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Internet advertising revenues reached $10.9 billion in the first half of 2009, a 5 percent decline from the same time in 2008, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Search and display advertising continue to account for the largest percentages of overall advertising spend.  Search revenues amounted to more than $5.1 billion for the first six months of 2009, up three percent from the same period in 2008.

"While the overall advertising market has continued to be impacted by current economic conditions, marketers are allocating more of their dollars to digital media for its accountability and because consumers are spending more of their leisure time online," said David Silverman, PwC Assurance partner.

Display-related advertising which includes rich media, digital video and sponsorship totaled nearly $3.8 billion in the first six months of 2009 showing a slight decline from the same time in 2008. Digital video continues to see solid growth with a 38 percent increase from the first half of 2008.

"We are in one of the most difficult economic slumps in decades. Interactive is one of the advertising sectors that has been least affected," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB.

"In recent years the digital revolution has driven a transformation of how consumers experience advertising and media. As the economy improves, we’re confident that brands will devote an even greater share of their budgets to reaching consumers as they make interactive media a larger part of their lives."
 

WebProNews recently ran an article looking at a study, which indicated that spending on mobile advertising would reach $760 million in 2009 (20% more than last year). A spokesperson with mobile advertising firm Crisp Wireless took notice and set us up with a Q&A with Chief Revenue Officer and former member of Yahoo Search’s Strategic Alliances team, Tom Foran.

It’s looking more and more like mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses in the future. As competitors get on board, it’s going to be harder to ignore for a company that doesn’t want to get left in the dust. Have you tried out mobile marketing in any form? Tell us about your results.

People have their mobile devices with them 18 hours a day, as Mike Wehrs, President and CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently told WebProNews. "Why wouldn’t you want to be able to deliver relevant information to them?" he added. "Because if you do it well, it doesn’t become an advertisement. It becomes information that they were looking for anyway."

Following is the Q&A with Tom Foran.

WebProNews: Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for marketers?

Tom Foran: Mobile marketing has matured to be a viable medium for many different types of marketers and brands.  The categories experiencing the most success so far are Entertainment, Automotive and Financial Services.  I believe national retailers will be the next wave, taking advantage of the increasing market share of devices supporting location-based targeting.

WPN: How far off are we from mobile marketing being essential?

TF: In 2009 we are seeing nearly all major brands embrace mobile in some fashion.  After these trailblazers have set the bar, direct response marketers will follow suit.

WPN: I’m told that your company has worked for publishers like Time, CNN Money, and USA Today. What kind of mobile campaigns have these publishers ran? Please tell me a little bit about their results.

TF: Crisp has built a reputation as a leading mobile vendor after working with major media and entertainment companies such as Time, CNN Money, and USA Today to mobilize their web content. Now we are extending these relationships to help premium publishers fully monetize this content via "beyond the banner" mobile advertising. Instead of relegating their inventory as remnant to mobile ad networks, we assist publishers in selling their mobile ad inventory through engaging rich media ad units, ad reporting, advertiser landing sites, and collaborative sales support – all to maximize their mobile revenues.

WPN: What are some do’s and don’ts of mobile advertising?

TF: Successful mobile campaigns recognize what will appeal to consumers while they are mobile. Mobile is not simply a repurposed desktop campaign; it must leverage the utility of the device (e.g. click-to-call, click-to-video, click-to-map a dealer/retail location, click-to-buy on iTunes). The biggest mistake you can make is being too cautious to give it a try. The mobile landscape is uncluttered and generating CTRs and user engagement. Now is the time to be seen on mobile.

WPN: What do you think the most effective form of mobile advertising is?

TF: In our experience so far, rich media "beyond-the-banner" advertising generates the highest levels of engagement with consumers. Our full-screen home page takeover ad, which can be served as content is loading, has seen double-digit CTRs.

WPN: Do you think most consumers want to be marketed to through their mobile devices?

TF: I think whenever you ask consumers if they want to be marketed to on any medium the answer will be no. However, take a look at how many people really install ad blockers online.  It is a tradeoff we become accustomed to. I think if you ask them if they would rather spend $5/mo to access the New York Times on their mobile phone or tolerate some well-targeted, well-executed, non-invasive advertising, I would bet they’d choose the advertising.

WPN: How can a marketer avoid annoying consumers when marketing to them through their mobile device?

TF: The most important factor is relevancy. If an ad is well-targeted and relevant to the consumer, they will not find it annoying. Second, we offer options like frequency-capping and ’skip this ad’ features to ensure a positive user experience.

WPN: What are some trends you see growing in the industry in the present? The future?

TF: I see a growing seriousness around mobile advertising. This correlates into serious campaign funding and a close look at campaign metrics. The onslaught of the iPhone and other large screen devices have opened up the industry in ways nothing else could. Now, not only do advertisers have the real estate to advertise, they can do so in a much more effective manner.

WPN: If there’s anything else you’d like to say regarding the mobile advertising industry, please feel free to do so.

TF: We see premium publishers moving away from dependence upon mobile ad networks to embracing direct mobile ad sales.  Ad networks dominated the first inning of mobile advertising. Now the tide is turning, at least among premium publishers. In the future, ad networks will continue to service remnant inventory and long-tail publishers.

Wrapping Up

I would like to thank Mr. Foran for answering our questions, and providing his insight into the growing industry of mobile marketing. What are your thoughts? Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses? Comment here.

The majority (92%) of advertisers are using Internet advertising in their media campaigns followed by print advertising at 88 percent, according to a new LinkedIn Research Network/Harris Poll.

At the same time, less than half are using radio advertising (46%), television advertising (46%) and mobile advertising (39%). The Harris poll found there is a regional difference as advertisers in the South are more likely to use radio advertising (57%) and television advertising (56%) while those in the West are least likely to use both (39% each).

Among those advertisers who are using each of these types of media, there is a difference in the level of usage since last year. Three-quarters of those who use Internet advertising (74%) say they are incorporating it more often while 69 percent of those who use mobile advertising are using it more often compared to a year ago. Unsurprisingly, the largest drop is with print advertising as half (49%) of those who use it are using it less often compared to a year ago while 41 percent are using it the same amount.

Of those who use Internet advertising just 14 percent say they use it in a standalone campaign, while 54 percent say the use it in an integrated campaign with other media and 33 percent use Internet advertising in both types of campaigns equally.

Four out of five advertisers who use Internet advertising use it as a branding device (79%) and two- thirds use it to drive information gathering for an offline transaction (65%). Slightly less than three in five advertisers (58%) use Internet advertising to drive online transactions while 57 percent say the use it to promote community around their brand.

Internet users find many aspects of online advertising very annoying. The majority (80%) say they find ads that expand on the page and cover the content very frustrating while 79 percent say ads where they can’t find the close or skip button very frustrating.

Three-quarters of consumers (76%) find Internet ads that automatically pop up very frustrating while two-thirds (66%) say ads that open if they are "moused over" are very frustrating. Three in five consumers find both animated ads that automatically start playing and ads that play music and/or have loud soundtracks to be very frustrating (60% for both).

"Although the trend among advertisers is clearly towards the Internet, advertisers have to walk a fine line," the study concludes.

"At least three in five consumers are very frustrated with six of the main Internet advertising characteristics, and there is the potential to see a backlash forming. To be successful, those that advertise on the Internet will need to come up with more engaging ways to connect with consumers."

WebProNews recently ran an article looking at a study, which indicated that spending on mobile advertising would reach $760 million in 2009 (20% more than last year). A spokesperson with mobile advertising firm Crisp Wireless took notice and set us up with a Q&A with Chief Revenue Officer and former member of Yahoo Search’s Strategic Alliances team, Tom Foran.

It’s looking more and more like mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses in the future. As competitors get on board, it’s going to be harder to ignore for a company that doesn’t want to get left in the dust. Have you tried out mobile marketing in any form? Tell us about your results.

People have their mobile devices with them 18 hours a day, as Mike Wehrs, President and CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently told WebProNews. "Why wouldn’t you want to be able to deliver relevant information to them?" he added. "Because if you do it well, it doesn’t become an advertisement. It becomes information that they were looking for anyway."

Following is the Q&A with Tom Foran.

WebProNews: Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for marketers?

Tom Foran: Mobile marketing has matured to be a viable medium for many different types of marketers and brands.  The categories experiencing the most success so far are Entertainment, Automotive and Financial Services.  I believe national retailers will be the next wave, taking advantage of the increasing market share of devices supporting location-based targeting.

WPN: How far off are we from mobile marketing being essential?

TF: In 2009 we are seeing nearly all major brands embrace mobile in some fashion.  After these trailblazers have set the bar, direct response marketers will follow suit.

WPN: I’m told that your company has worked for publishers like Time, CNN Money, and USA Today. What kind of mobile campaigns have these publishers ran? Please tell me a little bit about their results.

TF: Crisp has built a reputation as a leading mobile vendor after working with major media and entertainment companies such as Time, CNN Money, and USA Today to mobilize their web content. Now we are extending these relationships to help premium publishers fully monetize this content via "beyond the banner" mobile advertising. Instead of relegating their inventory as remnant to mobile ad networks, we assist publishers in selling their mobile ad inventory through engaging rich media ad units, ad reporting, advertiser landing sites, and collaborative sales support – all to maximize their mobile revenues.

WPN: What are some do’s and don’ts of mobile advertising?

TF: Successful mobile campaigns recognize what will appeal to consumers while they are mobile. Mobile is not simply a repurposed desktop campaign; it must leverage the utility of the device (e.g. click-to-call, click-to-video, click-to-map a dealer/retail location, click-to-buy on iTunes). The biggest mistake you can make is being too cautious to give it a try. The mobile landscape is uncluttered and generating CTRs and user engagement. Now is the time to be seen on mobile.

WPN: What do you think the most effective form of mobile advertising is?

TF: In our experience so far, rich media "beyond-the-banner" advertising generates the highest levels of engagement with consumers. Our full-screen home page takeover ad, which can be served as content is loading, has seen double-digit CTRs.

WPN: Do you think most consumers want to be marketed to through their mobile devices?

TF: I think whenever you ask consumers if they want to be marketed to on any medium the answer will be no. However, take a look at how many people really install ad blockers online.  It is a tradeoff we become accustomed to. I think if you ask them if they would rather spend $5/mo to access the New York Times on their mobile phone or tolerate some well-targeted, well-executed, non-invasive advertising, I would bet they’d choose the advertising.

WPN: How can a marketer avoid annoying consumers when marketing to them through their mobile device?

TF: The most important factor is relevancy. If an ad is well-targeted and relevant to the consumer, they will not find it annoying. Second, we offer options like frequency-capping and ’skip this ad’ features to ensure a positive user experience.

WPN: What are some trends you see growing in the industry in the present? The future?

TF: I see a growing seriousness around mobile advertising. This correlates into serious campaign funding and a close look at campaign metrics. The onslaught of the iPhone and other large screen devices have opened up the industry in ways nothing else could. Now, not only do advertisers have the real estate to advertise, they can do so in a much more effective manner.

WPN: If there’s anything else you’d like to say regarding the mobile advertising industry, please feel free to do so.

TF: We see premium publishers moving away from dependence upon mobile ad networks to embracing direct mobile ad sales.  Ad networks dominated the first inning of mobile advertising. Now the tide is turning, at least among premium publishers. In the future, ad networks will continue to service remnant inventory and long-tail publishers.

Wrapping Up

I would like to thank Mr. Foran for answering our questions, and providing his insight into the growing industry of mobile marketing. What are your thoughts? Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses? Comment here.

PPC advertising is an internet marketing method which generates instant traffic to your website. However, unlike Search Engine Optimization, pay per click advertising requires investment without being able to guarantee a return. Visitors may click on your site but this does not mean an automatic sale, order or lead. PPC campaigns require focus, attention and need to be regularly monitored to stay effective.

PPC started in the year 1998 by Goto.com, a 25 employee startup company (later Overture, now part of Yahoo).However, Pay Per Click Advertising was only introduced in 2002, until then, advertisements were charged at cost per thousand (CPM) but Yahoo Advertisements have always been PPC, since its introduction in 1998. Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft Ad Center are the largest operators in PPC advertising.

PPC advertising on search engines allows you choose keywords you would like your site to appear when a search is done. You decide how much you are want to pay each time a person clicks on the search results that is ad copy. The more you are willing to pay per click, the higher your site will appear in the results for the keywords you choose.

According to a recent US study, web searchers will not click on a search engine’s results beyond page number three and 66% of users in the study clicked on sites listed on page number one only. Based on this research it is worth doing PPC besides other popular internet marketing methods like SEO, Article Marketing, Social Bookmaking and Affiliate Marketing.

Why Pay Per Click (PPC)?

Instant Results – No need to wait for your product or service to reach the user review. Immediate Traffic to your website.
Economical – It is economical as compared with other traditional advertising techniques.
Ideal for Testing Market – Pay Per Click is Ideal for short term advertisement campaigns. We can test the user reaction on particular products or services with immediate results.
Return On Investment – It can provide immediate return on Investment especially if your website is processing business or sales online.
Extremely Flexible – Its easy to adjust, add, delete or edit your keywords and copy, target geographic locations and set timings of appearing of your ad copy.
Avoid Unnecessary Keywords – For those keywords which you do not want your adcopy to get appear & hence clicked can be avoided by using negative keywords.
Total Control – In PPC Campaigns, the steering wheel is totally in your hands i.e you decide the daily budget, keywords, adcopy ( tile, description, URL) .

Some Basic Tips for Pay Per Click Campaigns:

Make a sensible budget for your PPC advertising campaign. Spend per click must be less than profit per click. Cost Per Acquisition/Lead/Sale must be kept in mind. Once the campaign has been launched, the number of leads or sales generated can be reviewed to ensure the campaign is going on the right track.
Make separate Ad Groups & ad copies for particular set of keywords.
Bid & Position for keywords & ad copies must be monitored on regular basis.
Choose specific keywords relevant with your website. Broad and non-specific terms must be avoided.

Besides the Benefits…Some Drawbacks of PPC

Junk Traffic sent to your website via some less known Search Engines and Click Fraud are the major drawbacks in Pay Per Click Advertising. It does not offer you discount if your site gets more traffic i.e Cost Per Click will remain the same. Advertising Budget must be agreed and bid price per keyword must be confirmed so bid wars are avoided and you don’t go over budget.

For effective Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising Campaign for your online business, visit expert SEO Companies – TIS India and SEO.india-designers.net that specializes in delivering high quality, cost effective and result oriented PPC advertising services in an efficient manner