1. higher ranking for your ad (ctr is a factor in the quality score for ad rank on Google)
2. lowest possible cost per click (the higher the ctr, the lower the bid can be for that same placement).
3. more traffic and more sales (no clicks = no conversions)

A click through rate is the percentage of viewers that click on the ad.  The ctr is calculated by dividing the number of impressions with the number of viewers that clicked on the ad.  For example, an ad with 2500 impressions and 45 clicks would have a click through rate of 1.84%.  Here are a few tips to increasing your click through rate:

1. Don’t use keywords that are too general and broad, i.e. retail
2. Strategically place your keywords, well performing ads usually have keywords in the headline.
3. Include specific details in describing your product or service, users will be more likely to click on an ad if it is relevant to their needs.
4. Use enticing text that will make viewers want to click on your ad, like a promotion.
5. Include short, hard hitting copy or ask a question.
6. Create a variety of ads that rotate.
7. Highlight your unique selling point. What makes you different from your competition?

Although maintaining a high click through rate is important, a high conversion rate is also extremely important. If your ads have a high ctr, with low conversion, revisit your site and see how you can make it more user friendly. Tips on creating a site that converts is soon to come.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your video:

1. Identify with your audience- tell a story that your target market can relate to- i.e. Heineken’s Men with Talent (over 1.5 million views)
2. Make content evoke emotion (funny)- i.e. Evian Roller Babies International (over 45 million views)
3. People like to share good news, like a motivational message or teach viewers how to do something cool-i.e. Nike: The Human Chain (over 400,000 views in a month)
4. Include a “wow” factor by making it unpredictable- i.e. Toyota’s Swagger Wagon(over 2 million views)
5. Include an interactive element, like starting a discussion or posting comments
6. Make it easy for your viewers to share and post

Viral videos are generally created for two main purposes, namely branding and awareness about specific products/services. Unlike traditional media, viral videos are much more cost effective in the long run, due to free distribution through blogs and social media networks such as YouTube and facebook. Along with free distribution, the message has more influence on viewers as they are passed on, or recommended by friends within their network. It is important to note that although the number of views on a video are important, the video must be viral to your target market in order to be effective.

Banner Ads or Display Ads, are image based ads that contain a link to your site and are placed on various related websites. Display ads debuted on the web 16 years ago in 1994, and have come a long way since the static image ads they once were. Today these display ads employ amazing graphics and interactive features, but are they effective? Here’s the good: a few benefits of display advertising:

1. Branding purposes:
   • Get your name out in more places on the web
   • Brand recognition can lead to online searches and online/offline purchases
2. New products that users don’t know exist:
   • Show an image of your product and how it is used
   • Since users don’t know they exist, they won’t do a search for these products
3. Even if customers don’t click on the ad, they’ll be exposed to your brand/product in context with your business message.

Successful examples of display ads include webby nominees for Banner Singles in the Interactive Advertising category such as the Pringles ad (once you pop, or in this case click, you just can’t stop) and the Burger King ad (which uses your computer’s camera to transform the king’s face into yours).

Here’s the bad: search ads which are text based ads found on search results pages, rule the online advertising world with figures almost triple that of display advertising (banner ads). Search ads such as those provided through Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing and Adcenter are said to be more successful because:

1. Display ads are more of a “push” strategy, where search ads are “pull”. Meaning with search ads, consumers pull the information they need, versus display ads where advertisers push their products towards the consumer.
2. Search ads, found on search results pages, basically guarantee that these ads will be seen by the target market.
3. The widespread onset of Banner Blindness, a condition where consumers ignore/avoid banner ads. The study suggests that consumers use the web for two main reasons: specific searches and browsing. Supposedly, consumers only focus on the relevant information usually contained in the body or as hyperlinks. This leaves out display ads, typically housed on the sides, top and bottom of a page.
4. Software that blocks banner ads and the tracking cookies used to find out where to effectively place them.

So before you drop cash on these fancy, innovative ads think about what you would like to accomplish with your advertising. And if it’s in the budget, do both as research shows a positive relationship between display and search ads, which work together to build brand awareness and credibility.

So if it’s just like a regular tweet, why pay (CPM) for “promoted tweets”? According to the twitter blog, promoted tweets will stand out and won’t be lost in the sea of results. They will be a different color than regular tweets and will be positioned above or alongside search results. But before you bust out your twictionary to post promoted tweets, twitter for now is limiting access to a few businesses like Starbucks, Virgin America and Red Bull and will hopefully be offering the new platform to other businesses. We will keep you posted!

• Write newsworthy press releases
  • One subject per press release
  • Write for the customer, instead of the media outlet
  • Write about topics that are interesting to your customer, not too much of a sales pitch

• Use Keywords
  • Use Google’s free Keyword tool to find popular variations of your keyword/phrase
  • Refrain from keyword stuffing, you want an article that your readers will be able to read and find interesting.
  • Include backlinks to your site where appropriate

• Don’t be afraid to be conversational and interactive
  • Allow users to leave comments  and share the release
  • Include a call to action

• Use Anchor text links
  • Homepage
  • Product/Service Page related to your press release

• Tag images and videos
  • Post videos to YouTube

• Research wire services for distribution
  • Try to use legit distribution sites, not ones that are known for spamming

• Measure views and traffic

Here is the email I got:

————-

March 24, 2010
Crosby & Higgins
350 Broadway, Suite 300
New York, NY 10013

To Whom It May Concern:

On the link bellow is a copy of the lawsuit that we filed against you in court on March 11, 2010.
Currently the Pretrail Conference is scheduled for April 11th, 2010 at 10:30 A.M. in courtroom #36.
The case number is 3485934. The reason the lawsuit was filed was due to a completely inadequate response from your company for copyright infrigement that our client Touchstone Advisories Inc is a victim of Copyright infrigement

www.touchstoneadvisorsonline.com/lawsuit/suit_documents.xxx (NB. Of course this link is inactive by the author, and the extension of the document changed)

Touchstone Advisories Inc has proof of multiple Copyright Law violations that they wish to present in court on April 11th, 2010.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Crosby
Crosby & Higgins LLP

————-

What caught me off guard, and made me read a little further, and start investigating was the fact that the company allegedly filing a lawsuit against me had a name that was actually close to ours. Secondly the company in question was legit when searching their company name, the URL was not some shady .ru domain masked by HTML and the law firm also existed.

All in all, further research of course gave it away, but for the first time I’ve felt that the phishers are getting smarter, more educated and definitely having the potential of getting a lot more successful applying more sneaky tactics.

The scary thing is that this type of phishing needs to have some individualized thought behind it. probably with some case-by-case human intervention. They have to find Addvisors Inc, and another company that carry a name close to ours. This means that somebody picked US to cheat, and very likely sent an email to the other company threatening them with a suit from Addvisors Inc.

Beware, and make sure to scrutinize any emails popping into your email box from people you don’t know, I know I will.

In addition to numerous marketing platforms including FREE facebook pages, advertisers can snag cost-effective CPC/CPM campaigns. Unlike search ads such as Yahoo and Google, facebook offers a less saturated environment while providing the ability to target members based on demographics, interests and keywords. facebook also provides a tracking system, where advertisers can get real-time reporting. Here are just three ways for businesses to use facebook:

1. Facebook Pages: a FREE interactive platform for businesses to interact with facebook members. A page is typically used to increase brand awareness, communicate directly with members, and generate leads. Pages are a great way to gain consumer feedback and create a fan base which can lead to great word of mouth advertising. Comprised of features such as events, videos, pics and info, advertisers can directly communicate with fans in innovative and dynamic ways.
2. Facebook Ads/Direct Response: used primarily to drive traffic to your site or page, facebook ads are approximately 1/3 the cost of major search engine ads and offer many targeting options as well as the ability to add images. You can target members by location, age, gender, education, workplace, relationship status, languages and ofcourse keywords. As with sponsored links, you have the option of Cost Per Click (CPC) or Cost Per 1000 Impressions (CPM). These ads appear on the right hand side of targeted facebook member’s profiles, giving them easy access to ads. Direct Response ads, integrated late last year, allow advertisers to offer a promotion in exchange for member’s information. For example, when a member clicks on a cosmetic company’s ad, a short form appears offering the member a free sample of lip gloss in exchange for them providing information such as an e-mail address.
3. Facebook Applications:  such as games and questionnaires, are generally built to generate interest and interaction. Applications can take on a viral marketing effect and attract new clients in a way that sponsored links cannot.

Well now you can, using Google’s recently acquired social search site Vark.com which urges users to “ask a question and I’ll find someone to answer”. Unlike most social search sites, Vark.com gets answers from people, not sites. That’s right, you can get an answer from someone in your current social network (i.e. facebook, gmail contacts) or anyone that has listed an interest in the topic, typically within 5-10 minutes. So how do you answer a question about the product or service you provide?  Vark.com offers Sponsored Answers, where businesses bid on specific keywords. Vark then forwards questions that include these keywords to you. You can either answer the question (you should include a link to your site) or pass. This is a great way to generate warm leads. Here are a few statistics for Vark.com at the end of 2009:

• 87.7% of questions sent to Aardvark got answered
• 70.4% of answer feedback had a high quality rating of ‘good’ as opposed to ‘ok’ or ‘bad’
• Average of 3,176.2 questions per day

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Creatively and technically develop Web-based frontend and backend high traffic applications in a team environment.
• Actively participate in all phases of the software development life cycle.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS
• At least 5 years of professional web development experience in the web development industry.
• Strong analysis, design and implementation experience utilizing Web 2.0 technologies and relational database management systems, working with 3rd party API’s of any size, developing open API’s for other developers.
• Outstanding PHP5, MySQL and JavaScript experience and track record.
• Knowledge of JavaScript libraries/frameworks (e.g. JQuery), HTML, CSS, Apache, Linux (Redhat), SSH, OO design principles and patterns, secure coding best practices.
• Extensive experience with Web Services, WSDL, XML, and SOAP.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
Excellent salary compensation (DOE) and paid vacation. Work in a talented and supportive work environment that fosters growth and creativity. Be part of a team in building high-quality/high traffic innovative web applications.

HOW TO APPLY?
Please e-mail your resume, along with at least 4 URLs of your work that best shows your technical abilities, and your salary requirements to: info@addvisors.com or if you have any questions about the position, feel free to call our office at (702) 430-8134.

About Us
Addvisors, Inc. is a Las Vegas based online advertising and web development agency with its primary focus on search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, social media marketing and web application development.
Please do not contact us if you are part of an agency.

Although both Bing.com and Yahoo.com are planning on retaining their individual branding, Yahoo search results will display a “powered by Bing” message. As Microsoft manages Yahoo’s search queries, Yahoo will be accountable for landing and supporting premium advertisers, of which Microsoft will keep roughly 12% of revenues. What does this mean for users and advertisers?

According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer “Together, Microsoft and Yahoo will promote more choice, better value and greater innovation to our customers”. However, users reportedly won’t experience much of a change, with the exception of Microsoft providing both organic and paid search results. Advertisers, on the other hand are promised access to a larger worldwide audience, and customized service where Yahoo will exclusively support premier advertisers and agencies, while Microsoft assists self-service advertisers.

While the transition is said to be completed in the U.S. by the end of 2010, it is evident that the alliance is an effort to gain a bigger piece of search engine volume currently dominated by industry leader Google. The search engine giant continues to control search engine volume in 2010 with reports of up to 70% of the volume followed by Yahoo! at 17% and Bing at 13%.