We have been tackling the topic of social media this month, and I want to take it into the realm of integration for a bit…

So just how does social media fit in the grand scheme of things? Perfectly, in fact, as it compliments the majority of the interactive marketing we are already engaged in. From PPC to SEO, online contests to brand building, social media can be used in conjunction with other efforts to boost not only brand equity online but also conversions.

Several recent marketing endeavors for our clients have included social media as a component. Social media marketing has been used to further the conversation online with the ultimate goal of singling out brand advocates and planting the seeds they need to carry our brand message to their social web. From carrying on brand conversations in blogs and forums to establishing a brand’s presence in well established social networking arenas such as MySpace and Facebook, social media marketing is a natural extension of a user’s current online behavior. We have chosen to use social media in conjunction with more mainstream interactive efforts because we believe it places our message exactly where it needs to be found.

To this end, we may place display advertising on a site where conversations have been very positive and numerous in an effort to further the brand advocacy we have already enjoyed. We may divert PPC media to the same blog temporarily to bolster traffic and discussion about our brand.

Bottom line: Social media is not always a singular activity or marketing endeavor. It represents one of many arrows we keep in the proverbial quiver to help our brands truly achieve online brand dominance. While social media was not coined until recently, the platform has been around for years and choosing not to take advantage of its tremendous benefits is the equivalent of sticking your head in the sand.

User behavior is a funny thing - on the surface it can look like a promotion or interactive contest is performing quite well - lots of entries, a growing database and good traffic numbers, but it isn’t until we start to drill down into the numbers that true behavior begins to surface.

When analytics shows that many users are dropping off at a specific point in the process, it is time to act. Here at LeapFrog Interactive, we use several industry leading analytics programs to track user behavior not only for the benefit of reporting but being able to tweak promotions and interactive contests during their run to maximize their impact.

This sometimes means daily analysis to label trends and behavior that have an impact on results and follow a user from start to finish to determine why they are making the decisions they are. The “why” is often the most difficult but also the most important as the contest progresses. Missing a user’s expectation leads to drop-offs during a contest and drop-offs mean lost conversions along the way.

It is also important that measurement be built into the process. For instance - if your promotional site is built in Flash, and many are, you must build in tracking databases to feed analytics. You also need to have a stepped conversion process. Figure out at what point to engage the user by asking for personal information. Ask for too much up front and you create a barrier. Ask for too little through the process and end up with a consumer database that is weak. Setting “goals” along the path will help identify the steps you are wanting the user to take and can help guide analytics.

Because everything we do as an interactive agency is tracked and reported on, it is necessary to have the right tools on hand. Knowing your tools is also an important step and often forgotten or tucked away as an unnecessary expense. We make sure our team is certified in the tools they will be asked to use and experts as they begin to measure and report. Having the right tools is extremely important - having the right tools in untrained hands is downright dangerous.

So - to sum things up… use the tools you have to learn user behavior. Be willing to make changes along the way and be prepared for surprises. Having the right tools and the right people makes a huge difference and will help your interactive contests succeed and achieve your contest goals!

Join Jeremy Kolonay and Michael Wunsch as they discuss the technical implications of user-generated content campaigns.

 LeapCast LFI University Feb 8 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Join Mike and Alan as they discuss the creative and branding implications of interactive contest campaigns. 

 Alan on Interactive contests: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Online contests have become a great way to drive traffic to your website, increase consumer databases and most importantly create connection for people with your brand. However, there are several things that must be taken into account when planning and implementing a contest for those reasons:

First: An online contest can oftentimes be the first introduction of a brand to a consumer. Ensuring that the brand persona is kept intact with any promotional contest is a top priority. What we want is an emotional connection with the brand. Having a mismatch in tone, imagery, content, usability, etc. creates an instant disconnect when the user ultimately lands on the main website only to find their introduction was merely a traffic generating farce. Consumers are bombarded daily with special offers and the last thing we can afford is to disappoint a consumer who then turns a blind eye to our brand - that’s if we’re lucky - the alternative is the consumer uses their online power to tell everyone in their network that the promotion is not worth the time!

Second: One of the easily forgotten aspects of any online venture is usability. As creative minds work together, focusing on flow, speed, functionality, browsers, etc. becomes a paramount concern when the ultimate goal is pleasing the user. A great offer is not enough to keep attention when pages are slow to load, navigation makes no sense and paths are not clearly defined. Online, your brand has split seconds to grab the user’s attention and motivate them to continue on your designated conversion path – any break in that rhythm creates a roadblock. Just like in highway traffic, a certain percentage of drivers will simply turn around and take another path.

Third: As we begin to look for places to promote the online contest, it is important to target sites and media that foster the emotional connection with the brand. Placing your contest on a contest aggregator site leads to high amounts of traffic but little connection to the brand and ultimately results in a consumer database not interested in my brand offer but the next sweepstakes I happen to announce. The creative we place on the targeted sites, from text to image, must find a way to marry both the tone of the publisher’s site and the persona of the brand. We must be careful not to “blend in” with the existing creative too much, but failing to create a brand connection to the user already creates a roadblock for the online contest.

As an interactive marketer, I believe online contests are a powerful way to brand online, generate buzz and ultimately build databases. I also believe, if done poorly, they can be one of the most dangerous online brand activities imaginable.

Join Mike and Katina as they take an honest and realistic look at why brands are hesitating and holding back on committing to digital advertising and interactive marketing, and the recent developments that might address those concerns.

 Realizing the Potential of Digital: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For folks in search engine marketing, it’s like a new model year in the automotive industry. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft have all upgraded their search marketing tools and dashboards in the last year, and search marketers have been taking these new interfaces and features out for a test drive and learning how they handle.

Near the beginning of the year, Yahoo released the most recent iteration of its Search Marketing program, Panama. Retooled with a new formula for ad placement and new features such as geotargeting and campaign dayparting, the newest version of Yahoo’s paid placement offering is now, at least in terms of features, on a little more level footing with top search engine Google.

Over the summer, Microsoft opened up Project Gatineau, their own Analytics program, in a closed beta. While the product is still in a beta release, new features including custom taxonomies, funnel reports, and ROI reports that cover email, banner and even offline campaigns have generated a lot of excitement and buzz among search marketers.

Most recently Google, the undisputed king of search engines and paid search ads, updated their Adwords Website Optimizer with a raft of new and useful features. The most significant new additions include the ability to perform A/B Split testing on landing pages, access to the Optimizer directly through the Client Center dashboard, and some additional sorting/organizing functionality for experiments.

With all this continuous change and improvement, it’s been a big learning year for those responsible for garnering the tightest ROI out of paid search media spend dollars.

Join Mike and Katina as they discuss assessing your content for viral potential, and the rules of engagement for social media and online public relations.

 LFI University November 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tune in for a great LeapCast as Mike is joined by Terry McWilliams, President of Mozaic Investor Relations and Chairman of InvestKY. Please visit www.investky.com for more information.

 LeapCast - Interactive In Action: 10.30.07 - A Visit With InvestKY: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Join Katina and Mike as they journey through the interactive landscape - this show discusses trends in online video and email providers dabbling in social features.

 LeapCast - LFI Trends: 10.22.07 - Email Goes Social: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download