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Media Partners Worldwide

Category: Digital

Category: Digital

TikTok’s New Frontier: Advertising Breaks into Search Results

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In the ever-evolving landscape of social media platforms, TikTok has taken another bold step by introducing ads in its search results. As one of the fastest-growing and most engaging platforms, TikTok’s decision to integrate advertisements into its search feature is a strategic move that could reshape digital advertising and further monetize its massive user base. This article explores the implications of TikTok’s venture into serving ads within search results and the potential impact on both users and advertisers.

TikTok’s Meteoric Rise and Search Potential

TikTok’s meteoric rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable. With over 2 billion downloads and millions of active users, the platform has captivated a diverse global audience with its short-form, engaging videos. While TikTok’s popularity has largely been attributed to its “For You Page” algorithm-driven content discovery, its search feature has gradually gained traction. Users have started using TikTok’s search function to discover specific topics, trends, and user-generated content.

TikTok’s Entry into Search Ads

Recognizing the potential to enhance user experience and boost monetization efforts, TikTok recently introduced ads within its search results. This development allows advertisers to target users based on specific keywords and phrases they search for within the app. As users explore their interests through searches, they will now encounter relevant ads, seamlessly integrated into their search results.

Implications for Users

For TikTok users, the introduction of search ads could mean encountering more relevant content tailored to their interests. While some users might find this beneficial, there might also be concerns about the intrusion of ads into search results, potentially impacting the platform’s organic and authentic feel. Striking the right balance between providing value through targeted ads and maintaining the integrity of user experience will be crucial for TikTok’s long-term success.

Opportunities for Advertisers

TikTok’s decision to integrate ads into search results opens up new avenues for advertisers to connect with their target audiences. This development allows brands to tap into users’ search behaviors and deliver tailored messages at the right moment. Advertisers can leverage keywords and phrases to ensure that their products or services are showcased when users are actively seeking related content. With the potential to capture user attention at the heart of their interests, search ads on TikTok could yield higher engagement rates and more meaningful interactions between brands and consumers.

Challenges to Navigate

As TikTok ventures into this new territory, there are challenges to consider. Striking a balance between monetization and user experience is paramount to avoid alienating the user base. Advertisers will need to ensure that their content aligns with the platform’s creative and authentic ethos. Maintaining transparency and providing users with control over their ad experience will be crucial to avoid any negative backlash.

TikTok’s move to serve ads within its search results reflects its commitment to innovation and its recognition of the importance of catering to user behaviors. By seamlessly integrating ads into search, the platform aims to deliver more relevant content and create valuable opportunities for advertisers. As this evolution unfolds, TikTok will need to carefully navigate the fine line between monetization and maintaining a user-centric experience. For advertisers, the introduction of search ads presents a promising channel to connect with audiences at a crucial moment of intent, potentially reshaping the way brands engage with consumers on this dynamic platform.

Discover how TikTok’s integration of search ads can propel your marketing efforts to new heights. Our team of experts at Media Partners Worldwide understands the nuances of this dynamic platform and can help you craft compelling, targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience. From keyword optimization to captivating content creation, we’re here to amplify your brand’s presence on TikTok.

The Future of Media Advertising: CTV IS THE FUTURE, BUT LINEAR IS STILL A VIABLE MEDIUM 

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In the rapidly evolving landscape of media advertising, connected TV (CTV) is undeniably the future. The US market has witnessed a remarkable shift in ad spending, with CTV ad spend surging by 21.2% year on year, while linear TV ad spend has contracted by 8.0%. This year alone, US CTV ad spend is projected to reach an impressive $25.09 billion, whereas linear TV will still account for a substantial $61.31 billion.

Analyst, Paul Verna, emphasized on a recent podcast that the future of CTV is already here, not years down the road. Despite the tremendous growth of CTV, linear TV continues to offer substantial value to advertisers.

Both linear and CTV formats have their advertising use cases, as US adults still spend a significant amount of time on both platforms: 2 hours and 55 minutes for linear TV and 1 hour and 55 minutes for CTV. Linear TV remains particularly valuable during major events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and US elections, as it attracts a broader audience, including older demographics. Plus, the cpm pricing is a lot more attractive for Direct Response clients. 

However, CTV holds great promise due to its expanding audience base and precise targeting potential. Advertisers don’t have to completely reinvent their marketing strategies when transitioning to CTV, as the basic creative units remain like traditional TV.

The current leaders in the US CTV ad market are Hulu, YouTube, and Roku, with respective spends of $3.63 billion, $2.89 billion, and $2.19 billion this year. Hulu’s prominent position can be attributed to its early adoption of the ad-supported model. YouTube is also gaining ground as 45% of its viewership now occurs on TV screens, indicating a shift from smartphones to CTV. Advertisers should consider YouTube as a crucial platform for TV advertising.

While the CTV ad spend leaderboard might not experience significant shifts, new players are entering the ad-supported space. Disney+ and Netflix introduced ad-supported tiers last year, and though they are expected to become major players, building up their ad businesses will take time. Additionally, Amazon is contemplating an ad tier for Prime Video, which could lead to a surge in CTV ad spend as brands seek to leverage Amazon’s retail media data. Furthermore, free ad-supported TV platforms like Amazon’s Freevee are experiencing growth in viewership and content offerings.

In conclusion, while CTV unquestionably represents the future of media advertising, advertisers should not disregard linear TV from their media mix. Both formats offer unique advantages and cater to different audiences, making a balanced approach essential for a successful advertising strategy in this dynamic media landscape.

Choosing The Right Marketing Channel

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In today’s economy with all the different business types, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing. Whether your business is an eCommerce business, a start-up, a brick-and-mortar store, a Fortune 500 company, or even an Etsy shop, choosing the right marketing channel for your business can make all the difference between success and failure. Let’s look at some popular marketing channels to see where your business fits best.

  • Billboards

Billboards, while more often more costly, are a great way to communicate your brand’s message visually. Billboards main differentiator amongst marketing channels is their ability to get a lot of eyeballs for a specific area and they are always on. This builds brand awareness and often increased sales, especially if your business is location specific.

  • Radio

Radio is a great way to start a conversation about your business and spread your business’s information and/or news to a wide audience in short-form audio. Radio targets specific locations as well and even demographics based on types of music and the demographic that tunes into that station.

  • CTV

Connected TV could be another advertising for you option if you have a product or service that needs brand awareness. It is great medium to use in meeting people where they are with precision at a low-cost compared to traditional TV. Furthermore, consumers are less likely to opt-out or change the channel.

  • Podcasts

Ever consider sponsoring a podcast? Or starting your own? Or guest-starring on someone else’s podcast? Podcasts may be your marketing channel to reach an entirely new audience. They are extremely niche and almost everyone has one. Find a popular one and collaborate as a guest or sponsor to reach an entirely new audience. This is marketing channel could be for you if your business has knowledge, news, and information to share and you would like to connect with an audience through the power of audio.

  • Social Media Ads

Social media ads are a low-cost and extremely effective way to target your ideal customer. You can get as specific to dial in your ideal customers’ interests, location, hobbies, and more. Not only do social media ads offer highly detailed analytics with their campaigns, but the best part is that every major social media platform offers ads at a very affordable price that is tailored to your business.

  • Social Media Platforms

Besides ads, we also have all our social media platforms that you can share content to for free and organically build an audience and brand awareness. Some platforms now even offer the option to sell straight from your business’s social media account. But beyond increased sales, free organic exposure, and brand awareness, social media is a place to interact with customers and prospects, build relationships with them, and create credibility for your business.

Need help getting started with blowing up your brand on the right marketing channels? Contact Media Partners Worldwide today to consult with the experts on marketing your business.

The Power of Short-Form Video

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Did you know the average attention-span of a consumer is about three seconds? That means you have only three seconds before a potential future customer decides if they will stay on your post or keep scrolling. After the rise of short-form video with fifteen-second videos on TikTok in 2020, today fifteen seconds is now being considered too long of a video with similar short-form video platforms, like Reels and Shorts. But which platform should you focus your attention and why?

After ByteDance’s acquisition of Musically, we saw the emergence and dominance of TikTok as well as the shift to portrait-mode with video. TikTok, amidst a pandemic, was and still is “funducational,” a fun, quick, and educational way to consume content in all industries and niches. TikTok’s massive success quickly influenced other platforms, like Meta adding the Reels feature to Instagram as well as YouTube implementing Shorts into users’ channels. And, while it may seem impossible to keep up with all the new features and platforms, if you use social media for business, it’s imperative that you do.

Right now, the owners of these short-form video platforms are competing for consumers’ eyeball time. ByteDance, Meta, and Google all know and see the power of short-form video, which is exactly why the organic reach on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts is astronomical. An account with no consistent strategy or preexisting following can now go viral overnight on any one of these three platforms. 

So where should you be? The answer is all three of them. Taking one piece of short-form video that is less than fifteen seconds can be distributed to TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, tripling your chance of going viral. And with the right social media marketing strategy in place, can scale your business to new all-time highs.

Need help with your social media strategy? Contact Media Partners Worldwide today.

Reaching a Targeted Audience…Like Truck Drivers

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Reaching a Targeted Audience…Like Truck Drivers

Hitting the right target at the right time with the right message is crucial to the success of your business. If your target audience is made up of truck drivers, Precision Target Marketing is the ideal match between your business and the customers you want to reach.

Media Partners Worldwide can help.

Precision Target Marketing to Truckers

The IRS has a penchant for auditing truckers who are infamous for keeping inaccurate financial records. Agents frequently adjust the amount of income truck drivers report by taking away many reported expenses. Like a “minor delay” on the highway, there is no end in sight for truckers and their tax issues.

The key to effectively marketing to truckers is to pinpoint your message based on demographics and individual interests. The professionals at Media Partners Worldwide are experts at precision target marketing. If you are a Tax Accountant, Tax Attorney, or Tax Resolution Specialist, our proprietary database of over 4 million truckers combined with trucker apps is an ideal and precise target marketing opportunity for your business. We can even identify drivers who have state and/or federal tax liens against them.

How We Do It

Media Partners Worldwide creates marketing opportunities by compiling true and accurate data. That data is then used to segment consumers to help our clients discover the Holy Grail – the Right Person on the Right Device at the Right Time.

We start with a custom email Drip Campaign that alternates frequently to help cut through the clutter. Because our database includes truckers’ unique Mobile Device IDs, we are able to identify where they are physically by Geo-fencing hundreds of locations nationwide.

Once trucker locations are identified, we deliver custom digital ads and video commercials directly to mobile devices through a Trucker App. Ads are deployed when there is a break in content or a new page is loading on a trucker’s mobile phone. This helps to eliminate distractions like small, unreadable banner ads and keeps eyes glued to the screen. When available, we can also deploy ads that take over an entire phone screen with a custom digital ad or video.

Media Partners Worldwide

Think of Media Partners Worldwide as a Precision Marketing Matchmaker. We can connect your business to millions of truckers nationwide.

Contact us today for a free quote.

 

Messenger Marketing: Why It’s Hot

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Mobile messaging is not a new technology or practice. We’ve all been doing it for years now. However, recent applications of its use in commerce has shown compelling reasons to think about implementing messenger marketing in your mix.

1. Popularity

Messaging used in business is becoming more common everyday. Why? Well, 87% of the global population engages in chat messaging of some sort. Over 100 billion messages pass through Facebook products everyday. To capture this huge volume of conversation, more than 40 million companies across the world leverage Messenger on Facebook. Click-to-Messenger ads on Facebook are one of the fastest growing advertising products that Facebook offers.

2. Intuitiveness 

It just feels natural. Messaging is how people communicate with almost everyone. Friends, family, coworkers, etc. Why wouldn’t they want to communicate with businesses in the same way? Messaging is quick and flexible. 64% of people would rather message than call a company. 60% claim to be open to receiving personalized messages from companies.

What’s more is people already have the apps necessary to receive and send messages! There is additional friction regarding app download, new interface, or extra notifications. This convenience and familiarity makes it easy for brands to talk to their market through messaging apps. Canadian airline, WestJet, implemented a new chat bot for Messenger which resulted in a 24% positive sentiment lift as well as increased WestJet’s message capacity by five times.

3. Immediacy 

One of the biggest advantages is that the communication is in real time. This is particularly powerful for industries like travel and hospitality. People can get flight notifications, hotel check-in updates, ask urgent questions, and make changes. All on the go. KLM airlines leveraged WhatsApp by sending booking confirmations, flight updates, and gate details to their thousands of passengers and their friends and family.

4. Scale-able Communication 

Advances in natural language programming and artificial intelligence have made bots more intelligent and user-centric. This leads to companies being able to cater to many different customer needs simultaneously. GlobeAir, a private jet chartering company, used WhatsApp to improve its customers’ experience with the brand and smooth out peak business period demand which customer query fulfillment time by 33%.

5. Personalized Engagement

When artificial intelligence meets chat, companies can deliver information and promotions to individuals at scale. Studies cite that 91% of consumers are more likely to buy from companies who remember them and provide personalized offers. The other side of the coin is the sheer amount of time savings. Automated chat allows brands to do more with that freed up time. Singapore based resort, Marina Bay, harnesses the power of chat to accommodate basic requests and give recommendations. This allows the staff to tend to more complex issues or provide a more personal touch to others.

To wrap up, the popularity, ease, speed, scale, and personalization of messaging is great for companies that provide a service such as hospitality and travel. However, having a personal messaging mechanism set up does not guarantee automatic success. A Spectrm study of 242 brands revealed that 45% did not respond within 5 days of being messaged. Similarly, many brands are not providing bots with support staff for complex queries they cannot handle. For chat to be effective, it must be smart and responsive. With proper execution, chat can be one of the most powerful tools that brands leverage.

Give us a call to talk about what chat marketing could mean for your brand! 562-439-3900

Is Your Target Audience Feeling Tech-Fatigue?

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All great things come to an end. Even the hyper-connected tech savvy consumer will eventually get tired of being on their phone constantly. A recent study from iHeartRadio sheds light on media consumption trends.

The results highlight the effects of “tech-fatigue”. This refers to consumers scaling back phone usage. This means less opportunities to reach your audience.

1. Digital Detox 

The digital detox trend, coupled with data privacy and malware fears has made the mobile advertiser’s life difficult. 64% of participants in the study reduced their daily phone usage from 5 hours to 4 hours in the span of 14 months. That is a 20% drop in phone usage.

2. Broadcast Radio is Unaffected by Digital Detox 

The listening rates for AM/FM radio have remained constant over the past 5 years. 90% of listeners have listened to the radio at the same consumption level, if not more.

3. Broadcast Radio Gets More Time Than Social Media

This one may be a bit hard to believe, but that doesn’t make it any less true. The average daily time spent per adult (18+) in the U.S. on radio is 102 minutes and 51 minutes on social media. Radio gets twice as much engagement time than social media.

The moral of the story is to prevent your campaign from being hurt by trends such as tech fatigue. Having radio in your marketing mix ensures reach, scale, and reliability.

Call us today for great deals on radio spots! 562-439-3900

Three Tips to Optimize Audio Ads

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When advertisers are preparing a new spot for an audio advertisement, a lot of time is spent on deciding how long the spot should be. Westwood One wanted to see if spending a significant amount of time on deciding spot length had a strong enough impact to justify the time spent on this otherwise simple decision. What they found was that longer ads do perform better, but they do not always lead to a significant difference in creative scores.

Now that advertisement length is known to not drive a significant impact on the performance of the spot, attention can be turned to finding other ways to optimize audio advertisement performance. Three best practices were identified.

1. Less messages leads to better recall!

Millward Brown, a global leader in brand strategy consulting, advertising development and optimization, media effectiveness, and brand equity research, reports that more messages in an ad leads to a lower likelihood of a single message being recalled. Powerful numbers are provided to prove this point. The first message of an ad with four total messages only has a 43% recall rate compared to an ad with a single message.

This makes sense once you think about it. Cramming a bunch of messages into an ad makes it harder to remember anything that was in the ad. A 15 second ad with one message will likely perform far better than a 30 second ad with three messages.

Instead of taking a 30 or 60 second ad as an opportunity to say everything you can about the brand, take that time to communicate one central idea in an entertaining & memorable way. Think about Snickers’ advertisements. “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” One central idea that is communicated in a consistently entertaining & attention grabbing way. Time is not wasted talking about taste, size, packaging, price, or the myriad of messages they could communicate. Instead, the message is just to eat a Snickers when you’re hungry. Now that’s memorable.

2. Prioritize brand building, not sales activation 

The Head of Effectiveness at adam&eveDDB, Les Binet, and Peter Field, a Marketing Consultant, studied the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) database of case studies to prove this point. They explain that sales activation campaigns focus on customers who are likely to buy in the very near future which is accomplished by leveraging existing brand equity to drive sales.

They make the analogy that sales campaigns are like carbs; they produce a sugar rush-like  short term sales boost followed by a crash. Sales campaigns are easy to measure because results tend to be immediate and direct.

Similarly, branding campaigns are compared to protein; a sustainable and long lasting source of energy. Brand building is more difficult and requires greater investment, however, it is critical. This involves the process of creating mental associations and beliefs that ultimately leads to the preference of one brand compared to the next. To build a brand, mass media like television and radio are necessary. This is because the objective is to communicate to everyone in the category, not just people in the market right now.

The difference compared to sales campaigns is that brand building sales effects grow and compound, becoming a main driver of long term growth. The ideal mix of sales and branding campaigns should be 60% branding and 40% sales. This makes sense because that means more brand equity is being built than being spent on sales activation.

3. Focus Creative on Emotional Claims Instead of Rational

This may sound backwards, but let’s stop and think about it. Becoming top of mind for consumers is an issue of reach. Creating brand likability and understanding is the product of good advertising. Does this sound like a feat that is accomplished through dumping facts or telling a captivating story that touches the heart?

The Binet & Field analysis reveals that emotional branding performs more strongly across all metrics, including: awareness, commitment, trust, differentiation, fame, and image. Emotional advertising and storytelling creates bonds and associations more efficiently than throwing a bunch of facts about the brand or product at the audience. Naturally, these efficiencies translate to an increase in the bottom line. Creating emotional bonds with the target market yields higher long-term sales, share, pricing power, and loyalty.

To sum up, it’s not the spot length that matters. Focus on the number of messages, branding and sales mix, and emotional claims in your audio creative.

Give us a call 562-439-3900 so that we can create high quality audio creative for you and get you great deals on media placement!

Why Instagram Should be in Your Marketing Plan

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Instagram often gets neglected by marketers because they believe it will be of no use to their respective business or that their target market is not on there. With over one billion monthly active users, it is safe to say that at least some members of the chosen target audience is present. There are five big reasons to start including Instagram in marketing plans.

  1. Target market access: with the one billion monthly users mentioned above, combined with social media’s ability to communicate personable messages, this is a great medium to find your target audience.
  2. Intuitive: Instagram’s user interface is powerful and simple. There is no learning curve or training necessary. For the most part, you can jump right in and get to work. 
  3. Free: It costs nothing to make an Instagram, publish content on it, and see an endless amount of content. There is also an option to do paid advertising on Instagram as well. The core functions are free, though. 
  4. No equipment necessary: Smartphones are sophisticated enough that an expensive camera, studio, or any other content production tools are not necessary. Creativity, patience, and the slightest photography know-how will get the job done at superb quality
  5. Automation capabilities: Adding another platform to the marketing mix can sound like a lot of extra work, but it really isn’t thanks to recent developments from Facebook, Instagram’s owner. There are automation dashboards that allow Instagram posts to be scheduled ahead of time, in bulk with tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social. 

To summarize, start using Instagram in your marketing plan because it’s free, easy to use, doesn’t require fancy equipment, and your target market is on there! 

Next, learn how to optimize your Facebook marketing campaign!

Quick Tips to Improve Your Facebook Marketing Campaign

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Quick Tips to Improve Your Facebook Marketing Campaign

Facebook is one of the most under-utilized online advertising channels, despite its popularity as a social media platform. With approximately 1.4 billion active users, it would behoove you to test the Facebook ad waters and build a proper strategy for your business.

In an attempt to help weed out all the clutter, here are some quick tips to get you started on your Facebook marketing campaign.

Appearance
* Coordinate your cover photo, profile picture and pinned posts to match your call to action. If you want to maximize engagement with your marketing campaigns, try matching your copy and creative across all three.
* Use a recognizable profile picture. Since your profile picture is at the top of the page and used as your thumbnail, you want to make sure it’s something that potential customers or fans will recognize, like your logo.
* Plan your “About” section, carefully. Since a preview of your “about” section is shown beneath your profile picture, it is going to be one of the first things people see. Make sure to write relevant information about your company and include your website.

Posting
* Think about ways you can target your audience, such as by age, gender, interests or education. The more specific you are with targeting the stronger your engagement will be.
* Create original posts, but don’t overwhelm your followers by post more than a few times a day.
* Post during peak times. Websites, such as coschedule.com, offer analytics of the best time to post on Facebook and other social media platforms. For example, posts published between 1-4 p.m. usually have the best click-through and share rates.
* Visual content is essential to succeeding on social media. Research has a shown the use of visual content in Facebook campaigns can generate 65% more engagement after only one month.
Analysis
* Facebook offers features to track your engagement with followers such as “Insights.”For example, if you are looking for page specific data, like engagement rate per post, “insights” is a great tool to utilize.
* Use tracking URLs with UTM codes to identify which posts are driving traffic and conversions to your website.
* Promote your best content, the content that you know works. You don’t have to spend precious time in the beginning completely changing your campaign. If something has worked for you before, try it again.
For more information on using Facebook ads to promote your business, visit us at www.mediapartnersworldwide.comm or call us directly:(562)439-3900