Advertising
Facebook Ads Prove That “Targeting” Demographics Is Silly
Social media advertising isn’t just another fad. With all of that juicy customer info we give social networks each day, for free, businesses of all sizes are lining up to cash in by offering the right ad to the right person, guaranteed — or so they think.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Here’s the promise Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, made to media buyers last November:
With Facebook you will be able to select exactly the audience you want to reach, and we will only show your ads to them. We know exactly what gender someone is, what activities they are interested in, their location, country, city or town, interests, gender [etcetera, etcetera] . . .
Several months later, this is the result:
Apparently, David at Broccoli & Cheese wasn’t a good target for this ad:
As you read this, thousands of 18-34 year old men are watching Tampax commercials. Not because they want to, but because television is an imprecise medium that makes it hard to get the right ads to the right people. As a result, we’ve been conditioned over decades to expect irrelevance at the commercial break.
But wasn’t the Internet, and in particular, social media, supposed to turn that tide? Take Facebook—they know more about my day-to-day life than my parents do, and surely enough to serve me ads that I’d find remotely useful. But they’re dropping the ball. Big time.
[…] Will someone out there besides Google please get their [expletive] together?
If MarineCFO’s Chief Financial Officer is reading this, chance are s/he’s not thrilled with Facebook.
To be clear, I don’t think MarineCFO was silly to place this ad. It’s just that, like me and perhaps even you, we’re easily seduced by the promise of demographics. We like to think it’s sufficient.
Demographics are like catnip for marketers.
They make being wrong feel so right. They always seem to have the right answer. They help us justify lazy decisions. They give us such wonderful opportunities to prejudge our audience — specifically, how they define themselves and what they want to hear, see or read — based on a few scant details. Yet by themselves, demographics can never be accountable for anything because they’re based on correlation, not causality.
Marketers, and the advertising platforms that prey on them, need to look beyond the logistics of ad placement and stop thinking of “targeting” as a one-way, two-dimensional process. Demographics are important, but without the context of psychographics [define], they’re quite often useless. To paraphrase Mark Twain, to a media buyer armed with vague demographic data, everyone looks like a target.
I wonder where and how these ads would have been placed had they planned the campaign with personas.
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Written by:Robert Gorell
Why Virgin’s Banner Ads Work, Even on Facebook!
Traditional banner ads can be frustrating. They’re easy to ignore. And all too often, the landing page on the other side of the click doesn’t fulfill the promise of the ad.
So why not try something new, like placing an ad on Facebook, where captive users are forced to see it right there in their news feeds?
That’s Virgin America’s strategy. But is it anything new?
Despite the hype, social media ads are rarely different than traditional banner or pay-per-click ads. The landscape has changed slightly, but the need for fundamental persuasion and conversion tactics remains. As always, better planning makes all the difference. Let’s take a look…
A Smooth Takeoff
Here’s Virgin’s latest “sponsored news feed item” — i.e., fancy contextual banner ad that targets only certain demographics:
As you can see, the language is simple and engaging. A time limit (March 28) is set, thus creating a sense of urgency without drilling it into the customer’s head.
Nobody likes to be yelled at, especially not on an airplane. So why yell at them to “BUY NOW”? Virgin knows better, and this ad’s subtlety makes it that much more click-worthy.
A Soft Landing (Page)
The landing page continues the scent trail that started with the banner ad. Notice how the exact wording carries over.
See that? Change may be “in the air,” but Virgin was smart to stick with their original verbiage.
What’s even more interesting is that this landing page is actually the VirginAmerica.com homepage. It was the homepage last week, when the March 28 promotion was happening, anyway. This week, there’s a new promotion, and a new homepage message to match.
Consistency across channels is what ensures the success of Virgin’s ad buys. By adjusting the homepage to match their current campaigns, they’re capitalizing on the persuasive momentum of their various banner ad campaigns. (This screen shot proves that Virgin’s Facebook ads are no different than any of their other banners. Would they change the company’s homepage just to match a persuasion scenario that starts at Facebook? Nope.)
Persuade → Qualify → Convert
Virgin America continues the momentum from click-to-click by keeping it simple and keeping visitors engaged on the active window. By showing all March 28-related promotions on a single page, they’re reduce friction in the buying process.
Virgin uses this page to reinforce the visitor’s original interest while introducing a few more offers, thereby qualifying our needs. We click through, and it’s off to the booking engine.
Like most e-commerce shopping carts, it seems flight-booking engines were made to confuse us. Not Virgin’s. Theirs is intuitive and straightforward. As you can see, several steps are combined into one. It’s the website usability equivalent of the magical airplane stall door lock (which doubles as a light switch, and triples as a switch for the fan).
The only downside to having a site that works this well is that now Virgin needs to make sure people enjoy the flight as much as they enjoyed booking it. But if the real experience is anything like the one online, it looks like they’ve got you covered.
CMO’s should take notice.
While there’s no such thing as a perfect website, you should still try to convert like a Virgin.
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Written by:Peter Lee
Will Marketers Keep Their Eye on the Ball?
Ever play the game “Don’t Think About Polar Bears”?
It’s hard to win.
In fact, studies show that just about everyone reading this sentence is either thinking about polar bears or thinking about not thinking about polar bears.
The same goes for basketball.
Take a look at this awareness test video, and see if you can follow:
As Seth points out, marketers should consider this before spending (”How much!?“) on ads.
Kudos to Jeff Sexton for noticing this bit of research years before it was ripped off and turned into an advert for cyclist awareness.
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Written by:Robert Gorell
When a Banner Ad Becomes a One-Click Stand
Holidays are a great time to advertise. Because of the emotional context, marketers know people will be especially attracted to holiday-themed ads. Valentine’s Day is no exception: You can almost set your clock to the sudden rush of banners strewn with cheesy hearts, bears and candy kisses.
Banner ads, once clicked, usually evoke the confusion of Alice’s rabbit hole more than the come-what-may optimism of Forrest’s box of chocolates — either way, you don’t know what to expect.
Grabbing attention is tough, and most of us are jaded from past letdowns. So, to work, a banner campaign must direct traffic, showing visitors what they’ll get and why they’ll want it.
Who You Lookin’ At?
One way to get attention is by showing models. TracFone is an example of a company that puts on a human face (albeit a scowling one). Let’s take a look at one of their banners to see how they might improve conversion…
The Valentine’s Day motif grabs attention, as do the girls’ faces, which seem to be looking straight at you. But eye-tracking studies show that we’re drawn to models’ eyes. We end up mesmerized, ignoring the critical parts of the ad.
The folks at TracFone should read Bryan’s post, “How a Pretty Face Can Push Visitors Away.”
Since our attention stays on the faces and eyes, TracFone’s benefits are lost in the background. The all-caps name “XOXOFONE” frames the faces, further keeping the eyes on the upper left-hand side. A simple change in the direction of the eyes to the lower-right side of the ad would direct visitors to the call to action and company logo. (Besides, it might make these girls look like they’re not going to yell at the first guy who invites them to Prom via TracFone.)
Oh, No They Di’int…
From the banner ad, visitors are sent to this busy landing page:
Tracfone presents big, bright red hearts as a marker to connect the visitor. Yet they fail to build persuasive momentum. At this critical stage, the visitor isn’t brought deeper into the buying process. Instead of continuing the scent trail [define] of information, TracFone introduces new information and visuals that create a disconnect with the banner ad it was designed to support.
If TracFone were a Future Now client, here are a few things we’d have them test:
1. Don’t Look at Me! — When using models, make sure the eyes aren’t the focal point. Use an image that directs the visitors’ eyes toward the call to action. Let the copy drive the click.
2. Buy When? — Don’t propose marriage on the first date. There’s almost never enough info on a banner ad to convince someone they should actually “buy now.” Try flirting instead.
3. Consistency is Key — Build on the information and images on the landing page. Help would-be customers make the connection. People will quickly lose momentum to move forward if you present different prices, copy and images than they saw in the ad.
[Editor’s Note: Tired of one-click stands? Sick of hiring gold-diggers who don’t return the investment? Bring home a conversion analysis your CFO would approve of.]
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Written by:Peter Lee
A Political Branding Hook That Sells
“I’m different! Really, I am! Different and better. Trust me!”
Doesn’t the stench of such desperate insecurity ooze from most marketing copy one reads? Everyone wants to be unique, yet precious few brands are willing to show their warts for fear of rejection.
If there’s any field where insecurity and fear are a brand’s biggest roadblocks, it has to be politics — which is why every marketer should not only watch but study these political ads as textbook examples on how differentiation works.
Here’s an advertisement for Steve Novick’s campaign:
Novick is different. And if you didn’t see why that was a real advantage the first time, this commercial beats a phony handshake any day:
If you’ve been following my columns, you know that ethos is a big part of credibility, and credibility is king when it comes to persuading customers you’re worth it.
[Hat tip to Nate Kreuter for posting these ads.]
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Written by:Jeff Sexton
GoDaddy’s Hail Mary TV-to-Web Strategy
Once again, GoDaddy saved its biggest ad blitz for the Super Bowl. And once again, the goal was to drive as many viewers as possible to the end zone: GoDaddy.com
This year — as they did in ‘06 and ‘07 — GoDaddy had to make an adjustment after having their original commercial rejected by the network censors (a Super Bowl tradition for them). But unlike the past two seasons, they didn’t run a watered-down version of the rejected ad. This time, in lieu of the “too hot for TV” ad, they ran two spots meant solely to hype the uncensored ad, which, of course, is ONLY available at GoDaddy.com.
If you missed the super-tame teaser ads, here’s one example:
As it turns out, the censored ad is only cheeky in the figurative sense, but according to GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons, the teaser strategy worked:
Our Web site has never been busier!
Before the game was over, we received right at 1.5 million visits to our Web site. We had a whopping 2 million visitors for the day. This compares to last year when we had less than 1/2 million visitors.We spent a lot less money!
During last year’s Super Bowl, we purchased and ran 3 spots — two spots during the game and one during the post-game. This year we purchased only 1 ad, which aired in the 2nd quarter. So for a fraction of the cost we generated 4 times the action. Not shabby, when you can do it.
Sounds great, Bob, but did you get four times the revenue?
A year ago to the day, Parsons responded to pundits — most of whom hated GoDaddy’s 2007 ad — asserting that although the ad drove HALF the traffic of his ‘06 ad, it generated DOUBLE the revenue. As Parsons wrote at the time, “Traffic was down. Sales were up! How can that be?
Since he asked so nicely, we explained.
GoDaddy hasn’t posted any 2008 Super Bowl revenue figures — yet — but I’ve asked Bob to share them with us and, if and when he does, we’ll be sure to offer some analysis.
In the meantime, consider this haiku from Ponder Marketing…
Super Bowl Sunday.
Go Daddy girl will jiggle.
What is it they sell?
…and let us know what you think about GoDaddy’s Hail Mary pass.
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Written by:Robert Gorell
The Whopper is dead. Long live the Whopper!
Want to see what happens to Americans when their favorite fast food is taken away?
Of course you do. But if you want to live dangerously, try telling a hungry customer who can’t wait to bite into 670 glorious calories that their favorite sandwich (over half of which is fat) has been retired. Capturing such a moment requires skilled actors, coordinated planning, hidden cameras, and preferably, a cardiologist standing by. But most of all, it takes confidence.
Burger King’s “Whopper Freakout” campaign does all of those things, showing a level of brand confidence that hasn’t been seen since “The Pepsi Challenge.” B.L. Ochman said it best: “It’s seven minutes long. It pisses off Burger King customers. It makes fun of competitors. In other words, it rocks!”
[If video doesn’t load, click here.]
A few things that qualify Whopper Freakout as one of the best TV + Web viral campaigns ever:
- The reactions.
- It’s “flame broiled,” not fried.
- The Whopper isn’t a new product or promotion.
- The King is a man of few words; he’s a prankster, but ultimately, he saves the day.
- A short TV commercial serves as a teaser, while the real payoff happens online.
- Their custom video player is grainy, making it feel voyeuristic and, somehow, more trustworthy.
- Even though they built their own site, they still put it on YouTube.
- It’s brilliantly filmed and choreographed.
- You can share it (email it, embed it).
- They didn’t have to do it.
- They did it.
- Unless you’re vegan, it kinda makes you crave a Whopper.
- “From what I understand, they were too popular.”
- It’s actually not a ridiculous stunt, unlike this.
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Written by:Robert Gorell
The 7 Deadly Claims (Part Four) — “We’re #1″
Now, here’s a claim that does for persuasive copy what Jonestown did for grape Kool-Aid: “We’re #1 in our industry.”
Not only will this particular (unsubstantiated) claim poison your copy, but the copywriter’s desire to use it stems from the same psychological principle that’s said to have caused so many Jonestown believers to have tragically drained their own deadly draught: Social Proof.
To paraphrase Robert Cialdini, we tend to view behavior as being correct to the degree that we see others performing it. (Salting tip jars works. Ask any bartender.) And though very few people willingly identify themselves as “followers,” marketers know that most of us are interested in or swayed by “best-selling” and “hot” items.
Sure, copywriters should want to leverage social proof — they just need to learn to do so effectively. Here are some things to keep in mind when tapping into this psychological principle:
a) The more people the reader observes performing the behavior, the more powerful the effect.
b) The more similar to your audience the observed people are – or the more admired they are - the more powerful the social proof.
Knowing this, I recommend you take a hard look at whether you have the chops to make this claim. And if you do…
Get specific with your claim
How are you defining your terms? Are you “Number 1” because you have the largest market share; the most highly rated products/services; fastest growth rate; or because industry insiders consider you the front-runner in terms of innovation and leadership?
Frame your statement so readers can picture it in their minds without blinking. Then…
Be Concrete. Get Substantiated.
Example: “Xenoic Industries is the preferred widget vendor to 15 of the top 20 Fortune 100 companies, including So & So, Inc.” Although it may seem counter-intuitive, that’s usually better than claiming “70% of market share.” Regardless, be sure to include similar figures for mid- and small-sized businesses if that’s also part of your market; otherwise, your bragging will backfire as they’ll feel excluded.
Also, “…has been favorably reviewed by The New York Times, Newsweek, and The Economist, and was the subject of a feature story in The Wall Street Journal. Read the reviews here” is far more persuasive than claiming to have been “reviewed by hundreds of top newspapers and magazines.” As Seth Godin said in his recent interview with Bryan, who is more important than how many.
The “Dust Cover” Principle
First printings of books can’t claim wide readership, so they rely on “dust cover” reviews by the most persuasive names they can find in their field. A few high-powered testimonials placed near your claim of market leadership can do wonders.
But what if you don’t have the hard numbers to substantiate your claim? Well then, forget the claim and just focus on providing Social Proof. Make sure you’re offering real examples — and in copywriting, examples come in the form of anecdotes, testimonials, and case studies that are “like” your audience.
Most importantly, make sure your proof also helps visitors reduce their uncertainty. Social Proof works best in situations where your audience is uncertain about the right — or appropriate — course of action. Social Proof provides a mental shortcut for relieving that uncertainty.
What does this mean for your anecdotes, testimonials, and case studies? They work best when they’re concrete, authoritative, and showcase people just like them.
Join me next time for “100% Risk-Free”! In the meantime, read more about the 7 Deadly Claims at your own risk. 
- “Superior Customer Service“
- “Easy to Use“
- “Most Experienced“
- “We’re #1” (Read the addendum.)
- “100% Risk-Free“
- “Cutting Edge“
- “Best Value“
[Editor’s note: Does your Web copy taste like Kool-Aid? Sharpen up your virtual sales pitch at our Persuasive Online Copywriting seminar on March 28th in San Francisco. Jeff and Holly will be your instructors for this first-ever West Coast edition of our popular one-day copywriting crash course. Class size is limited so that attendees can get real advice and actually learn something. You’ll even get $100 off if you register by 2/29.]
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Written by:Jeff Sexton
Word of Mouth Down the Toilet
When’s the last time you were out in public and had one of those must-go-now moments? You’re torn between embarrassment and physical agony. The panic’s rising. Perspiration beads on your forehead. What do you do? Hope the first store you walk into lets you use the employee-only washroom? (This usually works only if you are desperate and pregnant.) Lean into the stranger next to you as you turn beat red and whisper, “Where’s the nearest bathroom … it’s kinda urgent“?
One company empathizes with your predicament. Not only do they help you prevent those can’t-hold-it-in situations, they’ve created a great public service that puts public restrooms on the map and at your fingertips. Just go to http://imodium.com/page.jhtml?id=/imodium/include/3_5.inc
“That was page-dot-what?” Yeah. See a major mistake here that’s just flushed a, um, boat-load of word-of-mouth marketing right down the toilet?
Of course you can awkwardly type this gibberish into your portable device and bookmark it. I would. But where do you really want that link living, on the road and off the computer? In memory!
When you’ve really really got to go, the only words going round and round in your head are: I need a bathroom! No “include-slash-three” about it! So use a domain name that reflects the need and helps market your product.
Give people - especially desperate people - something easy to remember and share. Here’s a compassionate, useful reference tool that is also a perfect place to promote a brand. So make it easy to share when the need is crucial. What a way to help people remember you were there when their need was … pressing.
I’ve registered NeedaBathroom.com. The nice people behind the bathroom finder can contact me, and I’ll gladly transfer the domain. No cost. As a thank you, because you’ve done something good for the public. Whew!
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Written by:Bryan Eisenberg
The Double-Bottom Line on In-Text Ads
You may have noticed double underlined links on sites that create a pop up advertisement when moused over. These are “in-text” advertisements, and they’re increasingly appearing on content sites to generate additional revenue.
For content providers, the question remains whether additional short-term bursts of ad revenue will be justified against the potential decrease in brand affinity. Since the ads work under the guise of a regular-old hyperlink, some visitors are completely turned off after clicking on them.
From a usability standpoint, they’re a real pain. Text becomes a pop-up minefield with any slight mouse movement touching one of these ads triggering pop-up advertisements. This creates friction for the visitor, who’s simply trying to do what they came to a site for: to read the content.
The content’s credibility is also put at stake. Writers, and journalists in particular, are expected to be objective. These in-text advertisement pop-ups are further muddying the lines between editorial integrity and the sales team’s agenda, while posing as unbiased writing.
Speaking of “fair and balanced,” FoxNews.com adopted this measure and claims that they think its great. According to The Wall Street Journal, “FoxNews.com says it doesn´t consider in-text ads to be advertising, because they help provide information about the topic.”
Of course, many bloggers and other writers strive to make money for their work. When the content becomes the ad, visitors may not want to come back. Who in their right mind wants to actively read an infomercial in disguise when they can passively watch one on TV?
The bottom line is that these ads may present a good opportunity to monetize your content, but you risk losing credibility — and once that’s damaged, it’s not easily repaired.
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Written by:Ronald Patiro
