how actual creative processes work.

Marketing Technology News: Revolutionary Function of Streaming Technologies in Contemporary Brand Promotion

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A Closer Look at Some of Adobe’s Latest AI-powered Enhancements https://martechseries.com/analytics/data-visualization/a-closer-look-at-some-of-adobes-latest-ai-powered-enhancements/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:07:40 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=358536 Buckle up, because Adobe’s recent updates are all about harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to supercharge your creative workflow across their entire Creative Cloud suite. Before elaborating further, we throw a little light on what Adobe has given to the market….over time:

Adobe has been a game-changer across creative industries. From pioneering vector graphics in Illustrator to ushering in non-linear editing with Premiere Pro, Adobe’s applications have revolutionized workflows, set industry standards, and made creative tools more accessible.

Designers, photographers, videographers, and other professionals benefit from increased efficiency, streamlined collaboration, and the ability to focus on the creative aspects of their work. Moreover, user-friendly interfaces and constant innovation empower new talent to enter the creative field, fostering a vibrant ecosystem fueled by cutting-edge technology and ever-evolving creative trends. In essence, Adobe software has not only transformed how creative work is done but also who can do it.

Adobe’s recent artificial intelligence advances have helped add to the benefits of their software suite, let’s explore in detail:

Photoshop: Where Imagination Meets Reality with Generative Fill

Say goodbye to tedious background creation or awkwardly filling in missing elements. Photoshop’s ground-breaking Generative Fill tool leverages the magic of AI to seamlessly fill any area you define. Imagine wanting to expand your canvas, remove an unwanted object, or change the background entirely. Simply select the area and let Generative Fill work its wonders. It analyzes the surrounding content and suggests various options that blend flawlessly with the existing image. This opens a world of possibilities, allowing you to focus on your creative vision, not your technical limitations.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Vikram Ramachandran, Principal, AI @ 2X

Illustrator: Text to Vector Graphics—Effortless Conversion

For vector artists, the new Text to Vector Graphics feature in Illustrator is a game-changer. Gone are the days of painstakingly recreating text into vector shapes. Simply type your text, select it, and with a single click, Illustrator uses AI to convert it into fully editable vector graphics! This not only saves you precious time but also ensures perfect scaling and crisp lines, regardless of how much you enlarge your design.

Adobe Express: AI Magic at Your Fingertips

The user-friendly Adobe Express app, an all-in-one content creation tool, now boasts its own AI capabilities. “Gen-AI” empowers you to generate stunning and unique design elements, including logos, social media posts, and marketing materials, with just a few clicks. Simply describe your desired theme or style, and let AI generate a variety of options to spark your creativity. This is perfect for anyone who wants to create professional-looking content without needing extensive graphic design expertise. You can also link a .psd and .ai file so that your edits remain in sync always.

Lightroom: AI Portrait Perfection

Portrait photographers, rejoice! Lightroom now offers AI-powered lens blur, allowing you to achieve that beautiful bokeh effect with incredible precision. Say goodbye to hours of painstaking masking and hello to effortless background manipulation. This feature intelligently analyzes your portrait and automatically creates a natural-looking blur effect, highlighting your subject and adding a touch of professional polish.

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Premiere Pro: The Power of Words for Faster Editing

We all know the initial stages of video editing can involve creating rough cuts and organizing footage. Premiere Pro’s new AI-powered text-based editing streamlines this process dramatically. Simply transcribe your audio or import a script, and Premiere Pro automatically generates a rough cut based on the dialogue and scene changes. This saves you hours of manual editing and allows you to focus on fine-tuning your project.

After Effects: AI Simplifies Rotoscoping

Isolating complex objects for animation or visual effects can be a tedious task. After Effects steps in with its new AI-powered Roto Brush. This intelligent tool analyzes your footage and automatically generates a roto (mask) around the object you want to isolate. This removes the painstaking manual frame-by-frame process, especially for objects with intricate details or those with motion blur.

Top Enhancements Across Various Categories:

To summarize; Adobe has majorly worked on six major aspects that defined its being in the creative industry:

Photography: Notable improvements focus on lens blur, HDR optimization, denoising, mobile editing, localized adjustments, and color adjustments.

Graphic Design: Significant enhancements include generative fill, blending options, final touch adjustments, recoloring tools, text manipulation, gradient snapping, and object manipulation.

Video Editing: Prominent innovative features involve a motion library, timeline speed controls, speech enhancement tools, 3D rendering capabilities, improvements to the roto brush tool, and seamless integration for importing 3D models.

Illustration: Similar to graphic design and video features, with a focus on snapping, rendering, generative content creation, color manipulation, object blending, and touch-up tools. The key differentiator is the ability to mock up designs with a single click and enhanced touch functionality.

Social Media Editing: While sharing similarities with the aforementioned categories, the emphasis here is on Photoshop Express, offering selective editing options, a variety of filters, layering capabilities for images, and the ability to create custom stickers for personalizing content.

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Other important tool perks:

  1. Adobe fonts:
  • 180+ variable fonts from 40 foundries
  • Explore fonts in popular adobe express templates
  • Access 10 new variable font families from Adobe

 

  1. Adobe Stock:
  • Generate customized images with a text prompt
  • Download images with transparent background
  • Get new asset types like vertical videos, free audio and audio loops
  • Get new subscription plans that include video credits

 

  1. Bridge:
  • You can change panel arrangements across monitors
  • You can work on multiple folders at a same time

What the future holds:

Adobe is pushing its boundaries constantly. Adobe’s dedication to innovation is evident in these latest updates. With AI as a powerful tool in your creative arsenal, the possibilities are endless.

The future will be commanded by:

  • AI-powered design assistants: Imagine leveraging AI for automated design tasks, like generating layout suggestions or creating basic design elements, freeing up your time for the more creative aspects of your work.
  • Enhanced collaboration tools: Seamless collaboration across teams and locations will become even more intuitive and efficient, allowing for real-time feedback and streamlined project management.
  • Democratization of creativity: With AI-powered features becoming more accessible, even those without extensive design experience will be able to create professional-looking content.

Final Thoughts:

By integrating AI into their suite of tools, Adobe empowers users to unlock new realms of imagination and innovation. With AI as a formidable ally in your creative endeavors, the horizon expands infinitely, offering boundless opportunities for exploration and expression. It’s an exhilarating time to dive into the ever-evolving landscape of creative possibility, all made possible by Adobe’s dedication to innovation and excellence. So seize the moment, unleash your creativity, and embark on a thrilling journey into the future of digital expression with Adobe by your side.

**The primary author of this staff article is, Vaishnavi Vaidya

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How Does In-App Messaging Enable SaaS Marketers? https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/how-does-in-app-messaging-enable-saas-marketers/ Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:53:33 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=356451 Formerly, SaaS firms saw in-app chat as an optional feature rather than a must. However, in today’s world, when consumers prioritise services differently, engaging directly with clients in real time is a must for success. In 2022, over three out of every four organisations deployed in-app messaging were satisfied with the results.

As a result, digital and self-service channels now account for a considerable share of all customer service contacts (such as instant messaging on social networks, messaging apps and live chat). Several brands have already embraced automatic messaging and integrated it into their social media and customer support strategies to meet the large number of contacts and services required.

While many are only now beginning to adapt properly, your organisation cannot afford to fall behind.

What exactly is an In-app Message?

A well-targeted in-app message is a notification that users can view while using their mobile or desktop app. In-app messaging enables businesses to communicate with their users promptly and relevantly. In-app messages can facilitate onboarding, communicate product upgrades, and promote discounts. Onboarding messages, feature announcements (feature update announcements), discount announcements, and warning messages are all examples of in-app messaging.

Why should you use in-app messaging?

1. Adding communication channels

Conventional communication channels, such as social networks, have a restriction on the number of people who may join a single account and lack a platform dedicated to providing excellent customer support. This includes, among other things, restricting:

  • The maximum number of messages that can be answered.
  • A multitude of users in a single account.
  • Managing messages, sales, and orders.
  • Possessing precise statistics.
  • There are no bots or automatic allocators.

In terms of the criteria mentioned above, in-app messaging has an obvious advantage. These tools are entirely intended to boost your customer service and sales.

2. Using a multi-user system to optimise answers

One of the essential reasons to utilise internal messaging solutions is that they are multi-user, meaning multiple users can have accounts and respond to messages from your connected social networks. More than five persons, for example, can be connected to the same Slack, WhatsApp, Facebook, or Telegram without registering accounts in social networks. Allowing numerous people to participate allows you to establish a reliable customer support system to ensure no client interaction is missed in the shuffle. You’ll also have many sales and customer service tools, such as KPIs, autoresponders, and even CRM.

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3. Increasing consumer loyalty and retention

Catching your clients’ attention long enough to make an impression can be difficult, but in-app messaging overcomes that problem. Create tiny moments that greatly influence clients instead of making big adjustments at the marketing level. A remarkable client experience requires speed, convenience, skilled assistance, and polite service. You can quickly design proactive instant messages, automation routines, and bots with in-app messaging to create unique customer experiences that result in long-term customer retention.

4. Keeping a personal approach

One of the most useful features that digital communication systems provide SaaS organisations is the ability to reach specific audiences with customised instant messages. Furthermore, instant messaging allows you to incorporate client data into large-scale networks. You can integrate your social media and instant messaging data into your customer relationship management software (e.g., CRM) to provide a consistent experience for consumers and employees who interact directly.

5. Delivering service in real-time

A typical customer care team can take hours and hours to react to a website inquiry. Because the user is provided late, you will miss sales or loyalty chances. A digital messaging service allows you to respond automatically and immediately without requiring a crew to be present 24 hours a day, significantly lowering labour costs. They can also learn from previous experiences with the customer to deliver tailored service and fluid communication. You have more tools than ever before to communicate with a consumer and, more crucially, to respond to them quickly and satisfactorily. Nobody has time for phone calls, automated announcements, or the terrible music on hold in 2023.

6. Successful marketing efforts

A good marketing campaign is characterised by the fact that you can attain your target promptly and massively. You can send messages to your clients promptly and without limitations for:

  • Notices and warnings about the availability of new items
  • Product planning and recommendations
  • Special offers and discounts, as well as more on special dates such as Christmas, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and any other period when software purchases increase
  • Benefits of acquiring any software
  • Added features to boost your sales while facilitating and enhancing your client’s experience throughout the business process.
  • Begin interactions with all customers and prospects who have agreed to this form of communication and solicit feedback.

In the SaaS age, in-app chat has become an invaluable sales and customer service resource. Of course, clear communication will always boost your company’s efficiency. But it’s not enough to install any messaging system and then let contacts migrate. Using this tool in conjunction with a smart SEO and/or communication plan will help you develop a strong bond with your clients and attract more attention to your business in the long term.

Marketing Technology News: Marketing Technology Highlights of The Week: Featuring Similarweb, NICE, Adobe and more!

Also catch, Episode 191 Of The SalesStar Podcast: The Future of Online Shopping with Anh Vu-Lieberman, VP of Conversion Rate and Optimization at Nogin

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Best Practices for B2B Content Marketing Teams and Common Mistakes to Avoid https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/staff-writers/best-practices-for-b2b-content-marketing-teams-and-common-mistakes-to-avoid/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:00:01 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=354566 A potent instrument in B2B marketing is content marketing. Content fuels many marketing and sales initiatives, including blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, and more. There are several things one may do to succeed in range. However, several errors should be avoided because they can harm marketing and sales initiatives. It may take some initiative to prevent these content marketing blunders, but we provide a few alternatives to help you succeed.

1. Using Too Much Jargon

Problem: You could believe that utilizing jargon liberally in your digital marketing assets, such as blog posts, lead magnets (e-books, white papers, etc.), landing pages, email newsletters, etc., is fine and dandy when you specifically discuss business-to-business marketing. But that is not the case.

Solution: Spend some time getting to know your intended audience so you can tailor your content or text. You may modify your writing to more effectively connect with your audience when you thoroughly examine them. Or, put another way, write as they do.

2. Content Is Inapplicable to the Problems

Problem: Though having a fresh content concept is always fantastic, it is only sometimes the best idea if it addresses the frequent issues of the target audience. A team member may have the idea to write an article about the most recent technological advances. Still, if the post is too general or does not directly address your audience, it will not connect with them, leaving them searching for other ways to manage their problem.

Solution: Any marketing campaign should always be designed with a specific target market. Although the target audience could change from time to time, it should be recognized. Each audience has unique traits and pain areas that they can identify with.

3. There Is No Stated Call to Action in the Content (CTA)

Problem: An article’s content is made up of precious information. Delivering pertinent, helpful information to audiences is crucial, but motivating them to take action is equally important. Readers may need clarification about what to do next or how to find out more about the business, product, or service if there is a clear call to action (CTA).

Solution: One CTA should be the central focus of a piece of content. This provides consumers who consume the range with a straightforward course of action after finishing it. There is no set format for the CTA, although it is advised to keep it brief, direct, and to the point.

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4. Focusing Solely on Your Business

Problem: This one is another significant copywriting-related marketing error that is reasonably common in the B2B sector. B2B marketers frequently place a strong emphasis on extolling the virtues of their offering. Although having a superior product or service is undoubtedly advantageous, one may also have other things to offer.

Solution: Once more, adjusting your focus and conducting audience research is essential. Consider your website and its copy from the viewpoint of the audience. As you read the website descriptions, act as though you know nothing about your goods. Are you taking care of the user’s problems? If not, edit your language to show how your company helps its customers.

5. Poor Use of social media

Problem: Social media marketing, whether it is B2B or B2C, is crucial, and this is not news. Social media is one of the best ways to engage with potential consumers, nurture leads, increase brand recognition and authority, and develop deep connections with current clients.

The Solution: Ditch the business speak and choose a simple, sincere method of social interaction. Respond to questions and comments conversationally, using emoticons to sound more human (aka your brand voice).

Although other content marketing errors might occur, these are some of the ones that B2B marketers make the most frequently. To maximize the effect content has on viewers, it is crucial to avoid these and put the aforementioned solutions into practice.

B2B Marketing Strategies

1. Identify the positioning of your brand

You must be completely aware of your brand positioning to develop a successful plan. This sentence encapsulates the who, what, when, and how of your brand identity or how consumers see your company.

2. Decide who your target market is

Find the people who are genuinely in need of the goods or services that your business offers. You may utilize that knowledge to develop customer personas and comprehend the purchasing process, which is a beneficial tool for any marketing.

3. Analyze the competition

Conduct a competitive analysis to examine the market and discover what other companies are marketing to your target market.

4. Look through potential marketing outlets

Your competition study will show you the various marketing channels your rivals successfully employ and the ones they have yet to use.

5. B2B Email Promotion

A tried-and-true strategy for interacting with both individual consumers and company clients is email marketing.

Your efforts to generate a consistent flow of leads and outperform the competition might be seriously harmed by errors in your B2B marketing plan if you’re working with a limited marketing budget and in a cutthroat market. Therefore, make it a point to avoid these common B2B marketing errors in your upcoming initiatives to achieve more and better outcomes.

Marketing Technology News: Breaking down the Role of a B2B Social Media Marketing Manager

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Picnic Launches Inventory Intelligence Tool To Drive A More User-Friendly Ad-Funded Web https://martechseries.com/marketing-intelligence/advertising-trends/picnic-launches-inventory-intelligence-tool-to-drive-a-more-user-friendly-ad-funded-web/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:04:56 +0000 https://martechseries.com/?p=352913 Picnic’s new inventory quality assessment tool, PIQ, delivers 88% boost in media attention – empowering advertisers to prioritise effective ad placements

Leading user-first media platform Picnic announced the launch of PIQ (Picnic Inventory Quality), a first-of-its-kind inventory intelligence platform capable of assessing a webpage’s suitability for effective ad delivery.

Initial tests have demonstrated that PIQ-passing domains achieve 88%* higher media attention versus non-passing domains. The tool can be leveraged to deliver creatives across sites which ensure a great user experience – in turn delivering high attention opportunities and improved brand outcomes.

Marketing Technology News: Bridging the Gap Between Customer Experience, Technology and Talent

The end of clickbait?

Media quality has long been impeded by the prevalence of industry performance metrics, such as clicks and viewability, which incentivise low-quality industry practices, such as high ad density and intrusive ad formats. As a result, the ad-funded web is inundated with poor user experiences.

Recent research from Picnic/YouGov confirms intrusive and excessive ads can negatively  impact consumer perception of a brand and reduce the likelihood to purchase. Addressing this issue of wasteful – or even harmful – ad impressions, PIQ enables brands and agencies to make sure every ad impression counts.

How does PIQ work?

PIQ analyses a webpage’s suitability based on a range of quality signals such as:

  • Ad density: the percentage of a webpage taken up by ads
  • Domain reputation: a measure of reputability and trust based on inputs such as the number of backlinks to a domain, and where they come from, as well as content and headline language analysis, determining factors such as clickbait content.
  • Page performance: a set of performance metrics, powered by Google’s Core Web Vitals scoring, that evaluate the load speed and visual stability of a webpage.
  • Processability: a measure of cognitive load – i.e. the amount of information contained within an image or frame, and the associated mental effort required to understand and engage with an ad – based on the complexity of content, design, and messaging.
  • Attention: this includes both historical domain attention and placement level attention measurement – providing media attention opportunity, in addition to creative attention for maximum effectiveness.
  • Emissions: Picnic’s marketplace is filtered for low-carbon-emitting pages, using an emissions threshold 20% lower than the Scope3 standards benchmark.

Commenting on the launch of PIQ, Matthew Goldhill, Founder & CEO, Picnic, says: “We believe that a focus on media quality is an important step to secure the future of the ad-funded web as an effective, more sustainable media channel.

Goldhill continues: “The approach is two-pronged – measuring the quality of both the creative and the media. After all, investing in a great creative but delivering it on a poor-quality web page is akin to investing in the Mona Lisa and displaying it on a cluttered gallery wall in your living room. It may technically be viewable, but it’s not going to garner the same attention as it would in a prime spot at the Louvre.”

 

Key benefits of PIQ

Inventory quality at scale: objective and measurable assessment using a combination of machine learning and human expertise, guaranteeing brand safety and unrivalled media quality at scale.

Genuine ad attention and improved outcomes: making every impression count by focusing on media attention – not just creative.

Enhanced targeting and control: greater user privacy and improved trust in programmatic decision-making

Deeper insights: granular understanding of the content and placements of media, alongside meaningful analytics that look beyond traditional metrics.

 *PIQ domains delivered an average AU score which was 88% greater than the non-PIQ domains, when testing two lines with identical targeting and creative.

Marketing Technology News: Playing to Win with in-game Audio Advertising

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