DIGITAL
How can I maximize online campaigns beyond simply implementing the technology?
“The relative newness of the online marketing channel, combined with its changing nature, has created a situation where the requisite skills are changing. The focus has shifted to services and the skilled people supporting the campaign,” notes Charisse Tabak, VP of client services for Acceleration. “Companies must spend on resources — internal or outsourced — in order to optimize marketing efforts. Companies that don’t fully invest will find very little advantage in any advertising or marketing technology.”
Technology implementation and campaign deployment can be particularly labor intensive, but they are crucial to success, she adds. “Many companies find it a good idea to outsource these so that they can fine tune and concentrate on strategy,” she says. “This ensures that their marketers are playing to their key strengths without the additional burdens of learning new technical skills. Other companies invest in regular training so that they can build an internal team.”
WEB PUBLISHING
How can I make sure my revenue isn’t affected by unsold ad space?
“Seasonality, daily fill-rate fluctuation and the time within the quarter can all affect ad revenue generation,” says Frank Addante, founder and CEO of the Rubicon Project. “Up to 80% of ad space is unsold by Web sites’ direct sales teams. That 80% is sent to ad networks but often remains unfilled. Some networks fluctuate by the hour, with higher rates and fill at the beginning of the day vs. the end of the day.”
To minimize unsold ad inventory, Addante recommends working with multiple ad networks. “Too often, Web publishers work with only one ad network. Working with a combination helps to alleviate the churn and diversify the ads that are served on the site,” he says. Learning the different ad networks, and understanding how they can work together, helps to alleviate the unsold ad space, he adds.
MOBILE
How do I choose the right partner to execute my mobile marketing campaign?
“Find out whether the mobile vendor is a technology-led product company or a brand-led marketing enabler,” says Derek Handley, CEO of The Hyperfactory. “If it’s a technology company,” he warns, “you’ll get little creative support and campaign planning.”
That’s fine if you’re building an in-house technology team that wants to use programs with a mobile technology platform, but not so good if you need help translating the mobile space and how it relates to your business, he continues. “You need a different partner if your questions include, ‘how do I get this brand mobile?’ or ‘how do I activate this mobile campaign without any limitations?’ or ‘what are all the innovative things I can consider?’” he explains. “Find an experienced company that can plan your short- and long-term brand strategy, specifically for mobile.”
Send your questions to [email protected]. Please contact us if you are interested in contributing to Toolbox. Toolbox is online at DMNews.com
