Special offers 'are key factor in lead generation'

Improved lead generation can be achieved by presenting additional offers on a website, says an industry expert.
Lead generation can be given a significant boost by presenting the right special offers to customers, an industry expert has suggested.
Speaking at a recent Marketing Sherpa summit in Boston, Dave Laverty, vice-president of marketing at IBM Cognos, commented how his company were failing to engage with consumers a few years ago until they worked on new approaches on generating leads.
He noted how his team decided to treat the website as a "demand-generating tool" and experimented by offering a wide variety offers and making sure to get customer details when they sign up for a product.
"We have a lot of people passing by our window, so to speak. What are we doing to encourage those people to come in, browse and engage with us?" Mr Lafferty told the marketing website.
The results of their use of additional offers on their website, combined with other strategies such as analysis of customer data, is that the company has reduced its cost-per-lead by up to 40 per cent.
Last week, Jonathan Attwood from SwapitShop suggested that businesses should not be afraid to let their brand go to improve lead generation in the youth market.

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Profitable lead generation 'requires ownership'

In order to improve conversion rates and achieve cheaper lead generation businesses must be willing to employ someone solely to look after this issue, says an expert.
Companies should have someone dedicated to improving conversion rates as it will make lead generation more cost-effective, an industry expert has suggested.
Linus Gregoriadis, research director at Econsultancy, made his comments following research by RedEye and Econsultancy, which indicated that 70 per cent of client-side companies had seen improved conversion rates in the past year.
He highlighted the importance of having someone taking the lead on conversion and was surprised to find that 40 per cent of respondents in the survey do not have anyone in this role.
"If an organisation has someone directly responsible for conversion they are more than twice as likely to have experienced improved conversion rates in the last 12 months," Mr Gregoriadis explained.
RedEye chief executive officer Mark Patron claimed that in terms of cost, improving conversion by ten per cent can be more effective than spending ten per cent more with a search engine such as Google.
This week, industry specialist Dave Laverty told a Marketing Sherpa summit that adding special offers to a website can lift lead generation.

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"Let your brand go" to get youth market lead generation

Companies must be willing to engage with youngsters and possibly let their brand image slip in order to be successful in the youth market, says an expert
Companies must not be afraid to let their brand image slip when chasing lead generation in the youth market, an industry expert suggested.
Jonathan Attwood, founder and chief executive officer at SwapitShop, commented that young people are "incredibly bright", so the only way of understanding what they like is to ask them and then take note of their responses.
He remarked that there is also a ruthless streak to youngsters, which means that if a company does not give them the right reason to do something, they will not do it.
"You've got to really understand them. If you try and be cool with them, it's probably too late. Don't be afraid to let your brand go," said Mr Attwood.
Recent research by Nielsen Online indicated that young people between the ages of two and 11 accounted for 9.5 per cent of the online population in May 2009.
It also found that boys spent seven per cent more time on the web than girls.

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Web is natural space for 'lead generation of young people'

Young people spend most of their time online which makes it the perfect place to market to them, according to a Nike representative.
The web is the world that young people inhabit, so it is the logical place for successful lead generation, according to sports company Nike.
Ed Elworthy, head of branch connections in UK and Ireland at the organisation, stated that in order to successfully market to youngsters, businesses need to understand the internet and the way that they use it.
He pointed out that many advertisers talk about a split between online and offline marketing, but that young people generally reside on the former rather than the latter.
Mr Elworthy explained: "It's more about approaching them in their space as opposed to dragging them to our space. I think that's a macro trend that's happening."
Last month, Symantec released a study of the top 100 search terms used by young people and it included social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, although both "sex" and "porn" made it into the top ten.

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Web enters "female century" of lead generation

Women are beginning to overtake men to become the dominant force online, which will soon be reflected in company's marketing strategies and product designs, says an industry analyst.
Online lead generation will begin to be more women-orientated as we are entering the "female century" on the web, according to an industry analyst.
Chris Sanderson, strategy and insight director at The Future Laboratory, pointed out that there are now more women in powerful positions in business and within the family dynamic, which means their use of the web has a greater impact.
He noted that there are now more female users of the internet than male and because they are taking part in more online experiences, it will mean that the marketing and product design will sway to women's tastes.
Mr Sanderson explained: "If the last 150 years - in terms of productivity - were in the hands of men, then the next 150 will be in the hands of women. We are entering the female century."
Research released by IPC Media this year showed that 74 per cent of women access the internet every day and two-thirds cite social networking as one of their regular activities on the web.

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Networks "improving" online lead generation capabilities

Advertising network agencies have had to alter the way they operate for web-based marketing campaigns.
Advertising network agencies are "improving" their ability to deal with online lead generation, according to an industry commentator.
Simon Mansell, managing director of the direct marketing company TBG, made his comments following a Group M study, which indicated that internet advertising will account for 15 per cent of global marketing next year.
He pointed out that it is difficult for larger companies to keep pace with the changing media landscape where online is taking up more of the market, but he felt that these bigger agencies are starting to work out how to deal in web-based adverts.
"It has been a big theme in the UK market that it has not been efficient for network agencies to take digital money, but they are gradually improving their capabilities," explained Mr Mansell.
In his opinion, traditionally, agencies will have only charged a two or three per cent margin for television or radio campaigns, but this has had to change in the digital market.

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Online lead generation 'will succeed in recession'

Online advertising will fare better in the recession than television and radio, according to an industry expert.
Online lead generation will do better during the recession than other forms of advertising, according to an industry insider.
Simon Mansell, managing director of marketing company TBG, claimed that television and radio advertising will struggle more than online marketing, because they are used to build up a brand over time.
He noted that another factor which will help online lead generation is that 25 per cent of the media that people are exposed to is on the internet.
"Online advertising is traditionally used for direct response which doesn't generally diminish during a recession as people still need to bring in customers," added Mr Mansell.
Although he commented that the amount spent by consumers online is not as much as it could be, but he felt that it was only a matter of time before this situation changes.
Because of the amount of time people spend on the internet, he felt more transactions would begin to take place online.
Mr Mansell made his remarks following the release of research by the Advertising Association, which indicated that online revenues remained fairly stable in the second quarter of the year, while newspaper income dropped by 27.6 per cent.

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Online lead generation 'increasingly reliant on ad networks'

Advertising networks are becoming increasingly popular with marketers, according to a new study, with many companies using one of them to place their adverts.
The importance of online advertising networks for lead generation is growing, according to a new report.
A survey carried out by Econsultancy and the Rubicon Project found that 42 per cent of marketers believe that they will increase the amount that they use advertising networks in future.
Jay Stevens, vice president and general manager at the Rubicon Project, pointed out that it is because of the innovations advertising networks offer - such as frequency capping - that their popularity is increasing.
He said: "This data demonstrates how the UK's digital media industry is maturing, with advertisers and agencies increasingly relying on online advertising networks to give them the reach and audience they are looking for."
The survey also found that many companies use more than one network to book in their display ads, with 23 per cent of those polled saying that they use between five and ten.
This week, Google released a product called DoubleClick Ad Exchange which it claims will be a real-time bidding marketplace that will connect marketers and publishers.

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Research 'necessary for improved lead generation'

Marketers need to carry out research before they make decisions about future promotional campaigns, rather than rely on generic testing, says an industry insider.
Research is needed for marketers to maximise lead generation in their direct marketing campaigns, not just generic testing, according to an industry insider.
Robert Keitch, chief of membership and brand of the Direct Marketing Association, pointed out that there is a growing trend to simply look at previous campaign results when making decisions.
He highlighted the need to carry out new research in order to know the most efficient way of reaching a target audience.
"The power of direct marketing lies in its targeted approach and to ensure that this precision is maximised it is vital that direct marketers use all the tools available to them," the DMA representative added.
Mr Keitch suggested using creative testing, price evaluation and tracking studies to keep up to date with customers' point of view.
Last week, a study by comScore indicated that online advertising was better suited to smaller brands as it is cost-effective and allows customers to be targeted more easily.

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Google releases online lead generation development

Google has released DoubleClick Ad Exchange which it claims will allow real-time bidding for promotional spaces.
Google may have enhanced lead generation possibilities for marketers with the release of DoubleClick Ad Exchange.
The new program will involve real-time bidding in what it the search engine has described as an open marketplace.
In terms of buying up the advertising space, Google has said that it will be aimed at advertising agencies that will then connect marketers with interested websites.
Google AdSense sites will be available on DoubleClick AdExchange, as well as many major branded sites.
Neal Mohan, vice-president of product management at the search engine, said: "Better technology can help make display advertising work better for all involved. We're focused on growing the display advertising pie for everyone."
The company have stated that this new product will make it easier for marketers to make the most efficient use of their time and money and give publishers the most revenue possible.
Last week, Google released Web Elements, allowing businesses to embed any of the company's products into their websites.

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Smaller brands could find online lead generation success

Smaller brands can market themselves effectively online and see successful lead generation, according to a new report.
Smaller brands can market themselves effectively online and see successful lead generation, according to a new report.
The study by comScore looked at brands that have a category buyer penetration of around five per cent or less, who would normally not be able to launch advertising campaigns on television or radio and get value for money.
Dr Magid Abraham, chief executive officer of the company, pointed out that online adverts for smaller companies are a cost-effective way of marketing and offer a much greater ability to target customers than television.
He said: "The good news for brands in these types of smaller categories is that they may be able to advertise affordably for the first time by using the internet."
By investigating the efficiency of targeting the top 20 per cent of customers who are most likely to buy a smaller brand's product, the report found that campaigns can reach up to 84 per cent of a company's target market.
Dr Abraham commented in a recent post on the comScore blog that the company has begun focusing its research on emerging markets in South America and Asia, rather than only the US.

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Lead generation 'too focused on clickthrough rates'

Even though most online adverts are judged on their clickthrough rates, they can still have a positive effect on a brand without necessarily directly selling the product, says an industry expert.
Online lead generation is too concentrated on getting high clickthrough rates when a brand can make an impact without this, says an industry expert.
Jack Wallington, senior programmes manager at the Internet Advertising Bureau, made his comments following the news that Google is releasing a new product which will allow people to flick through news stories online similar to a newspaper.
He pointed out that even though someone may not click through on an advert, just by seeing it in on the screen or in a newspaper that person will be aware of a brand or product that is sending out a marketing message.
"Sometimes the focus is moved away from the actual branding power that an advert can have, so if they do move back to that I think this particular technology could help," Mr Wallington said.
The new service, Google Fast Flip, was announced this week and the company claimed it will allow users to browse through bundles of stories from different news providers.

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'Click to call back' lead generation announced

Vonage telephone company will be releasing 'click to call back' adverts as a new form of online lead generation which will connect up with its call centres.
A new style of online lead generation has been launched by the internet telephone provider Vonage, which will see customers receiving an immediate phone call when they click on an advert.
Last year, the company created a calculator advert, where consumers could work out how much money they would save by switching to Vonage, with all of it contained within the banner ad.
This time around there will be a space for people to put their telephone number in, which will result in somebody from a call centre ringing them back soon afterwards, reports Russell Parsons for Marketing Week.
Vincent Potier, managing director of Vonage UK, said: "It is about integrating digital with other channels of acquisition."
He told Mr Parsons that he hoped it will allow for real-time lead generation by linking online adverts with its call centres.
At the beginning of this month, Vonage had their application for an Apple app approved, but has not announced when it will be released.

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Lead generation through fan pages 'more popular early in the week'

Lead generation on brand pages of social networking sites is more effective earlier on in the week than at weekends according to new research.

Lead generation through social media fan pages is significantly more popular early on each week, according to a new report.

A report by ViTrue, posted on Mark Walsh's Online Media Daily blog on MediaPost, showed that there was an average clickthrough rate of 9.72 per cent from Monday to Wednesday when people visited the fan page of a brand.

In comparison, the clickthrough rate for Friday and Saturday dropped as low as 2.67 per cent for Friday and 2.7 per cent for Saturday.

ViTrue chief executive officer Reggie Bradford told MediaPost: "This highlights the importance for marketers of having a well thought-out communication strategy for updating their brand page and when to create wall posts to get the optimum response."

Mark Walsh pointed out that there is a degree of guesswork involved in clickthrough rate estimations because it factors in the likelihood that not everyone actually sees that advert on the screen.

It was reported last week that the social networking site Facebook is going to begin using direct response adverts, which will allow people to get products and coupons to be sent to their door.

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Half banners 'effective for lead generation'

Ads which are integrated into a webpage may be more effective in achieving lead generation and Rich Media with video campaigns are the most successful, new research has suggested.

Half banners and other ads which are integrated into a webpage may be more effective in achieving lead generation than other varieties, new research has suggested.

The study, carried out by Dynamic Logic, found that ads such as leaderboards and skyscrapers, which frame the webpage, were not as effective as rectangles and half banners.

Ken Mallon, Dynamic Logic's senior vice-president of custom solutions, highlighted creative quality as the key factor for achieving success in advertising, but he noted that he would be interested to see how the latest, bigger advert styles fare.

"Bigger doesn't always mean better, but these new ad formats are quite unique and we look forward to testing them," he said.

This research, carried out over three years and monitoring 2,390 online display campaigns, also concluded that the most effective form of delivery was using Rich Media with Video.

Last month Dynamic Logic announced that they would be forming a partnership with Compete, a firm that studies online consumer behaviour.

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