December 2017

Native advertising. It is truly the future of advertising. For those of you who aren’t familiar with native ads, they are a form of advertising that “blends in” with a webpage environment to create a seamless transition between the page content and sponsored content. Native advertising can come in many different forms online; it can be in the form of a sponsored article or a video link on the side of a webpage promoting similar content to the topic of the page. This type of advertising has seen exponentially increasing popularity in recent years due to the booming internet era and the way it aligns with the interests of many members of the internet community.

Not to be confused with programmatic advertising, native advertising has seen some immensely successful campaigns in the past few years. Millennium would like to share with you some of the native ad trends that seem to work better than others. Here are four ways your business can gain the best visibility with your native ads:

Provide Entertainment

Catching the attention of potential customers with your native ads is important. Providing entertainment for consumers creates a positive experience for them and, as a result, they are more likely to associate your business with that positivity. Just because the content is sponsored doesn’t mean that it can’t have elements of excitement or intrigue. Tell a story or maybe provide a list of interesting and unusual facts. Creating unique content that contains captivating entertainment is a large part of getting through to your audience.

Know your Customers’ Interests

Knowing your customers and what they are interested in is an important factor when it comes to native ads. If you are publishing a native ad in the form of an article, be sure that the article’s subject is pertinent to the interests of your customer base. Market research is key here, learning about your customers’ values will truly help in the creation of content that hits home with them and builds your brand with your customer-base.

Be Relevant to the Page

Relevance to the page that your ad is located on is important. For example, if your ad is linked to a webpage that provides easy-to-make holiday recipes, then your ad should relate to either the holiday or to home cooking in some way. Doing this creates seamlessness which is the foundation of successful native ads. Relevance to the page is also important in capturing the reader’s attention. If a person is interested in the page your ad is linked to, it is likely they will be interested in your ad as well if it contains a similar subject.

Be Straightforward

Let your readers know that they are reading an advertisement. Transparency is an important trend these days and, more often than not, consumers appreciate businesses that are direct in their advertising methods. This layer of honesty can really help your business connect with your customers. An advertisement that shoots straight with a consumer and also provides interesting/useful content has the best chance of getting through to potential customers.

Native advertising is a field that will only continue to grow. Each year, much like the internet as a whole, native ads are changing in order to enhance the user experience. If native advertising is something that you are interested in for your business, contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business.  Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.  

We’ve all seen videos being shared on social media to promote certain businesses. In fact, it’s almost more common to see videos on social media than any other form of post these days. But it doesn’t end there; many websites also feature videos on their landing pages to give visitors a better idea of who they are. This trend is referred to as visualization, and it isn’t unintentional. Businesses are learning that people respond well to and are more engaged by videos.

Visualization in the marketing world refers to a trend in which videos help a consumer “visualize” their lives if they were to buy your product or utilize your services. Videos tell a story to your customers, heightening the likelihood that they will take action. This action could be a purchase, or it could be something simpler such as “liking” or sharing the video with their peers. If your website doesn’t include many videos or if your social media efforts don’t include elements of visualization, here is why you should take steps to change this:

Tell Your Story

Watching a video captivates an audience in a way that images and content don’t. Whether it’s be a movie, a television show, or even a short clip, people identify with videos and form a connection with the characters and events. Creating a story for your business encourages this connection for consumers. After all, what better way to show a potential customer your value to them than by creating a visual story outlining your business model or demonstrating relatability to their needs. By including video in your website, you are telling a story that encourages viewers to form a positive impression of who you are as a business, visualize how their life would/could be better if they were to utilize your business, and tell their friends about you.

Build Your Social Media Presence

When done right, a successful story encourages the viewer to share the video with their friends, which in turn promotes your brand. Brand awareness through social media is an invaluable thing to have these days. Most consumers will choose to purchase a service or product from a familiar source as opposed to an unknown one. Social media works as a great medium for sharing videos because of its casual nature. A video being shared by a friend is far more welcoming than an obtrusive commercial, therefore the chances of connecting with users and building familiarity with them are better. Social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram have been increasingly incorporating video elements into their platforms because they know that users form a deeper attachment to engaging videos.

Experience a Higher Click-Through-Rate

As stated before, visualization encourages customers to form an immersive connection with your business, even if just for a brief moment. When a person envisions what their life could be like with your product or service, they are no longer arbitrarily comparing numbers and slogans, they can see first hand what will happen if they choose your business. Once a customer has this connection, it is far more likely that they will click on your call to action to learn more. A more enticing visual element encourages a higher CTR (or click-through-rate), and a higher CTR can increase lead generation.

Visualization in marketing is becoming more and more important each year. Social media sites and apps have been catching on to this trend and are supporting more visual elements into their platforms. If you feel that your business could benefit from a better visualization strategy, then contact Linda Fanaras, President/Strategist of Millennium Agency www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

We are now living in a mobile era. Much of society is on-the-go these days and people often use their smartphones, more-so than they use stationary computers, to find information quickly. Whether it be looking for the closest Italian restaurant, buying a new pair of shoes, or researching their next vacation spot, people turn to their mobile devices for answers. These are what we call “micro-moments,” or moments when people impulsively turn to their devices for their inquiries. Consumers have become trained by technology to receive relevant information instantly and these moments in which their inquiries are answered often lead to real-world action. Would you consider your business a master of micro-moments? Does your business have a strong mobile presence that draws in customers time after time?

If you feel that your business’ mobile/web savviness could use a bit of shoring up, here are a few tips that could help you master these micro-moments:

Ensure Mobile-Friendliness:

Most micro-moments occur on mobile devices and, as many people know, navigating a site on a smartphone is much different than navigating one on the large screen of a laptop or desktop computer. It is important that your mobile site is easy to navigate and not crowded with unnecessary icons, graphics, or text. A good landing page is a great start toward improving mobile friendliness. If a user finds your mobile site captivating and easy to navigate, they will most likely use it again.

Side note: Try to avoid aggressive pop-ups and ads on your mobile landing page and articles. These may discourage repeat use from a user who is trying to quickly access information.

Search Engine Optimization:

It is important that your link comes up at the top of user’s searches. Usually consumers on-the-go don’t have time to scroll through dozens of links and need a quick answer. There are a few ways to strengthen your business’ SEO, one of them is content creation. Be sure to update your website consistently by publishing new and exciting content. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo will give websites a higher rank if they see that they are frequently updated. This is just one example of how to improve SEO, there are several other different ways to ensure that your link is one of the first responders to the many micro-moment inquiries occurring all around the world.

Research, Research, Research:

When do your customers reach for their phone and what are they immediately looking for? It is important to know your customer and it may be necessary to rearrange your content pages based on what your mobile customers need. Depending on the products or services you offer, it is possible to hone in on certain trends to best reach your customers.

For example, roughly one-third of all mobile searches involve location. Now suppose you own a bakery and through your market research, you discover that a good number of mobile searches for bakeries in your area happen between 5pm and 7pm. If your store closes at 5pm, it may be worthwhile to stay open a little longer to capitalize on these micro-moments.

Now, this is only one example of how researching your customer’s micro-moments can help you provide better customer service and increase profits; new trends in this field are always emerging, and always providing new opportunities.

There are many ways in which micro-moments are changing the game. If you feel that your business could benefit from a better mobile presence, or if you would simply like to get more information, contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.