Category: Digital Strategy

Before even deciding on a name for your podcast or developing the outline for the launch episode, make sure podcasting is seamlessly integrated into your marketing strategy.

What questions should I be asking?

Podcasts, like any form of content, need to be part of a developed plan to maximize their value and prioritize the effort put into producing and promoting the content. The opportunities for podcasts are endless, but before getting started, ask yourself:

• What is our content strategy?
• What are our goals and KPIs (key performance indicators)?
• What audience(s) are we trying to reach?
• Is podcasting within our budget?
• How will we effectively promote this new channel?

Once these questions have been answered, you can begin to launch your podcast marketing plan. In fact, there are numerous ways to get involved in podcasts that don’t require the effort and budget for branding your own show, if that is a concern.

How can podcasts be utilized?

Company leaders and subject matter experts can be featured guests on podcasts that correlate with your brand’s values and lines of service. For example, Marcelo Podesta, President of STIR client National Business Furniture, has been a guest on various relevant podcasts to chat about trends in the furniture industry. Through these appearances, companies can expand their reach and share their stories with other audiences.

Another method to raise awareness with and engage podcast listeners is through paid sponsorships or advertisements. The hosts will typically introduce your brand at the onset of the episode or throughout the show. Depending on from which podcast platform the listener is listening, there may be ads you can buy prior to the episode playing.

Repetition is key. According to a survey conducted by podcasting advertising network Midroll, podcasts that run a company’s ads on five or more episodes produce 39% more recall than those with a spot in one episode.

Which brands have been successful with podcasting?

In some cases, a fully branded podcast is ideal. There are many examples of successful branded podcasts across industries, including:

• “Hackable?” (McAfee)
• “Rise and Grind” (ZipRecruiter)
• “Why We Eat What We Eat” (Blue Apron)
• “Rework” (Basecamp)

Companies that invest in podcasting take a key subject matter related to who they are as a brand and weave it into a sequence of stories in which their audiences are interested. However, these topics are not always related to the core products and services for which the company is known. For instance, the focus of Slack’s podcast has little to do with work communication. Instead, the podcast focuses on workplace successes and failures, goals and ambitions, and other career-oriented areas of discussion to which many listeners can relate. There is a specific, strategic reason behind why they created the podcast this way: to reach a broader target audience in a relatable way. Whether or not a listener is an active Slack user, they can attest to and be inspired by the stories told through this medium.

LinkedIn recently announced the launch of its own podcast network to magnify issues related to the workplace, such as hiring and job seeking tips, managing mental health, and innovative technologies. For example, LinkedIn co-founder and executive chair Reid Hoffman is the co-host “The Start-Up of You,” a podcast on personal entrepreneurship in today’s economy. LinkedIn made the executive decision to launch the network to help company leaders reach their target audiences – all while continuing to build the LinkedIn brand.

Whether your goal is to start a podcast network or a specific show, take time to plan your branded podcast before jumping straight into recording episode 1.

To learn more about how podcasts may fit into your strategic marketing plan, contact Brian Bennett at bbennett@stirstuff.com.

It goes without saying that in digital and social media marketing, data reigns supreme. So, it comes as no surprise that when Google announced it was going to begin phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome in the second half of 2024, there was a massive scramble to understand the implications of this and how marketers could overcome it.

While other web platforms have already started to limit the amount of browser data collected for advertising use, Google’s decision to follow suit has started to raise some red flags for companies — mainly due to its massive market share.

Before we get too deep, for everyone out there that doesn’t have a sweet tooth, let’s break down what cookies are used for. A cookie is a piece of data that is used each time a user visits a website. First-party cookies can store things like login credentials, website preferences, and items you may have previously added to a shopping card. Third-party cookies are what advertisers use to target campaigns; they’re more behavioral-type data.

So, what has caused this shift in limiting the collection of third-party data? In one word: privacy. With a slew of data privacy issues in recent years, people are more protective of their personal data than ever. In fact, 86% of Americans say data privacy is a growing concern for them, and 68% are apprehensive about the level of data being collected by businesses — even the brands they’re loyal to.

Party Time, Excellent

When it comes to online data, there are a few different parties you could be invited to:

First-party data – including transactions, social media interactions, and website traffic – is information companies receive directly from users based on their online behaviors. In other words, every site visit, social media engagement, or cart fill becomes a point of information that helps companies learn more about you. Companies are the sole owners of first-party data.

Second-party data is essentially first-party data sent to a company through a secondary source. A perfect example of this is PPC (pay-per-click) advertising on Google. Google technically owns this data, but they let advertisers use it for a price. For all the interactions people have with Google, second-party data is saved for marketers to use to advertise to their target audiences — specific groups of people for whom they might not have the data but know they want to target.

Third-party data is data acquired from outside sources. This is where things can get messy. These data sets are not always the most reliable and are openly available to competitors. People typically get spooked when they think they’re being served ads because their phone is “listening.”

Each of these three categories help companies target specific people, some more than others. But these data points are largely based on an individual’s online activity rather than finite, private information.

Here’s where things get even more exciting. There’s also a category called zero-party data. Zero-party data is any information a customer willfully and voluntarily gives a company — think responding to a poll, filling out a survey, filling out a contact form, signing up for an email newsletter… you get the picture. It may sound similar to first-party data, but the key difference is that zero-party data is not behavior-based; it’s information coming straight from customers.

What Does All This Have to Do with Cookies?

As Google and other platforms move away from third-party cookies, it will force advertisers to rely on data they can glean directly from current and potential customers. This means there will be no more campaigns tracking online behaviors, but rather targeting those who have intentionally shown interest in brands via websites and social channels or have provided specific information about themselves (name, email address, phone number, etc.).

Obviously, a prime argument from advertisers is that this will severely hinder their ability to target people based on lookalike audiences and tracked online behaviors. In fact, in 2022, programmatic digital advertising represented more than 90% of all digital display ad dollars. A counterargument, however, is that most companies don’t need to know which specific individuals buy their products; they just need to know that more people bought their product as a result of being exposed to ads.

Finding the New Sweet Spot

While “zero-party” doesn’t sound like something you’d want to be invited to, it’s becoming even more vital to the future of marketing. It’s forcing a shift from campaigns based on “intent” to those based on “action.” And while many agencies aren’t yet familiar with the term or concept, our team specializes in gathering and leveraging zero-party data for our clients and generating positive ROI.

This approach is what STIR has been recommending to our clients all along – a model with a proven track record that builds brand awareness and loyalty. Marketers need to serve their audiences better, attracting/drawing in prospects and customers to their sites by adding value through content. Essentially, you need to give them a good reason to engage and convert. This then becomes a very valuable and ownable piece of data that can be maintained, nurtured and mined. Ultimately, it can be used to develop closer relationships with customers.

It’s more important than ever to develop effective, compelling web content that drives traffic, engagement, and ultimately that good, wholesome data needed to strategically target your true audiences.

QR codes may once have seemed doomed to obsolescence. Although many marketers in the early 2010s saw in them an opportunity to bridge print and digital, a lack of appropriate technology and consumer resistance meant their effectiveness remained limited. Following an initial first flush of ubiquity in which no ad or product package went unadorned with scannable pixels, these limitations seemed destined to consign QR codes to the landfill of unrealized marketing innovations.

However, and with apologies to Samuel Clemens, reports of the death of the QR code have been greatly exaggerated. A combination of developing technology in concert with an increased enthusiasm for touchless interactions – driven in no small part by a certain global pandemic – has seen the QR code return from the brink to enjoy a second and more profitable act of marketing execution.

Here we’ll take a look at why QR codes never really took off as hoped, what changed to arrest this, and what new applications there could be for this unlikely comeback kid.

A technology in search of a use case

The Quick Response code is a scannable barcode invented by Japanese corporation Denso Wave in 1994. It was first used to track vehicle parts in the manufacturing process. QR codes are made up of a series of pixels that store encrypted data in a two-dimensional square grid. When a QR code is scanned by a camera, it leads users to digital properties such as websites, apps, personal accounts, payment information, and coupons. 

Although QR codes were quickly adopted and used in China and Japan for everything from payments to pet identification, they never took hold elsewhere despite enthusiastic attempts.

In fact, a 2015 TechCrunch article called QR codes “frustrating” and a “laughing-stock.” Brands plastering QR codes wherever they could and widely-shared examples of QR code tattoos led to the perception that they were a gimmick.

It didn’t help that scanning a code only informed users of the need to download a third-party app. After downloading an app with the appropriate QR code software, it would often struggle to capture the code. And even when successfully captured, it’d likely lead to a webpage that wasn’t even optimized for a mobile web browser.

QR codes were not easy for consumers to use. Knowledge about their true purpose was not widespread, so designers had to print instructions on their marketing pieces.

Adoption and effectiveness rates of QR codes were painfully low. Now this ugly thing was taking up space and not producing any ROI. They failed as a marketing tool in part because marketers didn’t give people a compelling reason to scan them. And in some cases, it was nigh impossible to do so.

But all technologies need a real use case in order to thrive. From a marketing perspective, QR codes were a technology in search of a use case.

Look, but don’t touch

In 2017, things changed. Phone manufacturers began incorporating QR code scanners into their cameras so users didn’t need to download a separate app. Improvements in mobile technology allowing scanned links to open more quickly also helped.

These improvements planted the seed that allowed the technology’s quick adoption in the pandemic when the need became clear.

Ah yes, the pandemic. As people started to re-emerge from lockdown – and much like spikes in the infection rates – QR codes began popping up everywhere. The early adopters were restaurants and bars, creating QR code menus easily accessed by patrons’ smartphones, as the virus prompted a shift to health and safety measures that demanded touchless interactions. People wanted to return to a semblance of their previous lives, but with as little contact as possible with everyday objects that could spread infection.

Where the hospitality industry led, others swiftly followed.

In May 2020, PayPal rolled out a QR code payment system in 28 markets worldwide. On the back of this, CVS Pharmacy became the first retailer in the United States to offer touch-free checkouts through the use of Venmo and PayPal QR codes in November that same year. ExxonMobil brought contactless QR-enabled payments to more than 11,500 of its gas stations across the nation. Concerts and events quickly embraced paperless ticketing, giving a level of convenience and speed to which users had now become accustomed. In short order, QR codes seemed to have returned with a vengeance, only now with a purpose.

Back for good?

Now, QR codes are providing added value for businesses by the day and are expected to become a vital piece of the customer journey. As collecting user data becomes more difficult due to stricter data privacy laws, QR codes help businesses follow a customer’s actions and ultimately access their needs.

Businesses can also use QR codes to interact with customers, making it easier for people to give feedback, follow the brand on social media, or join loyalty programs.

Meanwhile, for individuals navigating this new landscape of touchless interactions, QR codes will continue to be used for purposes of public health and safety, as well as the increasing expectation of easy access and convenience. 

Considering that many people watch TV while “second-screening” on a mobile device, marketers have an opportunity to entice viewers to scan a QR code that appears during a commercial break. 

Nowhere was this more evident than during Super Bowl LVI and the attention grabbed by Coinbase. Their full 60-second ad consisted almost entirely of a colorful bouncing QR code, redolent of the iconic bouncing DVD logo. When scanned, the code brought viewers to Coinbase’s promotional website, and traffic was so high following transmission that it caused the company’s site and app to crash.

Companies like Sky Media have been introducing QR codes to TV ads that allow users to respond directly to a campaign from the comfort of the couch. A company can promote an exclusive offer during ad breaks, have their engaged audience scan the code, and react immediately to the promotion.

Large retailers like Amazon have started experimenting with QR codes to track shipments and for payment in their physical stores. Opportunities are opening for retailers of all sizes, especially around demonstrating sustainability and environmental credentials.

Fashion label Another Tomorrow uses QR codes on labels to give consumers more information on an item’s sustainability. Provenance uses blockchain to make supply chains transparent, with QR codes for consumers to see evidence of what the brand claims. The 2021 Right to Repair EU law enforces consumer electronics manufacturers to add QR codes to products so users can learn more information, such as how loud it is.

Countless other uses have been adopted, from registering a new product purchase and accessing setup information, to museums using codes beneath exhibits to enhance visitor experience. Codes make going paperless that much simpler.

According to Juniper Research, the number of QR code coupons scanned will reach 5.3 billion by the end of 2022. QR code technology is leaning towards AR experiences, contactless payment systems, experiential marketing campaigns, hospitality, travel, and healthcare, among other key areas. 

Users are more and more appreciating the convenience, ease of payment opportunities, and no-touch hygiene benefits afforded by QR codes. And marketers are responding by making sure that the linked digital destinations provide relevant, mobile-centered experiences.

However, there are some factors that could derail this comeback story. Hackers have already been caught taping over QR codes with fake patterns that lead to extortionate malware. It’s fairly straightforward for someone to walk up to a parking meter and replace the legitimate QR code with one that diverts payments to them. 

While this type of fraud only applies to physical examples, it could tarnish the perception of the technology overall. So whether QR codes are going to become a fixture in the marketer’s arsenal or this recent upsurge is just another circumstantial spike remains to be seen. We all love a comeback though.

As a regional/local player, you have a material advantage over your larger, national competitors that can be pressed and aided by simple technologies. Regional insurance companies, particularly Farm Bureau Insurance Companies with in-state offices and agents, have a firsthand knowledge to cater to their clientele — especially those in rural areas — on a much more personalized basis. But whereas interpersonal relationships and referrals represented the lion share of sales and marketing efforts in the past, a new technique must be mastered for success in the future.

Today, online reviews likely have more to do with an agent’s success than any other factor. The contemporary customer shops far more extensively online, reacting to web and social advertising in real time. In doing so, the comments section on brands’ social media pages and review sites play a key role in their perceptions. Consumers and business owners alike read online reviews — the good, the bad, and the ugly — to determine which insurers are trustworthy, credible, and clearly have a history of exceptional customer service.

Consumers are willing to pay 22% more for a product or service if the company has a good online reputation. On the contrary, a whopping 94% of consumers admit to avoiding companies with negative online reviews.

Here are our top tips on how to best manage your insurance agency’s reputation online, specifically on the world’s biggest search engine and social network — Google My Business and Facebook.

Google My Business

Customers can leave reviews for various businesses directly on Google. Google My Business(GMB) is a 100% free tool that acts as a digital storefront. Any company can set up a Google My Business profile, which includes name, address, and phone number (NAP) data, hours of operation, directions, questions and answers, and the all-important reviews.

Agents need to be aware of the power of their GMB listing and, in tandem, should encourage their customers to leave a review after they have been served with a pleasant experience. We suggest developing a letter that can be sent with specific instructions. The more reviews there are — and the more positive they are — the company will be rewarded with higher organic SEO, which leads to more calls, quotes, and business.

We recommend monitoring your Google My Business page regularly to ensure the information is accurate, and any suggested edits are error-free.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are found via search engines like Google. When a search query (e.g., “business insurance near me”) matches a specific business, the user searching for the query will be shown that business’s information, and should they want to contact them directly, they can do so.

GMB Customer Review Guidelines

• Respond directly to reviews ASAP.
• Express gratitude for compliments and thoughtfully respond to anyone who had a poor experience.
• Let your customers know you care about them through thick and thin, no matter what they have to say.

Facebook

Facebook is a hub for brands to conduct business, promote their products, and interact with fans and customers. At the end of the day, social media at large is primarily used to display a brand’s (or insurance agent’s) persona and connectedness within the community — positioning them as a reliable resource.

Most corporate brands seemingly have this figured out. However, the local advantage is apparent when agents and agencies leverage Facebook pages have to act as extensions of companies’ websites, which includes the ability for customers to post reviews for all to see. If you’re an independent agent or work for a Farm Bureau insurance company, make sure all your posts adhere to the social media policy and avoid controversial topics.

Agents should not be afraid to suggest posts be shared with others or to request an online review. Happy customers and friends often want to help, but do not know how or what to do.

In order to secure Facebook reviews, you must have a dedicated Facebook Business Page for your insurance agency. Agents may also create their own pages to promote their specialized services, news updates, and other valuable content.

Simple Ways to Elicit Customer Reviews

Testimonials should always come from a genuine place. Asking your insurance customers for reviews should feel natural, never forced. A few effective ways to elicit honest reviews from customers include:

1. Casually bring it up in conversation.
2. Call customers on the phone.
3. Ask for one in response to praise.
4. Link to your Google reviews page from your website.
5. Request one after a successful claim is handled.
6. Send customers personalized emails. (Emails requesting reviews had an average open rate of nearly 70% in 2020.)
7. Include your Google review link in your email signature.

Recognize the positive

If someone posts a positive review about your insurance agency:

1. Greet and thank the reviewer by name for taking the time to share their kind words.
2. Acknowledge the joy and satisfaction your service provided.
3. Remind the reviewer that customers are your top focus.
4. Thank them again and wish them well.

Control the negative

If you receive a negative review about your insurance agency:

1. Begin with an apology and thank the reviewer for sharing their thoughts.
2. Acknowledge the results of the negative experience so the reviewer understands you are fully aware of what happened.
3. If appropriate, offer an explanation (not an excuse) for what happened.
4. Explain what you will do to address the problem and prevent it from reoccurring.
5. Thank the reviewer and apologize again.
6. Follow up with them in a few weeks to ensure the issue has been resolved.

Watch the virtual presentation: Managing Your Brand’s Online Reputation

If you would like help setting up your Google My Business profile or social networks, or simply want to chat about how to canvass reviews and manage your brand’s online image, email bbennett@stirstuff.com or give us a call at 414-278-0040.

Local and regional companies have more advantages against the national and global players than they often realize. And when it comes to the insurance industry, everyday consumers are inundated with humorous national advertising campaigns that often tout bundling cost savings and generalized expertise.

While these massively funded campaigns are certainly effective, they share a common flaw: they cannot focus on local, often rural markets. Many of these rural customers appreciate the benefits of local insurance providers who take the time to understand their specific, localized needs. Finding these customers and building loyalty traditionally occurred through word of mouth, legacy referrals – the shingles on Main Street. Today, there is another powerful tool that can and must be harnessed: internet search.

A robust local search strategy is a must for insurance agents who want to build strong, lasting customer relationships.

Virtually all shopping starts with an internet search

Search has forever fundamentally changed how people shop. Even if they intend to make several phone calls or visit several insurance agents, customers will source their information from the internet – and 90% of those journeys begin with Google. So, what happens if your agents don’t appear at the top of the search results, but your competitors’ do? Well… you won’t write that policy.

One way to ensure your company and agents receive top billing is through the accuracy of listings on Google My Business. Most insurance companies rely on their agents to file these listings themselves, but they are generally not closely monitored for accuracy. Aside from having no standard system for entering this information, agents periodically switch companies, move or close offices, enter incomplete listings… and on and on. When these changes happen, they almost never take down or correct their previous listing. As a result, these listings are rife with error. For example, one company whose listings we assessed had 23 different referenced versions of the brand name alone.

An assessment of your company’s listings will be an eye-opening exercise that will document your brand’s relative data health. To help, STIR can arrange a detailed assessment.

Click here to schedule your assessment.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental in the way we find what we are looking for while browsing the web. Essentially, the quality, age, and integrity of a website’s content – and its consistency with Google My Business and other aggregated listings will determine its rankings on Google, Bing, Safari, and other search engines.

What is NAP and why is its consistency important?

There is one component of search marketing that is crucial when people are on a quest for products and services right in their area. NAP — name, address, phone number — is the main contact information for businesses that appears in search results. If this information is not up to date or inconsistent, the search engines and aggregators cannot trust the information, and therefore, it will not be displayed. It then becomes challenging for customers and prospects to reach you or find your business, resulting in missed leads and lost trust.

Many mobile searchers will tap the click-to-call button or link when they want to speak directly with a company. Forrester Research found that click-to-call functionality boosts ROI (return on investment) by 143%. However, if the phone number listed in the NAP listing is incorrect, that potential customer may falsely assume you have closed your doors — definitely a lose-lose situation. You’ve lost a potential customer, and they’ve lost trust in you.

NAP consistency is important for local SEO, as the legitimacy of the information increases insurance agencies’ chances of ranking higher on SERPs (search engine results pages). It also delivers search engines and customers the most accurate information about your business in real time.

How does NAP relate to search engine ranking?

Say an insurance agent changes their address. Their website, which they check regularly, lists the new address. However, unbeknownst to them, their online business listings may feature their old address. Because of this inconsistent information across the web, search engines are unable to detect which address is correct.

Search engines have the unique capability to digitally verify the accuracy of a company’s name, address, and phone number by sending their bots to crawl billions of websites. The site crawlers will eventually spot these inconsistencies, which will lower page rankings. If the data matches, though, the insurance agent will reap higher search results. Those with the cleanest data receive the top listings.

Navigating the local search ecosystem

Local search is only a fraction of the digital marketing ecosystem. This diagram demonstrates the numerous connections between the internet business listing platforms and search engines. While this map is constantly being expanded, these business data providers rely on one another, so people get the results they seek.

The rise of local intent

“Near me” search queries have grown by over 200% in the past two years alone. What does this tell us? It is a human truth that people appreciate convenience. Local intent is a search trend that suggests people are interested in what’s nearby and they often include the phrase “near me” or their city names in their search queries. Today, 78% of consumers use the internet more than once a week to find information about local businesses, and 86% use Google Maps to find local businesses.

Check NAP data regularly

At the absolute minimum, it’s recommended to check your business’s NAP data on a quarterly basis. Updates should be made as soon as the insurance agent moves companies or office locations, gets a new phone number, or makes any other change to their business. Make these modifications a regular part of your business routine.

Top indicators of success

So, how exactly is local search success measured? Some key performance metrics include:

• An increase in Google Maps searches and views (as seen in the Google My Business dashboard)
• An overall improvement in organic traffic to your website (as seen via Google Analytics)
• Higher rankings for local keywords (i.e., service + location) on SERPs
• Less incorrect/outdated data · A larger inventory of agent listings with correct data across internet directories (e.g., Google My Business, Bing, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps)

When it comes to insurance, some customers are local loyalists. At the end of the day, these folks would rather work with an agent right in their neighborhood. Local agents can tailor their clients’ coverage, provide personalized advice, help their clients understand and navigate complex policies, and ensure adequate coverage in the event of a disaster. Local insurance agents are known to be responsive, accessible, and knowledgeable of the surrounding area. A strong local SEO presence can help an insurance agent build their brand and establish themselves as a reliable expert — even among the giants.

How we can help

Not sure where to start? Here’s where STIR can come in. First, if you have the time, perform a quick self-audit to see where your insurance agency listing appears in the search results. This can be evaluated in several ways:

• Does your company name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and other information appear in Google Maps listings?
• Are there any agents missing?
• Are any agents who have left the firm appearing?
• If agents have moved, is their old address or phone number on display?
• Are there any duplicate listings?

Once you have a better idea of your agency’s search presence and data accuracy, we can perform a thorough evaluation. We would be thrilled to help your insurance brand become discoverable. To learn about our local SEO and NAP services, feel free to contact Brian Bennett at bbennett@stirstuff.com.

Smart marketers will take brand safety to the next level in 2020, playing a more active role in protecting brands from damaging associations. Let’s review why this matters and four things you can do to keep your brand in safe harbor. 

Why should marketers care?

Programmatic impropriety is the unintended consequence of a new (and more efficient) way of getting your brand message out to the right market, called programmatic media buying. This media buying system automatically places your ads on websites your audience is likely visiting, according to algorithms. One extreme example of programmatic impropriety is when Mercedes-Benz got caught supporting terrorist websites, literally.

How did we get here?

The old(er) way

In the past, you placed an order for an ad directly with the company that owned the media or through a private marketplace. The things you did were direct: buy specific shows, dayparts, print ads, magazine spreads, web sites or trade publications. All were optimized to hit your target market though their entertainment affinities. 

New opportunities

Programmatic buying changed the paradigm to where you buy the audience and not the publication. This is done through private databases of your ideal customer attributes and/or demographic profile. Only then do you bid on the purchase to that “person.” This programmatic ad buy manifests itself in the form of pre-roll video, or a dynamic or static display ad.

What does the data say?

A recent Integral Ad Science (IAS) survey provided some striking results to support your need for brand stewardship online. Here are a few takeaways:

Placement is as important as relevancy

• 

• 

There is a huge and dangerous disparity between consumers’ perceptions and marketers’ perceptions about relevance, association and brand safety!

High content quality (brand safety) = High engagement (brand success)

How to address the issue

1. Blacklists don’t work

When the opportunity is in the billions of dollars, and a fake news website takes minutes to set up, there are going to be vigilant bad actors. While any quality programmatic buyer will utilize “hate” and “illegal” block lists to reduce damaging associations, they will never be perfect.

2020 pro tip: It might be a good idea to take all news websites off your buy, or go further and do a whitelist buy where you explicitly pick which sites your ads run on until after the election. 

2. Don’t use cheap programmatic services

As the programmatic industry is still maturing 20+ years in (compared to radio, it’s young), a natural market stratification has emerged: cheap, moderate and luxury. At a minimum, stay at or above moderate priced CPMs (~$20 for video and ~$10 for display). If your brand demands a higher standard, go luxury. This buy is more like the old days of private marketplaces or direct buys with large media conglomerates/stations. You know where and what you are getting into, but it takes a lot more work to execute and does not get your brand access to the entire programmatic buying inventory.  

2020 pro tip: Ad prices will go up. TV is estimated to go up 10% in the election season, and you can expect that level or something lower for programmatic.  

3. Flip your targeting strategy from demographic/behavioral to contextual keywords

Just as with a broadcast TV buy, contextual keyword targeting works in the same way. Your ad shows up when certain keywords that you programmed are used on specific Internet content. Instead of targeting the ideal customer profile(s), you target what that profile is interested in, or what aligns with a campaign or branding initiative for your brand.  

2020 pro tip: Add obvious election-related words to your negative keyword list. This is the list of words/content you don’t want seen in conjunction with your ad. 

4. Have a plan for when something goes wrong

Something always happens, and when it does, you need to be prepared. Make sure you have a checklist and sample responses for many possible scenarios. This must include a social media strategy, because social media platforms are usually where the pressure is applied and has the opportunity for the quickest and most open response. 

2020 pro tip: Understand how your organization speaks: partisan, non-partisan or neutral. 

Take care of your brand.

Is programmatic buying more efficient than having meetings with sales executives at news outlets and networks across town? Yes, but that does not mean that you stop minding the store.