99.6% Conversion, Teach Your Old Browser New Tricks by Brand Thunder

Image by brandthunder via Flickr

Marketing Sherpa gave an in-depth look at how the Ohio State University and Fathead used an interactive browser theme to engage OSU fans and offer them a special chance to win an OSU Fathead.

• 99.6% clicked when promo button was added to browser theme
• Active users of browser theme grew 52.7% month-over-month

Compelling data for using the browser to create a persistent communication channel with your audience.

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Posted in News | Tags: brand thunder, Browsers, ecommerce, fathead, internet marketing, Ohio State University, Social media | No Comments »

Avoiding Ad Blind Spots by Kevin Dwinnell

Marketers are perpetually trying to break through the clutter and gain the attention of their audience. Consumers, on the other hand, are getting more adept at tuning out the noise. If you’re in online marketing, you know they’re blind to it as well.

It’s creating that blindness we want to avoid. Visitors to your site learn where they can find the information they want. For site owners, it can be tempting to use some of the more valuable content locations for advertising to increase revenue. Any content real estate, however, reassigned an advertising role will quickly see the click through in that location drop. It also takes longer for that space to regain its value once that space returns to offering content. The consumer is quick to learn and slow to forget.

Consumers realize that the ads are a primary reason the content is available, so they’re accepting if its presented respectfully where value is being provided. Viacom is touting they’ve solved the riddle for online video ads. That’s also why the leaderboard banner at the top of many web pages has had such a long tenure. It’s accepted as “the ad I must see before I get to what I want” and the eye passes over this space on its way to the content.

Fortunately, it’s not a blind eye. These placements are guaranteed a certain level of awareness and therefore interaction because the payoff is moments away. Simply by knowing where the eye is going, and where the user is interacting with the page puts odds in your favor. It’s easy to see the fascination with heat maps as they detail specifically where your user’s eyes travel on the page.

Focus on the value your content creates, then integrate the ads in its vicinity. That’s the mix that will keep both your content and advertisements visible to your audience and best serve your business needs over the long term.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: advertising, Click-through rate, internet marketing, marketing, Online advertising | No Comments »

Start-ups and Entrepreneurs – Look Local to Grow Global by Kevin Dwinnell

My career experience is diverse, with a great deal of expertise in Internet marketing, commerce and product development. Branded browsers were a natural fit to my skill set. Nothing like joining a start up for the sudden exposure to the breadth of what is unknown or needs to be relearned.

Fortunately, the local community is flush with people who can help and there are organizations active in getting those people together. Through these connections the knowledge gaps have closed and the company’s reach has expanded. Columbus OH is a medium-sized city, so I’d be surprised if similar organizations don’t exist elsewhere. Here are the ones that have been most beneficial to me and to the company.

TechColumbus

An early supporter of Brand Thunder, TechColumbus has provided funding, leads, direction, guidance, media support, marketing support, lunch & learns, networking events, counsel and the list goes on. Find your local organization focused on launching and growing early-stage companies and join. There are a lot of benefits here.

Ohio TechAngels

Ohio TechAngels and TechColumbus. The two organizations remind me of a saying I heard while traveling overseas – “same, same but different.” The benefits are similar, but each organization is involved at different stages of the company’s evolution. Central Ohio is fortunate to have this asset.

Columbus State Community College – Small Business Development Centers

This CSCC program is a partnership between the college, the state’s development arm and the SBA. Not only did it offer free programs to solidify the business plan and our company foundation, it was the first to connect us to TechColumbus and which became our first source of funding. Find those free sources in your town.

TechLife Columbus

Hard to say if groups like TechLife exist everywhere. It started with a group of people that wanted to engage their community and connect the deep but dispersed tech community of central Ohio. The result has been an amazing birth of gatherings and events that are forging new relationships.

Meetup.com

Meetup.com is a great and free tool to either find groups near you or easily start your own. Explore it.

LinkedIn.com

Build your network and knowledge by joining some of LinkedIn’s groups. There’s more value here than just staying connected to your co-workers.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, Business plan, custom browser, internet marketing, LinkedIn, New product development, Small business, techcolumbus | No Comments »