Features, Tips, & Announcements

Unbounce Integration: Unified Web Form and Phone Call Testing for Conversion Tracking (Part 2)

As a continuation from the Unbounce Integration Part 1 post we will be covering an advanced integration where the landing page conversion is later in the click funnel. This advanced integration is perfect for measuring white paper conversions and any other campaign where the visitor may browse around before converting on the landing page.

Advanced Integration: Form and phone conversion tracking when a landing page is not the first click.

Landing Page Conversion Cycle

In a perfect world, web visitors will convert when and where you want them to. If only it were that easy! For many campaigns, particularly where there is a B2B service or complex product, it is unreasonable to expect the site visitor to convert on the landing page without first browsing other areas of the website. Maybe the site visitor wants to explore your products, your pricing, check out you company background, look at your documentation. Your visitors may want to learn and fully examine your services before converting.

To allow for this degree of interaction while still tracking the user’s actions, the integration will need to be completed in a different manner. The key integration difference is that the Mongoose Metrics code is installed directly onto the website, rather than through Unbounce’s landing page, while still providing you with all the measuring and testing functionality you love in Unbouce. Mongoose Metrics’s custom global variables are key and must be installed in order to track from which page a tracking phone number call was made.

Here’s the high level overview of how the advanced integration will work.

Integration Steps – High Level Overview

Install Mongoose Metrics’ JavaScript code on every page of your campaign website.
On a wrapper page of your campaign website, include the Unbounce landing page using an iframe.
On the wrapper page, that already has your Mongoose Metrics AccuTrack code installed, and has the iframe included to your Unbounce landing page, also install a JavaScript snippet that declares to a JavaScript variable the name of your Unbounce campaign.
In Unbounce, complete the hidden form setup as described in the basic integration in Part 1.
In Mongoose Metrics, complete the post-back URL setup as was also described in the basic integration in Part 1.

When this advanced integration is complete, a user can now freely browse your website and upon landing on the Unbounce landing page, which is pulled into your site via an iframe, a tracking phone number will be published. The correlation will be made between the visitor data and phone number and will be captured in Google Analytics.

Google Analytics

By integrating call tracking technology into your landing page or website you will be able to more effectively and efficiently measure online to offline conversions, providing you with reliable, clear and actionable data that can be used to optimize marketing campaigns and maximize return on investment.

Unbounce Integration: Unified Web Form and Phone Call Conversion Tracking (Part 1)

Landing page testing and optimization is an effective tool to help increase the effectiveness of campaigns. But, what happens when your campaign’s landing page needs to convert both web forms and phone calls?

In this post and in the upcoming post we will be exploring how to track and report both form submissions and phone call conversions – and to report both sets of data in a unified fashion using Google Analytics.

You will learn:

How to report both landing page form submissions and offline phone calls driven from the landing page visits in Google Analytics.
How to integrate session level (keyword and IP address) phone call tracking into your landing page optimization campaign.
In this post we will be covering a simple integration where the landing page is the first click destination from an ad source, such as paid search.
In the upcoming post we will be covering an advanced integration where the landing page conversion is later in the click funnel. This advanced integration is perfect for measuring white paper conversions and any other campaign where the visitor may browse around before converting on the landing page.

With your newly learned tactics you will be:

Empowered to place phone call tracking numbers on your landing pages.
Capable of conducting A/B split testing where you measure both web form submissions and phone call conversions.
Capture all paid search keywords, including long-tail terms that drive phone conversions and use this data to further optimize your advertising efforts.
Measure and report your hard work in the same campaign within Google Analytics or your web analytics package of choice.
Capable of measuring and getting credit for phone calls driven from website visitors who viewed your landing page – yeah!

We’ll be demonstrating these tactics using Unbounce. Unbounce, a leader in landing page development, empowers marketers to create, publish, test and optimize landing pages. Unbounce is a self-serve hosted service that provides marketers with landing pages that can be built from templates and used for lead generation forms, click through, product launch and social media. These templates allow a marketer to take control and publish paid search campaigns, banner ads and email landing pages, without the need to consult an IT resource or developer.

This integration will be conducted using Mongoose Metrics’ session level phone call tracking product, AccuTrack Session.

With this integration we will show you how to push both the Unbounce form conversion data and Mongoose Metrics phone call conversion data into Google Analytics. This will allow you to measure and report both form submissions and calls in a single environment and to see in-depth all of the dimensions, which drove the conversion.

Simple Integration: Form and phone conversion tracking when landing page is first click from advertising source, such as paid search.

This integration tactic is ideal when you are driving traffic, such as paid search, to a landing page and you expect the site visitors to fully convert on the landing page. For this integration Mongoose Metrics’s AccuTrack Session product is installed into the Unbounce platform using Unbounce’s handy JavaScript insertion feature.

Integration Steps – High Level Overview

Install Mongoose Metrics AccuTrack Session code into Unbounce system using Unbounce’s JavaScript insertion feature.
In Unbounce, create hidden forms to track form submissions in Google Analytics.
Include a phone number on the Unbounce landing page.
Drive traffic to the landing page from an advertising source, such as paid search.
That’s it!

With the above method you will be able to track both form submission and phone calls, measure what keywords drove both, and push everything into Google Analytics to produce a combined single report. So we made this look very easy, and now for the details:

Integration Steps – The Details

With our integration steps overview above, the following steps below provide a deeper look into the exact steps needed to complete the integration.

Step 1 – Install Mongoose Metrics JavaScript Code.

In Unbounce, there is a powerful feature that allows you to include JavaScript code. Using this feature, you can add the JavaScript code that is necessary to link the landing page to the Mongoose Metrics service. To add the JavaScript code, in Unbounce, click the ‘edit’ button next to the landing page variant you wish to add JavaScript code to. Next, in Unbounce, click on the JavaScript icon in the menu bar and add the Mongoose Metrics JavaScript code using the tool.

Step 2 – Create Hidden Form Fields To Integrate With Google Analytics.

Next, you’ll want to push your Unbounce form submissions into Google Analytics. There are many ways to represent this information in Google Analytics, for this example the conversion data will be stored as a campaign. To do this, you need to make use of Unbounce’s hidden form fields in order to make use of Google Analytics campaign tracking features. More about Google Analytics campaign tracking can be seen here using their URL Builder Tool.

To add the hidden fields, simply click on any form field on the landing page variant page and in the right side-bar menu click on the “edit form fields” button. Use the Unbounce tool to create three hidden fields. The three hidden fields you’ll need to create are for utm_campaign, utm_source and utm_medium. Populate the default hidden form values with information needed to track your campaign.

For our example we used:

utm_campaign – White Paper campaign
utm_source – www.mongoosemetrics.com
utm_medium – Unbounce web form

Tip – You will want utm_campaign and utm_source to be identical in both the Unbounce hidden form and in the Mongoose Metrics’ postback URL. If it is not, you will not store both form conversions and phone calls in the same location in Google Analytics.

Unbounce - Hidden Form Fields

Step 3 – Include a phone number on your landing page.

This is the easiest step of all! Because Mongoose Metrics’ javascript is installed, it will take care of the rest by dynamically replacing the phone number on the Unbounce landing page with a tracking number served by Mongoose Metrics. Along with serving the number, the IP address, keyword, and other visitor metrics are also logged. When a call is made from the tracking number, the call is correlated back to the visitor session and Mongoose Metrics will execute a post-back to your Google Analytics account with the data.

Step 4 – In Mongoose Metrics, configure the postback URL

To complete this step, login to your Mongoose Metrics account and on the campaign configuration page, edit the postback URL. Use the postback URL builder to build a URL and be sure to include utm_source, utm_campaign, and utm_medium.

In our example, we used the following settings:

utm_campaign – White Paper Campaign
utm_source – www.mongoosemetrics.com
utm_medium – phone

Setup the post back in Mongoose Metrics to push the call data into Google Analytics or elsewhere.

Be sure to select what call data to post back, including keyword, in order to track what landing page phone calls where driven from keywords.

That’s it! If you are familiar with Unbounce and setting up Mongoose Metrics Accutrack Session campaigns, the above integration steps will be quite simple. You can get fancier too, by using utm_medium to store ad variant and nothing is stopping you from storing this data in Google Analytics as a goal as well!

With the above integration complete, you can now track both Unbounce form submissions and Mongoose Metrics phone calls made from visitors who called from the Unbounce landing page. This data will all be reported into Google Analytics as a campaign for easy viewing and reporting. Best of all, by filtering the secondary dimensions in Google Analytics to Keywords, you will see the form submissions and keywords which drove traffic.

From a landing page testing and optimization perspective, these steps will allow you to measure your PPC initiatives and content changes in order to optimize the conversion path. In today’s world of justifying advertising dollars, it is important to accurately and efficiently track the performance of form submission and phone calls!

In our upcoming, Part 2, blog piece we will be reviewing a more advanced integration in which the landing page conversion is later in the click funnel and the JavaScript is installed directly into the website, rather than through the landing page. Look for our upcoming post in the next week!

Features, Tips, & Announcements / Search Marketing — No Comments
15
Nov 11

How Well Do You Know Your Prospects?

The way in which consumers research and buy products has changed. The driving force behind this movement has been the explosion of web, mobile and social networking. This change is important enough to be recognized by marketers and business leaders alike. In this post, we’ll touch on some of the industry’s best insights and tips on succeeding in marketing for the new buying process. In addition, we will share our perspective and provide key takeaways for your business.

In her book, eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale, Ardath Albee tells us that creating an e-marketing strategy to reach, attract and engage buyers through digital content and communication is critical to building trust with today’s buyer. Why should we believe her? For starters, Econsultancy claims 70% of B2B buyers use search engines at the start of the B2B buying process. If you aren’t capturing the attention of your prospects through digital content, chances are, they won’t find you. Once you have their attention, you need to make sure it is relevant to their needs. Pushing out content just to grab someone’s attention won’t work for gaining new business. Albee mentions in her book that we must engage buyers; make them feel as if you are talking only to them. Personalize your content by better understanding your prospects.

Another key in today’s buying process is that time is of the essence; the shift in the buying process has shortened our ability to focus. Marketers used to have 30 seconds to grab the attention of their prospects. Research shows that span has whittled away to less than 10 seconds. Today, marketers need to focus more on capturing interest, where before, the focus was soley on awareness.

As Sally Hogshead outlines in her book, Facsination, there are seven fascination triggers at your disposal to capture your prospect’s interest. These triggers will help jumpstart the buying process and aid in addressing common sales objections. We have taken our own spin on these attention triggers, and define them in greater detail below.

Power – Take command. This is about being confident and being in control. Leaders have power and in order to be better than your competition, you need to become a leader in your industry.

Passion – Invoke emotion. Let your audience feel the desire to want your product or service.

Mystique – Arouse curiosity. You always want a call to action, a chance to provide as much information to your prospects as possible. Pose questions to them; don’t reveal all your secrets and curiosity will prevail.

Prestige – Earn respect. If your prospects and customers envy you and see you as a model for success, your respect and admiration will quickly appeal to the masses.

Alarm – Change urgency. If your buyer feels their time is running out, or the deal won’t last long, they’ll be more likely to buy.

Rebellion—Change the game. Help your prospects think outside the box and challenge their standards. If we never took chances, life would be boring. Your prospects want something new and different.

Trust— Build loyalty. Once your buyer understands your intentions and learns enough about you, trust will follow. People like to feel confident in their choices, especially their purchases. With you as their trusted advisor, they’ll feel better about their decision and most likely keep coming back.

As Jeff Korhan states in his blog, content marketing is “creating useful or desirable content, distributing it to those that can benefit most from it, and personalizing it to encourage engagement.”

Once you have crafted your message to reflect an attention trigger, the content will work for you. A prospect reads your engaging content, feels the need to act upon it, and calls your company for more information. Ta-da! You have just exercised the power of content to convert a prospect to a customer in the new buying process.

Key takeaways

Know your audience – research your buyers. Invest content where your prospects spend time.
Create content that appeals to all seven triggers. Make sure you convey the proper emotions for the right buyer persona.
Focus your content around customer needs, not selling your product. Content without value is considered spam.
Build trust and add value through your content and interactions. Respond to Twitter messages, Facebook updates and blog comments. You’ll be surprised who’s listening.

For more information on marketing for the new buying process, download our eBook here. Watch for our webinar date to be announced soon!

Examples / Features, Tips, & Announcements / Mobile Marketing / Search Marketing / SEO / Social Media — No Comments
1
Nov 11

Three Key Elements You Should Know About Social + Mobile

I noticed a surprising trend while attending a local social media event a few weeks ago. There are many marketers with questions pertaining to the social and mobile marketing space. As marketers, some of us are conflicted with which social networks to dedicate our time to. We’re also curious to learn and understand where mobile marketing is headed. We can certainly make assumptions…but wouldn’t it be better to feel confident in your choices?

After some research, I have compiled three insights on the marriage of social + mobile, which are highlighted below:

1. Create Compelling Evidence That Proves Social is Working (aka Content)

One of the questions asked at the social media meeting was, “How do you convince a client that they need a Facebook page?” First, we know that in order to convince someone to do anything – you need to convince them. Creating quality content is a great way to communicate the benefits of whatever it is you’re trying to get across. Within that great content, sprinkle statistics and value targeted to your audience. People are resistant to change by nature – especially if the materials being presented to them are from 2001. Be in the know with your audience and prospects on where they’re spending time and what they like. Invest part of your day reading news articles and comments in blog posts on what is relevant to them. Keeping your content fresh, new and exciting will not only help sway an opinion – but will also demonstrate your knowledge on the subject. This content can be in a proposal you present, your own Facebook page or Twitter feed and blogs on your website.

Sometimes convincing your client to change requires you having to make that first step. Once you open those lines of communication and have reasonable data to back-up your claims, the road to transition will be smoother. Instead of just telling a client they should be social – show them why.

2. Be Where Your Clients Are

What are consumers doing on their mobile phones? The answer is – consuming content. Not just via search but with social as well. Content isn’t going away. Neither is mobile technology. According to a recent study, the number of mobile users in the U.S. who accessed a social networking or blog site has grown 37% in the past year. In addition, half of these users are accessing social networking sites on a daily basis via their mobile phones.

Here’s some food for thought, these mobile users aren’t just looking around and logging out. They are engaging with each other and sharing content multiple times a day. Even if that content is a status update or a post to a link, they’re becoming comfortable in the social space for mobile. Why should you, as a marketer, care to know how they’re spending their time on these sites? The more comfortable and engaged your audience is on a social networking site, the more likely they’ll interact with you. Since they’re already doing it and expanding into the mobile space, all you have to do is be there. The data speaks for itself. Millions of mobile users are reading social posts from brands and companies, sharing coupons or deals, and clicking on ads. Mobile and social are newlyweds, so integrating your current marketing efforts with this new couple can be challenging. As long as you create a social and mobile strategy that aligns with your buyer personas, you’ll quickly see the benefits.

3. Use the Right Social Site

Today’s marketing world is full of terms like SEO, mobile sites, social marketing – but the key to walking the walk is understanding these terms. Most business aren’t sure what social networks to join, so they do as many as they can. Then they write blogs and compute keywords that might interest a few customers to their site. This is not the way to successful networking, branding or marketing.

Choosing the right approach is different for every business – not everyone benefits from the same social sites. To be successful you need to be in sync with your customer. If your customers don’t use Foursquare, don’t invest in it. It sounds simple, but it is a common misconception that having a presence on every social site is good for business. Remember the saying, “quality not quantity?” This couldn’t reign truer than in the social and mobile worlds. Social sites are tools for your marketing strategy to aid in moving your customer along in the buying process. Once you realize where your efforts have the most impact, dedicate more time and effort to those sites.

My perspective on social media is as follows: At the end of the day, it’s about keeping it simple. Don’t overload your audience with information. Make sure you’re being social and active where it makes sense for your business. Lastly, create compelling content that speaks to your buyers at specific points in the buying process. Understanding your prospect’s needs and wants is the key to creating valuable content that will get them to notice you and continue to engage with you.

Analytics / Features, Tips, & Announcements / PPC / Search Marketing / SEO / Social Media — 3 Comments
28
Oct 11

Understanding Google’s New Search Default Restrictions

Google has found a way to start tightening the rope around search, and more specifically, SEO. According to Brad Reynolds, CEO at Mongoose, “Google is changing the face of web analytics by encrypting search results.” As a result of this change, anyone who logs into their Google account (i.e. Google+, Gmail) and then conducts a search via Google will no longer have referrer data sent along with it. That referrer data reveals what search terms were used in order to find a particular business or website. Paid ads, however, will not be affected by this change.

Who does this impact?

In a blog post, Google says less than 10% of searches will be affected by this change. Additionally, in a Search Engine Land Article, Matt Cutts a Google Software Engineer estimates the affected traffic to be 1-2% of search volume. Aggregate query data will continue to be available and include visits from users who are not signed into a Google account. This change only concerns organic search results while the user is logged into a Google account. It does not impact direct traffic, PPC traffic or affiliated traffic.

How does this affect the user experience?

In the Search Engine Land article: Google to Begin Encrypting Searches & Outbound Clicks By Default with SSL Search, Danny Sullivan does a great job of describing the setbacks from this change. This encryption prevents sophisticated keyword-based targeting from being used. It is almost as if we’re taking a step backwards in the progression of custom and personalized information. Instead of creating a better user experience, this is essentially making the consumer work harder. Take for example someone searching for a specific product, but since referrer data isn’t passed along to the company, the user lands on a basic web page. Now the user has to navigate through the website in order to find their particular product – essentially making the entire process more time consuming for the user. As a marketer, having the capability to track and analyze specific keyword information will become harder to obtain.

Why the change?

There is much speculation and controversy around why this change has been made. The majority of comments we have seen believe it is a way for Google to make more money and gain competitive advantage. Google mentions there is a growing importance of protecting the privacy of personalized search results. In an effort to protect users and their privacy, Google feels this is reason enough.

There are two additional facts we find to be confusing. First, Google will continue to offer this data to their paid advertisers, which seems inconsistent with the goal of protecting user privacy. Second, Google will continue to gather this organic search result information without passing it on, thus giving them exclusive intelligence related to search results. Some say this will hurt small businesses that cannot afford to pay for online marketing services, while others mention that this is a step in the right direction towards protecting the privacy of the consumer. The debate will be ongoing as more people become aware of this change in the marketing and SEO world.

With change, there is naturally going to be resistance. Like many changes, there will be pros and cons. At the moment, Mongoose is more interested in the long-term effects. Specifically, we’re curious to know how this will impact the way we search and if this will become a standard across all search engines. Will referrer data one day disappear for good – paid or not? Again, going back to Search Engine Land’s article, Sullivan claims that the future is clear:

“Referrer data is going away from search engines, and likely from other web sites, too. It’s somewhat amazing that we’ve had it last this long, and it will be painful to see that specific, valuable data disappear.”

Let’s say he’s right and this data disappears from search engines, what does this mean for social? Most users are searching via social already; perhaps this is an attempt by Google to gain traction in the social space as well. Although Google+ is not the most popular network in the social world, this might be the first step towards making that a reality. For now, Facebook and Twitter continue to own the social search arena. Users trust their friends’ feedback, comments and likes, which is something you don’t have in search engines. However, with Google, you do have the +1 option – but you need to be on Google+ for that function.

Your thoughts?

What do you think about what Google is doing? Are you for or against this change? Please leave any comments and suggestions below.

Call Tracking / Features, Tips, & Announcements / Mobile Marketing / Social Media — No Comments
17
Oct 11

Increase Conversions with QR Call Tracking Technology

Data shows that QR codes (Quick Response codes) are gaining interest from marketers. 57% of Facebook and Twitter users said they have scanned a mobile bar code at least once in the past year. Consumers want instant access to relevant information and QR codes help provide that access. With mobile growth exploding, allowing integration of QR Codes into marketing campaigns is an excellent way to boost conversions via mobile devices.

QR codes are a convenient way to encourage consumers to interact with a product or service. These codes are gaining traction as marketers identify new ways of integrating these trackable bar codes into their campaigns. Nearly two thirds of people have seen a QR code, with approximately one- third of those having used one. The technology behind QR codes is easy to use and implement – yet can be a very powerful marketing tool. Integrating QR technology with call tracking will allow marketers to better understand the behavior of their prospects.

Mongoose Metrics’ QR Call Tracking provides a number of benefits for customers that are serious about making conversion optimization part of their marketing strategy:

Capture & Measure Conversions: Drive conversions through QR Code implementation and call tracking efforts to measure mobile and other QR Code-driven marketing efforts.
Seamless Integration: Integrate QR Code Call Tracking with web analytics, bid management and CRM software for easy, consistent reporting.
Immediate Access: Instantly see traffic increases to your site – with QR codes’ ability to be accessed from anywhere via mobile.

With a growing number of searches being conducted via mobile devices and the availability of QR scanning apps for virtually every smartphone device, the power to increase conversions and optimize marketing efforts is yours. Contact us today to learn more about QR Call Tracking.

Features, Tips, & Announcements / Social Media — No Comments
14
Oct 11

The Ongoing Social Experiment

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin (sethgodin.typepad.com)

Earlier this week, Mongoose Metrics had one of our regular company meetings. The meetings bring the company together, allow us to share what each department is doing, and set goals for the next week. This week though, the focus was different. Stephen Abbey, our CEO, had a simple request for Team Mongoose: connect.

The buying process is changing, and so are customers’ expectations of their interactions with companies. They don’t want a sterile interaction with a faceless corporation. They want that social connection—the feeling that comes from knowing that you’re doing business with another human being. Another human being that has thoughts, opinions, frustrations, and triumphs—another human that cares enough to share those thoughts with others.

The people who work here at Mongoose Metrics are naturally inclined to make these connections, whether it’s directly with customers or through social media venues such as Twitter and Google+. Of course, the request of “connect” was simple—but the guidelines were difficult.

I was involved in a passionate, thoughtful meeting with Pam Achladis, our Director of Marketing and Steve where we challenged each other to create a simple engagement policy that encouraged Team Mongoose to freely engage and share on social networks—while still preserving our brand and company identity.

We wanted to share the results and ask readers and friends: what do you think of our initial social media policy?

Feel free to associate your personal accounts with Mongoose if you are selective about content only (be smart, use good manners, don’t offend others). If you’re unsure if your account is appropriate, it may be best to not affiliate.
You may create a professional account that you affiliate with Mongoose. (For example in your Twitter profile, list your role with @mongoosemetrics.) For your professional accounts, use your real name…build your own “brand identity”!
Please don’t create an @mongoose handle or account on any network.
Try to be active on LinkedIn. It is good for your professional brand and it is good for Mongoose—and a great place to share and consume interesting content.
Feel free to write a blog post and send it over to Marketing to be posted on the blog.

…which is exactly what I did. Now I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

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6
Oct 11

Marketing & Life Lessons from Apple’s Steve Jobs

The world lost a technology and marketing pioneer yesterday. RIP Steve Jobs. When he co-founded Apple in 1976 with high-school buddy Steven Wozniak, Jobs had a vision to make the world a better place. He certainly did that to say the least.

As marketers we can learn a lot from the way Steve Jobs approached his life and work with Apple. So can anyone else. Steve Jobs was the kind of person that inspired us to want to be better.

Steve Jobs didn’t just create a brand when he created Apple. He created a movement. A movement that was about thinking differently. A movement that was about quality not quantity. A movement that was about culture not corporate. A movement that was about change not stagnation. A movement that was about now not then. A movement that was about possibility not mediocrity.

As we look back on Steve Job’s life and see the great success that Apple is today because of his vision and leadership, let’s take the lessons that he has left us with and apply them to our own lives and careers. And I don’t mean simply making our Twitter or Facebook avatars an apple symbol. Let’s create movements. We may not build the next Apple but we can all build things. Bring your best ideas, your passion and your best work. Start now. It’s what Steve Jobs would have done.

“The day I was born songs were on records, phones were tied down, computers needed rooms and the web was fiction. Change the world. You can.” - Steve Jobs

Features, Tips, & Announcements / SEO / Social Media — No Comments
27
Sep 11

Key Takeaways from Attending SMX

September has been a good month for Mongoose Metrics. We recently attended the Search Engine Marketing Expo East in New York City where we learned some valuable insights about SEO and SEM. The show’s focus included content marketing, SEO best practices and upcoming trends in social media. Since not everyone could attend the show, the marketing team at Mongoose would like to share some Key takeaways from SMX.

Keep it Simple

This applies to Search Engine Optimization specifically, as Tony Wright (@tonynwright) at SMX outlined the 4 C’s of SEO to outrank your competition:

Code – Make sure it is clean! Cleaning HTML code will help reduce page size and increase accessibility

Content – Good and effective content is key to higher SEO rankings

Connections – Linking to other sites and developing that relationship will help search engines find you faster

Conversations – Social media is now more important than ever – so keep those tweets, Facebook likes and comments coming!

Be sure to integrate the 4 C’s of SEO to continue improving the visibility and organic rank of your website.

Users are Now in Control

As marketers, we know to focus our message to our audience and our customer. Something has happened within the last year or so that is starting to alter this mentality. Why? Users are now in control and we need to be one step ahead. Understanding what’s going on across all channels is imperative to your marketing success.

Photo Credit: Bright Edge

Before it made sense to post an advertisement on Facebook and hope some of your target audience would see it. Now, with such a user-driven environment, we need to be in-tune with what our customers are tweeting, where they are checking in, what they are liking, who they are following and what circles they’re creating. If we keep throwing information in their faces without rhyme or reason, they will simply block our efforts and never think twice about us. I listed some of Jim Yu’s (@jimyu) tips for making sure you don’t get left behind in leveraging social media for SEO:

Tip #1: Measure your social SEO

Are your social media pages ranking in search results?
Are you doing SEO on your Facebook page?
Do you have a Facebook and Twitter presence?

Tip #2: Add social buttons to your site

Add social networks you are active on. Listed below are some of the most popular.

Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Digg
StumbleUpon

Tip #3: Optimize your Facebook page for SEO

Add plug-ins
Use your brand name in all wall posts & tweets
Try to engage your audience as much as possible through likes and shares

How to Make the Most of Your Content

Everyone has a light bulb moment – when suddenly everything makes sense. After listening to the great panel of speakers: Loren Baker, BlueGlass, Jay Berkowitz, Ten Golden Rules, David Kidder, Clickable and Stefan Tornquist, Econsultancy – I kept thinking about one specific part of the discussion – content. It all starts with a content marketing strategy and here are the industry’s suggestions on making the most of your content.

Cascade your content: You have a great article/newsletter/webinar – Take key topics from that and split into a few blog posts. Dissect those blogs into multiple tweets – tweet about key topics in those blog posts. Share those topics on LinkedIn or Facebook and distribute that content.

Conduct interviews internally: Interview sales and product development to find out what’s new – exciting and note-worthy within your company and write about it. If you find it exciting, there’s a good chance people who follow your company will too!

Update and optimize content so that it spans both search and social: Social media and search are completely integrated; use this to your advantage.

Don’t just post content, make it actionable: One way to ensure social success is to let people know you’re aware and there is an actual human behind the computer. Use Twitter to promote others, talk about current events, answer people’s questions and talk about what is important to you. Before long, making content actionable will become second nature.

If you attended SMX and would like to share your experience – please comment below. We’d love to compare notes.

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21
Sep 11

Integrating Call Tracking Into Mobile Apps

Mobile app use is exploding with downloads expected to grow by 144 percent by the end of 2011. In addition, studies from CEM4Mobile Solutions and Nielson Smartphone Analytics show that mobile apps tend to see higher engagement levels than mobile websites.

For marketers, this type of growth and engagement offers a great opportunity to reach and connect with target audiences through branded apps and in-application advertising. However, like all marketing tactics, it’s important to have a monitoring platform in place to measure success and ROI of these mobile initiatives.

App Advertising and Call Tracking

The convenience of click-to-call options increases click-through rates on mobile ads by six percent. Therefore, when activating a mobile app advertising campaign, consider integrating call-tracking numbers to capture and track these call conversions.

Below are some tips for getting started with call tracking in mobile apps.

Use a Relevant Phone Number

Consider the location of your audience when selecting which phone number to use on your ads or within your app. If the app appeals to local audiences, you’ll want to use numbers with local area codes. However, apps used by audiences from across the country, or world, will likely generate higher engagement from toll-free numbers.

Integrate a Compelling Call to Action

Tie the tracking number to a compelling call to action (CTA) that is relevant to the app and its users. Consider audience needs and interests, and what you can offer them that they will find intriguing, helpful or entertaining.

For example, Scotts Miracle-Gro tailors its app content and CTAs based on the users’ geographic location, shopping preferences (i.e. what kind of store they shop in—such as hardware stores, nurseries or mass merchant) and grass type.

Could you do something similar with your mobile offers? Determine ways to customize your promotions to offer value, rather than using untargeted CTAs like “call us today.”

Make Your Phone Number Pop

To further capture the attention of mobile users, add a graphical element or use a contrasting color in your CTA. The goal is draw the users’ eye to the number with prominent placement and noticeable design.

Track Landing-Page Conversions

Put a prominent, unique call tracking number on any mobile landing page to which your campaigns drive visitors. This will enable you to associate resulting calls with the related mobile app or ad, and visitor paths.

In addition, by tying web analytics to this page, you can gain insight into click behavior and online form conversions.

Your Thoughts?

How do you track and measure the success of your app advertising campaigns? Have you implemented call tracking? Why or why not?

Mongoose MetricsConversion & Call Tracking Blog