News You Can Use

Daily Android App Routines

• Posted: May 18, 2015

Verto Analytics, Inc. provides insights into the daily Android app routines of consumers and considers the impact of these app routines on the industry.

Verto Analytics has found that:

-Mobile apps now account for more than 85 percent of time spent on mobile devices.

-Overall, Android app usage peaks on Friday, and then usage drops by 10 percent the rest of the weekend. Apps are more of a weekday activity.

-Among Android users, social networking apps capture a smaller audience on weekends than weekdays.

-Android entertainment apps, book apps, and reference apps run counter to this trend-they actually peak on the weekends.

-Finance app usage peaks on Friday mornings.

-Sports apps peak on Friday at midday.

-Android photo, video, and lifestyle app usage remains fairly stable throughout the week.

Marketers using Android apps in their campaigns should consider Verto Analytic’s findings.

 

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Takeaways from the 2015 NewFronts

• Posted: May 18, 2015

Howard Blumenstein, writing for Think With Google, provides major takeaways from the 2015 NewFronts season.

He discusses the rapid growth of online video and the impact this growth has had on digital media buying and planning decisions for the upcoming year. As advertisers allocate more of their budgets to online video, decisions on where and how to invest become increasingly critical.

As a result of the 2015 NewFronts, Blumenstein raises the following points:

-Online video is now an essential element of media plans.

-Videos viewed on mobile screens have high viewership.

-Online video content also encourages a strong connection between viewers and brands.

-Results from online video campaigns can be quickly proven via brand and engagement metrics.

-Video viewability on YouTube is extremely high.

Online video’s rapid growth and extensive audience are major points to consider when allocating media dollars.

 

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For more on this topic, check out the Media Tab in Morning Coffee.

 

 

 

Media Buyers Can Fight Ad Fraud

• Posted: May 18, 2015

Timur Yarnall, writing for comScore, discusses how media buyers can help to fight ad fraud.

Ad fraud, transparency, and NHT (non-human traffic) have become critical issues for both media buyers and sellers.

Media buyers can push for transparency and high-quality inventory.  Yarnall points out three main reasons media buyers should take an active role on these issues:

-To protect client relationships. Media buyers need to show verified results in order to justify their recommended and executed digital campaigns. CMOs and CFO must be able to trust the results of these campaigns.

-To protect the budgets allocated to digital. Campaign metrics must be considered valid in order justify continued spending on digital media.

-To protect the quality and transparency of the media buying industry

Failing to address the issues of viewability, NHT, and ad fraud will negatively impact the digital ecosystem.

 

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For more on this topic, check out the Media Tab in Morning Coffee.

 

 

 

Growing an E-Commerce Business

• Posted: May 18, 2015

Catalin Zorzini, writing for MarketingProfs, provides seven tips for growing an e-commerce business:

-Focus on conversion optimization rather than simply increasing traffic.

-Grow the email list.

-Write a blog. Blogs boost search rankings, provide advice to current and prospective customers, and provide a forum to share company news.

-Reach targets via social media.

-Redesign your online store to optimize the customer experience.

-Provide high-quality images to enhance the e-commerce site and social media marketing.

-Ensure a high level of customer service.

Following these tips will positively impact the sales from your e-commerce business.

 

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Local Businesses Can Succeed By Providing Strong Content and Paying for Promotions and Ads

• Posted: May 11, 2015

Will Scott, writing for Search Engine Land, provides content marketing tips to local businesses to help them stand out from online competitors:

-Focus on what customers want to know-this includes answering real questions and providing product information critical to the purchase decision, as well as communicating the latest news and entertainment.

-Get that knowledge to the people-which can include posting content on a corporate or business blog

-Pay-to-play-in order to obtain the reach that a small business needs, Scott recommends that these companies may need to pay for promoted posts and ads.

Scott concludes that by providing quality content and promoting the content through targeted organic and paid venues, small businesses can effectively compete for customers.

For more on this topic, check out the Tech Tab in Morning Coffee.

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TV is a Major Driver of Social Activity

• Posted: May 11, 2015

Yuyu Chen, writing for ClickZ, discusses a study by ShareThis, “Social TV Research Study.”

TV drives 11 percent of online sharing. On average 16 percent of viewers share ideas, opinions and content about the shows they watch. In terms of the types of programs and platforms with greater sharing:

-Reality programs create the most buzz.

-Streaming services, like Netflix, draw 2.1 times more social engagement than broadcast programs.

-Twitter is especially active during live broadcast time, followed by Facebook and Reddit.

This study also reveals that social activity helps drive TV viewership. Users who click on shared TV-related content are 2.4 times more likely to become viewers.

Social data provides vital insights into audience behaviors, and can increase viewership by current audiences and discovery by new viewers.

For more on this topic, check out the Advertising Tab in Morning Coffee.

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Brand Engagement on Digital Platforms

• Posted: May 11, 2015

Mark Bonchek and Cara France, writing in “The Harvard Business Review,” provide “A Cheat Sheet for Marketers on the Future of Digital Platforms.”

Marketers need to understand the future of consumer engagement on digital platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, SnapChat, and Instagram.  Bonchek and France discuss the seven Ps of these platforms:

1. People-digital and social platforms empower customers, employees, and citizens by removing friction in the flow of information and communication.
2. Participate-platforms are two-sided networks that encourage the creation of communities of users and participants.
3. Personalize-platforms will help filter the information being received and provide experiences that are more personalized, relevant, and meaningful.
4. Product-platforms are becoming more integrated into products and services. There will be a convergence of digital platforms and connected devices, which will impact the relationship between products and platforms.
5. Process-companies are adopting platforms that will impact business processes and organizational management.
6. Pay-there will be greater integration of e-commerce and social networks on digital platforms.
7. Partner-companies will need to improve their partnership and collaboration efforts to create opportunities for brands to form alliances.

The authors believe that companies can achieve increased brand engagement by involving and empowering customers.

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Building an App With Strong Download and Retention Potential

• Posted: May 11, 2015

Verto Analytics, Inc. examines what makes an app “sticky.”

The key driver to encourage a consumer to download a new app is word of mouth. However, in addition to getting a consumer to try an app, it is important to ensure the continued use and long-term retention of that app.

Verto Analytics makes the following observations:

-Android users downloaded more apps than iOS users in Q1 2015. Social networking apps were very popular among Android users while iOS users downloaded more health and fitness, productivity, weather, and medical apps. Both users downloaded highly interactive apps, such as games and kid-friendly apps more than any other apps.

-Android users deleted almost 89% of downloaded apps while Apple users deleted more than 82% of their downloaded apps.

-Despite the popularity of game app downloads, they were also the apps that had the highest de-installation rate.

-iOS users had a lower ratio of de-installations than Android users.

-App users updated social networking and lifestyle apps more often than any other app.

-Medical apps had a 40 percent retention rate, which is higher than all other app categories.  In contrast, weather and game apps had the lowest retention rate.

Verto observes that most apps have a short shelf life and that the above trends should be kept in mind when developing an app to increase its trial and retention.

 
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Pew Research Center’s State of the News Media 2015 Report

• Posted: May 11, 2015

Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project updates its annual report examining American journalism. The 2015 edition includes 13 fact sheets on various segments of the industry from cable TV to print sources, ethnic media as well as digital news.

This report tracks the expanding and diversifying news industry. Mobile, desktop, social, and podcast news habits are evolving rapidly; however, traditional sources of news continue to be viewed and read.

Key audience trends include:

-Network news viewership has increased by 5% in the evening and 2% in the morning.

-Average evening broadcast local tv news viewership has increased by 3%.

-Prime-time cable median viewership has decreased by 8%.

-Daily and Sunday newspaper circulation has decreased by 3%.

-39 out of 50 news sites get more traffic from mobile devices than from desktop computers.

(Pew sourced the above data from Nielsen Media Research, the Alliance for Audited Media, and comScore Media Metrix.)

The increased use of digital news sources adds to the multiplicity of choices for consumer. Pew will continue to track the impact on viewership.

 

For more on this topic, check out the Media Tab in Morning Coffee.

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Tips to Increase Engagement With Facebook Image Posts

• Posted: May 4, 2015

Angie Pascale, writing for ClickZ, discusses the power of images to increase brand engagement with consumers on social platforms.

Pascale states that photos receives 53 percent more likes on Facebook than the average post, and 84 percent more link clicks.

She suggests the following tips when creating and posting images on Facebook:

-Share the images of real people, preferably customers or influencers

-Focus on faces

-Use lifestyle imagery

-Write brief copy

-Encourage short responses to simple questions

-Create image galleries

-Capitalize on the nostalgia effect

Keeping the above points in mind when posting images on Facebook will increase consumer engagement with brands and products.

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