Thrive, an Advertising Company

4 First Steps: Establishing a Marketing Plan

thriveadvertisingco — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:21:28 +0000

Many of you know that I own an advertising agency in Seattle. Our main focus is media buying which is the art of placing ads in the right media space to reach the right people with the right message at the right time. I’ve worked in advertising for a relatively short period of time, 8 years. But in those 8 years the landscape of how consumers absorb media has changed so dramatically I feel like I’ve gleaned wisdom like I’ve been drinking from a fire hose! This blog is mainly focused on business owners because they are most often the decision makers I work with during the media buying process. But the basics of what I’m writing about can be applied to many of you who work in sales, marketing, management and advertising.

So the 4 first steps to establishing your business’ marketing plan are:

Know Your Audience. Who are you trying to reach? What does your ideal customer look like? How old are they? What do they enjoy? Are they married? Single? What does their income have to be? The more you know about the target demographics of your customers the better a media buyer will be able to help you best reach those ideal consumers.
Establish Your Core Message. Knowing what your message is seems simple enough but it can really mess you up if you start to deviate from the path. I work with a lot of businesses in all different industries. A few of the business owners I’ve worked with have struggled because they are trying to send too many messages at one time. Consumers are bombarded with advertising all day long. If your message isn’t simple and succinct with a DIRECT CALL TO ACTION, your message will get lost in the clutter.
Always Give a Call to Action. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have; you ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS need to include a call to action. What is a “call to action”? It is you telling the consumer what you want them to do. Do you want them to call you to schedule an appointment? Stop in your store? Visit your website? Download an app? Refer a friend? What do you need your customer to do in response to your advertising?
Hire a Media Buyer. If you are buying advertising in any form you should seriously consider hiring a media buyer. This isn’t a plug to hire me. That’d be great. But that’s not what this is about. A media buyer is a person who buys advertising on your business’ behalf. I can almost guarantee you that if you are buying advertising on your own, from any media company (online, TV, cable, print, radio, buses, billboards, etc.), you are not getting the most bang for your buck. The best analogy I give my clients is this: Using a media buyer to buy your advertising is like taking someone who used to sell cars with you to help you buy a car. A former car salesman knows the ins and outs of getting the best deal for your investment. As former advertising sales people, we had a backstage pass to the media sales industry that gave us hard won secrets into how to get you more for your advertising buck every single time. The best part about hiring a media buyer? Most media buyers don’t charge you a dime! They make the commission that a sales rep from the media company would have made had you worked directly with that company. Lemme ask you, would you rather a sales rep that is employed by a media company with a budget to meet, recommend an advertising buy ? OR a media buyer who has zero vested interest in whether you invest your dollars with X, Y or Z company other than making your business wildly successful so you never want to leave to their agency? No brainer, right?!

I have so many more tips to establishing your advertising plan. I’d love to share with you if you have further questions. Or you can check out some of the commonly asked questions I answer here. You can always email me at Robin at ThriveAdvertisingCo dot com.

-Robin

It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn

thriveadvertisingco — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:41:56 +0000

Ever notice that after a person has a heart attack they change everything? They eat the right foods, begin an exercise program, try to reduce stress and start living healthier lives. Why did it take a heart attack to change behavior?

It’s always darkest before the dawn

As human beings, we are creatures of habit. We’re often lazy and choose the path of least resistance; we seek a comfort zone, and in general, would rather not do the difficult. Yet if you think back on your life-when did you learn and grow the most? No doubt it occurred during a trying time in your life, a time of loss, a time of challenge, and most often a time of defeat.

So here we are with the consumer confidence level at a three decade low, pessimism rules the day, Europe’s collapsing and China is slowing down-unemployment is rampant, deficit spending by the U.S. government is soaring, Social Security is running out. Things are bad and only a foolish optimist would say otherwise. The newsmakers tell us that “the American economy lacks confidence”-how could it not?

America has had a “heart attack.” Americans are rebooting to a new value proposition. Don’t spend more than you make, pay off debt, provide value with all that you do, be loyal to your employer, you have a job and you’d like to keep it. The extremes are grabbing the headlines, “Occupy Wall Street”, the “Tea Party”-the media is always attracted to the noise. The real change in America is quietly taking place in discussions at the kitchen table. Americans are talking about real values, trust, integrity and hard work.

We’ve experienced trauma and now long-term changes are occurring. In my opinion, good changes, healthy changes. The bankers and moneylenders lead us down the wrong path, short-term gains that sacrificed long-term values. These mistakes will continue to have a negative impact on the economy; because consumers are not spending, they are shopping value and buying only what they need. That is a huge shift, but a healthy long-term benefit. Americans are saving which means there will be money to invest in future opportunities, good for the economy.

As a nation, we have a history of uniting during dark times; we have endured and we have prospered and we will do so again. In your business, in your life, it is important to have a work-life balance to invest in yourself, your family and your people. It’s always darkest before the dawn. God Bless America.

Written By: CoachAnovick
Developing Potential, Producing Results
201.445.2822
Paul Anovick
Anovick Associates

Steve Jobs -Technology in Your Pocket

thriveadvertisingco — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:57:39 +0000

I love this article about Steve Jobs that was just posted on CBSnews.com. It gives a great recap of the history of Jobs and how “He moved technology from garages to pockets, took entertainment from discs to bytes and turned gadgets into extensions of the people who use them.”

He changed the digital future and told us what we needed before we even wanted it. Job, a college drop out, went to work for Atari in 1974 and attended club meetings with a group of computer hobbyists including Steve Wozniak, a friend from high school.

Wozniak’s made a homemade computer and Jobs saw its potential. In 1976 Jobs and Wozinak started Apple Computer Inc. in Jobs’ parents’ garage. Jobs chose the name after visiting an apple orchard. Their first computer was the Apple I which was basically the guts of a computer without a keyboard or monitor. In 1977 the Apple II was made for the masses and earned Jobs 100 million by the time he was 25 years old.

In 1979 Jobs visited the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center where he saw a computer that allowed people to control computers with a click of a mouse. When he returned to Apple he had his team of engineers make what he saw. Jobs’ was able to take other people’s ideas and improve them for the masses. Just like the computer, digital music players and smartphones. He reinvented them into successful easy to use products.

In response to his Xerox visit in 1983 Apple engineers responded with two computers. One named after Jobs’ daughter Lisa. But a less expensive version named after an employee’s favorite apple, the Macintosh, came out the following year with success.

In 1985 after disagreements Jobs resigned as chairman of the board and left Apple. Jobs got into two other companies. One a computer maker and the other Pixar which he bought from George Lucas for 10 million dollars. Pixar become wildly successful after the release of “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life” and “Toy Story 2.” He sold Pixar to Disney for 7.4 billion dollars and 138 million shares of Disney stock.

In 1997 Jobs stepped in as interim chief at Apple as they were suffering from continuous losses. He started getting rid of unprofitable projects, made the company’s focus to set the Mac apart from Windows, starting with a marketing campaign to encourage computer users to “Think different.”

Jobs first product with his new direction was the brightly colored, plastic iMac in 1998. The iMac sold about 2 million in its first year and Apple returned to profitability that year.

In the 2000s Apple came out with The iPod, smaller and with more capacity each generation. Then in 2003 iTunes music allowed users to legally buy music online song by song. In 2007 Jobs ruled gadget lovers with the launch of the iPhone. Three years later the iPad made its debut and people camped in line to get their hands on one.

In 2004 Jobs revealed that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He had a few medical leaves between then and August 2011 when he resigned as CEO. Jobs said “I always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

If you would like to read the whole article you can check it out here it’s a great read and inspiration to hear him talk about what was most important in his life – “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life,” he said. “Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

27.8 Million Visitors Watch Two And A Half Men Premiere

thriveadvertisingco — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:50:07 +0000

People must have been curious to see how Ashton Kutcher would replace Charlie Sheen! Monday nights season premiere of “Two And A Half Men” had a staggering 27.8 million viewers! Scripted shows almost never get these kind of numbers anymore. This makes it the highest rated episode in the shows history.

Viewers probably also tuned it to see how Charlie’s character, Charlie Harper, died. Are you surprised by these numbers? I’m not. There has been so much publicity about Charlie Sheen leaving the show and his replacement. Although these numbers may not stick CBS must be very pleased with themselves for having such a huge premiere. The sitcom had a 10.3 rating/ 24 share in the coveted 18-49. The show also delivered a strong lead into the new CBS show “Two Broke Girls,” which averaged 19.2 million viewers!

Did you tune in to watch “Two And A Half Men,” if so how did Ashton Kutcher do?

Never Lose a Sale Again — What You Must Know!

thriveadvertisingco — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:38:22 +0000

I started my career selling airtime at a television station in Seattle. I learned a lot about sales in this commission only job. Hands-down the very best training I received was learning how to sell to 4 different personality types. In terms of selling and closing a deal, if you’re familiar with the four types of people and their decision-making styles, you can make sure that your sales presentations include elements designed to persuade each type. It’s actually easier than it sounds, and the technique can be used in all your communications, not just sales.

Four Types of People:

A rundown of the 4 behavior types:

1. Analytics are thought-oriented. They are logical people who enjoy problem solving. They focus on accurate details and are more concerned with content than style. Analytics enjoy perfecting processes and working toward tangible results. They live life with consistency according to facts, principles, and logic. Analytics believe it is important to do things right. They control their emotions and tend to be reserved in demeanor. They act methodically and use time in a deliberate and disciplined manner. They focus on the past to give them direction for the future and prefer to work on a predictable schedule.

2. Drivers are action-oriented. They are decisive, pragmatic and efficient. They know what they want, where they are going and how to get results. They are competitive individuals, motivated by a desire to control and achieve. They want to accomplish things efficiently, so they focus on practical approaches to bottom-line results. They are fast-paced, task-oriented and work quickly. In demeanor they are forceful, decisive and strong; they tend to have direct eye contact. They often speak rapidly. They prefer brief reading material, working alone or directing others.

3. Expressives are socially oriented. They are playful, fun-loving and spontaneous. They are energetic, enthusiastic people who enjoy being the center of attention. They are charming, persuasive and animated. They make decisions quickly, express opinions strongly and dislike routine. Expressives are innovators who generate creative ideas and excel at getting others excited about their vision. In demeanor Expressives have large gestures; they speak quickly, frequently and dynamically.

4. Amiables are relationship-oriented. They are warm, nurturing individuals who place priority on friendships, cooperative behavior and being accepted by others. They like to achieve objectives with people, using understanding and mutual respect. They are empathic and open to seeing things from the other person’s point of view. They are inclusive and ask for others’ ideas. Their demeanor is warm and friendly.

What personality type are you? I’m an Expressive with a hint of Driver in me. It helps to know which personality type you are so that you are aware of how you interact with other types. I have an easier time relating to Expressives, Drivers and Amiables than I do Analytics.

The Four Elements:

Now the trick is to use this behavioral information to create presentations that leave no objection unanswered and no worry unmitigated, regardless of who is sitting across the table from you.

Here are the four elements designed to address the decision-making styles of each of the four behavioral types. Chances are you’re probably using most of these already.

1. Data. Analytics use data, systematic approaches and reflection to arrive at decisions. In your presentations; therefore, be sure to provide quantifiable evidence. “We can save you 14 percent by…” or “We can complete the job in six weeks, and here’s our time line to do so…” Analytics also reflect on the future, so include quantifiable information about the service you will provide once the deal is signed.

2. Options. Drivers base their decisions on faces but they are risk takers by nature. They are looking for options laid out for them so they can make the final decision and lead the project. “We can go three routes, and here are the pros and cons of each…’ or “Let’s say we go with Option A…”

3. Testimonials. Expressives rely on opinions of others whom they consider important or successful for decision-making. Therefore provide testimonials from previous clients and other experts or analysts in the client’s industry. “Joe at Company X said sales jumped 22 percent thanks to the television ad campaign we created” or “I was speaking with your colleague Stacy who told me that…”.

4. Guarantees. Amiables tend to use personal opinions in arriving at decisions and want guarantees of minimal risk, especially in persona relationships. “Here’s my cell phone number, if you encounter any problems, you can call me directly and I’ll handle it.”

Data, options, testimonials, guarantees: These are the four cornerstones of all succesful sales presentations. If it sounds obvious, it is, but it’s amazing how many professionals leave one or more of these elements out when making a presentation.

True to Type:

If you know a client well enough and can nail his or her behavioral type, you can skew your presentations with the appropriate communication method. And if you must close a deal with a committee, hit upon all four elements and you’ll be relating to everyone at the table. Not a bad thing considering that a single objection from a single person can kill your deal.

Data, options, testimonials, guarantees–the mantra of selling. Get into the habit of crafting all your presentation sand closings with these four in mind. And when you get that job and start working with your new clients, refer to these four elements again and again to improve your communication skills with everyone you encounter.

A few more tips for each personality type:

Influencing the Driver: Present your ideas in ways that boost the persona’s prestige. Genuine praise can work wonders. Use power words such as: best, biggest, unique, powerful, fast, money, first. Go for a decision, quickly and often.

Influencing the Analytical: Like the Drive,r this personality is strongly independent. Don’t rush things–plan to give the person plenty of breathing space and thinking time. If your suggestions stack up, the person will come round to your way of thinking. Putting everything in writing (along with lots of juicy statistics) can be a good idea. Above all, don’t even think about misleading this type of person–it will be spotted instantly!

Power words: proof, evidence, facts and figures, research, logic, tried and tested, safe, reason.

Influencing the Amiable: Amiables often have a long record of poor decisions. They can be suspicious and slow to accept new ideas. Take your time; nurture the relationship and work hard to gain their trust. Be prepared to provide ample proof and guarantees that your ideas will pay off.

Power words: security, safety, guaranteed, reliable, popular, tried and tested, fail-safe, proven.

Influencing the Expressive: Expressive like to be liked and appreciated. They need people around them and are anxious to develop and maintain relationships. Be prepared to steer and control the conversation.

Power words: fun, appreciate, enjoy, convenient, trouble-free and inexpensive.

Summary:

First of all it is important to recognize that, there is no best style. Merrill and Reid found that around 25% of the adult population belong to each Social Style. They also found people from each Social Style at all levels within organizations.

The second dimension and key to using Social Styles is versatility. Statistically around a quarter of the population has a similar Social Style to yours and so you will find that you are naturally comfortable with them. Some people are naturally very versatile and are able to adapt easily to the needs of other people; others are less so. By developing your versatility skills, you will be able to relate effectively with a greater number of people.

-Robin

Integrating Social Media into Your Traditional Advertising

thriveadvertisingco — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:42:10 +0000

A recurring dilemma our clients face is having a strong traditional advertising campaign and a well-built social media presence but not knowing how to combine the two. Integrating traditional advertising with social media helps businesses create strong, engaging campaigns that connect with consumers through several channels which ultimately leads to successful brand and message awareness. With 88% of companies projected to use social media tools for marketing by 2012, according to eMarketing.com, knowing how to integrate your social media presence with your traditional advertising is crucial. Bringing a brand’s audience online to it’s social media sites allow consumers to interact with the company, increasing the impact of their message and branding. In order for this to work, both traditional advertising and social media channels need to work together.

A simple way is to include a social media call to action (CTA) within your traditional advertising creative. One or two CTA’s will work; anything more than that will overwhelm the consumer. The CTA needs to be clear and simple to drive consumers to your social media sites. Give consumers a compelling reason to seek your business/brand out when viewing your traditional TV commercial, print advertisement, or radio commercial. Entertaining online videos (youtube, vimeo, etc), contests, and exclusive rewards for followers can work as well.

Before sending consumers to your social media channels make sure that they are well put together with the image and brand you want to project.

Marketers are looking to make advertising more effective by giving consumers a complete experience. The goal is to utilize multiple channels to encourage interaction. Below are a few ideas of how to successfully integrate your traditional advertising with social media.

Social media engagement can be done poorly. Make sure you're strategic in your efforts. We can help you!

1. Television: Insert social media icons and a call to action at the end of your commercials inviting people to follow your business on twitter, facebook, etc.

If you want to take it further create a commercial solely focused on generating new social media followers. Tell your viewers why they should follow you! Ex: Create a commercial that tells viewers about exclusive offers or contests for twitter and facebook followers.

2. Print/billboard:Add your social media profiles to your print ads to drive readers to your profiles. Consumers want to know how it will benefit them to follow you. Place a message under the Twitter and Facebook icons stating that followers receive exclusive offers.

If you want to take it a step further create a print ad with testimonials or kind words from your social media followers.
Showcase your Facebook contests in the ad. Perhaps you’re offering a product giveaway with a CTA for consumers to become a fan to enter to win.

3. Radio: Similar to the abaove suggestions, make sure to include a CTA in every radio commercial encouraging listeners to follow your business on Twitter and/or Facebook for exclusive offers and giveaways. Radio spots are easy to update on a moment’s notice so use that to your advantage. Update the offers frequently so listeners are encouraged to join your networks.

Once you’ve developed a solid social media following reward your followers by giving them sneak peeks of your traditional advertising. Old Spice has done a great job with this by releasing their “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign. They had a huge outpour of followers following their TV spots. Now they “reward” their followers by sharing their new commercials with them online before they actually air on television. By following this example you will make your customers feel like insiders! They’ll feel special, which is exactly how you want them to feel!

Lastly, remember that it is imperative to stay consistent with your messaging and branding across all forms of your advertising; whether traditional or online. Make sure that what you are projecting through traditional advertising is consistent with your messaging on your website and social media channels. Be proactive in monitoring what people are saying about your product and make sure to answer their questions and solve any problems they may have.

For questions about traditional advertising and social media contact Thrive Advertising’s owner Robin Ernst @ www.thriveadvertisingco.com.

10 Ways to Turn Your Blog into a Lead-Generating Machine

thriveadvertisingco — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:19:31 +0000

As the owner of an advertising agency I meet with business owners on a daily basis who are looking to grow their online presence organically (unpaid). Every business owner wants to be more visible and “findable” via Google, Yahoo, etc. One of the ways I tell entrepreneurs to increase their visibility in the digital world is by blogging. I usually share some tips that I’ve found to be successful for my clients and for my business. I stumbled across a great article on entrepreneur.com today that gives a prescription for 10 steps to successfully turn your blog into a lead-generation machine. So I thought I’d summarize them for you. If you have suggestions to add I’d love to hear from you! We can always use creative ways to help our businesses grow and become more successful, right?!

1. Make your blog an extension of your main website. “A visitor’s first experience with your company might be through a blog page. He or she might never land on your main site’s homepage, so link your blog visually (mirroring the navigation and design of your main site) as well as technically. Maintain the blog as a subdomain of your main domain (something like blog.website.com) versus putting it on a separate domain entirely. Blogging on the same domain that hosts your company site ensures that all inbound links to blog pages also juice up the search mojo of your main site.”

2. Solve or share, don’t “sell”. We’ve all read company blogs that sound more like a regurgitated press release than an engaging conversation. Blogs are meant to share ideas, wisdom and to spark a dialogue with potential customers and existing clients. They aren’t a platform for you to shout marketing-speak at readers.

“How can you determine what to write about? Use inquires or “Frequently Asked Questions” as fuel for blog posts. Ask your frontline folks: What problems do our customers ask about? What advice do they need? What problems do our products or services solve? Also, check your search logs: See what keywords people use when they land on your site to get a sense of what problems they have and what words they use to describe them.”

3. Show up. Blogging is as much about content as it is about consistency. If you only update your blog once every 2 months you’ll lose people’s interests. You want to make sure you provide current, relevant info for your followers. I’ve been guilty of not making my blog a priority the past couple weeks. With fall upon us my clients have been in the process of budgeting for 2012 so I’ve been knee-deep in work which has sidetracked me from taking the time to update my blog on a regular basis. This article suggests hiring a staff writer or a freelancer to help you maintain fresh content when you’re too busy to update your blog on your own. I think that is a fantastic suggestion! In the past I’ve had my interns help me with blog ideas. I’ve also made myself an editorial calendar to help me stay on track.

4. Avoid War and Peace posts. “The best blog posts are punchy and concise, focusing on a single idea. Think short paragraphs or bullet points. And don’t bury the important information. Open with a declarative sentence that sets up the key idea. Framing blog posts this way not only respects your reader’s busy schedule, but also helps address the anxiety a lot of us feel about writing. A blog post can also be a graphic, image, video or even an embedded PowerPoint presentation.”

5. Pen a killer headline. Every time you post a new blog entry you are creating a new “page” on your site. Every new page is an opportunity for search engines to pick up your content which may in turn usher potential customers your way. Your blog post title becomes your web page title, so titles matter! “An intriguing headline, or title, is also critical to attracting actual humans to read your post. The title of an article is not merely a promise to the reader (an idea of what’s in store), it’s also the pitchman for the entire post: It entices people to either click or … not.”

6. Link to other resources. Use every blog post as an opportunity to build internal links within your site. If you reference an idea that you’ve blogged about in the past make sure to insert a link to the past entry. Use keywords and phrases in your blog posts that you believe potential customers may be searching online. Don’t insert random jargon that sounds awkward…but do be mindful of the terms you use when you’re typing your posts.

7. Embed companion calls to action. “In addition to linking within the post itself, remember the real estate around the post. There are a few areas prime for calls to action on any blog page, including the “leaderboard” spot at the top of your blog, the sidebar on either side of the post and the often-ignored space immediately following a blog post.

The first two spots are great for banners or buttons. But the space under the post is key: Assuming readers get through the entire post, they should always be given an opportunity to learn more with either a companion offer or related piece of content. (Hint: This is also a good place from which to link to landing pages that require e-mail registration.)”

8. Offer subscription services. Make it easy for readers to continue following your blog by making an RSS feed visible and easy to subscribe to. An RSS feed will update followers every time you update your blog, which is a great tool to help you stay top of mind.

9. Trick out with social bling. “The more traffic you attract, the more opportunities you’ll have for generating leads. So be sure to outfit your blog with social-sharing icons, particularly the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Doing so subtly encourages your visitors to share your content and allows you to reach your network’s network, which is a key attribute of social media. Of course, this assumes that you are actively participating in social media, i.e., engaging in conversation, and not just broadcasting headlines.”

10. Remember one final thing. A blog is fundamentally an opportunity to connect with potential and exisiting customers. Use every avenue you have available to you to promote your blog. Share a link in your email blasts, talk it up in your marketing materials and when chatting with clients. A blog isn’t magic, you have to actively manage conversations and infuse enthusiastic insights pertinent to your industry.

-Robin

What Facebook’s Latest Changes Mean for Businesses

thriveadvertisingco — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:40:32 +0000

BY Mikal E. Belicove|

Facebook recently made a number of product and platform changes that affect companies and brands that market using the world’s most popular social utility. Here are five of the latest changes you need to be aware of:

1. Privacy settings for sharing: Privacy has long headed the list of concerns expressed by users of Facebook. As a result, Facebook has made a slew of changes that give users more control over who sees the content they create and post.

What this means for your business: Facebook wordsmithed the default sharing prompt that alerts users about who sees what they’re about to post. The default setting “Everyone” was changed to “Public,” and that subtle change taps into the human psyche surrounding issues related to privacy. “Public” clearly demonstrates that the public at large can view your updates, photos and more, whereas “Everyone” is ambiguous, or even folksy. That, of course, worked to the advantage of social media monitoring tools that rely on lots of public-facing content to fill their dashboards and analytic reports. The new “Public” label will likely result in fewer public-facing citations, which means businesses may have less to listen to.

2. Facebook Deals is dead: Facebook’s attempt to get in on the daily deal craze has ended. Facebook Deals, which launched in eight U.S. markets since April, has been discontinued. The company says it learned a lot from testing Deals and will continue to evaluate how to best serve local businesses. (Note that Yelp this week announced that it would exit the daily-deals space as well.)

What this means for your business: Facebook Deals was only available to merchants in eight U.S. cities, so unless your business operated in or around one of them, you won’t be impacted by this development. In any event, there’s no shortage of daily deal sites interested in working with you.

3. Ad targeting by Topic: For businesses and brands advertising on Facebook, the company now allows you to target your ads by Topic, not just Precise Interests and keywords. Ad targeting by Topic combines overlapping Precise Interests, which in turn allow for easier targeting. For example, listing the Topic “cooking” will target Facebook users with related interests in “cooking,” “cooking tips” and “cooking and eating.”

What this means for your business: If you know your target audience has a set of interests, ad targeting by Topic eliminates the need to manage a complex list of keywords. The addition of Topic targeting also allows businesses and brands to run A/B testing, or split testing, whereby you run two versions of the same ad — one powered by Topic targeting, the other by Precise Interest targeting — and then determine which one generates a higher return.

4. Advertising restrictions eased: Facebook now allows the promotion of legal gambling operations — including offline casinos — so long as such ads are appropriately targeted. The company also eased restrictions on ads promoting dietary and herbal supplements that do not contain certain ingredients, including ephedra, anabolic steroids and human growth hormones.

What this means for your business: Lifting restrictions on what is often viewed as advertisements for somewhat unsavory offerings may case users to lump all Facebook advertisements into the same distasteful pool. Now, more than ever, truth and authenticity in advertising matters.

5. Places gives way to location tagging: Facebook is phasing out its mobile Places feature, which allowed users to “check in” to locations — including businesses — from their cell phones.

What this means for your business: The impact here is minimal. Users will still be able to check-into a geographical location and take advantage of check-in Deals created by your business. But instead of using Places, they’ll use location tagging to indicate where they are — possibly resulting in even more people tagging your businesses location.

Find full article here.

The Most Social Shows of 2010-2011

thriveadvertisingco — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:01:49 +0000

I find this article interesting because TV shows are usually bought for how many viewers they have and viewer demographics. But I find it just as important to look at a shows engagement socially.

The most social shows may not have the highest ratings but they get their viewers talking and engaging on social networking sites. These shows are more inclines to have fans commenting after episodes air, episode checkins and liking announcements made on facebook.

With people now looking at social engagement and TV viewership this is just a new way for media buyers to buy more effectively.

Top 10 Most Social Shows of the 2010-2011 TV Season

1. NCIS
2. American Idol
3. Criminal Minds
4. Glee
5. House
6. Fringe
7. Bones
8. Castle
9. Smallville
10. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Do any of these surprise you? Smallville was a surprise for me. The CW show has low Nielsen ratings but has a strong following on facebook and twitter.

Also follow Thrive on facebook and twitter and let us know about TV shows you follow on these networking sites!

The 90′s Are All That

thriveadvertisingco — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:56:46 +0000

Ah, remember the Good ol’ days of long summers, no bills, mushroom haircuts and awesome TV. If you’re like me you grew up watching Old-school Nickelodeon shows. Due to interest from fans across social media sites the network started airing 90′s shows yesterday July 25th. TeenNick will air 1990s programming like Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, All That, Pete & Pete, The Amanda Show and Rugrats.

The programming will air from midnight until 2 a.m. and be called The ’90s Are All That. Over time TeenNick hopes to air other ’90s shows and movies.

Is there a TeenNick show you are hoping to see? I hope they bring back Are You Afraid of the Dark, Alex Mack, Hey Dude and Camp Anawanna! Camp Anawanna we hold you in our hearts. And when we think about you it makes me wanna…

Enjoy! – Kiri