There used to be a time when you could concentrate your digital marketing spend entirely into Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and optimize campaigns toward certain metrics like cost per conversion, revenue, etc. Each engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing) had its own nuances and constantly evolved, but the playing field for many years was largely contained under the Search umbrella. Keyword research, a/b testing, day parting and bid strategy knowledge were important and could be attained by a determined individual and continual focus.
Remarketing added a new wrinkle and has been the bridge for many organizations into Display initiatives, a new territory to discover. Today's Display includes not only the Google Display Network (GDN), but also a number of third party (non-engine based) channels that work well for many organizations.
Two elements that have added a further degree of complication to paid digital marketing are mobile and paid ads within the social channels. The complication stems from the fact that proficiency is required in new areas (like all of the paid options within Facebook) and the challenge of properly attributing conversions, as users are increasingly using multiple devices during the conversion funnel. Thus meaningful progress here is closely tied to the quality of the analytics that have been deployed to track user behavior across channels and devices.
In the accounts that MoreVisibility manages we're seeing 15+% of funds being directed into channels other than search. That's a much larger amount than in years past and it will continue to grow. Keep pace with all of these changes or risk missing out on a potentially lucrative return on investment.
If this overview hits home and you'd like to discuss, please let me know.
