Banner Ads

A banner ad or banner advertising in a rectangular graphic display that stretches across the top or bottom, or along the side of a website.  Or more simply put, online advertising via banners, and their intent is to generate traffic to a particular website.

These ads are image-based, rather than text-based and a popular form of website advertising. They are very simple pieces of HTML code (they can be a simple image or active), but their presence is immense on the web, and to an internet business on the web.

The host is paid for the banner in one of three ways:

Cost per impression (every visitor who views the ad)

Cost per click (payment for every website visitor who clicks on the ad and

visits the website)

and

Cost per action (payment for every website visitor who clicks on the ad, goes to the website and completes a task such as filling out a form or making a purchase)

Who can create a banner?

            Anyone with a computer and internet access.

Who looks at the material?

           Any one on the internet.

This media is effective in the AIDA model by:

A: attention-the ad may pop up depending on what is typed into the search field.

I: Interest- you may already be interested in the item and you will search further.

D: Desire? Maybe…depends on what you are looking for and price.

A: Action-Maybe? Depends on interest and the price.

For Kent’s Camera Castle, depending on the age of the potential customer, many older adults prefer to go in and look at the item, and they may or may not be on the internet, but this will serve the younger market.

An effective message would be short and to the point, because if you are already on the web, you have an idea of what you want.

I would use the display ad using the name of the camera, three beneficial features, and one tag line.

Clear, Superior, Professional

The audience is as large as the web, and it informs the audience, may persuade the audience, reminds you about the product and connects you to the person advertising in order to purchase the item)

I was surprised that yes, it is easy to create your banner, but you must also find a person to publish it or exhibit the banner for you.  I felt with all the social media, one of those would work.

The first banner ad was created by AT&T, on October 27, 1994 and even has its own .com address!

My Sources:

LaFrance, Adrienne. “First-Ever Banner Ad on the Web”, The Atlantic.com https://www.theatlantic.comtechnology/archive/2017/04/the-first-ever-banner-ad-on-the-web/523728/, Retrieved October 20, 2017

Katai, Robert. “How Does Banner Advertising Work?” Bannersnack.com

https://blog.bannersnack.com/banner-advertising-basics/ Retrieved October 20, 2017

“Banner Advertising” Investopedia.com   http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/banneradvertising.asp , Retrieved October 20, 2017

“Banner Ad Definition” “Marketing Terms.com”  https://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/banner_ad/ , Retrieved October 20, 2017,

“The First Banner Ad”, FirstBannerAd.com http://thefirstbannerad.com/  Retrieved October 20, 2017

Harris,Tom. “How Banner Ads Work” Computer.HowStuffWorks.com https://blog.bannersnack.com/banner-advertising-basics/,Retrieved October 20, 2017

How Does Trust Building Relate to Wabasha’s Eagle Center?

This past Saturday, my daughter Shaynan and I drove to Wabasha to visit the Eagle Center.  While most people have attended this facility, it has been on my list for the last five years,  ever since I happened to view a news report about Angel and her visit to the river,  in winter, to revisit what was her daily routine, when she was not injured and no longer able to live in the wild.  She allowed the handler to pick her up and walk down to the water’s edge and place her feet in the water and splash around for a time.  Angel may have been tethered to a bar, and humans standing nearby, but for a moment there it looked like she was reliving a past pleasure. Sigh! I think Angel just sighed, she is remembering her life as it was before!

The eagles located at the Eagle Center have been injured and are no longer able to live in the wild.  Most injuries are from being struck by a car and either a leg is damaged or a wing is broken and cannot be healed.  They may be injured but their job now is to educate the public and raise awareness about these majestic animals.

As part as admission, you may attend a presentation where a handler discusses eagles, their diet, how far they can see and how wide the wing span is.  In addition, the handler discusses the fact that while it may look easy to you and you may think all you have to do is walk up there and stick your arm out and the eagle or hawk will just jump on, that is not the case.  In each situation, trust needs to be earned as this is truly a wild animal, from feeding to letting the bird perch on your leather-glove arm.  In each talon, there is 400 psi of pressure, and if there are four talons at the end of each foot, that is a lot of trust you are putting on that bird to not crush your arm!  In addition, these birds are not raised in captivity and while they are handled on a daily basis, they still need to trust you, and not harm you, and they expect the same from you.  Each handler feeds and cares for their assigned bird and a relationship is formed.  I have great admiration for these workers because they assume a great deal of responsibility for the care of a fragile animal and one bad memory may make that eagle not trust again.  Trust takes time and patience, whether you are human or not. We each place our trust in others and want to be treated the way we treat the other.

Life is too short to put your trust in the wrong person.  Enjoy life, but make sure that each moment is the best possible moment out there.

Corporate Brochures

A corporate brochure is a professional, print publication that is used to advertise a company’s products, services and information on the company for customers.  Based on advertising budgets, a brochure may have one, two, three or more folds and is set apart from a flier.  A company can create their own, but it is advisable to have a professional company do that for you.

A Simple Brochure consists of your company information and your message.  Vistaprint.com has an article that gives basic information on the creation of one.[1]

1. Getting started
2. How to write a brochure
3. Create an effective brochure design
4. Choose the right paper
5. Getting the most out of your brochure

https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/brochures-guide?rd=1

This video (which is found in the article above), gives good, basic information about brochure use.[2]

Video: https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/brochures-guide?rd=1#

Another resource I found on the internet was one from the Tennessee Ag Department and it gave detailed information about brochures being an effective marketing tool.  While the article was from December, 2010, it was addressed to both private and business individuals.[3]  I also found business card and postcard design that was put out by this company, which had good information.

https://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/Information%20Sheets/cpa179.pdf

The advantages of a brochure are many, primarily it gives information on your company, and gives contact information, website address, and what you have to offer. The disadvantages are that the buyer may not be in the market for what you are offering at the time the brochure is looked at, and not everyone tends to keep the information and file it.  Or your information may change and unless you mail a new brochure to everyone, you do not keep in contact with them.  The cost can be expensive, but it is a necessary expense of business and worth it.

When discussing the AIDA concept, the brochure gets the buyers attention, interest, desire and action based on what is represented in the brochure and in your product.  You can be promoting a cup of coffee or a rock, if the brochure is done correctly, it will get attention.

Since this is a corporate brochure, the audience is set, unless it is a hotel chain and you are shopping for an event or family meeting.  An effective brochure will preach to the all customers in that target audience.  You do not send a plumbing brochure to someone looking at floors and by targeting the market ahead of time, you control who you send it to.  In the Saylor Foundation book on Launch, a B2B situation was explained as one company help another company in their advertising efforts, and “… campaign generated 120 percent more registrations than expected. The success was due in part to demographic profiling that identified potential customers and why they buy, and then used an integrated campaign to reinforce the messages and reach customers in different ways.”[4] This is an example of profiling that was successful. I would utilize the brochure as a main piece, sending a cover letter and a business card.  If I was in a business trade show or similar setting, I would introduce myself and hand the potential client the brochure.

[1]Vistaprint.com,  “How to Make a Brochure”  https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/brochures-guide?rd=1, (Accessed October 13, 2017)

[2] Vistaprint.com,  “How To Use Brochures For Your Business”  https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/brochures-guide?rd=1, (Accessed October 13, 2017)

[3] Ladd, Ann “Developing Effective Marketing Materials: Brochure Design Considerations” , https://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/Information%20Sheets/cpa179.pdf

University of Tennessee, Center for Profitable Agriculture, December 2010 (Accessed October 14, 2017)

[4] Saylor Foundation, “Direct Marketing” https://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Launch!%20Advertising%20and%20Promotion%20in%20Real%20Time.pdf#page=175&zoom=auto,-121,580, Chapter 9, page 273 (Accessed October 12, 2017)

SUBJECT: Website and Blog Review
What is a Website?
A website is an owned vehicle that you control and is unique to your company. You may or may not create it yourself, but you control what is on the page and you may adjust according to business needs. According to our reading in week 3, “What is Earned, Owned and Paid Media?” owned media sites are an extension of our brand and create additional avenues for people to interact with us. The more the merrier, as long as we keep up with maintenance. With digital marketing, web properties also include a blog site. The advantage is that you control the content on the website and what you decide on for content needs to reach multiple purchasers. You may target 25-50 year olds, but you will also have the younger and the older market, because you sell a product that is not geared to just the 25-50 year olds. A disadvantage that I see for websites is the potential for only a one-time visitor, one who may click on a website once, not find anything attractive or interesting and leave and not return. Is the material outdated? Are you advertising Christmas and it is May? A website truly needs to be updated at least once a week, or more if the need arises. The more familiar you are with a computer, you will log on and search the web for information. According to several sites, the younger generation, aged 18-45, are the largest share of the population using both websites and blogging.
According to Forbes magazine, I have a website, now what? This article discusses ten proven ways to market your website and while originally written in 2012, there were many useful tips.
The list:
1. Search engine optimization.
2. Blogging and guest blogging.
3. Pay per click.
4. Retargeting.
5. Facebook ads.
6. You Tube.
7. Email marketing.
8. Word of mouth (forums and Facebook fan pages).
9. Social Media.
10. Public Relations.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/04/11/10-proven-ways-to-market-your-website/#3fc0c4f83983

What is a blog?
A blog is defined as an updated website or web page, normally by an individual, and is written informally or in a conversational style, one person to another. A person could also blog as an online journal and have regular subscribers or followers. As a business owner, a personal blog about the products they sell and how the product may work in your life. Or a business owner may have a blog on someone else’s website and tie it in to their own website to pull viewers in. An advantage with digital media, there is no limit to what a person could do with a website or a blog. I happen to listen to several blogs, not so much about the company the person represents but how they inflect their daily life in with what they may be talking about. A blog makes us feel like we are a part of the business, and that can be positive when we are looking to buy a product from them. A disadvantage would be that not everyone knows there is a particular blog unless they are informed of it.
Forbes had an online article about blogging:

1. Write about things worth talking about.
2. Guest post on relevant sites.
3. Create a web of influence.
4. Tease the content with social media.
5. Don’t sell.
6. Keep your clients connected.
7. Provide relevance, News, and Thought Leadership.
8. Search engines optimize your blog posts.
9. Analyze your analytics.
10. Create info graphics.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2016/08/17/10-tips-for-driving-repeat-traffic-to-your-blog/#7cc4e7c73ecd

When we look at the AIDA concept, websites get our attention by the messages sent out to the universe. We get your attention because we sell a product that you need to purchase and you are already interested because you are on our website. We need to fuel the desire fire so you either purchase a product online or you come in and buy. An additional sales opportunity is that you come in, look around and decide on an additional item to buy. A blog could work the same way, sending the message of AIDA, (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action). Disadvantages could be that not everyone is on a computer on a regular basis and choose not to use these ways of researching and buying products. With blogs, you have to know that it is out there for you to even read or listen to.

A website is designed to reach many target audiences, and will relay the same information to everyone that visits the website or blog. But not everyone will react in the same way. Some will research the subject on your website or what is discussed on your blog or will act right away because they trust the source. If you have a brick and mortar store, they will come in and look around, maybe once and purchase, or visit many times before they purchase. Some customers buy a pair of shoes and if they have buyer’s remorse later, not a big concern to them. But there are customers that will try on the shoes, go home and thing about it, try them on again and then maybe buy them. No two people are alike and their purchasing patterns are the same way. To first recognize that your audience is diverse and shop differently, your website message will reflect that fact. A website is something most people are familiar with and blogs are catching up in popularity. I feel that this is an effective way to advertise and reach the universe.

In Kent’s Camera Castle, the website needs to be updated and expanded on. The three cameras that are featured could have more information for viewers to digest. I have seen camera websites that have customer reviews for each of their cameras. The website appears to me to target the 25-50 year olds and I feel that it can be updated with color and graphics to better get the message across. The subject matter conveyed on the website targets someone who is somewhat comfortable using a camera. I would use the website and target the younger population and promote the Go Pro camera to encourage an interest in photography and graduate up to the more expensive cameras. And I would enlist a photographer who could supply a monthly column on a photography subject.

A blog by Kent himself would be a marketing angle also, because he can discuss many subjects when he talks about photography. He could be part of a photography class and blog about how to take better pictures so you do not have red eyes, or with the marketing of the selfie sticks, how you can safely take a selfie.

I feel websites are a sign of the future in advertising. You do not have to like the product but you like what it represents. In reading the Forbes article I mentioned earlier, I think the biggest misconception is that everyone uses it. I shop very little online and the sites I do use are for things that I may not want to drive to Madison for. I research what I am planning on purchasing and I enjoy looking at websites. I know of someone who does not rock climb, but she likes the websites. For this aspect, I chose the Budweiser website, because I do not drink beer and I only watch the Super Bowl for their ads. Unfortunately, you need to be 21 to even view the website.

http://www.budweiser.com/?UTM_Confid=KX7EK5Ye&utm_source=MICROSOFT&utm_campaign=2017%7CBDW%7CAlways+On%7CBudweiser%7CENG%7C%5EB%7C%23E&utm_Campaignid=71700000022224952&medium=PaidSearch&utm_term=budweiser

Greetings!

I welcome everyone to my website!  Please stop in on a regular basis, as this is a “work in progress”!

Leila