MediaWhiz In the News | Week of Aug. 13–17, 2012
MediaWhiz’s leaders are continually sought after as resources for opinions, advice and expertise, based on our deep understanding of industry trends, the needs of our customers and the broader marketplace in which we operate.
Do You Need a Mobile Wallet?
The Wall Street Journal / SmartMoney | Featuring Daryl Colwell, VP of Business Development
… Plus, the leather wallet has one distinct advantage: It doesn’t require a battery. Even a digital-wallet fanatic is “always going to want some kind of backup,” says Daryl Colwell, a vice president at MediaWhiz, a digital media agency.
If there’s good news for consumers, however, it’s that as retailers embrace mobile commerce they could be offering deals of all sorts as part of the formula, experts say. Think “instant” coupons or other offers, designed to trigger a last-minute purchase.
And just as retailers will offer shoppers a special one-time discount for signing up for an in-house credit card, they could do the same with a mobile-wallet platform.
Mr. Colwell believes it’s this sort of promotion that could ultimately make the mobile wallet a mainstream consumer reality. “As long as there’s a big incentive for shoppers to jump on board, they’re going to jump on board,” he says. Read more …
Note: Article also published on MSN Money.
Navigating the Social Media Maze
Inc. magazine | Featuring Steve Goldner, Senior Director of Social Media
… Assessing the social media programs of all types of businesses, large and small, Steve Goldner, senior director of social media at MediaWhiz, a digital media agency based in New York, estimates just five percent represent real business value, and 95 percent are wasted effort. “Regardless of size, most businesses simply don’t understand what social media is about—which is building relationships and having appropriate metrics that align to your company’s KPIs (key performance indicators) and core business objectives,” he declares. …
Goldner notes that many companies stumble over the “tremendous need” to listen first and market second in social media. Effective business use of social media starts with listening to key conversations in and around your industry and target markets, building trust with those communities and slowly working your way into those conversations. “Trust within those communities has to be there first, otherwise consumers will tune you out,” he warns. …
In general, social media is not a highly effective channel to directly drive transactions, but its ability to increase levels of customer awareness, consideration, and loyalty is a powerful tool to “tee up” conversions. “Social media provokes these behaviors, and these behavior changes drive transactions,” Goldner says. He adds that social media marketing programs are most effective when the right tools are used, enough time is allotted for the programs to build momentum, and you are committed to delivering value to customers as opposed to selling to them. Read more …
Having a grown-up mobile marketing strategy with site and SEO
By Heather Fernandez, Senior SEO Strategist | Mobile Marketer
Mobile is not just for email anymore.
That is evident to any marketer who has spent time around teens, at a mall or at a sporting event. Mobile is everywhere and it is reshaping how people interact with brands and make online purchases.
In a three-month study spanning February to May 2012, comScore found that 234 million U.S. consumers use smartphones and, of that number, 110 million are smartphones owners.
This impressive growth demonstrates the need for marketers to understand that consumers are changing their online behavior when they research and engage with brands. … Read more …
Signs Signaling Relevance in Search
MediaPost | Featuring Adam Riff, SVP of Digital Strategy
… In a recent post I explain how pushing rather than pulling of information by people searching for information will make recommendations more important. MediaWhiz SVP of Digital Strategy Adam Riff said agencies who can gain a “recommendation” line on paid-search ads can increase click-through rates. It’s not just extra copy, he said, but rather verification that others saw and like the page or ideas that represent the company’s content.
For search engine optimization, since Google’s algorithms track sharing activity, the brands can gain negative or positive results in rankings based on recommendations. Riff agrees that it makes sense to run an integrated media campaign around a product launch or announcement in advance of the introduction to gain social recommendations based on specific keywords.
“If you can get enough people sharing the content relevant to the keywords ‘digital camera,’ the client’s brand can start ranking higher for those words,” Riff said. Read more …
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