Halfbacks and Hashtags: Why the super bowl and social media fit perfectly
This Sunday, as more than 100 million people turn on their TVs to watch the Super Bowl, they’ll be bombarded with multimillion dollar advertisements that are being powered by social media. The social media and digital advertising revolution of the Super Bowl started in 2012, when 25 percent of ads mentioned a hashtag or social media account. In 2013, the number more than doubled, with over half of all national ads mentioning a hashtag or social media account. This year, businesses aren’t waiting until game day to put their social media operations into high gear. Big brands that are spending […]
Local SEO: the strategy missing from the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry relies on moment of interest connections from vacationers searching locally for where to stay and what to do. New research shows that 97 percent or more of consumers search online before making a local purchase, making local SEO a critical component of any business’s marketing strategy. The article below was originally published on TRO Smith. —– The overwhelming majority of travelers look to online searches before making a decision. Therefore, it’s important for marketers to consider local search, especially for hospitality websites that focus on moment of interest connections. Local search has been, and will continue to be, an important resource for […]
Social Media takes center stage after the State of the Union
This year the White House is diving into social media after its State of the Union address. Taking a page from Andrew Jackson, it is hosting a virtual “Big Block of Cheese Day” in what it described as a “nod to history.” President Jackson, back in 1837, opened the doors to the White House for people who normally wouldn’t have access to the ears of the president to cut off a piece of cheese from a giant block and ask questions from cabinet members and White House staff. President Obama is not literally opening the doors to the White House, […]
Marketing to Millennials: Using Social Media to Turn Customers into Brand Ambassadors
With purchasing power of approximately $170 billion per year, it’s important for brands to actively target millennials. New research shows millennials, a generation totaling about 1.5 billion people worldwide and about 75 million in the U.S., will be outspending every other generation, including baby-boomers, within the next five years. Businesses are already falling behind on what is sure to be their biggest target demographic going forward. According to a survey of 121 business leaders in the retail world, approximately half of retailers are unaware of the buying power of millennials, 60 percent aren’t conducting any research on millennials and more […]
The World’s Legendary Outfitter: Geared Up for Digital Marketing Success
Cabela’s, with its 50+ years of history, is now the world’s foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear. The world’s legendary outfitter started from humble beginnings, when Dick Cabela started selling fishing flies through the mail. Customers are known to spend hours inside of its stores to check out everything from the indoor fishing ponds, to museum-quality displays of taxidermied wildlife and full archery ranges. Cabela’s success can be seen through its massive following of devoted customers. The company produces nearly 100 different catalogs per year, including everything from specialty selections to massive books twice a year. Internationally known […]
Local Search: The Essential Consumer-acquisition Strategy
Consumers are turning to mobile more than ever in order to find local businesses—including grocery stores. 64% use online search engines and directories before visiting a store, making local SEO more important than ever The article below, which features ZOG Digital’s senior vice president of client services and local SEO expert, Thomas Stern, was originally published in Progressive Grocer. —— New research shows that 97 percent or more of consumers search online before making a local purchase. Therefore, it’s important for marketers to consider local search, especially for grocers that rely almost exclusively on local consumers. Local search has been, and will continue to be, […]
The 4 imperative digital marketing lessons learned by retailers this holiday shopping season
A new survey from Baynote is offering insights into how consumers interacted with, and were impacted by, digital marketing, search results and retail websites over the shopping weekend ending with Cyber Monday. 97 percent or more of shoppers search online before making a local purchase, according to BIAKelsey. Because of that, being able to influence consumers digitally can be a big advantage in the retail market. 1. Be Found Using Local SEO One of the most enlightening section of Baynote’s 4th Annual Holiday Shopper Survey is how shoppers used their mobile devices to both research and purchase items. • Thirty-four percent […]
Feeding Hummingbird with Social Media
Google’s Hummingbird update is forcing marketers to reassess their SEO and social media optimization strategies, and adjust based on the updated algorithm. Google says Hummingbird’s goal is to promote quality content and organically shared content. One of the best ways for businesses to allow for their content to be shared is through the strategic use of social media. Hummingbird is also Google’s official transition into semantic search, meaning a switch to trying to determine what someone is looking for, instead of only using the keywords typed into the search bar. In essence, Google is trying to determine a user’s intent. […]
Humanizing Digital Marketing
How Data is Becoming More Intelligent and Useful in Digital Marketing Strategies Digital marketing has become increasingly centered on quality content, social engagement and providing users with the information they seek in a relevant and timely way. The data and tools used by marketers to accomplish these tasks are being revolutionized in order to make digital marketing more authentic and relevant for users. Google’s Knowledge Graph and deep learning aims to more intelligently identify what users are searching for and provide them with increasingly relevant search results. Engineers are working to evolve the search engine and teach it semantic meanings […]
ZOG Digital Webinar: Search Marketing Innovations to Watch in 2014
ZOG Digital will be hosting a webinar on the search marketing trends to watch in 2014 on Wednesday, January 22 at 1 p.m. EST. The webinar will feature Shar VanBoskirk, vice president and principal analyst from Forrester Research, Inc. The “Search Marketing Innovations to Watch in 2014” webinar will outline industry best practices and methods for marketers to prioritize budgets and resources for the year. “The changing search marketing landscape provides opportunities for brands to distinguish themselves and reach audiences in new and innovative ways,” said Thomas Stern, senior vice president of client services at ZOG Digital. “We aim to […]