Category Archives: Personalities

by James Green

Not All Digital Ads Are Created Equal

Digital advertising is on the rise, which is good news for us — the people that live and breathe in the online world.

However, as audiences migrate to digital media, better creative and more strategic ad placement is necessary. In today’s digital world, there is one point that must not be overlooked: not all digital ads are created equal.

Think about the traditional advertising world of billboards, TV ads, print magazine and newspaper ads. Each medium offers a different experience for consumers and can be associated with how consumers are spending their time.

Volkswagen knows which ad to place on a billboard while consumers drive by at 60 mph, and which ad to place in a newspaper, which consumers read on their commute to work or while they sip their morning coffee. The point is, marketers use different ads for different experiences. The same thing should be happening online across the various screens that consumers engage with.

New research from the Online Publishers Association shows that, for reading, 59% of tablet users surveyed prefer their tablet to their computer, 58% prefer tablet to a newspaper and 53% prefer tablets to magazines.

Other research dives deeper into how consumers use mobile devices throughout the day. According to InMobi, the average mobile web user consumes more than 7 hours of media per day — and 27% is spent on mobile devices (nearly 2 hours). Of that 2-hour period, 25% is spent while commuting to work, 15% while shopping, 67% while lying in bed and 39% while watching TV.

 

InMobi, Decision Fuel & On Device Research, Mobie Media Consumption Research, February 2012

 

The growth of innovation in mobile devices and tablets has led to heightened consumer engagement across all screens, at all times. Each of these technologies offers different experiences to the end user, engaging them through various features.

What Are They Doing On Their Tablets, And Where?

Consider when someone uses a desktop computer vs. when they use a tablet vs. a mobile device. Consumers may use their tablet device while lounging on their couch at home — which replaces activity they might have conducted in the past on their home desktop computer.

The Pew Research Center has uncovered multiple findings on time spent across devices and how consumers are using tablets and mobile devices compared to laptops. The site traffic from mobile provides advertisers with insight into user activity, as well as insight into on what device the activity is taking place.

One finding concluded that 42% of tablet users regularly read in-depth news articles and that people are using tablets as their primary news source. Prior to tablets, 79% of consumers retained their news from their desktop/laptop, 59% from a print newspaper or magazine and 57% from television. Research proves that times are changing.

Ads Should Match Activities And Mindset

The reason for using each digital device, and even when and where they are being used, then comes into play and should be reflected in the ads that are presented to users.

If advertisers layer on information about usage when they’re considering campaign buys, they can better decide which messages should be reaching what audience and what type of ad unit is served. Essentially, campaign goals and measurement will vary by device, by ad unit and creative.

Some research firms have started to explore how consumers use search on laptops more often vs. tablets and smartphones. For an advertiser, this means that consumers may be conducting more research from a laptop or desktop.

This might lead marketers to leverage strategies like search retargeting or behavioral advertising, which influence brand preference and buying decisions during the consideration process.

A new study from Adobe suggests that consumers are most engaged when watching video ads on tablets and smartphones. Additionally, Adobe’s study suggests that the number of people watching video content online could grow as much as 50% over the next five years.

One of the reasons for rapid growth of online video consumption is the use of social media. The rise of social media has led to easier sharing capabilities for video, making them more widely viewed — and social media has also provided advertisers with the ability to reach new audiences beyond their current ones.

For example, Facebook allows brand advertisers to show ads within users’ news feeds, and Twitter features promoted tweets that users are unable to ignore. Social media’s core is all about sharing, and this gives advertisers the opportunity to target a broader audience.

 

Article originally published on Marketing Land on 7/9/12

by Aaron Doades

“Search” Beyond the “Engine”: Alternative Search Sites

By now, you’ve all heard about this new whatchamacallit – the Googles. We all use the Googles quite a bit in our daily routines, and some of us even do a bit of marketing on them, too.

However, as search evolves and continues to be fused with display, it’s important for marketers to take a step back and consider how and why consumers use conventional search engines, what type of data is afforded from these search engines and what types of results marketers want to gain.

Why Do Consumers Use Search Engines?

1.  People use search engines to decide ifthey want to buy a product or service. 

Most people use Google, Yahoo! or Bing to initiate the purchase cycle when seeking a product to buy.

The goal at this point of the consideration process is to decide whether or not they’re interested in a product at all. Think of the moment (hopefully years ago) that you finally decided to replace your Blackberry (sorry, RIM) with an iPhone or an Android.

Note: If you haven’t yet switched, then this means you’re currently performing the search example I’ve illustrated below. Or, you should be.

Say you visited one of the larger search engines like Google and searched “iPhone vs. Android” or “smartphone comparison.” You weren’t planning on purchasing a replacement on the spot, but rather, you wanted to research both types of smartphones with the plan of eventually narrowing down your choice to just one of the two.

The goal of your search was to begin the product consideration process and decide if you wanted a replacement for your Blackberry (in this example, the “Blackberry replacement” itself is the product).

2.  People use search engines to find the exact product they want to purchase.

After you’ve performed the above search, you likely won’t come back to search on Google, Yahoo! or Bing until you’ve decided on the exact product that you want.

Something important happened between the first round of “iPhone vs. Android” searches and your final search, “Verizon iPhone 4S NYC sale” – but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The point is that once you’ve made up your mind, you are less likely to navigate Verizon’s website. You want Google to do the work for you, so you type in a super-descriptive search as a way of saying “Hey, Google, the least you can do is save me some time by navigating me to the product page.”

Google obliges by providing you with the exact result that you were seeking, and you then go on to purchase your shiny new addiction.

To summarize the above example: you used Google to confirm that you wanted to replace your Blackberry, and then you circled back to Google when you were ready to pull the trigger on a purchase.

But What Happened In Between?

If you’re like most consumers, you did quite a bit of research in between your first wave of Google searches and your final “purchase search” on Google.

Earlier this year, PwC surveyed consumers’ online behaviors and released a report showing that nearly 88% of consumers conducted research online before purchasing a product.

In the Blackberry replacement scenario, consumers most likely conducted their research on vertical sites with product reviews and shopping comparison engines, such as CNET, Engadget or even eBay.

The time during which consumers gather information about a product that they are interested in represents the optimal time for brands to influence customer brand preference and purchasing decisions. Consumers want to research product features, user reviews and average prices.

Throughout this process, how did those consumers conduct their online navigation? Through search! However, they did not search on search engines; instead, they were searching within alternative search properties that have a search box within their site.

According to comScore data, approximately 62 million U.S. searches will take place on search engines on an average day – and more than 33 million will take place on alternative search sites. These numbers indicate a lot of search activity happening beyond search engines.

What Does This Mean For Marketers?

Users begin and end their purchase processes on major search engines, but they’re actually deciding on the specific product that they want, the vendor they want it from and the price that they’re comfortable paying for it by performing searches on alternative sites.

comScore data also shows that searches on alternative search websites can be up to 14% greater in length than searches on traditional search engines.

Because of this, brands can reach deeper into funnel stages through alternative search, as the more specific consumers are with their search, the easier it is to target those consumers that are in purchase mode.

This also means that alternative search properties are collecting higher quality search data. (You can read more details around alternative search behaviors in a new report from my company, Magnetic, Searching Beyond Search: Life Beyond the Googleplex.)

To target people that have an idea of what they want, or people who have already made up their mind about a purchase, using data from Google, Yahoo! or Bing is the right approach.

However, in order to target people who are actively comparing your product against your competitors’ products (and to then help them choose your product over all others), marketers should consider data that comes from alternative search sites.

 

These “alternative” sources of data can drive new marketing strategies and provide brand marketers with a new mindset when it comes to whom they want to reach.

 

Article originally published on Search Engine Land on 7/5/12

 

by Vijay Parikh

Take an often lithographic and iconic bunch of classic American folk and protest tunes, some dating back to the 1800’s, and paste them up in a well-equipped garage full of meat-and-vegetables 20th century rock music equipment. Populate said garage with some seasoned personnel who know how to use the gear and let them go for it with a brief to ditch much of the original music arrangements but to stay faithful to the lyrical content. Finally, wrap the results with some clean 21st Century engineering and add child-like choirs doing harmonies, ‘Oohs’ and ‘Ahhs’ to taste, as they will add gossamer to balance out the stressed-out amps of Neil Young and Frank Sampedro.

“Americana” occasionally borders a fine line between mockery and respect for the tunes it reinvents but it is never trivial. As usual, Neil Young’s vocal floats between scathing and lilting and the guitar-rock foundation that is Crazy Horse has not lost any of its enthusiasm for broad-grinned noise making despite being at it for 40 years or more. Tracks like “Oh Susannah”, “Clementine”, and “God Save The Queen” are musically repainted (in a good way). Their lyrical content remains mainly intact but the message is perhaps even more pronounced due to the fresh delivery. There is a common thread throughout – death and the struggle of life – but rarely does the album dip into anything one might call morose.

“Americana” is occasionally challenging and at around 56 minutes long it is a commitment. However, the rewards are there to be had for the patient listener and for this listener repeated listens yielded even more rewards. A future Crazy Horse classic, to be sure.

by adgenie

Magnetic CEO James Green Speaks Out On Forbes


Not all companies should be focusing on their exit strategy — according to Magnetic’s (the leader in search retargeting) CEO, James Green. In the article “Successful Entrepreneurs Don’t Have An Exit Strategy” published on Forbes.com, Green shares 5 key points on why he believes leaders should not have an exit strategy. These insights include:

1. Focus on  profitability   vs. who will buy your company

2. Establish a customer base

3. Build a company for success, and consider your employees while doing so

4. Think long term strategies

5. Believe in your product or service offering

Read the full article here >> Forbes: Successful Entrepreneurs Don’t Have An Exit Strategy

 

by Vijay Parikh

Fast Bulk Data Loading in Mongo

Recently I had to update a mongo collection with the contents of a large file containing JSON objects. This was simple enough in ruby using the native mongo driver, however MongoDB posed an interesting problem.

Due to MongoDB’s global write lock, large updates to a single collection leads to a performance bottle neck. This is unavoidable the first time you run a bulk upload. However, each additional run would require an upsert on every single record, even though only a few records would have changed or need to be added to the collection.

The code below is the solution I came up with:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main idea is to read each record and generate an MD5 digest, then search your collection for it. If it is not found then perform an upsert with your data and the MD5 digest added. Using this method, only records that are modified will be written, thus minimizing locking issues.

Note: that you should have indexes on the relevent fields in your collection to make the queries performant. In the above example, I have a compound index on first_name & last_name.

by Aaron Doades

A Search Retargeting Guide For Search Marketers

If you are a search marketer, you have probably heard of search retargeting, and most likely, graciously let your counterparts on the display teams take charge.

In some ways, search marketers are right in this action, since display advertisers manage campaigns for creative display ads and naturally search retargeting falls into the display camp. Yet, this can sometimes lead to a huge missed opportunity for search marketers to expand search campaigns.

Search retargeting can be an incredibly effective tool for search marketers who are capped out on search, cannot afford certain keywords, or wish to use more engaging forms of creative.

However, in order for a search retargeting campaign to be successful in the eyes of a search marketer, the proper expectations and understanding must be in place ahead of time.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Search Retargeting Will Not Perform As Well As Search Engine Marketing

Search is the best performing form of online advertising, period. Search marketers must understand that even though search retargeting uses search data, it will not perform as well as SEM. There are two main reasons for this:

  1. Think of search retargeting as an influencer for what consumers type in the search engine and a factor in your search conversion. By no means am I suggesting replacing search.Search ads appear on the search results page, typically in above the fold position. Since the ad is being shown so soon after the search, click-through rates (CTRs) will usually be higher than search retargeted display media.
  2. Consumers tend to visit search engines just before they convert, meaning conversion rates will be higher than in display.

For example, a customer might search for “plasma TV” in Google, but they will likely click on an organic listing and end up on Best Buy, and other sites over a period of time before they choose the make and model.

During the consideration phase, search data is extrapolated and used to power display advertising  (i.e. search retargeting). Eventually, the consumers will make their way back to a search engine, type in a more specific term, such as “Sony Plasma 32” TV” and then click on a search ad (similar to reason #1 above).

 

If you were Sony and capped out on keywords, this would be another way to extend the utilization of search data beyond the search engine and influence audiences to take action.

2. Know How To Measure Search Retargeting Campaigns & Give Feedback To Partners

Attribution for a search campaign is easy; if a click leads to a conversion, that click receives credit. However, running a display campaign means dealing with multiple touch points and paths to conversion.

It’s too large a topic to tackle here, so make sure to consider the following points:

  • Give some credit to view-through conversions
  • Use a smart attribution company like C3 Metrics or Adometry

When you’re running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign with Google, you can make adjustments and affect performance on the fly from a self-service interface.

When you’re working with a full-service search retargeting partner, optimization is a joint effort between the search marketer and the search retargeting experts. It’s become increasingly crucial to communicate real-time campaign performance so adjustments can be made as needed.

3. Leverage Your Experience & Assets, But Remain Open To New Ideas

If you have been running search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns for a while, you probably have a rotation of high performance text ads. The good news is that existing text ads are easily transferable to search retargeting.

Most search retargeting partners have a system of placing text ads within display boxes, so you can use the existing text ads from any given campaign. However, be sure that these ads are viewable, as most search retargeting companies buy exchange media, which is prone to un-viewable impressions.

Most of all, consider the differences between keyword lists for search, and keyword lists for display. There are many nuances to keyword based display media and in order for SEM to make the leap to display there needs to be a clear, open path to new placements, targeting, etc.

4. Use Ad Verification Software To Monitor Impressions

Since many search marketers do not run display media on a continuous basis, there is hesitation about running exchange media. To prevent such hesitation, use an ad verification company like AdSafe or DoubleVerify. This will help keep your campaigns safeguarded from the “wild wild west” of exchange based display inventory.

According to comScore, consumer search activity is still on the rise, up 7% over the last year. As search grows, prices will increase and the Googles, Bings and Yahoo’s of the world will have greater control over pricing.

Search retargeting is a cost-efficient extension for anyone using search marketing. After all, nobody knows performance-driven media better than search marketers. Instead of passing on an opportunity because it’s associated with display, search marketers should understand the benefits and embrace it.

 

Article originally published on Search Engine Land on 5/9/12

by Vijay Parikh

8 Watts is Loud Enough

Wattage

The first thing we need to do is to have some basic technical knowledge drummed into our heads. We are going to use two different units in this discussion. Wattage (power output) and db (decibels). Wattage is the measurement used to indicate power. It’s derived from multiplying the voltage and the current. That’s it (in a simplified manner). All guitar amplifiers will give you their output power in terms of wattage so we will use the relationship between wattage and db for this article to keep things as simple as possible.

Decibels (db) are a ratio between two power levels. It is a very common measurement used to describe loudness since a very large amount of ratios can be described using the decibel. It’s also a good thing to keep in mind that a decibel is one-tenth of a Bel. A full Bel is perceived as twice as loud to most people. So, in order to compare two different output powers, we must first make sure both powers are expressed in wattage (or the same unit if comparing voltage or SPL). The basic equation for this is:

Where P1 and P2 express the output power of the two different sources. It’s also very important that both output measurements are taken with the same load on both amplifiers. Taking 30 watts at 8 ohms is different than 30 watts at 16 ohms, so in order for us to get a proper figure out, both powers need to be measure with the same load on the output.

Let’s take a look at a 50 watt head vs. a 30 watt head. First we take 30 divided by 50 which gives us .6. Then we take the log of .6 which is .222 and multiply it by 10 which gives us 2.22 db. So a 50 watt amplifier is only 2.22 db louder than a 30 watt amplifier. For reference, twice the output power is equal to a 3 db change, and 3db is barely enough for the human ear to discern the change.

One more for fun, we’re going to compare a Fender Deluxe Reverb that has a nominal output of 22 watts to a Marshall 100 watt Super Lead. Now we all know the Marshall is louder but after running these through the equation we find that the Marshall is only 6.576 db. Considering that 10db is a nominal figure for what most people hear as twice as loud, then the Marshall is not even twice as loud as the Deluxe. Surprised?

0 db increase     =  same power

3 db increase     =  2 x power

10 db increase  =  10 x power

20 db increase  =  100 x power

30 db increase  =  1000 x power

40 db increase  =  10,000 x power

Choosing an Amplifier Based on Wattage

Now that some of the technical jargon is explained, let’s talk amps. There has been a trend toward lower wattage tube amplifiers in the past few years and for good reason. Let’s face it; most of us are not playing in front of 5000+ people on a regular basis, if at all. That coupled with the trend of a lot of modern music to move away from the arenas and into smaller, more intimate venues has changed the needs of a lot of professional guitarists. If you’re rolling into the club that seats 100 people with a 100 watt Mesa stack, you’re probably going to get some strange looks. The fact of the matter is, most 15 watt amplifiers are going to produce enough sound to be considered LOUD.

So why are there 100-200 watt guitar amps?

First of all, back in the heyday of rock music, the sound systems that were used were not as high quality as what we have now and did not reproduce sound quite as well. A 100 watt amplifier was necessary in a lot of cases to carry the guitar sound in larger venues.

Second of all is clean headroom. A 15 watt amplifier and a 30 watt amplifier are going to be really close in volume, they have approximately a 3 db difference in level which is just at the level that the human ear can hear the difference but the 15 watt amplifier is going to start saturating and distorting earlier.

For someone who uses the amplifier for overdrive and the volume of the guitar for attenuating between clean and dirty, a 15 watt amplifier is going to be loud enough for most venues, perhaps even too loud for some. An 8 watt combo is an ideal amount of power for the volume knob player. It’s loud enough to get by the drummer and if the venue is big enough, they’ll most likely have it mic’d anyway so there’s no need to drag out the half-stack. For the country player or someone who uses pedals for their overdrive tones, a 30 watt amp might be more suitable. Even a 50 watt amplifier is going to be a good bet but getting past 30 watts is not always necessary. Take an AC30 and crank it to the point of saturation. It sounds great but man is it LOUD!

The trend toward lower wattage amplifiers has another upside. The iconic guitar sounds we all want to achieve in a large part come from the 60’s and 70’s. Due to their lack of high powered public address systems, these guys needed to crank their 100 watt amps up to be heard and pushing them to their limits is what generated that sweet tube saturation and tone that we all lust after. This day and age, cranking up a Marshall stack is not only going to garner dirty looks and hands over ears, but it may result in not being invited back to that ultra-hip club it took two years to get a gig at. The smaller wattage amplifiers allow us to push our amps to their limits at a volume level that is comfortable for both you and the band as well as the audience and the soundman. If it’s not loud enough, the soundman will make it louder. You don’t have to be the loudest instrument on the stage (drummers have that luxury, beating on things and all) to be heard in modern venues.

One last note before I wrap up this long-winded article. A lot of low powered combo amplifiers come in a 1×12 configuration and even though it might be loud, it just doesn’t have the push of a large 4×12 cabinet. If you want to make your low watt amp sound bigger and be perceived as louder, grab an extension cabinet. A nicely made 2×12 extension cabinet can make all the difference in to that thin sounding Deluxe Reverb. A larger enclosure and the extra driver allow more air to be moved and will give more of that satisfactory punch and “big amp” feel to the little guy.

If you’re still unsure about this, then by all means keep that 100 watt Plexi, but try this. Go to your local music store and find the lowest wattage tube amp they have and hook it up to a Marshall 4×12. A Vox AC4TVH or Z.Vex Nano Head would be ideal. Set the AC4 on 1 watt mode and crank it up. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the sales representative comes in and asks you to turn it down. You might also be surprised at how good it sounds.

Hopefully this article has helped spread some uncommon knowledge about the wattage rating on amplifiers. Next time you look at that boutique combo that’s rated at 8 watts don’t be so quick to dismiss it as “too small for live use” and plug it in. It might just surprise you at how well it keeps up and the fact that you can crank it and make the tubes work for their money results in sweet, singing tone that tube amplifiers are known for. Thanks for reading folks.