You may have had this happen. You visit a site, and then afterwards it seems like you see ads for that site everywhere you go.

Coincidence? Stalking?

No – it is called retargeting.

For businesses, retargeting has become a common practice in the world of advertising over the past few years.  Retargeting ads are designed to get visitors to come back to your site.

Consider this: according to Retargeter.com, only 2% of web visitors convert to a sale or other action on the first visit. That’s abysmally low considering the average volume of traffic an average website pulls in.

So, what’s a small business to do?

If you want to increase your conversions (e.g., sales) there are a number of things you can do. You could increase your traffic to get more visitors. You could make your offering more attractive. You could improve your website, such as making your calls to action more prominent.  You could do various activities to improve local conversion rates.

There’s another option. If you have the money to advertise, you may decide to use retargeting ads. Retargeting ads help remind your prior visitors about your site, and increase the chances they will return and buy.

The idea behind retargeting is to get a higher percentage of visitors to convert to a sale, because they are reminded of your site even after they leave.

Retargeting focuses on the 98% of visitors who left your website for reasons unknown. The act of serving them with reminder ads is an attempt to keep your brand in their cognitive zone and to allow your brand to sink in. And it beckons them back.

Retargeted ads focus on lost traffic. These ads are your last hope before the customers go beyond the point of no return.

None of the above techniques are mutually exclusive. You could do any and all of the above to increase your conversions — increase your traffic, improve your offering, improve your website and/or retarget ads.

How Retargeting Works

The way retargeting works is simple from the advertiser’s perspective. The advertiser’s website includes a piece of javascript code. That code sets a cookie in the visitor’s browser. When the visitor goes to other sites, the cookie ensures that the advertiser’s ads are displayed only to those who have previously visited the advertiser’s site.

Today, retargeted ads have become widespread.  You can deliver retargeted ads through Google AdWords (Google calls it remarketing). Even LinkedIn and Facebook now have retargeting as a part of their advertising platforms.

Retargeting is done anonymously. In other words, the fact that a site visitor is seeing an ad does not mean the advertiser is getting any personal data about the visitor. That advertiser simply wants the visitor who was there to see their ads and be reminded to come back and do something.

In fact, one of the best parts of retargeting is you don’t need to know who the “prospect” is. Unlike email marketing that depends on a customer’s email address to continue nurturing until they buy, retargeting is independent of any contact with your visitors.

Does Retargeting Really Work for Small Businesses?

The numbers are impressive.

Econsultancy.com reports that envelopes.com cut down its shopping cart abandonment rate by 40% thanks to retargeted emails.

ReTargeter.com has even more proof in numbers: Zen Desk – a web-based customer support software for businesses – used retargeting to achieve the following: a whopping 1317% ROI (return on investment) from all conversions combined, a 1160% ROI in view-through conversions, and a 57% ROI from click-through conversions.

The Numbers are Cool. So, is Retargeting Infallible?

Retargeting is complex. It works, but….

We used retargeting ads for two years to build up brand visibility for BizSugar.com, another site we purchased in 2009. We wanted to remind visitors to keep coming back and keep using the site. In our case we were trying to increase registrations and repeat visits. It worked well for those purposes.

But … retargeting may also be costly and perform poorly if not well executed. You could be flushing your advertising dollars down the drain.

Here are some best practices for retargeting:

(1) Start out with clear goals. Is your goal to raise brand awareness? Is it to increase sales? Is it to increase registrations or newsletter signup or some other call to action?  You goal(s) will dictate how you execute retargeting ad campaigns.

(2) Don’t overdo it.  Smart advertisers don’t overload that visitor with a gazillion ads for weeks on end, annoying the visitor. Instead, limit the number of ad impressions and number of days to display ads to previous visitors. Remember, you’re trying to positively impress that prior visitor, not creep them out.

(3) Don’t waste money with poor targeting. As a site visitor, has this ever happened to you? You visit a site, you buy something, and then you are bombarded with ads for the very thing you bought for the next four days. Does that site really expect you to go back four days later and buy MORE of the exact same thing? Not going to happen.

Dax Hamman on Search Engine Land suggests segmenting your site, so that you can retarget more intelligently depending on the stage in the buying process that the visitor reached before leaving your site. And instead of serving a one-size-fits-all banner ad, serve ads targeting actual shopper preferences or based on their last activity on your website (such as apparel ads to those who were browsing apparel, not hardware ads or generic brand ads).

How Can You Make Retargeting Work?

Retargeting is a good opportunity for small businesses but it doesn’t override other digital marketing best practices. All the best practices for optimization of landing pages, ads, blog posts, product pages (for ecommerce sites), and shopping carts still apply. Analytics and using data also are critical components, as are understanding visitor behavior.

When done right, retargeting is an incredibly powerful opportunity for businesses and marketers to increase their exposure, boost their conversions, and pump up sales. When done wrong, it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Is it a double-edged sword? It certainly is.

But done well, as part of an overall marketing strategy, retargeting can be powerful for small businesses.

Maximizing the Benefits of Retargeting

As we delve further into the realm of retargeting, it’s important to highlight some additional strategies and considerations that can help you make the most out of this powerful digital marketing tool. Here are some key ways to maximize the benefits of retargeting:

• Segment Your Audience: Divide your audience into segments based on their behavior on your website. Create tailored retargeting campaigns for each segment, addressing their specific interests and needs.
• Create Compelling Ad Creative: Design visually appealing and engaging ad creatives that resonate with your audience. Use persuasive copy and eye-catching visuals to capture their attention.
• Leverage Dynamic Retargeting: If you have an e-commerce website, consider dynamic retargeting. This approach automatically displays ads featuring the specific products or services that visitors viewed on your site.
• Optimize Landing Pages: Ensure that the landing pages you direct retargeted visitors to are optimized for conversions. Make it easy for them to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
• Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor the performance of your retargeting campaigns. Use analytics to track key metrics like click-through rates and conversion rates. Adjust your strategies based on data insights to improve campaign effectiveness.
• A/B Testing: Experiment with different ad variations and strategies through A/B testing. This allows you to refine your retargeting efforts by identifying which approaches yield the best results.
• Consider Frequency Caps: Implement frequency caps to limit the number of times a user sees your retargeting ads within a specific timeframe. This prevents ad fatigue and annoyance.
• Mobile Optimization: Given the prevalence of mobile browsing, ensure that your retargeting ads and landing pages are mobile-friendly to capture a broader audience.
• Combine with Content Marketing: Integrate retargeting with your content marketing efforts. For example, you can retarget visitors who engaged with a specific blog post or resource with related offers or content.
• Test Ad Placements: Explore different ad placements, including social media, display networks, and email retargeting, to diversify your reach and engagement.
• Maintain Brand Consistency: Keep your brand message and visual identity consistent across all retargeting ads and landing pages to reinforce brand recognition and trust.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, the concept of retargeting stands out as a powerful tool that small businesses can leverage to their advantage. As we conclude our exploration of retargeting, it becomes clear that this strategy holds immense potential but also demands careful consideration and strategic implementation.

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, addresses a fundamental challenge faced by businesses in the digital realm: the low conversion rate of first-time website visitors. With statistics showing that only a meager 2% of these visitors take immediate action, retargeting steps in as a crucial mechanism to bring back the remaining 98%. It does so by subtly reminding them of your brand, enticing them to return, and ultimately nudging them towards conversion.

The mechanism behind retargeting is elegantly simple: a piece of code placed on your website tracks visitor behavior and sets the stage for the display of targeted ads to these visitors when they browse other sites. This technology has found its way into popular advertising platforms like Google AdWords, LinkedIn, and Facebook, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

However, like any powerful tool, retargeting requires a thoughtful approach. Clear objectives must be set, whether it’s raising brand awareness, driving sales, increasing registrations, or other specific goals. It’s crucial to strike a balance in ad frequency and duration, avoiding overwhelming potential customers with excessive ads. Segmentation and tailored messaging based on visitor behavior are also essential to ensure that retargeting efforts are relevant and effective.

While retargeting holds remarkable promise, it is not a standalone solution. It works best when integrated into a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that includes optimizing landing pages, ads, content, and leveraging analytics. Furthermore, retargeting should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance exposure, conversions, and sales, but it is not infallible. Poorly executed retargeting can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

In conclusion, retargeting is a double-edged sword—an invaluable asset when wielded with care and strategy but a potential pitfall when mismanaged. Small businesses can harness its potential to re-engage their audience, increase brand visibility, and drive conversions. However, it’s imperative to approach retargeting with clear goals, judicious targeting, and an understanding of visitor behavior. When thoughtfully integrated into a broader digital marketing ecosystem, retargeting can be a potent force for small businesses seeking to make a lasting impact in the digital realm.

Come back image via Shutterstock

This week’s explainer article answers the question “What is hashtag hijacking?”

Let me say right up front:  if you do not understand what a hashtag is, this article will be confusing. A hashtag looks something like this:  #SMBinfluencer.   If you need more information about hashtags or how to use them in marketing, you might want to first read our earlier piece “What is a hashtag?”  Then come back and this article will make much more sense.

But if you are a veteran of social media, then read on.  Because you may not be aware of how easily you can set your company up to be a target of hijackers.

We’ll focus this discussion on Twitter hashtags.  While hashtags are now being used on other social networks, the art of hijacking seems to have been perfected on Twitter.

What is Hashtag Hijacking?

As the word suggests, “hijacking” a hashtag is a negative thing.

Hijacking happens when a hashtag is used for a different purpose than the one originally intended.  There are two types of hashtag hijacking:  the attention seeking troll, and the PR campaign gone wrong.  Let’s look at them both.

1. The Attention Seeking Troll

The most common but not too harmful type of hashtag hijacking comes from the kind of person I call the “attention seeking troll.”

You may have seen them.  These are the Twitter jerks who use a hashtag to promote their own “click my junk” offer that has nothing to do with the hashtag.  They use a popular hashtag because they know people are searching on that hashtag. Perhaps it’s a trending topic at the moment.  They figure they will get some attention by adding a popular hashtag to their tweets.

Businesses tend to run into the attention-seeking troll when they’ve set up a specific hashtag for a contest or an event.  For example, if you are holding a Twitter chat, a troll may throw in some unrelated tweets using the hashtag you’ve designated for the chat.

While annoying, attention trolls who abuse hashtags typically are not a major problem.  That’s because their MO (modus operandi) is the hit and run attack.  They lob unrelated tweets like grenades. Then they quickly move on to another hashtag.

The best thing to do with attention trolls is ignore them. Eventually they go away.  It’s usually not a good thing to get into a virtual shouting match with a troll.

If the troll persists and does the same activity repeatedly, you can report them to Twitter for spam.  Among the activities defined as spam by Twitter are:

• Posting repeatedly to trending topics to try to grab attention
• Posting links with unrelated tweets

That definition would seem to include tweeting using unrelated hashtags. To report a Twitter account for spam, you visit their profile page.  Click the little person icon to access the drop-down menu. Then choose “report for spam” as the following screenshot shows:

2. The PR Campaign Gone Wrong

The second type of hashtag hijacking is far more serious for businesses.

This is when a hashtag that a brand sets up to generate positive PR, is hijacked by detractors.  Instead of being used for positive sentiment, it is used for attacks on the business, or in a sarcastic or snarky way.

One of the most notorious business situations of hashtag hijacking happened to McDonald’s. In early 2012 the fast food giant started a hashtag campaign called #McDStories. Although they sent out just a few tweets using the hashtag #McDStories, the public soon started using the hashtag  — in ways McDonald’s never expected.  Customers started telling stories of their own — stories about quality issues they’d encountered. Or they used the hashtag to make snarky remarks about the hamburger purveyor.

The hashtag quickly trended – for all the wrong reasons.  Members of the public, either unhappy with McDonald’s or just seeing an opportunity to have fun at a big brand’s expense, quickly turned the hashtag’s sentiment negative.

Almost a year and a half later, you can still find the occasional #McDStories hashtag being used.  Every once in a while it is positive, but mostly it’s negative, like this one two days ago:

Found a small piece of feather in my McNugget. Anyone else? How has something ordered from Mcdonalds disappointed you? #McDStories

— HillsAngel (@the_hills78) August 17, 2013

Of course, McDonald’s is hardly the only brand to find itself the target of snarky hashtag hijacking.  It seems to happen with some frequency to large brands.

Celebrity brands are also targets.  The beleaguered Paula Deen bore the brunt of numerous hashtag attacks on Twitter and elsewhere. One of them used the hashtag #PaulasBestDishes, which is also the name of her former show on the Food TV Network.  The hashtag had been a sedate tag added to tweets about recipes by adoring fans. Once allegations of racism against Deen surfaced, the hashtag became a lightning rod for sarcastic outraged commentary.

Hijacking also happens almost daily in politics – as the recent hijack of #ObamacareIsWorking shows.

The bigger the business or the more well-known the person or organization, the bigger the target on its back.

And what typically happens is the hijacked hashtag becomes viral and far more visible, as a result of the sarcasm and negative uses of it.  Not only does hijacking have a negative effect, but the negative aspects are magnified.  It becomes a train wreck, where public relations are concerned.

Summary

How to Avoid Having Your Hashtag Hijacked

So how do you avoid finding your brand in this situation? And avoid having your PR campaign go horribly wrong?

• First, do not create vague, self-serving or “tell us how much you love us” type of hashtags.  Those are the ones that invite sarcastic remarks, as Sprout Social points out.  They are the most vulnerable to being hijacked and making your PR campaign go wrong. Trying to incite people to speak positively about your business or somehow spontaneously engage around a vague tagline-like phrase you’ve created, is a clumsy use of social media.
• Second, keep it specific and give users a hashtag with a “what’s in it for me.”  For instance, creating a hashtag for a contest where people tweet using the hashtag to enter the contest, is less likely to be open to snarky hijacking.  If people have a reason to tweet using it, they will. They are less likely to have fun with it at your expense.
• Third, some companies deliberately choose hashtags that do not include their Twitter handle or any variant of their brand name.  Hashtags without your brand contained in them are not as easy to turn against your brand.  The hashtag hijack depends on having a hashtag that can propagate through nearly instant recognition.
• Fourth, consider what is going on with your company at the time.  If you are going through a particularly difficult time in your business — with layoffs or some public screw-up on the recent horizon — it’s not the time to be creating hashtag campaigns.  It just gives detractors one more way to attack your company.

The good news in all of this is that small businesses tend to be much more authentic when it comes to social media, than many larger brands.  With fewer layers between employees and the customer, small businesses tend to converse pretty naturally with customers.   Still, it’s something to be aware of.

In an age where everyone with a computer or a smartphone can publish his or her thoughts to the world, businesses have to navigate more public relations minefields than ever before.

Key Takeaways: “What is Hashtag Hijacking?”

• Hashtag hijacking refers to the misuse of a hashtag for purposes other than its original intent, often negatively impacting brands.
• Two primary hijackers: the Attention Seeking Troll (uses popular hashtags for unrelated promotion) and the PR Campaign Gone Wrong (brands’ PR hashtags used sarcastically or negatively by the public).
• High-profile examples include McDonald’s #McDStories and Paula Deen’s #PaulasBestDishes, both of which faced adverse public sentiment.
• Prevention strategies include being specific with hashtags, offering value to users, avoiding brand-centric tags, and being cautious during company crises.
• Small businesses, due to their authentic approach on social media, may face fewer risks, but awareness remains crucial.

What is partnership marketing?

When you’re looking for new ways to get your business in front of customers, there’s an option you may not have considered. It’s called partnership marketing.

Partnership marketing is a collaboration between two or more businesses with the aim of creating a mutually beneficial marketing campaign which helps all involved meet their business objectives.

It is not uncommon for small businesses to struggle with their marketing efforts, as they simply don’t have the time, money or resources to dedicate to the marketing they need to grow.

Rather than being a ‘one man show,’ by working alongside another business or group of businesses on a specific marketing strategy or campaign, partnership marketing can be a cost-effective way for small businesses to increase brand awareness, customer acquisition and ultimately grow.

If you are deliberating whether to embark on partnership marketing for your small business, take a look at some of the pros and cons of this collaborative form of small business marketing and how you can participate in partnership marketing.

The Pros of Partnership Marketing

By working with another business to promote your brand, partnership marketing brings a number of benefits.

It’s Cost-Effective

One of the biggest advantages is that your marketing efforts are more cost-effective and efficient, as you are effectively doubling your man power without having to swallow the expense of traditional forms of marketing.

One example of this might be local hairdresser marketing their services in a nearby tanning salon. Likewise, the hairdresser similarly promotes the tanning salon in their shop front.

Both businesses are therefore extending their marketing efforts and reaching out to new customers beyond their own salons without any advertising expense.

As Braveen Kumar, content marketer at Shopify, notes in an article about how businesses can reach new customers through partnership marketing:

“[Co-marketing benefits include] being more cost-effective by pooling together resources like marketing budgets and talent.”

Nurture Positive Long-Term Relationships

Rather than competing with one another, partnership marketing helps develop and maintain positive long-term relationships between brands, which can help each other out.

For example, if a cake-making business is wanting to give away a new type of healthy cake, a local sports club might allow the cake-makers to set up a stand and offer freebies to spectators during a game that’s being played at the sports club.

The ‘favor’ could be reciprocated by the cake-makers who hand flyers to everyone who buys their cakes, which promote free yoga sessions to new members to the sports club.

Not only are the brands working positively with one another, but the customers love being provided with freebies and co-branded products.

The Cons of Partnership Marketing

Whilst partnership marketing can be a win-win for all involved, it is not without its drawbacks.

Potential Disagreements

One drawback of creating strategic marketing partnerships, is the potential of disagreements between the two businesses rearing their head. This could happen if you or your marketing partner become involved in campaigns or initiatives one party is not likely to support.

Disagreements could also occur if either party decides that the direction is not the right one for them.

To avoid such disputes, it is important that partnership marketing campaigns are clearly mapped out from day one and that all parties involved are clear that if a direction or initiative is not the right one for them, they don’t have to be involved.

Profit Sharing

Some businesses agree to profit sharing when forming marketing partnerships, whereby they share the profits earned by joint marketing campaigns. However, as Matylda Chmielewska, a content marketer for LiveChat warns:

“Profit sharing can be discouraging when it comes to preparing for partnerships. Will you have to lose some of your earnings or which seems even worse, give all of these to the company you’ve partnered with?”

In this sense, it might be wiser to keep partnership marketing to a free form of mutually-beneficial marketing rather than creating more complex profit-sharing clauses.

How to Find and Create Strategic Marketing Partnerships

If you are wanting to capitalize on the unique opportunities this cost-effective form of marketing could bring to your small business, you should consider the following points.

Ideally, the business you partner to market with should not be a direct competitor. The most effective marketing partnerships are made with businesses that complement one another, for example, a florist partnering with a wedding planner or a copywriter partnering with a website designer.

By partnering with a business that has similar interests and audiences as you do, will ensure your marketing efforts reach the right target market for your own business.

Partnering with a business that is marketing savvy will also help you get more from your partnership marketing efforts.

For example, small businesses who partner with a business which has an understanding of how to optimize social media marketing operations will prove more cost-effective and efficient than partnering with a business with little or no social media marketing acumen.

The business you choose to form a marketing partnership with should ideally have a sizeable audience. For example, they have a large following on social media or a significant email list, so that your marketing messages are delivered to a large as audience as possible.

When done correctly, partnership marketing can be an extremely effective way for your small business to reach new customers and ultimately grow in size and profits.

Tips – How to Find and Create Strategic Marketing Partnerships

• Avoid Direct Competitors: Partnering with a direct competitor can lead to conflicts of interest. Instead, find businesses that offer complementary services. For instance, a wedding planner might partner with a florist to offer comprehensive wedding packages.
• Seek Businesses with Similar Audiences: To maximize the impact of your marketing efforts, partner with businesses that cater to an audience similar to yours. This ensures that your messages resonate and reach the right people, boosting the chances of conversion.
• Find Marketing-Savvy Partners: A partnership will be more fruitful if both businesses understand and implement effective marketing strategies. A partner knowledgeable about, for instance, social media marketing can enhance the partnership’s online visibility and engagement.
• Look for Partners with a Broad Reach: The wider the audience a potential partner can reach, the better. Look for businesses with a substantial social media following, a large email list, or a strong community presence to ensure your collaborative efforts achieve maximum exposure.
• Ensure Mutual Benefit: For a partnership to be successful, it should be mutually beneficial. Both businesses should see tangible benefits, whether it’s increased exposure, shared resources, or access to new customer segments. This ensures both parties remain committed and invested in the partnership’s success.

Photo via Shutterstock

If you’ve ever clicked on a list of recommended products or searched for information online, you’ve used a system powered by Python.

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What is a content management system? A content management system (CMS) is software designed to create, edit, organize and publish digital content. If you’re a small business, you can gain a lot from using CMS technology to create and manage content without much technical know-how or a hefty budget.

Take a look at what exactly a content management system is, what the benefits are, and which one is right for your business.

What is a Content Management System?

A CMS takes care of the backend coding of a website. By creating templates, CMSs allow multiple users to manage the content, information and data of a website, project or internet application. By using a control panel or administration, a CMS enables businesses to create, edit, publish, archive content and then distribute such content, data and information quickly and efficiently.

Through an easy-to-use CMS, businesses can create, edit, publish and archive web pages, as well as blogs, articles, press releases and events. They can also add and edit product and services descriptions, product specifications, prices, photos, videos and more by using the CMS.

Website statistics can also be viewed and reported through a CMS. Businesses can also create and edit different users for the system, which have various permission and administration levels.

Why Small Businesses Need to Know About CMS

Having an online presence is essential for small business success. Websites have become the ‘shop windows’ of many small businesses, allowing them to promote and sell their products and services to a global audience without the expense of having a bricks and mortar store.

Having a website allows small businesses to remain competitive. Such are the benefits having an online presence brings to small businesses, it comes as little surprise that research shows an increasing percentage of small businesses are building websites and investing in digital marketing.

As not all small business owners are comfortable with technology, the beauty of a CMS is that it allows small businesses to build and manage a website in an easy and cost-effective way.

When only using the basic functions of a CMS, little time needs to go into training teams on how to use and manage a small business website and digital content. Subsequently, a small business with little money or time to invest in digital marketing can compete with competitors which are active online and reach out to a global audience without a hefty budget.

Benefits of Content Management Systems

Content Management Systems have revolutionized the digital landscape, allowing businesses to create, manage, and optimize their online presence with ease and efficiency. Here are five key benefits of using a CMS:

• Cost-Effective Solution: CMSs eliminate the need for constant web developer involvement, cutting down maintenance costs. Open-source CMSs, in particular, are free to download and use, making them an attractive option for small businesses with limited budgets.
• User-Friendly Interface: CMS platforms, like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, are designed with non-tech-savvy users in mind. Their intuitive dashboards enable users to update content, add images, or tweak the website design without needing in-depth technical knowledge.
• Customization and Consistency: CMS platforms offer a wide array of plugins, themes, and extensions. Businesses can tailor their websites to reflect their brand, ensuring a consistent and professional appearance across all pages.
• Integration Capabilities: Modern CMSs can seamlessly integrate with other essential business applications, including asset management tools, CRM systems, and e-commerce platforms, creating a holistic digital ecosystem.
• SEO and Mobile Optimization: Many CMS platforms have built-in SEO tools and mobile-responsive themes. This ensures the website ranks well on search engines and provides an optimal user experience across devices, expanding reach and potential customer engagement.

What Type of CMS is Right for your Business?

There are effectively two types of content management systems for your business to consider — open source platforms and proprietary platforms.

Open source CMSs, such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, are the most popular types of CMS, as they are easy to use and can be customized based on your business’s requirements. These platforms are updated and improved regularly by coders and are free to download and use.

The affordability of open source CMSs make them an attractive option for small businesses. However, security and the risk of hacking continues to be a pressing concern of these types of content management systems.

Proprietary CMS platforms are developed and updated by one company. These CMSs are tailored to meet the individual needs of a business. However, proprietary CMSs comes with a licensing fee and are therefore a costlier type of CMS for a business to run.

Which type of CMS you opt for is dependent on your marketing budget and the individual circumstances and needs of your business.

If you are wanting to improve the online presence of your business without having to invest heavily in website management, getting to grips with a CMS could be the perfect tool in helping your business optimize its digital presence.

Open Source CMS vs. Proprietary CMS

Photo via Shutterstock

Software developers and the operational teams that support them are under more pressure than ever to deliver higher quality faster. In an increasingly competitive SaaS world, data security issues and downtime present more business risks than ever.

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