Anyone can sit in a classroom and listen to a lecture and “learn” about digital media.  But, does that really translate into a base knowledge in the real world? Unfortunately, probably not.  Real world experience is undoubtedly the best tool you can have in your pocket to utilize later on in our life and your career.

Fortunately for us, we’ve been given the opportunity to hear from industry professionals and learn first hand from their experiences. And I guess, for now at least, that will work!

Our industry professional also happens to be our professor for digital media, Eric Ritter.  Ritter has worked all semester long to teach me my classmates and about the world of digital media.  Gladly, I can say that I’ve gained an understanding of the world he lives in.

For me, a student who found inspiration in advertising management, what Eric said about individual traits needed to succeed in digital media reminded me of many traits needed to succeed as an account executive.  you must have a good personality, quality work, timeliness, good work ethic and industry expertise.  One must also know the brand, their consumer and the journey to the end goal. Solid pointers from a true professional in the industry.

Eric also specifically pointed out the importance of constantly saving your work and understanding that Google is our best friend. #protip

One thing that was mentioned that I particularly enjoyed was the S.M.A.R.T. acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely).  Again, while this specifically applies towards digital media, these same principles can also apply to virtually any career.

Bringing this back to digital, we were also given various formulas that would be considered important and vital. You can check some of them out here.

Overall, there are many facets to any industry you get involved in, digital media is no different.  The only way to really understand and master the role is to get that job and get involved in it.

Thank you, Eric, for the insight you’ve provided and the lessons taught.

 

 

 

When it comes to public relations, I think it’s fair to say that most of us have this image built up in our head of a dusty room in a back corner of an office where workers go to die.  Or maybe it’s only me.  Clearly, prior to reading this chapter, I myself was a bit out of touch with the reality of public relations, specifically online public relations.

As we’ve learned in virtually all of our advertising classes, a product is only as good as its public perception.  And that’s when public relations come into play.  Today’s modern digital landscape has given way to a virtual endless landscape of opportunity for consumer, and the advertiser as well. The chapter spells it out for us: digital silence is not an option for a modern business in today’s realm.  For God’s sake, we have the internet!

**Insert Patrick from Sponge Bob meme**

The cool thing for us advertisers, at least from my point of view, is that the promotions and campaigns we create are exactly what the consumer sees.  Although we aren’t “PR people”, we all know what we can and can’t do. Thankfully, the same PR rules that have essentially applied since the beginning of time still apply today.  What are those rules you might ask? Ryan comes to the rescue again and lists those steps for us.  As he puts it, these following steps are the essentials that one must know; Start with strategy and an understanding of your audience.  Know the influencers, understand their pressures, gain their trust. The humble press release – it still works. Creativity that gets cut-through: surprise and delight your audience, and make it as simple and low-cost as you like. And finally, damage limitation: when crisis strikes, be positive.

(With these rules applying, many new digital PR trends have emerged as well)

While technically speaking, these responsibilities still fall to those who choose the PR profession, I still believe that it starts with people like me, the advertiser.  We may be in a digital age, but digital PR is here to stay, just as the rules to follow are too.

With the semester starting to wind to a close, we’ve begun to go outside the classroom and into the Tampa Bay advertising scene.  This week was no different and we were lucky enough to head over to Social Forces for a visit.  Max Dempster, Senior Content Strategist and USF Alumni was there to greet us and give us insight into his world at Social Forces.

Social Forces is a smaller boutique agency that primarily operates in the realm of product promotion.  They do this in many forms including digital, point-of-purchase store display and social media to name a few.  It was interesting to hear Max talk because a lot of what they do resinate what I do at my job at Oakley.  What is that exactly? Make. People. Buy. Things.

As Max went on to explain to us, a lot of the projects they take on are what I’ll call “convenient store” items. Monster energy drinks and Circle K’s Polar Pops seem to be extremely prevalent.  There are so many intriguing and often, not so apparent, aspects of these product campaigns.

For example, I’ll reflect upon what Max mentioned about Monster.  Being one of the biggest names in the energ drink industry, Monster still needs to keep its awareness up.  The best way to do that it seems these days is through social media.  Utilizing Facebook’s data analytics and other tools, Max can direct any promotions they choose to run to only those that will receive the ads in a positive light and actually participate in them.  One such campaign was Monster’s release of a new drink called M-100. Max and the team at Social forces were able to take on the tonality of the product and create an interactive social media campaign. In fact, the campaign was so successful there were people posting videos of their search for the illusive drink. ((Check out the fan video here!)…warning, this guy is a little bit out there.)

Overall, Max made it clear; success in this industry is measured by impressions, and results.  Across the industry, the trends are shifting to a more interactive user experience with easy ways to participate.  I enjoyed Maxs’ presentation and took away some valuable pointers!

Jenni Mullins, a master of the digital marketing realm was kind enough to pay a visit to our class last week.  Mullins, the founder and owner of Moxie Digital established her company in an effort to specifically work for smaller businesses who cant neccisarily afford the larger agencies.  Digital marketing as Jenni explained is a vast and ever changing environment to opperate in.  There isn’t always a clear path to success in the space.

Jenni was quick to point out that there are many angles that deserve equal thought when diving into a client’s advertising needs.  The process of creating digital content to begin with is more reminicent of a never ending roller coaster.  There is never going to be a starting point, or a definite ending point for that matter.  Just as with any kind of advertising, a strategy is only relevant for so long.  It’s important to convey that to the client, but also understand that going into the project as well.

Digital marketing, to me at least, meant putting all your focus into digital platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat.  However, surprizingly enough, Jenni pointed out how certain type of lesser thought of mediums can be just as effective.  Email is so dead, right?  Not the case.  As Jenni mentioned, Email Marketing is actually alive and well.  The unique ability that Email Markerting offers companies is unmatched.  You can gather mounds of data using this strategy and also increase your interaction with customers.

Of course, we arent limited to just email, there are dozens of different digital marketing techniques we as advertisers can utilize;   Blogs and eNewsletters can also be an invaluable tool in our pockets.  Social media and even things not typically thought of as content, such as memes, will resignate with targets of digital marketing.

Jenni was a great speaker and I would highly recommend speaking with her if you ever wanted to learn more about digital marketing.

I’ve known Chris Gately, ironically enough, since high school.  He was definitely “that guy” on the morning show.  Always charasmatic and wanting to be in the spotlight, Chris commanded attention.  He has always been great at one thing, talking. In a way, its only fitting that he came into class as a guest speaker.

I always envisioned Chris going into news broadcasting, however, fate works its magic and he is now a digital strategist at Triad (Check out Triad).  The day to day life that Chris lives involves a lot of digital knowledge and acronyms.  First and foremost, Chris knows the basics of his industry; PPC (Pay Per Click), CPM (Cost Per Thousand)…thise types of things.  Perhaps even more importantly for Chris, he knows about purchasing digital media.

When it comes to paid search, there are a few more acronyms that people like Chris need to know; RTB (Real Time Bidding), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and CPC (Cost Per Click).  With the excepption of RTB, these where terms I have come across in my studies at USF.  However, How Chris applies them in his profession went beyond the definition and into reality.

I found it really interesting how Chris spoke about his job.  In typical Gately fassion, it was almost sarcastic.  The way in which he bids against other digital strategists  for media space.  This was my first exposure to “Second Chance Bidding.  The idea here being, if I bid $10 and the next closest bid is $8, I win the auction.  But, I don’t pay $10, I only pay $8.01.  It was very insightful to see how the online digital auctions are handled.

Chris also had some awesome “pro tips” for us.  Along with getting free certifications, Chris also mentioned Programmatic.  (Explore Programmatic) Programmatic is focussing on real time bidding and bidding on inventories across millions of websites.  This has esssentially eliminated the complexity of purchasing media and the middle man which slowed the process dramatically.  Faster speeds and less space for human error has incresed an advertisers’ ability to increase viewability.  And Chris made it clear, viewablity is the biggest problem with the internet today.

The space in which Chris works, the space in which many of my future projects as an account manager will work, is ever changing.  Chris perpetuated the idea of this by stating that you’ll never master everything.  But, with the right motivation, determination, and skill set, just like Chris, you too can be a successful professional in the digital space.

My first impression of this chapter was that it was straight to the point.  “Do you listen to your customers…really listen to them?…If you do, you’re ahead of the game.”  It’s no mystery to me as an advertising student the true value of listening.  You can go on and on for days brainstorming and coming up with ideas that you think may result in a positive, but if you don’t hear the input of your customers, you’re only seeing to yourself.  (And as much as I like to spoil myself, I need to get sales in order to do so.)

Customer engagement and reach has always been a struggle for those of us in the advertising and marketing space, however, we have the single most disruptive tool to the field of all time: Social media.  Social media, as we define it, is “the umbrella term for web-based software and services that allow users to come together online and exchange, discuss, communicate and participate in any form of social interaction.”  For advertisers, it social media means we have numerous ways to reach an audience.  And thats what is so disruptive about it.

With the rise of social media, one of the most noticeable changes is that marketing has become “conversational” in nature (Borcz+Dixon).  And just like in a person to person conversation, different people (social media platforms in this case), have different tones.  The key to being successful in the space is actually interacting with your social media followers.  Large companies are always looking to gain an edge here and off the top of my head, Target is one that jumps out at me.  Target has always had a knack of replying to social media.  Whether it be addressing a complaint, or a witty reply.

Social media isn’t limited to just Facebook and Instagram.  There are dozens of platforms: Twitter, Snapchat, Blogs, Podcasts, Forums and even Wikis.  Obviously, others are more prevalent than others.  And by that fact alone, advertisers are more drawn to some than others.  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn rank supreme when it comes to advertising (Top Platforms).

It would seem that the future of social media, and now social media advertising, are cemented in everyday life.  Utilized by people and companies, the change in marketing will continue to evolve.  And, as a future advertiser speaking here, you can bet your bottom dollar that social media will be a strong tool in my pocket when I was to engage with my audience.

Growing up, it seems that we’re all taught to think that successful companies are those who have been around for decades.  Clearly, in the rapidly growing digital landscape of today, that idea has been debunked!  We’ve read how rapidly this digital landscape has taken form and in doing so, taken roots into every facet of modern life.  Our economy, our education and our entertainment are all intertwined and there’s no going back at this point.

Like any thing else that evolves, certain growing pains and triumphs occur.  In this chapter, we looked at how customers find retailers and products online.  The way I approach it, advertisers (me) are just like a retail company.  My sole purpose is to get people to buy my merchandise.  With the aid of the internet and these handy things called search engines, I have the best opportunity of all time to achieve this.

The idea of a search engine is simple; people, or perspective customers, go on the web and search for an item.  Since 1998, Google has reigned supreme and the leading go to for this exact opportunity.  Just like a prime piece of real-estate to a store, I, as an advertiser, want to be on google.  And the rest of the market tends to agree with me; $20.6 billion…yes billion with a “B”, was spend on search marketing in 2013 alone!  Naturally, with that much money in play, competition is tough.  As in nature, an evolution occurs.

As an advertiser, I want my product or webpage to be the first result of every search.  And with millions upon millions of searches happening daily, the rewards are well worth the cost.  I’m no computer genius, but I can sure pay for one who will intern increase on my investment.  There are companies that specialize in SEO and PPC and all sorts of computer wizardry, I just have to make sure I pick the right company.

To be perfectly honest, I never knew half of the things in this chapter existed; Long-tail and short-tail key words, key word content.  It’s all new to me.  But in reading it, the overall idea is much like that of an advertising campaign.  And that I do know.

I must first know my product or service and the audience I want to reach.  I must have a strategy and tactic to reach them, and I must be able to convert my advertising into a transaction.  SEO and mobile SEO are a key tool in my pocket to use at my disposal.

Most importantly, the ability that search engines offer me to promote my products to online prospects at the exact moment they’re looking for it is the only one of its kind.  Advertiser or not, search engines are an awesome tool to use in our digital landscape.

An extended timeline of search engines

SEO Trends of today

As a living, breathing modern human being, it’s a no brainer to understand the importance of the internet and its role in our society.  The internet is far more than just a tool for research or just interconnectivity for that matter.  The internet is an economic powerhouse. However, as an online advertiser, you can only be successful on the internet if you stick to a proven recipe for success.

First and foremost, to be successful at even standing a chance online, you must have a sound website.  It must be relevant to your product or service, easy to navigate, and answer two key elements- does it maintain your business goals, and does it meet the needs of your target market? If you, as an online advertiser, can confidently answer yes to these questions, you’re on a solid path to success.

To be perfectly honest, there’s a lot of really important things in this chapter that are very relevant if you’re wanting to be a web developer, which I am not.  So, with that off my chest, I’m going to switch gears a little bit.

Im a first and foremost an advertiser.  I understand the elements that I work in and devote myself to invoking someone, somewhere, to make a decision based on strategic placement of an ad.  That could be done through a myriad of opportunities, but I’m going to focus on web advertising for this post.

The internet is much like a magazine or television ad in the sense that you have to be aware of your target audience.  If you choose to advertise a product on a website who’s patrons don’t care about said product, you’ve failed and your campaign will too.  I must be able to understand and identify where the best chance to convert a viewer is.  In the chapter, it’s mentioned that “your website is your conversation engine”.  This is 100% true.  The website I choose to advertise will make or break my campaign.

Going digital, the opportunities are virtually endless.  With effective website construction, management, content and hosting, you can advertise extremely effectively.  The internet has proven itself invaluable to everyday life, and now in the digital marketing and advertising worlds.

Online Advertising Cost

Big Advertisers Spend Big Bucks on Digital

As an aspiring advertiser, I think it is an easy assumption to say that the internet is important.  In fact, I’ll just go ahead and say it… THE INTERNET IS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT TO ADVERTISERS!  With the rise of the digital age, advertisers inherited a new window into the hearts and minds of consumers.  All 2.6 billion of those worldwide that are connected.  With the internet in our back pocket, advertisers gained the most disruptive technology ever created by man and so far, advertisers are reaping all the benefits.

As an advertiser, it is paramount to understand who my audience is and where to position my ads best to capture their attention.  Until recently, advertisers would have to look at variables such as traffic routes, TV and radio stations and even what newspapers and magazines their target audience consumed to make the best decision.  That all changed with the internet.  The internet provided a new autonomy to the world of advertising.  Advertisers first define their digital marketing strategy and infuse their website or digital ads with elements to achieve those goals.  Target audiences are very easy to negotiate online and even more easily targetable.

You may ask, “Why are target audiences easily targetable?”  Well the answer to that question lies under the understanding of one simple fact; there really isn’t such a thing as a “digital consumer”.  What online advertising really boils down to is knowing that these strange new people who explore the internet, researching, shopping and purchasing, are people.  The exact same people who advertisers have been communicating with for centuries.  The only difference is now is you don’t see them in a retail setting.  You could argue that’s not a good thing, but you’d be wrong.  Anonymity is a blessing and absolutely an advantage to the advertisers and businesses.

As the digital era progresses, more and more people flock to the internet.  As history shows, where the people go, advertisers will follow.  And we have.  We have the upper hand in this showdown and the ability to target audiences better than ever before.  Advents such as social media and interactivity act as a catalyst to online advertising allowing the very people who seek a product or service, to now spread the world digitally.  It is an exciting time to be both an advertiser and a consumer.  We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for tomorrow.

Digital Trends in 2015

!0 Best SEO Companies

Do I want to get digital?  I would lean towards saying yes!  Let’s face it, as an aspiring advertising professional, it’s going to be imperative for me to be incredibly in-tune with the digital landscape that dominates the market today.  With that said, a professor that I admire once told me, “…you must know at least 80% of everything in advertising to succeed.”  With that in mind, it must be as equally important to know and understand the history of communication and how we got to where we are today.

Damien Ryan didn’t hold back in the start of the book. “…amidst the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, you’ll find an engraved penis,…”.  Talk about getting your attention.  What Ryan goes on to say was how this was one of the earliest examples of humans efforts to advertise.  Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since.  Through the centuries, vast leaps in technology have enabled humans to go beyond the line of sight and the sound of voice.

One of the most interesting things I learned was about a little known group of 200 “electric monks”.  All the way back in 1746, these monks were paving the way for generation of inventors to follow.  Proving that electricity could transmit a signal over distances, others expanded the on the idea and created ground-breaking technologies such as the telegraph, Morse code, the telephone and eventually the internet.

Thanks to a Cold War and the all-american spirit to be bigger and better, what we know as the internet was officially born in 1958.  At least, sort of.  As a response to the Russian launch of the first satellite, sputnik, the U.S. set up an agency that became known as ARPA, (Advanced Research Projects Agency).  Their efforts resulted in ARPANET, early email networks and eventually the “internet” in 1974.  Though it wouldn’t be widely available for public use until the early 1990’s, the internet was set to take center stage in the digital world.

As time has progressed, the internet has morphed itself from just a tool into an economic gold mine.  Businesses and entrepreneurs alike flocked to the space and have firmly taken hold.  But, they were quick to be followed by users, just like you and me, to fill the internet with content.

Web 2.0 and all the user generated content that comes with it now dominates the internet and digital space alike.  Advertisers see the vast audience reach and the attention it receives.  World wide, some 2.1 billion people have internet access and the number continues to grow everyday!

While the stage is set for the digital advertiser, it will be up to me to dictate the new trends and create the next big hit.  History has a funny way of repeating itself and I’m confident in saying that the digital space will transform again.

---

Future Mobile Ad Spending

Digital Marketing Trends

---