The IAB has announced today that UK internet advertising spend in the first half of 2008 grew by 21% compared with the same period the year before.
Online advertising now has a healthy 19% share of the UK’s total advertising budget with marketers allocating £1.7B of their budgets to online channels.
PPC lead the way as advertisers showed a great deal of confidence in the medium:
“Paid-for search continues to lead the way, growing by 28% year-on-year and was worth £981 million in the first half of 2008, with its market share marginally up to 58.3% of total online advertising (57.8% in first half of 2007). Search has become a staple on the media schedule and is increasingly integrated into traditional and online advertising campaigns.”
In these lean economic times this is great news for advertisers as it proves search engine marketing is still providing cost-effective ways to connect with consumers as shoppers turn to search engines for great deals on a raft of products and services.
The IMRG here in the UK published some research last month about consumers attitudes during the run up to Christmas:
“Highlighting the current economic slowdown as the key influencing factor, 68% of shoppers said that they are more likely to shop online for Christmas presents this year, with 77% of shoppers planning to carry out about half or more of their Christmas shopping online (in 2007 it was 56%). This is influenced by the belief in the competitive prices available online, with 79% of respondents satisfied with the competitive pricing available from e-retailers.”
So what does that mean for you?
Well the growth of digital drivers such as increased broadband adoption, social networking and the credit crunch means search ad marketers are well placed to capitalise on consumers spending increasing amounts of time and money online over the next few months.
Some tips specific to adCenter and paid search:
- Make sure that you are using Exact Match in your campaign. This way you can insure that you are both targeting customers that are interested in your exact product as well as increasing your potential for a higher CTR
- Use targeted ad copy that includes your unique offerings, discounts, price points, branding and calls-to-action to distinguish your ad from competitors as well as qualify your traffic before you receive a click
- Make sure that your account is receiving the maximum about of traffic; our support teams can help provide you with a targeted and bespoke list of keywords tailored to your account
- Demographic/Geographic targeting and Day Parting can be used, in association with your reporting and conversion data to help maximise the potential of your impressions and clicks
We’ve posted some advice on a number occasions over the last few weeks:
The Magic of Brand and Generic Keywords
Understanding How Match Types Affect Your PPC Campaigns in adCenter
Dynamic Text Insertion - Introducing adCenter’s Superhero
Tips on Preparing Your SEM Campaigns for the Online Holiday Shopping Season
adCenter Keyword Expansion PPC Best Practices Checklist
How to Seduce the Cash-Strapped Shopper
Top 5 Tips for Winning in Retail Over and Beyond the Festive Period
Check them out and feel free to ask us & fellow advertisers for some additional insight in the adCenter Forum
Cheers
Mel