Social media sites and mobile advertising appear to be affecting consumer purchase decisions at an increasing rate as the holidays near. A study conducted by Deloitte from Sept. 24 through Oct. 2 on 10,878 consumers found that 17 percent planned to use social media sites to shop for gifts during the next several weeks, according to the research firm.
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Don't Let the CPM Die: Fix It
from AdWeek
Chances are, you didn't even notice that leaderboard at the top of your favorite news site. What about the three ads on that other page where you spent 5 seconds looking at a friend's photo? How many of those do you recall? As others have argued, perhaps impressions should not be based on page views, but on time viewed. Measuring, pricing and selling impressions with a guaranteed duration of view would be better for users and deliver real value for brands. More
Four Keys to Twitter, Facebook Success
from Practical eCommerce
The debate over whether Twitter and Facebook are fads or sustainable businesses has yet to be resolved. Their popularity is indisputable but whether Twitter, in particular, can avoid erosion of its user base, let alone continue its impressive growth, has been questioned. But for the ecommerce merchant, the Twitter/Facebook debate detracts from the central question: "Whether they're fads or not, can they help my business?" More
The Secret to Brand Social Popularity: Discounts
from BrandWeek
Brands are busily trying to figure out how to build their followings on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The secret to success may lie in the most old school of marketing techniques: give people a deal. More
Four Steps to Attract Names that Convert
from Marketing Sherpa
Contests are often used as a "quick fix" to grow an email list. But with a little more planning, you can design a campaign that offers more than a one-time lift, and targets quality names for your database. Read how an ecommerce marketer established a monthly contest targeting customers with a popular product offer. The campaign has more than doubled the size of their email list in eight months -- and the new names are providing better response than those from the existing database. More
How to Get Started on Landing Page Optimization
from Search Engine Watch
A landing page testing program has to be established before becoming an ongoing or periodic activity in the online marketing department. The success of the first test is critical for establishing the long-term momentum for subsequent tests. This article looks at some strategies you could pursue as you get started. More
Online Ads are Booming When Attached to a Video
from The New York Times
CNN.com and ESPN.com are featuring video much more prominently on their home pages, often prompting visitors to press play before they begin to read. Even The Wall Street Journal has moved its video player front and center with a twice-a-day live newscast on WSJ.com. A major reason is commercial. At a time when other categories of advertising dollars are shrinking, video ads are booming. News sites are adding more video inventory to keep pace with the demands of advertisers, and benefiting from the higher cost-per-thousands, or CPMs, that ads on those videos command. More
How Online Retail Is Growing
from SBTV.com
This winter holiday season is already shaping up as different for the nation's retail business owners with special promotions and marketing begun earlier than ever before. Overall retail holiday sales are expected to be flat to slightly down this year as consumers struggle with the recession, but U.S. online holiday retail sales are projected to rise 8 percent to $44.7 billion, according to new numbers from Forrester Research. Overall retail sales are expected to show no gain from a year ago, but U.S. online retail sales will reach $44.7 billion this Christmas, an 8 percent gain over 2008. That compares to the 5 percent increase in online holiday retail sales a year ago. More
Social media sites and mobile advertising appear to be affecting consumer purchase decisions at an increasing rate as the holidays near. A study conducted by Deloitte from Sept. 24 through Oct. 2 on 10,878 consumers found that 17 percent planned to use social media sites to shop for gifts during the next several weeks, according to the research firm.
More
