Behavioral Targeting- Good or Bad?

I just attended a meeting that discussed the topic of behavioral targeting. This has been a sore subject for me personally and professional for quite some time.

"Is it a invasion of privacy or since you are "anonymous" is it OK? "

I should like the benefits of behavioral targeting for my clients but I do not like someone "following" me around on the Internet. So, I guess I must say that I am mixed on how I feel.

At the meeting the panel of experts were explaining how behavioral targeting is helping make ads more relevant to the consumers. By serving more targeted ads, the consumers will pay attention to them and the conversions/click thrus are better.

Here are some highlights that may help you understand behavioral targeting a little bit better:

From the panel I learned a lot about how Yahoo is using behavioral targeting: they basically separate users into two buckets:
1. Engagers
2. Shoppers
They have decided what level in the "funnel/buying process" the user is in, so whether you are a shopper or a engager you get served the appropriate ad/message for the stage you are in.

Another valuable lesson I learned was that there is a difference between being a "logged-in user cookie" and "blind cookie." A "logged-in user cookie" is someone who has logged into their yahoo portal and is browsing the web or the yahoo sites. A "blind cookie" is someone is has not logged into yahoo and is just browsing on the yahoo sites and then goes off to other sites.

The key between the two types of cookies is that if you "erase you cookies" so that you are not being served behavioral targeted ad or not being tracked
a. if you are a "logged in cookie"- that data is already been kept; so in short you can not delete that cookie.
b. if you are a "blind cookie"- you are in the clear until you come back to yahoo and continue to browse.

Now, before I stated that I do not like being "followed" around the Internet- so the question comes up; what about privacy? The panel had a generic answer to that question, it went something like 'how properties should have a user agreement where privacy walls should be in place so too much information won't be given out.'

They did bring out some really good points that users could put into play on their own:
1. Do not put your full name in the user name, change is up a bit
2. Be careful what sites you sign up with; a lot of them will sell your information (mailing address, email, etc...) to a 3rd party source for marketing materials
3. Clear out your cookies on a monthly basis if you are worried about being tracked or your privacy.
4. On Yahoo you can actually change your settings not to show any advertising

Behavioral targeting can be good or bad; but in the ad network space it is the way to reach your target demographic. If you advertising on a endemic site, you do not have to use behavioral targeting, because your customer is already there. So, it truly depends on what your goals and objectives are when you are discussing whether behavioral targeting is for your client/company. It does add additional cost to the campaign, but it does give you added return on investment.

Ruthie

I think I just heard gun shots, is it a sign?

So, I'm sitting here at my computer looking for jobs and networking with people and all of a sudden, I hear gun shots. There were about six shots fired and then you could hear a car pull off quickly. Weird!

I have been noticing that there has been more car break ins on the street outside my condo complex. In the morning when I walk my pug, Samantha, I notice 3-4 sets of safety glass bunches by the soccer fields. I do not know when these crimes happen, but they must be becoming more often due to the fact that we have a street cleaner and every week I see glass. In fact a few months ago, someone broke into a car and stole the alternator- now that is cruel!

I know that I live in an up-in-coming area of East Atlanta, so there is always the chance of crime, but I have never felt unsafe here. Now do not get me wrong, I am not going to take a long walk by myself after dark, but I feel safe to walk with my dog during the day.

It has just seemed to me that the stress the economy is putting on people is making some of the weaker people take drastic measures to make their ends meet.

I hope that the ones that break into homes, do drive-bys, or break into your cars realize that you are hurting the person you are robbing more in today's society and there are other ways of getting money or material possessions.

To the people who read this';please stay safe and remember that not everyone has your best interest in mind, but if you stay positive you will be in a much better place then they are.

Ruthie

The World of Search Marketing- The former stepchild

Today I had the pleasure of attending a AMA event that had a expert panel on the topic of Search Marketing. The event seemed to me to be sold out and attended by people trying to learn the secret sauce to pay-per-click advertising.

There were people there that worked at agencies who offered the full gamete of services from print to display to search. Then you had the individuals who just got laid off from the traditional agencies that were trying to become competitive in the marketplace by learning just enough about search and online to get the job when they interviewed.

This scene is a familiar occurrence in today's advertising industry; if you would've looked at a advertising/marketing event a few years back; you would've of seen a much different mix of people. For example, today I spoke with an individual who worked for a television company- who was pitching their websites, NOT television. That in itself, shows you how the marketing/advertising world is changing. Search is no longer the ugly stepchild.

I am not saying that Search advertising is the only avenue of marketing for a company; I recommend a good media mix. This idea was supported by the expert panel. Paula Brosnan of Google actually stated that "offline marketing drives 67% of search conversions." Another great point that made was if you are branding- you need to market outside of search so that the consumer knows to type in your brand in the search box; if you only brand yourself on search your results will be much lower than if you do a mix of marketing. This concept has been proven over and over again.

The main blessing that I believe that has come out of search marketing is people are now expecting a return-on-their-investment (ROI). Before you could waste a lot of money just for testing, now you are held more accountable for what you are spending. Budgets are shifting towards performance based media which includes search and ad networks. Customers want to know how much money the leads you produced brought in, not just the number of leads that you brought.

All of these changes are making all of us better marketers. I recommend if you are in the marketing/advertising industry to read What Would Google Do, it is a great book on how search has changed the landscape of advertising. It will also keep you ahead of the game.

The Power of Networking- Job Searching (March-April 2009)

In today's economy networking is very important in the job search. I have been searching for a new opportunity since March 12, 2009; it is now April 20, 2009. I have been going to industry events such as AMA (Atlanta Marketing Association), AIMA (Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association), and networking meetings.

My strategy has been aggressive; go on 3-4 meetings/networking events a week. The only way to separate yourself from the rest of the crowd in today's society is by meeting the right person at the right time.

I am in the sales/advertising industry, so being an extrovert is important. I am naturally outgoing, but I do not like networking that often normally. I have to be in the "mood" to go out and mingle and meet people. I could go and not talk to anyone and be happy, so obviously, it is important to get out of that mindset and be the extrovert during those events. You may have to "fake it" in the beginning of the meeting, but once you get talking to people, you will come out of your shell- or at least I do.

I have been able to meet tons of people that I would've never met if I did not get laid off in March. It was kind of a blessing in disguise, sort of. I am approaching the end of my severance package, so I am hoping some of my connections are going to pull through soon. The blessing is that I have been able to truly decide what I want to do- now I can concentrate on that speciality.

For those of you out there that are in the same boat, I recommend reaching out to your peers and former co-workers to see if they can set you up with people who may be able to help you. If they care about you, they will help. The people you meet may not have a position available, but they can reach out to their network and be your cheerleader. Ask for their advice, if they are willing to sit down with you, they are willing to help you.

Make sure you thank them and keep them updated on your search. Once you reach out, they have become part of your "search team." Ask them if you can do anything for them in return- as a thank you.

Soon, when I get a job, I will throw a party for my network thanking them for helping me. Without them, I would only be a resume in a big bucket.

Good Luck and be Positive...

Ruthie