Today at Bannersnack Ad Talk we have a former journalist and newspaper editor turned international SEO and digital-marketing consultant. Samuel Scott is a global speaker and crafter of strategic marketing campaigns that integrate both traditional and online marketing. He also contributes to publications including Moz and the Times of Israel and has been quoted or cited by Search Engine Land, The New York Times, and CIO. He lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Website: www.samueljscott.com
Twitter: @samueljscott
1. What are the trends that you think will continue to influence banner advertising?
“As I’ve written before, I think most types of digital advertising will increasingly move away from models that charge per impression or click and towards those that charge per “conversion” or other pre-defined action. In light of the growing awareness of fraud in the online-advertising industry, the use of such models will make it easier to measure ROI despite any fraudulent impressions or clicks.”
2. What do you think about “retargeting”? How this part of online advertising can help a brand?
“Well, retargeting — along with those third-party content-promotion ads that we see at the bottom of articles now — is one of those advertising methods that I hate. Even as a marketer, I think it is creepy. But here’s the rub: It works! People say they hate retargeting, but ROI studies show that they are clicking on retargeted ads.
In terms of top-of-the-funnel brand awareness, retargeting is similar to using a billboard that a person might see on the drive to and from work every day. The regular, repeated views firmly plant the brand in the person’s head. In terms bottom-of-the-funnel conversions, retargeting can remind website visitors to take a desired action even after they have left the website. One obvious example: targeting people who abandon their shopping carts.”
3. Could you recommend one or two resources for advertising professionals reading our blog? (books, links, events)
“I highly recommend The Ad Contrarian by Bob Hoffman. He’s a grizzled ad veteran who is very skeptical of social media and online advertising. When I was a journalist, I always sought both sides of the story. Today, I like to hear the “con side” to what we do as digital marketers. That way, I can take both sides and synthesize them to create holistic strategies.”
Thank you Samuel!