Week 13 Part A: Online Advertising - Analysis of the Marketplace

Part 1: Analyzing Facebook and Instagram Ads

FACEBOOK

I opened up my personal Facebook page to check out the ads for this assignment. There was one post from a Facebook friend, then one ad. Thereafter it was 3 posts to 1 ad.  I took screenshots of the first 6 ads. Not surprisingly, most ads were either advertisements for apps or businesses having to do with social media marketing, considering that I had just been reading our assignments on my computer. 

Having about one ad per 3 posts itself is annoying. The ads themselves are targeted to my life so I can get distracted clicking on them at times, which then makes me annoyed with myself! The following are the first 6 ads that showed up in my feed.

Kelley Blue Book

My son totaled his car last moth. As I await the insurance payment, I've been researching used cars as a possible replacement. The car he totaled was a Mazda 3. Face book sent me this ad. When I click on this ad (a static photo) I get sent to a web page where the article compares the Mazda CX-30 to the Subaru Crosstrek. The call to action is to "Learn More." KBB had a nice comparison of two of the cars I was already considering for my son.

 

 

 

American Marketing Association

The AMA, not to be confused with the American Medical Association, entices me to take my career to the next level and to join the #1 marketing community . The call to action is to "Learn More." The video (no sound) leads me to the pricing chart where, as a student, I can join for $2.42 per month. I honestly would not have clicked on this ad if not for this class but I'm glad I did. $29 per year is something I could swing, well at least until I have to start making car payments on my son's car! As could be expected from a marketing association, there were consistent colors, nice logo and top level branding. The ad had 3.7 views but no comments and only 10 likes. 

 

 

Mike Sherrard / Social Agent Academy

A bright yellow background with bold black text simply states THIS IS AN AD. TO SHOW AGENTS HOW TO RUN ADS. ...IT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION DIDN'T IT?  The "Learn More" button takes you to The Social Agent Academy web site. I can get FREE training now. (Call to action) The free training (you just have to cough up your email address) promises 6 keys to generating hot leads and closing more deals without prospecting. It took me a bit to realize this program targets real estate agents which I am not. Facebook's algorithm got it wrong this time. Because I know not much in life is free, this ad was annoying.

 

 

 

Susie Moore / getrockstarpr.com

My phone must be listening to my conversations again because I was talking to my husband about trying to get published in some periodicals, not because it pays well but because it's great publicity! This is one of the old-fashioned traditional marketing methods that I feel could be very beneficial to him in his consulting business. It's creepy how your phone spies on you but I may just check into this course for him. This ad is a woman in a pink dress laughing, superimposed on the ad: How I got featured in Business Insider, CNN, Oprah, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, etc. The "Learn More" button takes me to her website inviting me to the free workshop. After that there are many many testimonials. I wonder what interface all these people are using for their free training masterclasses (and to mine your email address.) 

 

Woofy

helloWoofy is a Social Media Managing program like Hootsuite. The ad is a video (no sound) that gives a short demo on their product. For only $49 for a year, wow! What a deal! Great ad. It sucked me right in. It's much cheaper than Hootsuite. I would have to do a side-by-side comparison to see if it's worth it but after I complete all me work, I think I'll check into it. I'd say this ad targeted me, square in the bullseye.

 

 

 

 

 

eCornell

Do I speak the language of digital marketing? SEO. SEM. Social. Content. Analytics. I think I do! But hey, I can have the prestigious name of Cornell attached to my credentials by getting a certificate from Cornell University. The CTA is "Apply Now." Clicking on that button takes you to the eCornell website. A red button prompts you to "Get Started Now." OK, I'm curious. Form after form with no information. Forget it. I'm not THAT interested. eCornell needs to change their interface. Give a bit more information before handing over your first born child.

 

INSTAGRAM

I don't use Instagram as much as Facebook. I don't know if that is why I saw an ad about every 8-10 posts vs Facebook at about every 3 posts. I was targeted with some of the same people/companies as Facebook, but some were different too. 

Same: several car companies, Susie Moore, Mike Sherrard

Different: True Bill, Fiverr, Calm, Redecorgame, Vikingcruises

Notably, most of the Instagram ads had videos. Most of the ads I had no interest in. Viking Cruises? Nope, sorry. Here are a few screenshots. 

Mossy Nissan

Yes, I did visit their website and now Instagram is re-targeting me. CTA is to visit their website, where it lists their Memorial Day specials.. The ad is a video of a Nissan Sentra.

Calm

The app would put me to sleep. I'm not sure why they targeted me. Annoying. CTA is to download their app. When pressing on the button, it sends you to the Apple app store. This ad is a video as well.

Truebill

I have not been looking into this kind of product but it's intriguing. I can't get my son's x-box subscription canceled to save my soul. perhaps this app can do it. So this is not annoying at all. I just worry about security. What kind of information do I need to give them to access all of my accounts? The ad is a video. The CTA is to "Use App." It brings you to the Apple app store to download their app.

Ronnie Nijmeh

PLR.me Interesting concept. They write the material and sell it to anyone who can then rebrand it. Lazy writer's way out? I've been seeing this guys ads non-stop for months.  I have done a number of internet searches on how to market a coach so I know why I was targeted. I have to admire this business. I bet they sell a ton of content. Their call to action is to sign up on their website. They invite you to create a free account download 10 free brandable coaching resources.

Viking Cruises

Nothing about a cruise sounds good to me, especially right now. Their CTA is to Learn more. Beautiful ad though, and not annoying or intrusive.

 

kayla_itsines

How does Instagram know I need to workout more and lose weight. On top of that this is a low impact class.  Perfectly targeted, enough to make me feel guilty and self-conscious. The CTA is to sign up.

 

 

 

Part 2: Traditional Advertising vs Social Media Advertising

 

Which is a more effective form of advertising, traditional advertising or social media advertising? The answer is; it depends. The key to deciding where to spend your advertising dollars lies in defining your advertising goals and your target market.

Traditional advertising is defined as all typed of advertising done before the internet age. It encompasses all print advertising such as newspapers, magazines, mailers, door-to-door flyers, signage such as billboards, promotional merchandise such as  t-shirts, caps, key chains, posters, bumper stickers, pens, mugs, toys or mouse pads, and over-the-air advertising such as TV and radio.

 

Digital advertising includes everything you see online — email advertising,  online advertising, search engines, social media, video streaming services, websites and even in-game advertising. One of the first forms of internet advertising was the static intrusive banner ad. It debuted in 1994. Things have evolved since then. Google knows your every move. If you talk about how you had a red VW Bug in your youth, your next ad is for a VW Bug.

Almost across the board, traditional forms of advertisement are losing their audience. Traditional TV viewership has fallen every year since 2012.  Newspapers have all but disappeared in print and have moved online. TV news channels also have a growing presence on the internet.  Magazines and radio have also been hit hard with decreasing revenue. A few notable exceptions are billboards and signage which have seen an increase in revenue. However, there is still value in some traditional advertising if it makes sense for your target market and type of business. A great example is advertising targeting the elderly, who are more likely to not be online and more likely to watch TV. There is a reason that every other ad on TV is for pharmaceuticals. 

Digital advertising has so many advantages. Here are some of the Pros:

 

Engagement: Through social media venues you can get direct feedback on what your audience thinks of your brand and marketing efforts. You can have two-way conversation with your potential customers. Your current customers can provide chatter to increase brand awareness.

 

Measurable: Most social media platforms have detailed analytics to let you know how well you're doing in reaching your target market. If your organic or paid content has had good engagement by being clicked on, shared, liked and commented on, you know you’re on the right track.

 

Targetable: You can focus your efforts on what is most effective and profitable. You can target specific ages, genders, demographics, and interests.

 

Cost effective: Social Media has the lowest cost per thousand impressions as compared with all forms of traditional advertising.

 

As the consumer shifts its attention to the online world so must advertising. If you want to cast a wide net and catch a few lucrative fish, TV and radio can make a lot of sense. If you want to finely hone your message to target a specific target, you will get more bang for your buck on social media.