Just over 69 per cent of the public are reported to trust advertising to ‘some extent’ or ‘to a great extent’ devised from new research conducted by ComRes according to brandrepublic.com.
The figures suggested that although 65 per cent trusted advertising, some 56 per cent said that they trusted the ad industry itself.
With many large brands and government agencies turning to advertising strategies such as Internet marketing campaigns, it comes as no surprise that two-thirds of respondents believed that the advertising industry was vital to information campaigns, such as the recent drink driving campaigns as an example.
Previous Advertising Association surveys have revealed that there was a decline in trust towards the advertising industry over a 20-year period, with favourability dropping in 2009 to a low of just 29 per cent.
This year’s survey, commissioned by leading think tank agency, Credos, will be repeated year-on-year with the support of the Advertising Agency.
Karen Fraser, director of Credos, said: “It is encouraging to see that so many people recognise the social and economic value of advertising. It has a vital role to play in supporting social causes, helps other industries compete efficiently, and is a major employer in its own right.
“That said, there is more that the industry could do to build a more positive reputation among the public. Our research shows that favourability and trust come with understanding – this presents a clear opportunity for the industry to be more open and transparent about the rigour and self-regulation of its work.”
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Recent survey statistics released have shown that 82 per cent of smartphone users notice online advertising campaigns via their handsets, showing the effectiveness of the relationship between internet marketing campaigns and mobile phones.
The survey entitled The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users, was conducted by Google and Ipsos OTX, an independent market research firm which spoke to 5,013 US adults who used a smartphone according to adwords.blogspot.com.
Respondents stated that they used their smartphones as an extension of their desktops and use other media at the same time.
Other statistics showed that 93 per cent of smartphone owners used their handsets at home while 72 per cent used their smartphones while consuming other media, such as the TV.
Search engine websites were the most visited with 77 per cent of users turning to search engines first; which could indicate the importance of search engine optimisation for businesses.
24 per cent of users also recommended a business or product to others after conducted a search on their handsets, with nine out of ten smartphone searches resulting in action, which would also suggest the importance of PPC marketing campaigns and correctly assigning landing pages to collaborate with the search engine ads.
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Retailers hoping to exploit the growing mobile sector by increasing their internet marketing services for the platform must work to improve the functionality and user-friendliness of their sites, it has been stated.
This advice comes following a report from Tealeaf, reported by Econsultancy, which revealed that while ten million people in the UK had attempted to conduct some form of mobile transaction last year, 83 per cent experienced difficulties doing so.
Common problems included receiving error messages, along with trouble logging in and credit card transactions not going through.
Negative experiences when using a mobile site or app could result in reduced sales for the company, as the report found two-thirds of people would be less likely to buy from a business online or in-store if they had encountered problems when using their mobile services.
Firms looking at mobile online marketing services may also like to consider the benefits of implementing location-based strategies, as it was recently stated by Carol Krol of Direct Marketing News that this could be a "game-changing" development.
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Companies can control their reputation on the internet through online PR strategies such as the formulation of branded social channels.
This is according to John Lynch, who said in an article for Search Engine Watch that firms need to monitor results pages to ensure negative content does not appear.
An effective way to control what appears when a potential customer looks for a brand online is to set up social media accounts.
"Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are great channels to get the ball rolling," he commented.
Mr Lynch noted that of the total organic search traffic a website receives, up to 70 per cent can be attributed to brand enquiries.
However, he suggested that this can be the most frequently "neglected aspect" of a search engine optimisation strategy.
This comes after a study by Citi analyst Mark Mahany cited by Search Engine Land indicated that in the year up to January 2011, traffic driven to websites by Facebook rose from five to nine per cent.
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Firms aiming to improve their online PR might benefit from setting up a blog, it has been suggested.
In an Econsultancy entry, Matt Owen noted that this form of content should "help to humanise " organisations and show prospective clients why they may want to do business with a company.
He urged those writing blogs to try and have fun with the content and noted that not every post needs to be about business.
"It adds a face to your company, it shows that you’re human and like to kick back at the end of the week occasionally," Mr Owen explained.
Businesses hoping to get plenty of hits on their blogs should consider writing "how to" articles and "step-by-step guides", he added.
This comes after Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service suggested that potential customers might be more inclined to trust the opinions of other individuals on social media sites over claims made in advertisements.
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Companies looking to benefit from online PR activities to boost their image with customers could find engaging with them via social media may bring benefits.
According to Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, while less than one in five people trust advertising, they are far more likely to pay attention to what other individuals say about a business.
She highlighted research that revealed 78 per cent of consumers trust social media recommendations from their peers and pointed out that a high level of customer service is vital to developing brand loyalty.
Therefore, businesses that engage with individuals through a social media service could find that any increased reputation this brings to them may be beneficial to their sales.
Earlier this week, a poll conducted by Verdict Research to find the UK's favourite retailer found that those companies with high levels of customer service rated highly, with John Lewis topping the chart for the fourth consecutive year.
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Retailers seeking to establish a good reputation through the use of online PR must ensure that their customer service is of a high standard, as this could be the key element that makes a business stand out.
Writing for Econsultancy, Chris Moffatt noted that, with many online retailers appearing very similar to customers, offering a full consumer package is essential for any company wishing to grow its business.
Therefore, he said that it is important to respond promptly to any customer complaints to reassure them that the issue is being looked at.
"Don't leave an issue hanging," Mr Moffatt stated, "as the customer will increasingly feel like they are being ignored".
It is also vital that firms are familiar with the distance selling regulations that govern online transactions so they are aware what their responsibilities are and what services they must provide to their customers.
Last week, a poll conducted by the Interactive Media in Retail Group revealed that customer retention is a priority for 78 per cent of online businesses, so providing a high quality service may be able to help with this.
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Internet marketing services providers looking to expand their mobile campaigns may be interested in updated guidelines for the practice that have been offered by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).
The fifth edition of the publication includes new updates regarding ad unit sizes, removal of aspect ratio requirements for banner ads and more considerations for Mobile Rich Media Advertising.
They will provide an overview for marketers on how to create best-practice campaigns in order to maximise the effectiveness of promotions.
Greg Stuart, global chief executive officer of the MMA, said: "With the addition of the Rich Media and Universal Mobile Ad Package guidelines, the MMA continues its commitment to providing the ecosystem with the frameworks necessary to capitalise on emerging opportunities."
Recently, a report produced by the organisation in partnership with the Association of National Advertisers revealed that three-quarters of companies would increase their spending on mobile marketing in 2011.
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With many commentators expecting internet marketing services through social media to see large growth this year, one expert has offered a few suggestions for how to optimise such content and integrate it into a wider campaign.
Writing for Search Engine Watch, Liana Evans explained that making links easy to share is vital for those who wish to boost their traffic, as not doing so can mean missing out on opportunities to gain links and add new customers.
She also recommended keeping an eye on what is currently trending in order to adapt content and relate it to what people are searching for.
"With the search engines now incorporating social media platforms into their results … keeping up on the trends becomes even more important to content creation," Ms Evans added.
Continuing, she stressed the importance of integrating multiple platforms, such as social media, search engines, email or offline promotions in order to create a coherent brand.
It was also recently recommended by Search Engine Land's Julie Joyce that any online PR campaign must be as user-friendly as possible to be successful.
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Internet marketing services providers may be interested in a few suggestions one expert has offered for how to make the most out of online PR activities in 2011.
Writing for Econsultancy, Danny Whatmough offered a few new year's resolutions to marketers, suggesting among other things that integration would be the key to a successful campaign.
He noted that ensuring social media activities fit in with wider areas such as customer service and other promotions could be a key factor in developing a good reputation on the web.
Mr Whatmough also pointed out that search engine optimisation shouldn't be ignored, explaining that while the buzz around social features could make it easy to overlook, "the returns for PR agencies and benefits for their clients are potentially greater".
It was recently claimed by Econsultancy's 2011 Customer Engagement Report that organisations are growing more confident in the use of social channels to promote their brand.
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