Online advertising overtakes TV

30 09 2009

DogpileAs reported in the Independent and by other organisations, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB):

“Online advertising expenditure grew 4.6% to £1.75 billion in H1 2009, overtaking TV for the first time.”

The IAB states that the UK

“remains the world leader in terms of market share for online, with the medium accounting for 23.5% in the first half of 2009.”

The IAB also points out the growth in paid-for search, accounting for almost 60% of online advertising expenditure.

As new websites are launched and battle for advertising revenue, fragmentation of the market will continue and put more pressure on TV broadcasters.


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If your sales pitch is genuine, hand-write it

23 09 2009
Photo by Trounce

Photo by Trounce

Scientists have now  discovered that how you write “shows if you’re a liar“. They already know that “people hesitate more when they lie and some companies already use this fact to see how long it takes people to tick boxes when filling in surveys online,” he said.

No doubt as technology evolves it will become easier for the average mortal to determine whether or not he is reading truthful hand-written statements.

Marketing Guru Bill Glazer’s most successful campaign was his hand-written sales letter. If techniques advance to enable us to spot lies more easily, then campaigns like Glazer’s will only work if your pitch is genuine.

Crooked campaigns had better stick to email.


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University launches iPhone app for freshers

22 09 2009

iPhone

According to their own website:

“As students across the country return to university for freshers week, the University of Central Lancashire has become the first UK university to launch its own featured iPhone application.”

The story continues:

“The app was developed during the summer recess and makes use of many existing UCLan services. These include fast webmail access, a comprehensive library catalogue, staff directory, a list of campus facilities and the option for students to top up their printing accounts. Students can also book a meeting room in any of the university libraries by using the iPhone application.

Further plans to enhance the app include making use of the iPhone’s location functionality to improve the search of services across campus and the development of an innovative news service. The app can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store and is compatible with both the iPhone and iPod touch.”

The university is using existing systems to add value to its “users”. Could you build an iPhone app around parts of your business to add value to customers?


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Sometimes a change is good – Bing fastest growing search engine

21 09 2009

Mashable reports on Nielsen findings that Microsoft’s Bing is currently the fastest growing search engine with month-on-month growth of 22% and offers five reasons to switch to Bing.

What’s interesting is that Microroft had been criticised for failing to keep up with changing trends in online search and wasn’t expected to actually improve its performance.

Despite the daft name, the change over to Bing has brought Microsoft benefits including news headlines and a growing search engine market share. There’s still much discussion over whether Bing’s performance as a search engine matches expectations, but that just means more coverage.

Microsoft only seems to have benefited from the changes to its search engine.

What could you change?


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Categories : Marketing

Boosting Google Local Performance

20 09 2009

Google-Local-Business-CenterA listing on Google Local Business Search improves the visibility of a company and its website in Google’s search results page.

Read more about marketing your business with Google Local.

Getting a business listed in the directory is something that any business owner can do very quickly. However getting your business to the top of the results list requires more time and effort.

One criteria that determines the placement of the listing is what Google calls “citations”. These are references to your company, listing the key details such as name, address, phone number and website.

So one simple way for business owners to improve their listing performance is to ensure that their company is listed in free directories. They don’t have to link to your website but it shouldn’t t hurt if they do. Be sure to claim your free Yellow Pages listing. Maybe you could even build your own simple local business directory.


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Bloggers playing growing role in fashion market

8 09 2009

The London Times reported yesterday in a story about fashion in the online world, that Sir Philip Green appears to have changed his tune about the internet

Fashion bloggers were invited to preview and photo-shoot of Arcadia’s autumn and winter lines two weeks ago.

According to the Times, “about 15 per cent of fashion sales are online, a figure that is rising quickly”.

Leon Bailey-Green, the founder of The Online Fashion Agency is quoted by the Times as saying:

“Retailers who fail to take fashion bloggers seriously now will find it difficult to get their attention when they become mainstream”, Mr Bailey-Green said. “It will affect sales.”

Times: Web fashionistas are just a click away from high street acceptance


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