Thane Tennison

Tracking Ad PerformanceHow do you measure the success of an advertising campaign in traditional, offline media? This is something advertisers and media companies have struggled with for years. The question: “What is the value of a billboard or a newspaper ad to this exact customer?“ can be very difficult to answer.

However, in the online space it’s never been easier to map and track the entire buying process. Marketers can see where their consumers are coming from and what actions they take.  You can identify trends common to site visitors that convert and optimize your site and marketing strategies accordingly to improve performance.

I find this process of analysis and optimization to be fascinating and insightful. However,, many of the advertisers I work with fail to measure the success of their banner campaigns. I’m often asked to just link to the homepage with no forethought on measuring performance after the click.  After all, some ads work better than others right?  As a publisher I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my site’s performance. Our entire team works hard to ensure the high quality of the traffic we receive.

MEASURING PERFORMANCE

Appending the click thru URL to your display campaign is an easy way to attribute action to the banner.  Google’s URL builder (Link) works with Google Analytics where you can set campaign goals and compare performance.

Why not just track “referring sites”? With online advertising you may not be able to track performance as a “referring site” because most ads are served through ad servers independent of the host website. Banners from NewHomeSource.com, for example, may appear as 247.OASRealMedia or Double Click. For banners on an ad network like our Vertical Ad Network (VAN) it can become even more complex as the ad passes through multiple ad servers. Using an appended URL is the best way to accurately measure performance.

It’s also important to define your campaign goals. This sounds very basic, I know, but if you’re looking for leads, does your ad take the user to a place where they can complete a lead form?  If the ad says “Find New Homes in Austin” does it link to the Austin market page?  Managing the consumer’s expectation of what they’ll receive when they click is very important to improving your performance on the front and back end.

Finally, recognize that not all consumer actions are equal.  You can get cheap, low quality traffic but it may not convert.  You’ll likely need to invest more dollars to persuade a consumer to complete a lead form as opposed to printing driving directions, especially if the lead form is lengthy or hard to find.

For advertisers on the BDX, we’ve consistently found that users who click on builder banners on from our site have a lower bounce rate, view more pages, and  are a better quality prospect overall for the builder. All of these are stats that can help a marketing manager document their campaign’s success.

If you have questions about marketing strategies or advertising with BDX contact Thane Tennison, Advertising Manager for the BDX Network.

 

If you’ve been following any of the news in online advertising, you’ll see that Google has been making an aggressive push to further its display advertising business. Already recognized as leader in organic and paid search advertising Google’s next frontier is display.

Display ads allow for the pull strategy of Internet marketing but have the same benefits of traditional advertising. i.e. I was exposed to a billboard and now that brand is top of mind for future purchase or action. In online marketing that’s referred to as View Thru, and there is a tremendous amount of evidence to show that it has a positive effect on a consumer’s search and purchasing behavior.

A report we reference often is from ComScore which shows an increase in branded keyword search and direct traffic to websites from advertisers who use display ads even though a consumer may not have clicked on the banner. i.e. I saw an online banner for a builder, didn’t click but later went Google and typed in that specific builder’s name, not just a ‘general’ search term. On, NewHomeSource we’ve also seen a lift in lead conversion from builders who advertiser with banner ads reinforcing ComScore’s findings.

With Google seeing significant value and opportunity in the space, shouldn’t you? Or maybe this whole online thing is still a fad.

For more information about launching your builder Online Advertising campaign contact Thane Tennison, Advertising Manager for the BDX.

Thane Tennison
Ad Operations Manager
“Harnessing the Power of Collaboration”

11900 Ranch Road 620 North
Austin, TX 78750
Direct: 512-651-8903
Cell: 512-787-7083
Email: ttennison@builderhomesite.com <mailto:ttennison@builderhomesite.com>

www.thebdx.com

newhomesource.com

newhomes.move.com

The Builder Vertical Ad Network is a new program developed by the BDX. Much like a builder can maximize their reach by listing on the BDX’s distribution sites the Builder Vertical Ad Network is a way for builders to maximize their exposure for display advertising by utilizing one point of contact for multiple targeted and tested websites. Contact us to get started.

Through our relationship with key distribution partners we have secured premium positions for display advertising on real estate websites that feature New Home listings. This represents a great opportunity for builders to enhance their listings and drive additional traffic back to their website. From the analysis we’ve conducted on NewHomeSource.com, we have identified a lift in leads from builders who also run display advertising we believe the same holds true for other sites.

The BDX advertising team does all of the work, managing placements, optimizing performance and providing reporting. This means that a builder can advertise with the BDX and have banners on multiple websites but only work with 1 point of contact and contract under one insertion order. Advertising across the Internet has never been easier for builders.

Current websites within the BDX Ad Network include Movoto.com, Blockshopper.com, HomeFinder.com, HotPads.com and BDX consumer retargeting.

Because we test and vet performance for each of our partners before inclusion into the network the BDX can offer a performance guarantee of .12CTR and can help with creative services utilizing the best practices from top performing builder campaigns. Download our one pager on the Builder Vertical Ad Network to learn more.

To get started listing on the first advertising network designed to help home builders contact Thane Tennison, Manager of Advertising for the BDX or your local sales rep.

Success in 2011For the past few weeks I’ve seen many campaigns offering a sneak peak to their Black Friday specials. Black Friday is traditionally the start of the holiday shopping season signaling when retail stores profits for the year are in the black. Many families make shopping on this day an annual tradition and hit the stores early – sometimes too early for my taste after a long holiday weekend. It seems like the buzz, crowds and holiday sales create a virtuous circle of holiday spending. It made me think, ‘What’s the Black Friday for Home Building?’

Someone told me it was the day after the Super Bowl when wives can drag their husbands off the couch to visit communities. But from the trends I’ve seen, I’d think Black Friday for builders would be Dec. 26th, the day after Christmas.

It’s no surprise that home sales and home shopping dip in the fall, but I don’t think most builders take full advantage of the inevitable rebound that follows. On NewHomeSource.com, year after year, we see a resounding bounce in traffic immediately following the holiday craze. It’s as if people say, ‘The Holidays are over! Now, we can shop for that home we’ve been dreaming of in 2011.’

Now is a great time for builders to get in front of these early-bird home shoppers as they jump-start their buying process. However, some builders don’t begin aggressively marketing until into the spring when traffic and interest is at its highest. To me, that’s like buying a stock after you’ve seen the rally, instead of when it’s poised for growth. The key to a great 2011? Start in 2010!

For more information about Display Marketing Strategies contact Thane Tennison, Advertising Manager for the BDX.

Pardee Homes recently launched a new display campaign that caught my eye. The creative invites viewers to click on the banner to see what owners of Pardee Homes are saying about their homes. I like these banners because it’s a clever integration of traffic acquisition and social media. For years, we’ve been espousing how online media is different than traditional formats. The direct response model of online should pull in customers actively seeking new homes and give them a reason to click.

Social Media is also a different tool. Unlike online or traditional media, social media is a forum for advocacy. Consumers already familiar with a brand will praise, critique and share their experience with friends and family. People have been doing this off-line for years–and capturing ‘Word of Mouth’ has always been a marketer’s Holy Grail. That’s why I like Pardee’s new campaign. The placement and CTA drive traffic, but also allow potential home buyers to view comments from current Pardee Home owners. The home owners who participated in the videos are now advocates and serve as a third-party referrals for the brand. As I watch the videos, I know these are real home shoppers — and while they’re obviously speaking on behalf of Pardee, you can hear the sincerity in their voice. That speaks volumes.

This campaign also opens the door for even more interaction. For example, builders could ask recent homebuyers to respond to new customers interested in that builder’s communities. In my view, a forum moderated by a builder’s current home owners would have a much stronger impact than speaking with an on-site sales rep. As the influence of social media continues to grow, more consumers will rely on these types of referrals as compared to more-typical corporate positioning in other forms of media. I’m excited to see Pardee take the first step and invite existing and new customers to join in the conversation.

For more information about Display Marketing Strategies contact Thane Tennison, Advertising Manager for the BDX, or contact your local sales rep for Realtor.com pricing and availability in your market.