In a study by Engine Ready, the visitors who get to retail sites through sponsored links are more likely to buy than those who click on organic results. They also spend more: the average order of a paid linker was $11 higher, at $117.06.

Why would this be? One possible reason is that the greater content that typically raises the rank of the website on the Organic side is too much for the prospective customer. In fact, less may be more according to Alex Mindlin of the New York Times. August 9, 2009

1. Faster Internet access and faster computers permit quick downloading.

2. Production companies are now writing 10 and 20-minute shows for the Internet so users are becoming more accustomed to longer videos.

3. During the past two TV seasons, nearly every broadcast show has been streamed free on the Internet.

4. By some estimates, ONE IN FOUR Internet customers now uses Hulu, an online home for NBC and FOX TV shows.

5. Every month “Dancing with the Stars”, the popular ABC-TV reality show, draws about 2,000,000 views on ABC.com according to Nielsen Ratings.

6. About 150 million Internet users in the U.S. watch about 14.5 billion videos each month according to ComScore. That’s about 97 per viewer.

While the length of the average video viewed is still about 3.4 minutes (March ’09), it is rising quickly. This means that you can easily add to your video library and add topics of greater length too. There are countless topics about which you are an expert that a prospective customer would be very interested in. Your video could be the difference in whether you get the order, or not.

If your website does not include videos right now, let’s talk. They are amazingly inexpensive and are a big draw for prospective customers. While we still produce more two minute videos than any other length, 14 minute videos seem to be the new wave.

It is important for you to set the standard in your business category, and videos are another way to do it. Don’t wait. Plan for it now.

Of course, the economy has slowed. Of course, Housing is a mess. Of course, unemployment is high. Even with all of that said, people are still buying and people are still spending. And, guess what, there
are FEWER companies asking them for their business.

If you can see opportunity in the down economy, we should talk. We want to work with clients who understand that this downturn is not an opportunity to miss. We want to show you what our clients already know and how they’re making money, and getting a good return on their advertising investment.

If you’re among the panicked, we might be able to help you off the ledge. If you’re holding your own, and still want to sell more, we can help. If you think you need to sit on the sidelines and wait for a Treasury bailout. Well, God bless and God speed.

To quote best-selling business author, Jim Collins, who wrote Built to Last and Good to Great: “If you panic, you’ll fall off the mountain.” He went on to say: “People who take credit in good times and blame external forces in bad times do not deserve to lead. End of story.” Fortune, Feb 2. 2009, pp 48-49.

We really can’t add much to that. If you see opportunity, let’s talk. OttawayDigital.com is a leader in Search Marketing and Web Design. We can tailor a plan to meet your needs and budget.

So there you have it. Social Media is not some big mountain to climb, but rather your voice on the Internet chatting about what you know and love. SMM is an extension of this as it becomes the voice of your business, product and/or service. Furthermore, there’s really no need to be afraid of Facebook or Twitter since they’re merely newer Social Media platforms with funky Web 2.0 names and cool appearances. In reality, they’re no different than old-fashioned chat rooms and
forums.

So, what should you consider in looking into how SMM fits for your business? According to Greg Ott, SVP of Marketing and Product at Classmates.com, here are five questions to think through in
establishing a SMM program:

1. What is your objective? What are you really trying to accomplish? Content contribution? Community development?

2. Who cares? We must understand your target audience and how they are spending their time on-line.

3. How will we reward them? We must give our audience something that is valuable and remarkable, such as unique content that’s worth commenting on; a tool for self-expression; or a community that’s
worth being a part of. The programs must be quick to take in and easy to digest.

4. Can they trust you? Both authenticity and openness are critical on social networks. We can excel here.

5. Are you committed? Running a token program is likely to fail. We must stick with it, test and learn, and become an expert.

Whether it’s now or later, SMM is not going away. According to an October 2007 survey of 116 senior marketing professionals, Coremetrics discovered 78% of respondents view SMM as a way to gain a
competitive edge. Yet, only 7.75% of total online marketing budgets are allocated to social networking sites as of June 2008. This disconnect reflects the perceived risk and learning curve that
marketers associate with advertising through any new medium. However, as noted above, many of these risks can be minimized through a deeper understanding of the opportunity at hand.

We’ve been working in this space for clients for over two years now and have learned that the need to work on it daily is the key. Your audience still expects you to be involved “all the time”. If
they’re going to be “friends” you must be a “friend”, and friends respond in a timely fashion. If they see you as being mainly “off line”, they’ll find a new friend, and the program will languish and possibly even fail. This must be a commitment, even a passion. Lets talk more!

Bob Ottaway
(248) 637-4600 x10
bottaway@ottaway.net

We thought that you would find the following findings of importance in planning your advertising in 2009:

* Adults are exposed to screens—TVs, cell phones, GPS devices—for about 8.5 hours/day.

* TV remains the dominant medium for media consumption and advertising, the study found.

* Computer usage has supplanted Radio as the second most common medium activity.

* Radio ranks third in media usage.

* Print now ranks fourth in media usage.

* The number of minutes with media is almost identical for EVERY age group, except 45— 54 year olds who spend on average an extra hour in front of screens each day.

* The average American is exposed to 5 hours and 9 minutes of live TV each day, another 15 minutes via a DVR and 2.4 minutes of video on the computer.

* TV accounted for 99% of all video consumed in 2008. Even among 18—24 year olds it was 98%.

* How do 18—24 year olds use media? TV 3.5 hours/day; Text Messaging 29 minutes/day; Online Video 5.5 minutes/day.

* Favorite media usage by age group: 25—34: watching DVDs or VCR videos; 35—44: on the web; 45—54: most time on email; 65+: most time with live TV.

* More than 30% of households now own DVRs, and spend at least 15 minutes a day using a DVR.

* The study showed that people underestimate the amount of TV they watch each day by about 25%.

Ottaway Communications is now approaching its 28th year in the media and advertising business. A special thanks to you for tapping into our expertise and knowledge to guide your sales. Our people are professionals and our promise is to make our service sterling. Here’s to an improving ’09!

a. Customize: Tailor your copy to them.
b. Speak the language: Be authentic and sell an image.
c. Embrace Social Media: This is where Gen Y lives: Twitter and Facebook at a minimum.
d. Listen carefully: Peer to peer marketing influences Gen Y.
e. Keep spreading out: Tie into music, sports and art that Gen Y cares about.
f. Keep your perspective: Don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun.

Special thanks to Michael Mink at IDB for this research.

What is the number one “beef” by most customers as evidenced by abandonment in the Shopping Cart check-out? Shipping charges. Many eCommerce merchants are making the shipping costs more transparent and exposing them sooner. Good advice! Thanks to Vertical Web Media for this research.