It is important to choose the right type of interactive ad for your interactive advertising campaign because different ad types result in varied response rates.  Furthermore, ad type affects the way people view your business.  

Interactive advertising is highly effective because study after study has shown that people pay more attention to it than traditional static advertising.  The following are some of the most common types of ads used in interactive advertising.

Banners and badges: Banners and badges enable webmasters to present additional content on their websites.  They are very flexible because you can use so many different technologies to create them.  Banners and badges are effective for branding and for increasing direct response metrics.  HTML, plug-in, and Java are the three types of technologies used to create interactive ads.  Plug-in offers a rich visual experience, but users cannot view it unless they download a special browser plug-in.  Flash and Shockwave are examples of plug-ins.  HTML can be viewed with every browser.  Not every browser has Java installed but 99% of internet users have browsers that are capable of viewing it.

Floating ads: Floating ads move across a webpage.  Although floating ads offer great flexibility, you have to be careful not to let them float for too long because doing so can elicit a negative response from viewers.  There are several types of floating ads and they include DHTML flying ads, scrolling ads, DHTML cursors, and eyeblaster.  DHTML flying ads fly around a webpage and are very effective at getting people’s attention.  However, there is a risk for DHTML flying ads to elicit a negative response.  Using DHTML technology, scrolling ads follow users as they scroll down the page.  Only some pages and sites can utilize scrolling ads.

Eyeblaster uses a version of the DHTML flying ad to get users’ attention and entice them to click on either the flying ad itself or a badge.  DHTML cursors attach to the cursor and follow it around.  They are great for getting users’ attention, particularly when they are accompanied by a banner ad or badge.

Interstitial ads: Interstitial ads are played between two pages on a website.  They can either be played on the main browser window or a small new window.  Different interstitial ad types include pop-up windows, transitional ads, and unicast superstitials.  Unicast superstitials are the richest form of advertising available on the net.  They can play up to 20 seconds and are large in size.  Pop-up ads are launched into smaller browser windows while a page is in the process of loading.  Although pop-up ads are not as large and rich as other forms of interactive advertising, they tend to be accepted by more sites.  Transitional ads play in the main browser window in between two pages of a website.  You encounter a transitional ad anytime you click on a link and are taken to an advertising page that is not the page you requested to see.

In-stream ads: In-stream advertising, or streaming media, refers to audio and video content that is downloaded to the user’s computer while they view it.  In-stream ads have a high response rate because they use audio and video to create an advertising experience that’s rich and entertaining.

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  Interactive advertising makes a deep impression on viewers because it exhibits dynamic motion and encourages the participation of viewers.  The above types of interactive advertising are the most commonly used in the business because they are highly effective.  Each type of advertising requires the use of special tools and techniques.

In order to determine which type of interactive ad you will use in your campaign, it’s essential to make a decision based on the amount of attention you’d like to attract, what authoring tools you have available, and the amount of risk you’re willing to take.  Some types of interactive advertising attract more negative feedback than others, so you have to be careful when you choose between different types of interactive advertising.  The type of advertising you utilize will determine how viewers perceive your business, for better or for worse.

Twitter lists can be organized based on your interests and other factors.  For example, if you have several relatives on Twitter, you can organize them into a list labeled, “family.”  If you are interested in social media and follow many users who tweet about social media, you can create a list labeled “social media” just for them that you can refer to anytime you want to read updates about the social media world.  You can also create Twitter lists for your co-workers, friends, etc.

Lists can be made public, meaning that you are essentially recommending the people you follow in your lists to your followers.  For example, you could create a list of influential Twitter users to encourage your followers to follow that list.  In addition, if you create a list of people to follow within a specific niche, your followers who are involved in that niche may want to follow that list as well. Likewise, you can check out the lists of the people you follow and choose to follow their lists, discovering new Twitter users in the process.

Anytime you follow a new list, you are following the entire list, yet the tweets of those you aren’t following in that list do not appear in your main stream of tweets.  This is convenient since you may not want everyone’s tweets in your main stream but would still like to check up on what they’re up to occasionally.
You can also create private lists if you’d like.  Private lists can only be seen by you.  Making your lists private can be beneficial if you want to monitor your competitors on Twitter without anyone knowing about it, or you would rather not offend the people that don’t make your lists.

Twitter shows you how many public lists you are on and who created them.  This enables you to discover new users who keep up with what you have to say on Twitter.  If you find yourself on a list that you’d rather not be on, such as a list titled, “Assholes,” then you can simply block the creator of the list and you will be taken off of it.  Keep in mind that if you block someone, they will no longer be able to follow your tweets.  If you have a change of heart later, however, you can always unblock them.

You can also use Twitter lists to determine if a Twitter user is worth following.  For example, if someone starts following your tweets, you can check to see what kinds of lists they are on to determine if your interests match and if it would be worthwhile to follow them.  Twitter lists are also useful for determining what kinds of tweets your followers expect from you.  For instance, if most of the lists you are on are related to photography, then you’ll probably want to focus most of your tweets on photography.  Focusing on your topic of expertise will help you carve a spot in your niche and build your authority on Twitter.

A new feature that Twitter just rolled out for Twitter lists is descriptions.  Now you can add a description to each list you create to help other users determine exactly what it is about.  Before, you could only add a title to each list and since some people’s list titles are very vague, it was difficult to know what their lists were about by just looking at the title.  Now when you are browsing different lists that you might want to follow, you can read the descriptions to get a better idea of what they are about and if they would be worth following.

To find more lists to follow, check out TweetMeme Lists and Listorious, which are both third-party sites.  On TweetMeme, you can find out which lists are most tweeted about.  On Listorious, you can search a directory of Twitter lists or browse through list categories to find popular lists.

Ultimately, being on Twitter lists helps to build your reputation and strength as a Twitter user.  People are more likely to respect you if you are on many lists.  Furthermore, people will look to you as an authority in your niche if you are on several relevant lists.  If you aren’t on many Twitter lists yet, don’t fret.  As long as you consistently deliver quality tweets and add value to the conversation, an increasing number of people are bound to add you to their lists.

Consider the example of Burger King who created a Facebook application called Whopper Sacrifice. The basic idea behind this application was that you get a free whopper if you sacrifice ten Facebook friends. The campaign quickly went viral and was adopted by 20,000 users before Facebook shut it down citing privacy concerns. But Burger King used a very innovative idea, with enough humor and chutzpah to engage with their target audience in a different way providing enough incentive to even walk into a Burger King joint. This is a brilliant example of how powerful social media can be, it is not merely about using blogs or fan pages as mouthpieces for the public relations department, but social media can powerfully connect with the audience.

Another great example of a company leveraging the social media advantage is IBM. Most companies have a CEO that blogs, and that is just one blog. But increase the number of touch points by letting each employee blog, and you have multiple ways to connect and to bring a strong brand and showcases the commitment of the company to employees and vice versa. IBM encourages the employees to blog about the products and what happens behind the scenes, this provides a human touch that is impossible to resist.

In India, Kingfisher Airlines is one of the most prominent faces in the Social Media landscape. Kingfisher is on twitter and it is the first airline to have a formal presence on Twitter. The company hopes to use Twitter as a platform to actively participate in conversations with stakeholders.

Sunsilk also had launched a successful online marketing campaign called Sunsilk Gang of Girls. It was started to promote the Miss India pageant, but later grew into a social community platform where 20 something girls of India network, blog, chat and participate in discussions. Sunsilk has managed to actively connect with their target audience.

The social media in India is relatively sparsely populated, Indian brands and marketers are yet to fully step into it or have effective strategies in place to engage with the community. A focus on social engagement need with a strategy that effectively addresses why? how? and where? instead of merely being a me-too in the social media world, is what will set a business apart.

Companies like Ford generates a lot of online and offline buzz using social media with specific focus on Twitter. GM has active corporate blogs.

Indian companies can learn from these successful social media strategies and get into the flow of things. Social media marketing is the future. No smart company can afford to ignore that.

If you’re already using interactive advertising instead of traditional banner advertising, you’re ahead of the game.  Interactive ads have a greater impact than traditional banner ads, as well as a higher click through rate (CTR).  While traditional banner ads typically consist of text, graphics, and sometimes basic animations, interactive ads use fancy animations, HTML-enhanced banners, audio, video, and other interactive elements, such as games.

Interactive ads are judged based on first impressions.  However, not only should your interactive advertising grab attention, it should also translate that attention into business somehow.  You have to achieve good ROI through converting viewers into customers.

Fortunately, unlike traditional online advertising, interactive advertising enables you to create ad awareness immediately.  People notice interactive ads more than they do traditional ads.  In fact, online interactive advertising is as effective as TV advertising.

As long as you make a consistent investment in interactive advertising, you can turn views of your ads into purchases.  Simply tracking CTR will not give you insight into how effective your ads are when it comes to converting prospects into buyers.  You can track which ads people were exposed to before making a purchase to determine which type of interactive advertising is most effective.

Interactive advertising can also be very effective if you make it go viral.  For example, if you run a very catchy interactive advertising campaign, viewers can keep passing it on to their friends and family by inputting their email addresses.  People will keep passing the ad on if it’s interesting enough, which will help you develop a viral ad campaign.  In order to create an ad that is likely to go viral, make sure that you put as much information in the banner as possible.  You have to let consumers know what the video, product or game is about rather than just showing them an elusive tag line that they won’t understand.  Keep it simple and make sure that everyone will understand what the ad is about.  If they start to feel bored because they don’t understand what your ad is about, they will only end up tuning it out.  In order to capture your viewers’ attention, use video and other interactive elements besides flash.  Most consumers are bored with flash because they see it so frequently.

Some unique types of interactive ads you can use include pre-roll ads as well as interactive and expandable units.  Pre-roll ads are videos that play for 15 to 30 seconds.  They play prior to a video that a user has chosen to watch.  The user cannot fast forward through the video so your ad will be seen no matter what.
Interactive and expandable units are online ad mediums that enable users to mouse over specific areas to view different features.  Rather than just passively viewing an ad, interactive and expandable units allow users to see, feel, and hear your ad.  Interactive and expandable units demand users’ full attention and interaction so they are very effective.

Some elements you can include in your interactive advertising to increase ROI include human faces and buttons.  Try to include at least one human face in your interactive ads.  For some reason, people react to human faces and are more likely to click on them.  Buttons are also useful because people are more likely to click on them.  Some designers may avoid using buttons because they find that they have less aesthetic appeal, but the truth is that they are very effective, and that’s all that matters. Some less-than-savvy internet users may not realize that they are supposed to click on the image of the ad and a button can thus help them interact more easily.

When you use animation in the introductions of your interactive ads, keep the sequences short.  According to studies, after around 14 to 15 seconds have passed, people are less likely to click.  To avoid making people tune out and abandon your ad, keep the animation in the beginning short and sweet.

So, there you have it.  Interactive advertising should be a part of every company’s budget because of the high ROI it can generate.  To achieve an impressive increase in conversions and maximize the impact of your interactive ads, it’s essential to team up with a company that’s experienced in interactive advertising.  An interactive advertising firm can share best practices of interactive advertising with you, measure the results of your efforts, and help you design a truly effective campaign in a minimal amount of time.

1. Social media websites are a great place to find customers

There have been a number of success stories about small businesses who have used social media websites to find new customers.  However, it really depends on what kind of product or service you offer and who your target market is when it comes to successfully finding customers via social media.  For example, if you own a carpet cleaning service, you might have a hard time using Twitter and Facebook to find new clients.  On the other hand, if most of your clients are twenty-somethings, who make up the bulk of those using social networking sites, then you may have some luck finding new clients.  However, keep in mind that traditional marketing tactics do not fly on social media sites.  Overtly promoting your business is a big no-no in the social media world and doing so could lead you to become a social media outcast.

2. Social media marketing is free

Although signing up for social media websites will not cost you any money for the most part, social media marketing certainly does require an investment… of time.  Social media marketing is a very cost-effective method to promote your business online, but it doesn’t come free.  Even seasoned social media marketers have to devote a lot of time to day-to-day promotional activities.  If you’ve never used social media websites before, you’ll a lot of time just learning the ropes and testing out different social media marketing methods.  So, if you think that social media marketing will be a breeze, think twice.

3. All you need to succeed in social media is great content

There’s a whole lot more that goes into promoting content via social media than having great content.  The content has to target the right audience and you have to know how to promote it well for it to get the attention it deserves.  Unfortunately, a lot of great content goes unnoticed online, simply due to a lack of marketing skills on the authors’ parts.

4. The more friends and followers, the better

Social media marketing is about quality, not quantity.  Who cares if you have 30,000 followers if 29,800 of them could care less about what you have to say?  Social media is about building community and you can’t build a community around people who don’t pay attention to you.  Strive to build rapport with each and every friend or follower, even if it takes you a while to build up your community.  Your efforts will pay off.

5. Social media is for teenagers

Although there’s plenty a pimply teenager browsing Facebook and MySpace, social networking isn’t just for young people.  You can find many different crowds using social media, and the number of forty-somethings and fifty-somethings using social media is steadily increasing.  One social network where you’ll find only adults for the most part is LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals.

6. You have to be on all the big social networking sites

You don’t have to be on all the big social networking sites in order to succeed in social media marketing.  In fact, if you were active on all the big sites, you’d be spreading yourself too thin. To achieve social media marketing success, your best bet would be to select a couple of your favorite social networking sites where you can find a large target audience/community, and then focus your energy on those sites.

7. There are no rules to social media marketing

Many people who are new to social media marketing mistakenly believe that there are no rules in the social media world.  Although it is easier to type something than say it to someone’s face, the rules of social etiquette still stand online.  In fact, there are many invisible rules that you ought to follow to avoid stepping on other users’ toes.  You cannot say and do whatever you want in social media.  You have to be responsible for your actions and before jumping into a social media community, you should learn what specific rules of etiquette stand in that particular community.  For example, on Twitter, you could easily get yourself ignored or even banned if all of your tweets are promotional and you send direct messages to people to try to promote your business.  You must build a strong reputation and community before you can overtly promote yourself.  And even once you have established a community, promotion should be kept to a minimum.  Let your actions speak for themselves.

Super Bowl viewership is on the decline due to cable and online options, but many advertisers still fork out the cash required for Super Bowl ads. No company until Pepsi has been bold enough to move away from Super Bowl advertising completely in order to pursue new media advertising. And Pepsi has always been one of the biggest Super Bowl advertisers, spending $142 million on Super Bowl ads over the last ten years. Furthermore, their Super Bowl commercials are some of the most iconic that have ever been made. So, what caused Pepsi to make this drastic move?

For one, a social media marketing campaign will keep Pepsi in the spotlight for far longer than a Super Bowl ad. Super Bowl television ads only last 30 seconds or so, while social media marketing campaigns last for months or even years. Moreover, television’s role in advertising is lessening, so Pepsi is choosing to take the new media route in order to increase brand awareness and exposure. Television advertising is less effective than it once was. In this age of DVRs, people can skip over commercials when they watch their favorite television shows.

On January 13, 2010, The Pepsi Refresh Project is set to launch. Pepsi will be taking submissions from people for ideas that could refresh their communities and make the world a better place. Voting on the submissions will commence on February 1, 2010. The projects that get the most votes will be funded by Pepsi, which expects to spend upwards of $20 million funding these projects.

The aim of The Pepsi Refresh Project is to put Pepsi at the forefront of people’s minds. During the campaign, Pepsi will clearly get a lot of visibility and increase brand awareness. Their hope is that in the aftermath of the voting process, when the projects are funded and put into action, Pepsi will continue to get lots of attention.

Nonetheless, trading Super Bowl ads for a large social media marketing campaign is a gamble. Will the results of the campaign make the trade off worthwhile? Will people drink more Pepsi, or will they just applaud Pepsi for their charitable efforts?

The Pepsi Refresh Project has the potential to be very successful, but Pepsi has to execute the campaign properly if they want to achieve the desired results. Pepsi will be able to generate buzz and increase brand awareness dramatically with this campaign while helping communities around the world if they manage to do things right. Nevertheless, as company after company has shown, social media isn’t easy to do right. It takes careful planning and execution in order to launch and run a successful social media marketing campaign. Hiring various new media marketing consultants who are well versed in social media will undoubtedly be imperative to The Pepsi Refresh Project’s success.

Many large brands, including Pepsi itself, have failed in launching social media campaigns, so hopefully, Pepsi will examine all of these cases carefully and learn from their mistakes as well as those that others have made. Some big brands are so unfamiliar with social media turf that they commit every faux pas in the book while executing their campaigns. Pepsi is the parent company of AMP, which launched a distasteful and politically incorrect iPhone app called “AMP UP Before You Score,” which was purportedly designed to help men score women. The launch of the app made waves in the social media world, leading to the creation of the #pepsifail hashtag on Twitter. Only time will tell if The Pepsi Refresh Project will lead to another #pepsifail or if it will prove to change the world while building a positive and wide-reaching brand image for Pepsi.

Some disadvantages of outsourcing search engine optimization tasks to a company on the other side of the world include time zone issues and knowledge gaps.  If you’re working with a company from a country that speaks English as a second language, they may not grasp the nuances of the language and thus may be unable to do keyword selection, SEO copywriting, and tag and title optimization effectively.  For example, it’s likely that an Indian SEO professional would select a different set of keywords than an SEO professional in the US because English is his second language and he doesn’t understand the finer points of the language.

Although you can work around time differences, for the most part, it can become a hassle unless you maintain a steady level of communication at all times.  After all, when it’s Friday morning in the US, the weekend is already coming to a start in India and other countries on the other side of the world.

None of this information is meant to scare you away from outsourcing to a search engine optimization company in India or another foreign country.  After all, there are also many benefits to doing so.

Several developing countries, including India, have strong and secure internet infrastructures.  Furthermore, Indians are known to have a strong work ethic and possess a high level of professional knowledge.

One of the most appealing aspects of outsourcing search engine optimization to India is that you can do so for a third of the in-house cost or even less in some cases.  And just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s of low quality.  Companies in India and other developing countries can afford to charge less simply because the cost of living is much lower there.

Tips for Outsourcing Search Engine Optimization Abroad

To ensure that you have a positive experience outsourcing search engine optimization to a company abroad, there are a few factors you ought to keep in mind.  First of all, make sure to outsource to a company that has a high-profile presence on the web.  A company with a lot of visibility has a brand to protect and will thus be accountable for its actions.  A well-known company, no matter where in the world it is located, will strive to provide a superior level of service to prevent from tarnishing its reputation.

Avoid companies that you or nobody else you know has ever heard of.  If an SEO company doesn’t have a strong presence online, be wary.  To ensure that you hire a company with accountability, choose one with a prominent website.  A simple search on Google can help you determine a company’s reputation and the reach of its presence.

For search engine optimization tasks that require good English language skills such as keyword selection and SEO copywriting, work with a search engine optimization company abroad that outsources such tasks to native speakers.  A page of content written by someone whose first language is not English and a page of content written by a native speaker are very different because a native speaker understands the nuances of the language and can write fluidly and naturally.

Although this is not to say that a non-native speaker is not capable of writing well in English, it is more likely that you’ll be satisfied with the writing of a native speaker, simply because he has an understanding of the finer points of the language, not to mention grammar, syntax, etc.

For search engine optimization tasks that don’t require top-notch English skills, such as link-building, outsourcing can be very beneficial.  Many search engine optimization firms abroad have adopted global standards, and thus offer high quality link building services.  Best of all, when you outsource link-building tasks to a firm abroad, you can receive the same level of service for a fraction of the cost.

Still feel uncertain about the decision to outsource search engine optimization?  Find out if the search engine optimization companies you’re interested in can provide references.  Speaking to current and previous clients of the company will shed a light on how trustworthy the company is and if their services are worth the investment.  Although some SEO firms in the US and Europe may badmouth SEO companies in India and other developing countries, it’s mostly because they are afraid of competition.  Wouldn’t you be worried too if someone offered the same services as your company for a fraction of the cost?  Do keep in mind, however, that not all SEO companies abroad offer the same level of service.  It’s important to select a company based on many factors, not just cost.  Remember… if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

During the holidays, sales increase because there are more consumers in the market.  Since more people search online to buy products, PPC sales and advertising costs increase.  Don’t make the mistake of planning your PPC campaign at the very last minute.  Your best bet would be to have your PPC campaign ready in advance so you don’t miss out on all the additional revenue you can generate.  Prepare early by having keyword bids and budgets set so you can be ready for the holiday traffic.  And don’t forget to monitor your accounts on a daily basis so you can make changes as necessary.  Here are 7 essential tips that will help you rev your PPC campaign up for the holiday season.

1.View sales and cost to sales reports from the last holiday season to determine when you need to spend more and when you need to spend less on your PPC campaign.  It may be a good idea to ramp up spending during the early weeks of the holiday season, when people aren’t buying yet but are in the early phase of the consideration cycle.  Doing a smart analysis ahead of time will help you fish when there are a lot of fish biting and avoid fishing too much when there aren’t.

2.Run keyword reports from the last holiday season to determine which keywords converted well.  Those same keywords will most likely convert well this holiday season too.  Bid higher on those same keywords early on in the holiday season in order to take advantage of all the extra traffic.

3.Run PPC campaign promotions early in the holiday season.  Due to the economic downturn, many people are spending a lot of time looking for the best deals before making a purchase decision.  As such, they are browsing online stores for gifts earlier in the holiday season than usual.  Make sure that they can find your website and the holiday bargains you are offering by running your promotions early.  Promotions you can advertise include free shipping, discounts, and a gift with purchase.  You can start running these promotions as early as October, or at the latest, November.

4.Create a landing page specifically targeted to holiday shoppers.  Don’t make the mistake of leading those who click on your holiday PPC ad to your home page or another generic page on your site.  If you advertised a special holiday promotion in your PPC ad, you need to lead prospects to a landing page that specifically advertises this promotion.  People will click away if you take them to a completely irrelevant page on your website that doesn’t mention anything about the holiday promotion you were advertising.

5.Create a holiday gift finder.  Although many of your customers will be searching for highly specific product keywords because they know exactly what they want to buy, others may not have any idea what they are going to purchase and may need help making a decision.  Provide your customers with a holiday gift finder on your site to help them make decisions about what kinds of gifts to buy based on gender, age, demographic, interests, etc.

6.If there were any campaigns you paused during the summer months because they weren’t performing well, reactive them during the holiday season.  There are so many shoppers during the holiday season, so it’s very likely that you’ll get a high ROI for those ads.

7.Get ready for Cyber Monday.  Make sure your bids are set higher on this day than any other day of the holiday season and have any promotions ready before this day.  It’s essential to take advantage of all the traffic that Cyber Monday brings if you want to maximize your holiday revenue.  The best holiday deals and sales are typically found online on Cyber Monday, so if you don’t already have a promotion in the works, make sure to create one.  A promotion, such as free shipping or a good discount, can drive up your order average significantly.

It can also be beneficial for you to bid on generic holiday terms during your holiday PPC campaign.  Terms such as “gifts under $50” and “gifts for him” can work out very well as long as you direct the people who click on your ads to specific pages that target products in those categories.

Holiday PPC campaigns are very exciting and rewarding to run, as long as you are ready for all of the extra traffic and prepare for it well ahead of time.  With some planning, you’ll be ready to generate a significant amount of revenue this holiday season.

In interactive advertising, an array of colors, messages, and images are used to promote your brand or product.  As their name suggests, interactive ads have an interactive element, whether it’s audio, animation, or video.  Traditional ads are far more limited in scope because they lack an interactive element.  Interactive advertising connects consumers with brands, spreads brand awareness, and converts prospects into customers.

In order to build a successful interactive advertising campaign, you need to find an interactive advertising agency that can help you create online interactive ads, place them in front of the right audience, and convert prospects into customers by appealing to them in the ads.  Interactive advertising is one of the fastest growing sectors in the international economy, and although many companies claim to offer interactive advertising services, not all of them are created equal.

It’s important to find an interactive advertising company that can help you create advertising that reflects the products, values, and overall philosophy of your business.  Your advertising campaign must be in capable hands if you want to navigate the world of new media with confidence and creativity.  Due to the fact that interactive advertising is growing at such an exponential rate, not only the big companies are using it.  Even small businesses are leveraging interactive advertising, which is powerful enough to put a small business strides ahead of its competitors.

Interview different interactive advertising companies to determine exactly what services they offer.  Furthermore, find out who their previous clients were and if possible, get references.  You want to be certain that interactive advertising companies have a good reputation and plenty of experience successfully building similar campaigns.

It’s advisable to work with an interactive advertising company that is highly flexible and gives you plenty of options for building interactive ads.  The ad company should provide you with access to a creative services team that can build your ad or an ad creation tool that enables you to build ads on your own.

In addition to helping you design the interactive ads you have always envisioned, an interactive advertising company can make it easier for you to track and review your entire campaign.    This will prevent your company from having to devote internal resources to time-consuming and laborious tasks.

Make sure that any interactive advertising package you purchase comes with a customized, easily accessible analytics program.  A campaign manager will help to ensure that your campaign achieves maximum results by analyzing key metrics and determining which aspects of your campaign need to be tweaked or enhanced.  An interactive advertising agency’s campaign manager can build the analytics program you use around the goals of your campaign, whether they may be increased sales, increased visibility, or branding.

Online interactive advertising can serve as an alternative to offline advertising or be used in combination with it.  Interactive advertising is cost-effective and action-inspiring, so it is a very popular advertising method.  Advertisers can reach a very large audience at a relatively low cost with interactive advertising.

The online marketplace is constantly changing, so it’s essential to find an experienced interactive advertising agency that is up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field.  A reputable interactive advertising agency can help your company use technology to its advantage so that sales go through the roof, risks are minimized, and a greater ROI is achieved.

One of the biggest perks of interactive advertising is that it is measurable and quantifiable.  As such, many companies trust interactive advertising agencies as business partners.  Furthermore, they are able to justify their investments in advertising as well as meet accountability demands.

Ultimately, the most important thing to consider when hiring an interactive advertising agency to spearhead your campaign is whether it is capable of helping your vision come through in the ads.  Your online presence and advertising are strong reputations of your brand, so you want to be sure that they look and feel just as you had envisioned.  Although the ideas are mostly client-generated, interactive agencies possess the extensive design experience and skills necessary to make your visions and ideas a reality.

1. Targeting new languages based on analytics data

If your analytics data reveal that many people in Spanish-speaking countries are purchasing your products, you may think it makes the most sense to create a website in Spanish to target them.  However, if so many Spanish-speakers are already purchasing products from your site, it means that they are searching for your products in English because that’s how they expect to find them.  By creating a Spanish website, you will be targeting the same demographic that is already purchasing your products rather than expanding your customer base.  Instead, you can do some paid search targeting to increase the propensity for Spanish speakers to buy your products.  And by doing some keyword research, you can figure out who else in the world is interested in buying the kinds of products you offer.  Creating localized websites to target people interested in your products who are currently not buying from you will help you generate more sales.  However, you have to look beyond your analytics program to determine where your potential customers are located.

2. A lack of research

It’s essential to understand cultural differences and do market research to determine which products would be the best to target in a particular market.  However, few search marketers and companies truly have enough time to conduct thorough research about their target markets around the world.  For global export to truly have power, it’s essential to work with an international search engine optimization company that can provide you with the tools and resources necessary to understand how your potential international customers think and behave online.

3. Creating content without taking localization or translation into consideration

Many companies invest a significant amount of money to create great website content in English, without considering how they will translate or localize the content while ensuring that it’s optimized for the search engines.  It can be very expensive to hire an SEO copywriter to create fresh content in each language.  A better approach would be to create great content in English that is absent of regional humor and cultural references so it won’t be hard for someone to translate.  Ideally, a combination of localized or translated content and fresh content that focuses on local subjects that appeal specifically to the target market would be used.

4. Translating keywords word for word

One of the biggest mistakes made by marketers who are new to international search engine optimization is using the literal translations of keywords.  Keywords cannot be translated.  A company must hire a native speaker of the target language to conduct keyword research and determine which keywords are searched for most frequently in the target language.  Using keywords in the target language that are based on the keywords used in English will get you nowhere.

5. Not working with a native speaker of the language

If you are targeting a foreign language in your search engine optimization campaign, you need to work with a search marketing professional who is a native speaker of that language.  Only someone who is a native speaker will possess the intuitive understanding necessary to build a successful search engine optimization strategy.   Just because one of your employees studied some Japanese in high school doesn’t mean that he is equipped to understand the nuances of the language and the way that your potential Japanese customers think and behave online.

6. Not using a local domain

Local domains, such as .co.uk, .co.jp, and .us, are the best for SEO because they give the search engines geographical information about your site.  Users also prefer local domains because they seem more relevant.  In addition, websites that link to websites in your local area are more likely to link to sites with a local domain.  You will be able to accumulate a substantial amount of local links if your site has a local domain.

7. Hiring an international search marketing company that subcontracts translators

If a company claims to work with dozens of languages, do a background check.  Find out how many people they employ to ensure that they are not making false claims, and they truly have sufficient staff to target the number of languages that they claim to provide.  Avoid companies that subcontract translators.  You should work with an international search marketing company that has search marketing professionals who specialize in each of the target languages.  Fluency in the foreign language alone is not sufficient in order to understand the needs of an international search engine optimization campaign.