The Digital Marketing World

Social media marketing is one of the most intriguing and challenging subjects.  We see how businesses, big or small, all use a form of social media marketing, whether they have a Facebook page, an Instagram page, or a blog. All of these different methods play a role in social media marketing. The more you have out there, the more you remind your audience that you exist. There is a lot of competition and we need to keep finding various ways of meeting consumer needs. With evolving technology, we find that many people spend a big portion of their time on their smart devices. Though traditional media is not dead, the marketing sector must keep creating. It is easy to simply post a picture on a social media site for marketing purposes, but is that enough? The challenging portion to this is keeping your audience engaged and interested. The great part about this is that there are resources available to you at no cost to help maintain and attract. I found Google Analytics to be a helpful tool. Of course, if you want more fancy options, you opt to pay for those services, but you don't always have to. Google Analytics keeps track of your progress and provides you with data so that you can make improvements to your site. Consumers now days like to be involved and share their use of services or products. Creating communities and allowing your audience to participate in your business improvements and endeavors will result in greater success. This is a great way of engaging your audience and letting them know that you listened and you delivered.    

Another important factor is the developing and maintaining of an effective website. With any product or service, it is always important to identify who you are trying to serve, your target audience. Designing a website takes a lot of work, but it is important to keep your consumers in mind. You want to keep the site simple and easy to navigate. There is nothing worst than having an overwhelming site where you just don't know where to look or how to search for things with quick results, that easily turns people away. You want a site that is easily readable and can be operated on different platforms. Most importantly, the design should correspond with the site's objectives and target market (Roberts & Zahay, 2013). While digital marketing keeps evolving, we have to keep in mind that things may change in the next five to ten years. I don't think digital marketing will be leaving us any time soon. The collection of data and tracking behavior has served us well. It allows companies to analyze and deliver emotional content that will connect with their audience. The use of social media has allowed consumers to engage and provide feedback, which evolves into customer loyalty. You want to keep doing what works for your target audience and your business, it is a team effort.

References:
Roberts, M.L. & Zahay, D. (2013). Internet marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

The Power of NYX Cosmetics' Website

The NYX Cosmetics website is one of those sites you just cannot get enough of. It is full of style, trends, and things that make me feel like, I need those products. I do not even contour, but I need that contour palette. Get me? The site definitely follows the AIDA hierarchy: 

Attention - Interest - Desire - Action. 

Their site is very easy to use, offers suggestions and allows you to interact. If I am looking for a specific beauty product, their drop-down menu and headings make it easier to find. Their category labels are to the point. Looking for products for your lips? Face? Eyes, or more? Just click on that button and it will provide you with all products related to that heading. Not too sure about the product and want to test it first? Click on their store locator button and it will give you the nearest stores to you or simply type in your zip code. The NYX Cosmetics website follows good website design principles. From the several search options to their use of color to their readable fonts. Are you mostly on the go and check sites from your smartphone? The NYX Cosmetics website is just as easy on your mobile device. You get the same mobility navigating through their site whether you are on a desktop or a smartphone. 

The NYX Cosmetics site has a section called "Looks," now this is the only portion, so far, that I have found difficulty loading. It is a section that shows their NYX community by sharing pictures and trending looks provided by people who voluntarily share their beauty look using NYX products on social media. It is a great way to allow their customers and fans to interact with their site and keep their momentum going. However, the looks are scattered. You go from simple, to extravagant, to colorful, back to simple, and it just keeps going around and around. I suggest placing these looks into categories. For example, simple look, evening look, beach look, and so forth. NYX Cosmetics, you will not go wrong with giving us your take on looks, using all of your beauty essentials and prompting us to "get the look."

Ad Formats: How Effective Are They?

Ever browse through different web pages and notice how different each site uses ads? Some sites have their pages full of various forms of ads, while others have very minimal. How effective are these ads in reaching consumers and why do some sites have more ads than others? There are many formats for online displays and ads, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) sets guidelines and standards that companies must follow when placing ads. It is as specific as setting dimensions for pop-ups, banners, skyscrapers, and much more. In order for ads to be successful, they must allow the consumer to interact. However, a very common theme before designing your ad is getting to know your audience. Understanding who your audience is and how they interact with your site is very important in delivering effective ads. Some of my favorite companies use what is called mobile rising stars. These are formats, introduced by IAB, that were developed by major advertising platform owners and advertising networks (Roberts & Zahay, 2013). These formats include: billboards; filmstrips; portraits; pushdowns; sidekicks; and sliders. These formats allow companies to be more creative and provide more interaction. The Disney website is a great example of how these ad formats are used. Their web page provides me with the same content whether I am looking at it through my laptop or my mobile device. They have incorporated filmstrips, which are scrollable horizontal ads, and their full page accommodates both landscape or portrait orientation. Disney has also made good use of incorporating short videos on their site and they all conform to IAB guidelines. Another great example is NYX Cosmetics. They also provide filmstrip ads and full page. The only thing they do not have are videos on their site, but their site is the same whether I am looking at it from my laptop or my mobile device. On the contrary, DSW can improve on their mobile site. Their online site gives me a wide banner and many rectangular ads; however, when I browse their site through my mobile device, all I get is a search and a drop down menu with categories. They do not have interactive or creative ads. Ads are very important because they draw us, the consumer, in. Whether it is something I was already searching for or something that simply drives my attention because it was placed in front of me, creative and interacting ads are necessary.

Roberts, M.L. & Zahay, D. (2013). Internet marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.