Super Bowl advertising that has nothing to do with TV
The Super Bowl and advertising go hand and hand. For many of us (even die hard pigskin fanatics) the TV commercials that break up the onfield action are a major reason we tune in. But, there is another side of Super Bowl related advertising that illustrates the power of search engine marketing. An article in the New York Times entitled "Super Bowl Merchandise and the Bets Behind It" tells the story of how FootballFanatics.com leverages search marketing to sell t-shirts of the winning Super Bowl team to fans across the world.
There are some strategic gems that Internet marketers of all stripes can take away from this article:
- Keyword lists are always in flux. Your search keyword strategy should never be written in stone. Always be evaluating the performance of your current keyword strategy and look for new words to test. Like FootballFanatics.com, which finds keywords by scanning for the signs that fans hold up during the game, you too can get creative with your search terms. The beauty of search marketing is that it is scalable and efficient; you can test new words and phrases without breaking your budget.
- Search trend analysis can help determine demand. FootballFanatics.com monitors the online conversations regarding teams to help them determine which fan bases represent good customers. Are you tuned into the conversations that are going on about your business, products or industry? Listening to online conversations can provide huge insights, and it doesn't have to be terribly expensive. Free tools like Google Reader and Monitter and sites like Technorati and Digg can help you sort through the online social space to get a sense of what people are saying about you.
- Focus on keywords that drive conversions, not traffic. FootballFanatics.com makes it a point to stop spending on terms that are expensive and not yielding customers. They go beyond measuring traffic. The real success measure for online marketing should be conversions, or how many people actually take the action that you wanted them to take (make a purchase, sign up for your email list, download a coupon, etc.). You should invest more heavily in activities that are generating desired actions, not just driving traffic.
- Know your market. Online success still hinges on the basics of sound marketing, like knowing your customer inside and out. FootballFanatics.com has clearly defined their market as displaced fans. They use search analysis to more clearly define this market. Who are you going after? The more you know about them, the better you can tailor your online strategy to reach them.
You don't have to be selling t-shirts to sports fans to benefit from these insights. Regardles of whether you are a B2B manufacturer or an online retailer, these are best practices to incorporate into your online marketing strategy.