Statistics & Trends News

Facebook scores online PR victory over Google

2010-03-16 00:00:00

Facebook surpassed Google as the most visited website among US internet users for the first time in the week ending March 13th, according to the latest data from Hitwise.

The social network, which is seen as a potentially serious threat to Google's dominance of online marketing services, also reached the top spot on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and over the weekend of March 6th to 7th.

In the seven days to March 13th, Facebook's market share of visits was 185 per cent higher year-on-year. Over the same period, Google's share of visits increased by nine per cent.

Taken together, the two sites accounted for 14 per cent of all visits to websites by US internet users during the week.

News site All Facebook recently reported that the site plans to challenge Google in the pay per click marketing arena by tagging ads with "interests and likes" rather than keywords.

Brian Boland, the social network's manager of direct response solutions, said the move will allow marketers to target potential customers through their online social activity, rather than relying on measuring their "intent" from search engine queries.

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Call to extend ASA oversight of online marketing services

2010-03-10 00:00:00

The UK's Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) could be granted new powers to regulate marketing messages that appear on company websites and "non-paid for space" on the internet such as social networks under a new proposal from the Advertising Association.

It has put its recommendation to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which draws up the non-broadcasting Advertising Code administered by the ASA.

The association said paid marketing communications online, such as search engine marketing and pay per click ads - are already covered by the CAP code.

"Contrary to general understanding, much advertising online is already in remit and there's a very high level of compliance with the existing rules," said Advertising Association chief operating officer Rae Burdon.

Extending industry self-regulation to areas like business websites and social media will "increase protection for consumers and children".

The ASA is the independent watchdog for advertising, including television commercials, print and press ads, posters and sponsored search.

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Spending on internet marketing service 'to top print in 2010'

2010-03-09 00:00:00

Spending on internet-based marketing is set to overtake budgets for print ads for the first time ever in 2010, a new report has shown.

A survey of more than 1,000 US marketing professionals by publishing research specialist Outsell found that investment in digital strategies such as search engine marketing and webinars is expected to top $119.6 billion (£79.8 billion) this year, compared to $111.5 billion for magazine and newspaper campaigns.

Furthermore, marketers rated their own website as the best tool for generating business-to-business return on investment, ahead of conferences, exhibitions and email marketing.

Another 51 per cent of respondents said they found Facebook an extremely or somewhat useful tool for online marketing.

Outsell vice-president and lead analyst Chuck Richard believes the results show a "widening of options" for companies looking to boost their profile as they emerge from recession.

"Advertisers are directing dollars towards the channels which generate the most qualified leads and most effective branding," he said.

Overall digital marketing budgets are set to increase by 17 per cent in 2010, according to recent research by Econsultancy and ExactTarget.

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TV budgets 'driving online marketing services'

2010-03-05 00:00:00

Media buyers are channelling more of their TV advertising budgets towards online video in an attempt to increase brand awareness, according to a new study.

The report from ad network Web TV Enterprise found that 40 per cent of television buyers use video campaigns, with 31 per cent saying they had used these internet marketing services more than ten times in the past year.

Just 19 per cent of those surveyed said click through rates are very important to the success of online video ads, indicating that they are viewed more as a tool for driving brand awareness.

Some 63 per cent of media buyers said they will increase their budget for online video by up to 50 per cent this year, while a further 13 per cent intend to raise spending by more than half.

Web TV Enterprise managing director Jamie Estrin said web-based video currently accounts for around three per cent of UK TV ad spending.
"While online video is still in its infancy, the market is starting to mature," he commented.

Recent research by ITV and the Direct Marketing Association showed using TV and online advertising in tandem can boost audience response rates by around 175 per cent.

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Twitter, Facebook get online PR boost with triple-digit growth for mobile access

2010-03-04 00:00:00

Visits to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook via mobile internet browsers showed triple-digit growth during January, according to new figures from comScore.

In news that may be of interest to users of online marketing services, the report said users of devices such as smartphones made 4.7 million visits to Twitter during the month, up 347 per cent year-on-year.

Facebook attracted 25.1 million mobile users in January, an increase of 112 per cent on the corresponding period of 2009.

Overall, comScore said 11.1 per cent of mobile phone owners accessed a social networking site via their device's internet browser during the month, up 4.6 per cent over the past 12 months.

The findings come after a survey by the Marketing Executives Networking Group revealed that 70 per cent of marketers are planning new initiatives targeted at social media channels in 2010.

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Search engine marketing industry 'must cooperate to protect data'

2010-03-01 00:00:00

Gathering information about an online audience can be immensely valuable in targeting ad campaigns at the most relevant groups, but who owns the data that is collected?

According to the Yahoo! Advertising Blog, this issue was discussed at the recent Ecosystem 2.0 conference organised by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

In a session moderated by Association of National Advertisers president and chief executive Bob Liodice, industry professionals heard that the dilemma for publishers is while sharing information with advertising platforms can weaken the customer bond, it also creates a "better environment" for their content to flourish.

Therefore, publishers, advertisers and providers of website marketing services need to work together to address issues of trust - within the industry and with consumers - to ensure data protected and uses in "agreed upon, mutually beneficial ways".

Ramsey McGrory, Yahoo! vice-president of US partnerships, told the session: "The power of advertising is good. Let's not lose sight of the benefits of bringing marketers into the conversation."

The IAB represents firms that collectively sell 86 per cent of US online advertising.

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Internet marketing on local newspaper sites 'most trusted'

2010-02-26 00:00:00

Local newspaper websites and the adverts they host are considered the most trusted online content among North American internet users, according to a new poll.

The survey by comScore for the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) found that targeting internet marketing services at these portals can provide a significant boost to brand perception, as 36 per cent of respondents consider ads on local newspaper's sites to be trustworthy, compared to 23 per cent for ads on local television sites.

Overall, 78 per cent said they rely on ads from local newspaper websites because they are more likely to be current.

In terms of site content, newspaper portals were rated as the most trustworthy sources for local news, sport and entertainment.

NAA president and chief executive John Sturm said: "This important research provides further evidence of newspapers' successful multiplatform transition, with the medium serving as a continuous local resource for consumers."

Established in 1992, the NAA represents around 2,000 publications in the US and Canada.

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What does mobile mean for search engine marketing?

2010-02-24 00:00:00

The spread of smartphones has made mobile marketing a viable option for brands but now it is here, what should companies do with it?

In a column for Search Engine Watch, Parks Blackwell said for many, the impact of mobile on internet marketing services remains unclear because they still do not know if consumers will interact with it in the same way as they do with the web.

Search volumes are still relatively low and there is no exact way to measure its effect on revenue, she added.

Nevertheless, Ms Blackwell said there could be "massive benefits" for early adopters, as engines are looking for feedback and therefore more likely to act on their suggestions.

Furthermore, they will be ahead of the competition because they "understand the space" and can drive their brand forward as a leader in the field.

"Take advantage of the opportunities while they still exist and leave the major overarching analysis for a later date," she commented.

Google's pay per click marketing service AdWords recently unveiled a new feature that allows marketers to specifically target their ads at users of mobile devices with internet browsers.

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TV and online marketing services 'moving closer together'

2010-02-22 00:00:00

Companies are increasingly looking to harness the power of TV and online advertising in order to raise customer response rates, an expert has claimed.

Eva Berg-Winters, senior manager and new media specialist at professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, said as the two mediums move closer together, TV and internet marketing services could soon become "hard to distinguish".

Her comments come after research from ITV and the Direct Marketing Association found that using TV and online advertising in tandem boosts customer response rates by 175 per cent.

Elsewhere, a study by Thinkbox illustrated a rise in "two-screen viewing" in the UK, with 54 per cent of those with broadband connections saying they watch TV while surfing the internet every day.

Commenting on the Thinkbox figures, Amelia Toole of VCCP, the agency behind comparethemarket.com's meerkats ads, said: "The best campaigns seamlessly weave on and offline together while making the most of the participation potential of individual channels."

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Facebook 'provides value online PR boost'

2010-02-19 00:00:00

Companies that use Facebook's fan page feature can receive a significant boost to sales, word-of-mouth marketing and customer loyalty, according to a new academic study.

Utpal Dholakia, an associate professor of management at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, Texas, conducted the research with Emily Durham, an alumna of the institute and founder of consultancy Restaurant Connections.

They studied the effect of launching a Facebook profile on Dessert Gallery (DG), a Houston-based cafe chain.

After three months, visits to DG outlets by its Facebook fans increased by 36 per cent and their spending in the stores had risen by 33 per cent.

Furthermore, customer loyalty climbed 41 per cent, while "emotional attachment" to the DG brand was 14 per cent higher.

Mr Dholakia said the study suggests Facebook fan pages are an effective and low-cost addition to online marketing services.

However, as only five per cent of DG's estimated 13,000 customers became Facebook fans during the research period, they remain a niche tool.

"Social-media marketing must be employed judiciously with other types of marketing programs," he commented.

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