The Technological Imperative

Throughout my participation in this 16-week course, I noted one major takeaway: technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is the future. It is no longer a matter of what, but rather when. The technological advancement in recent times is unprecedented. Once the shift begins, there will be little to stop the takeover. Automization is creeping into all aspects of life. Tasks normally distributed to man will be soon replaced. Jobs in medicine, business, manufacturing, intelligence, even agriculture will no longer be the work of humans. Companies like Amazon have already begun fully automated, robot-controlled warehousing. The reason is simple: robots are both far more accurate and efficient than humans; there is no human error with a robot. Why pay for fallible humans when machines can do better for less. The breakthroughs in machine learning have changed what a robot means in its traditional sense. Machine learning entails algorithms that enable technology to study trends from data, predict, and act accordingly. Something that vaguely resembles the slower learning process of a human.

Broadly speaking, AI is programming that gives machines the ability to analyze data and solve problems the way a human could, but faster and possibly more accurately. An article on Deloitte.com sums artificial intelligence perfectly stating, " AI is concerned with getting computers to do tasks that would normally require human intelligence".  Before machines were largely responsible for automating tasks like bottling soda or sewing a shirt. Today, machines are attaining higher levels of sophistication that allow them to automate not only tasks but entire processes. Although a machine-dependent world is still far in the making, recent advancements in AI technology have proven that AI will quickly dominate moving forward.

This insightful report by Mckinsey states, "We estimate that between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world... Of the total displaced, 75 million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills." Obviously, these numbers are particularly scary. In less than 15 years, automation will cause one of the greatest social disruptions in history.
However, because of the efficiency of machines consumption and spending will too increase. As chapter 4 of Technological Innovation mentions, when technology is proliferated across several industries, a technological revolution is likely to fuel an economic expansion. If GDP increases, jobs are sure to follow. Traditional occupations will dramatically shift. A surgeon will no longer operate with a team but rather with assistance from a machine and video capsule. A small construction company will downsize from a force of 20 to 3 employees and 10 machines.  Lower skilled work will be the first to fully automate. Skills in labor, software, and even writing will be first to go. With many existing skills becoming obsolete, people will be forced to enter different fields and obtain more relevant skills. Programming, machine learning, leadership, and creative skills will be particularly in demand.

Chapter one of Technological Innovation  states,"The basis for our modern age, characterized by so many new technologies and rapid technological progress, is the science base of modern technologies-scientific technology." Scientific technology is unique from traditional technology because it is defined by its process of manipulating nature. This means the scientific technology can be good or bad depending on how nature is exploited.

As the world dives into a technological revolution, the need for ethical guidelines has become imperative. The question becomes: To what end will humans chase "progress"?  Nuclear warfare, internal tracking chips, and fully autonomous robots are definitely advancements, but at what cost? It is clear that the creation of such dangerous weapons only leads to destruction. The constant surveillance of large corporations is at the expense of privacy, a basic human right. Companies like Google, Facebook, and other telecommunication companies are publically known to track internet history and location. The most frightening of all is robots, with the ability to make autonomous decisions. This means machines can become so sophisticated that they can very well gain power beyond human control. While it seems far-fetched and something out of a Sci-Fi TV show, these issues have industry giants like Elon Musk worried. Just recently, in this article from March, Elon warned, "And mark my words, AI is far more dangerous than nukes. Far. So why do we have no regulatory oversight? This is insane." Just as he insists, there must be controls set because dangerous technology is being created. At a minute level, and largely due to recent events, I found our class discussing guns. The difference between automatic guns and a hand knife is that, like nukes, it was created for one purpose: death. A tool is determined by its purpose and nothing more or less. Thus it makes me wonder why is technology being created for reasons as such? How far will it continue to go? Who will protect people when large corporations are watching our every move? These are big considerations but at the very least we must dare to start asking questions.

Benedictine University: http://www.ben.edu/index.cfm
Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/index.cfm
Entrepreneurship: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfmz
ENT 320: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfm
Jodi Houlihan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodihoulihan/
Atiya Mahkri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atiya-mahkri/

Cryptobloc

Cryptobloc is a startup that wants to utilize blockchain technology to make trading easy and accessible. The site sums up Cryptobloc in their vision statement:

"To provide an open source, decentralized, social trading and investment platform that has an integrated marketplace where plugins such as financial indicators, trading strategies, exchanges, wallets, etc can be offered underpaid or free licenses and installed right from the app itself." 

The site www.cryptobloc.io is clearly new and largely underdeveloped. The site provides the premise of the tool but provides no means to engage with it. It feels like the site is more of an idea than a tangible, active company. Even in the early stages, it is vital to include some means of connection so that people who happened to reach the site can remain interested. In addition, while the buzz of bitcoin and blockchain remain, it is important to maximize on the opportunity to reel in potential customers.

An immediate plan for Cryptobloc, as a startup, would be to gain prospects. The best line of action for the company is to attach social media platforms to the site. This way as the company develops and expands, interested users can follow along.  There is a "news" tab on the site but access is allowed only with signups to the newsletter. Instead, the company should write and share news via Blogger or WordPress. It would also be interesting and serve as a source of legitimacy if the creators or employees wrote published articles on different journalism sites like Washinton Post or the Entrepreneur. Posting to sites like will also attract new target users and customers.

The company should create a twitter account first and foremost. Twitter would be best to engage people interested in Cyptobloc's platform and mission. Twitter works best for instant news sharing and quickly developing and changing topics like blockchain. The company should engage with leaders in the field in order to gain greater exposure.  Facebook will be the best site to utilize for paid marketing. Not only is Facebook proven for better monetary ROI but also because Cryptobloc may just find a large portion of its target on Facebook. It is true that Facebook is leaning towards an older audience, which is why the startup's desire for ease and access to trading will appeal to them. The company should post app tutorials and photos of the company here as well. In addition, creating a company profile on LinkedIn is a great place to attract serious customers because of the mature environment it creates.

Introduction to Technological Innovation

Technology is the application of knowledge. Science, on the other hand, is the understanding and development of knowledge. Innovation is the means to which value is created from what is existent. The means to innovation is recognition of areas of improvement, creativity in problem-solving, and embracement of change. The famous nuclear physicist, William Pollard said,"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow." Today, the world is incessantly changing and exponentially expanding upon learning. It is in this age that innovation has become the key indicator of success for businesses. If a company can do something different and better, that is their primary means to success.

Innovation can occur in several areas: an introduction of a new good, an introduction of a new method, an opening of a new market, obtaining a new market, obtaining a new source of supply, implementation of a new form of organization. Apple, previously Macintosh, rose to popularity through its innovation of the iPod and iPhone, an innovative product. Walmart became successful after it revolutionized its approach to warehousing, an innovative method. Tesla has innovated by creating a 30k vehicle, a drastic change from its luxury counterparts. This represents the opening a new market, a lower-income, middle-class target.

In this way, studying history can help one understand the future. The trends that occurred in the past almost always repeat over. Although the circumstances change, the process is almost always the same. In addition, studying history can help us understand the world today. Why is the world the way it is? Why are people the way they are? What ideas, cultures, movements, environments, and events have shaped the way people think and communicate? These are questions that history answers. In the context of business, we can study what companies did right and what companies did wrong in the past. This approach proves the vitality of innovation and the growing importance is maintains.

Over the course of the semester and over various interviews we conducted, I have come to realize the importance of experience, expertise, and networking. The questions presented and the answers given by various managers and employees has widened my scope and imparted humility. There is a wealth of knowledge sitting in the expertise of surprisingly accessible people. Asking questions and learning from people is an invaluable way to gain relevant, practical knowledge. LinkedIn has proven to be a great resource for finding and reaching out to people in various industries. I was surprised by the enthusiasm individuals, from established companies whom I never met, had responded with. People enjoy talking about themselves and their path to success, most being open to sharing great details. There are plentiful tips and lessons to take away when engaging with others. This is a newer, more profound realization I came to regarding networking that lays beyond its potential to provide opportunities or jobs.

From the discussions I partook in during class, I have come to immensely appreciate the field of technological innovation. Not simply because it is a distinct study, but because of its proliferation in almost all other fields today. Whether it is in the medical, veterinary, aerospace, transportation, food, agricultural, telecommunications or consumer goods industries. Some often discussed were prosthetics, 3D printing organs, virtual reality gaming, artificial intelligence, virtual assistants, military weapons, and wearable/internal technology. Innovation drives the high commodity industry. This industry is characterized by high demand and prices. Eventually, as the technology becomes more accessible, more inexpensive, and less novel, the high tech products gradually become commodities or valuable necessities.

The world is changing so fast it can sometimes be frightening. We no longer have the ability to be bystanders in the technological revolution of recent times. We have to adapt and change with the trends or we can fall far behind. In business, this is a fundamental reality. All monetary success today is contingent on a company's ability to find gaps, uncover problems, and understand behavior that in turn inspires innovation. Constant innovation is the immanent driving force of prominence today as can be seen by companies like Amazon, Salesforce, Tesla, Apple, among others.

Benedictine University: http://www.ben.edu/index.cfm
Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/index.cfm
Entrepreneurship: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfm
ENT 320: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfm
Jodi Houlihan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodihoulihan/
Atiya Mahkri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atiya-mahkri/

Social Media Analytics

Techopedia accurately defines social media analytics stating :

• "Social media analytics (SMA) refers to the approach of collecting data from social media sites and blogs and evaluating that data to make business decisions. This process goes beyond the usual monitoring or a basic analysis of retweets or "likes" to develop an in-depth idea of the social consumer. Social media is a good medium to understand real-time consumer choices, intentions, and sentiments. The most prevalent application of social media analytics is to get to know the customer base on a more emotional level to help better target customer service and marketing."

Social Media Analytics relies on the use of various key performance indicators. These numeric metrics help measure the effectiveness of social media. Primary aspects to monitor are audience size, audience profile, reach and engagement, traffic, content analysis, community responsiveness, competitor benchmarking, and sentiment analysis. Here are some useful metrics that companies widely use today:

Recommended Tools to Use:

• Platform-Based: Facebook Insights,  Twitter analytics, Pinterest Analytics, Instagram Insights
• Management Tools: Hootsuite, SproutSocial, Agorapulse
• Solely Analytics Software: Simply measured, Rival IQ, Quintly Google Analytics

Tools like these allow companies to gather and monitor data. This data is then analyzed and made into a report. Reports are given to decision makers that can make the calls on where to improve, continue on, or stop efforts. This allows effective decisions to be made that can be supported by meaningful data.

Social Media ROI

Social media ROI is sometimes viewed as impossible. Calculating ROI can be difficult because translating social media progress into financial or any tangible benefit is complicated. ROI is important because it measures the return companies acquire after investing time and money into having an active social media presence. Companies should determine ROI because it allows them to see if their efforts are working and enables them to improve their overall reach. It also determines which media channels are most successful in generating revenue.

The first step is to define goals. These goals must be a trackable and measurable action from the user's end. Some examples include purchases, downloads, or email sign-ups. The goals should enable you to differentiate between a browsing follower and a lead that will eventually purchase something. This is why simply tracking followers and likes is nice but not wholly meaningful. After this, attach determined goals to different campaigns. This way, each campaign has a purpose and measurable outcome.

Next is actually tracking the goals. Tools to use are Google analytics or Hootsuite Impact. USe Google URL Builder to attach trackable links to each campaign. For each conversion attach a value. Values to use are lifetime value of customers x conversion rate and average sale. These values for each campaign will be the earnings.

Last, social media expenses must be calculated. This includes employee hours, social media tools costs, and advertisement costs. Now, subtract these expenses from the earnings. This should be done for individual social media accounts or even campaigns in order to isolate each and see which site and campaigns are performing the best. Below is the simple ROI formula:

(Earnings-Expenses) x 100 / Expenses = ROI of Social Media

Hootsuite Basics

Successful social media, as mentioned by Professor Todd Kelsey, is dependent on content. This is why it is important for social media marketers to produce content that will attract, engage, and retain their target market. While a tool like Hootsuite cannot automatically curate meaningful content, it can effectively manage it. Hootsuite is a social media management platform. It allows users or companies to integrate up to 35 social media accounts into a single space. This allows for ease and efficiency when utilizing various networks. The dashboard allows for scheduling, content curation, monitoring, and analytics. HootSuite has products that amplify or boost follower counts, provide insight into current audiences, and prove ROI impact of social media efforts.

Hootsuite is also helpful when attempting social listening. Social listening involves figuring out what others are thinking and saying about a company and its social media. You can use a feature called GEOFILTER to see what Twitter users nearby are saying about a company, within a 50-mile radius, for instance. The tool essentially uses keywords to search for tweets then filters out anyone farther than the stated distance. Another similar feature is the location stream option. This allows users to see who is posting what content within a specific location, like in the corporate building or international store. The location stream and geofilter are beneficial because they allow companies to assess what people in closest proximity feel and express about the company.

Often companies will initially post regularly, especially during important product launches or events, then slowly quiet down. The scheduler feature is probably the most helpful management tool on the platform. The Bulk Composer feature allows up to 350 posts to be prematurely created then published on a predetermined day. The Hootlet Chrome extension allows you to post short content instantly and without directly accessing the Hootsuite dashboard. All posts can be read through calendar view, which provides a visual to ensure proper dates will have postings. Ultimately, the schedule feature enables users to create content ahead of time, especially for days like Women's Day or Holidays like Christmas. This organizes postings, ensures uniformity across accounts, and inhibits gaps in social media activity.

Overall, Hootsuite is an established company that provides a unique service. While a single user or a small company may not find massive benefit in a platform like this, a large company with a greater reach and more social media accounts will find Hootsuite and companies like it indispensable.

AI Today

Chapter 3 from Surfing the Tsunami by Dr. Kelsey, covers the numerous ways artificial intelligence has proliferated into current business and consumer life. Here are some common AI advancements that affect daily life:

• Self-driving cars
• Companies like Google and Tesla have already produced largely self-driving cars. These cars have the ability to brake when objects are detected or adjust speed to outside traffic conditions. While these cars are not yet perfect, they are getting more advanced every day. Ultimately, they seek to reduce traffic, texting, and drunk driving accidents. According to NHTSA 94% of accidents are because of human error. AI is beneficial because it removes the majority of all human error.
• Ride-Sharing Apps
• Apps like Uber and Lyfe use algorithms that automatically adjust pricing and minimize wait time.
• Airplane AutoPilot
• Majority of airplanes flown today, especially Boeing built planes, primarily fly through autopilot. The average human steering is 7 minutes during a Boeing flight and typically from takeoff and landing.
• Computer Assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google.
• Use advanced voice recognition to connect to data stored on a cloud. These products are used to answer questions or obey commands. Although these too are not perfect, as they learn they are getting more and more accurate.
• SmartPhones
• Smartphones involve various types of AI technology. Face recognition, location-based suggestion, and predictive texting are some ways AI has crept into daily life. The picture below from BusinessInsider.com displays additional ways machine learning is used through smartphones:

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

The word artificial intelligence has been rampant recently; is it the future or just another buzzword? Broadly speaking, AI is programming that gives machines the ability to analyze data and solve problems the way a human could, but faster and possibly more accurately. This article on Deloitte.com sums artificial intelligence perfectly stating, " AI is concerned with getting computers to do tasks that would normally require human intelligence".  Before machines were largely responsible for automating tasks like bottling soda or sewing a shirt. Today, machines are attaining higher levels of sophistication that allow them to automate not only tasks but entire processes. AI entails machine learning which involves algorithms that allow computers to continuously improve or "learn" as it gathers more data. Examples of AI include advancements like Siri or self-driving cars. Smart machines, another form of AI, are robots with the ability to act independently from human input or intervention. This development of intellectually autonomous machines is already in progress.The science fiction movies are now moving away from being fiction and becoming a reality. Although a machine-dependent world is still far in the making, recent advancements in AI technology have proven that AI will quickly dominate moving forward.


According to Stanford's 100 Year Study on Artifical Intelligence, "Global revenues from AI for enterprise applications is projected to grow from $1.62B in 2018 to $31.2B in 2025 attaining a 52.59% CAGR in the forecast period." This projection proves the massive growth of AI and the effect it will have on the economy.  Robot imports into North America have increased by 150% percent over the past 15 years. In addition, from 2013 to 2015, the share of jobs requiring AI skills has increased by 4.5 times. AI research and investments for AI have increased immensely in the past few years. Although AI is sure to put many people out of jobs it will also boost the economy and eventually create jobs, particularly in the data and computer science fields. It is important to stay up-to-date on AI advancements and highly consider investing time into learning skills like coding and deep learning in order to stay relevant. 


Below is a useful infographic from innovec.com on the current dominant abilities of  AI and examples of how they are currently being used in our daily lives:

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are helpful in reaching different markets. It is important to understand all types of ads in order to gain optimal exposure. Here are the primary types of ads:

Link Click Ads: These ads are by far the most common and are effective in gaining likes. They typically contain a headline, 90 character ad copy text, and an image. Link click ads, like the name suggests, point to a landing page on a website or blog. These ads have the farthest reach including the right column, Instagram, mobile, and desktop newsfeed platforms.
Video Ads: These ads are essentially like link click ads except they feature a video. These videos can be continuously looping. The best performing ads, however, are typically short at 15-20 seconds long.
Boosted Page Posts: All posts made on a Facebook page can be boosted for around $5. Posts can have unlimited ad copy texts and will read "sponsored" at the top when they appear in users feeds. This is a newer go-to-method because target markets and bidding amounts can be customized.

Carousel Ads: This type of ad displays rotating images (up to 10) and an ad copy text of 90 characters. This ad is super helpful when trying to promote multiple products at one time. For instance, a new line of summer clothing can be advertised perfectly with this method.
Dynamic Product Ads: These ads essentially focus on remarketing. They heavily target users based on previous websites visited and actions. These ads require a product catalog and Facebook does the remarketing automatically.
Lead Ads:  Allow users to download an ebook or sign up for an email without leaving Facebook. This is perfect for gaining and attracting new users.
Collection Ads: These ads allow for quick, immersive mobile shopping experience because they directly display products/ apparel from a website. These ads are very limited in characters and only visible on mobile devices.

For more ads types and information on Facebook marketing, I highly recommend checking out this guide: https://adespresso.com/guides/facebook-ads-beginner/

Facebook Pages

According to Facebook's 2017-Quarter 4 report, there are currently 2.13 billion active Facebook users worldwide. Naturally, this means that Facebook is the perfect place for business to gain traction. Today, Facebook pages are typical for companies, non-profits, and events. These pages are essentially like free, internal websites for any topic. Now, Facebook "Boosts" allow for paid exposure, which is essentially another way  to market content. As stated in Introduction to Social Media Marketing, "focus on content and not the channel". This recommendation is important because no matter the medium that is used, success ultimately boils down to adequately understanding the audience and providing them with relevant, engaging content.

Here are some tried tips for a successful Facebook page:

• When making a page, be sure to edit the URL so that it is simple and memorable. To do this go to settings --> page info --> change the Facebook Web Address. This lets people easily find and remember the page. 
• Create milestones. These appear in the status update box and allow companies to show off accomplishments, product launches, or growth goals. This provides a sense of legitimacy and positive reactions with onlookers. 
• Link Instagram and Facebook in order to provide higher quality visual content to a larger audience. Photos speak louder than words. Therefore, adding quality photos to posts will enhance engagement.  Adding an infographic or flyer is far more effective than a lump of words. 
• Interact with followers. This can be done through polls. Adding polls and receiving feedback can aid in decision making by letting you know your target market's preferences. For instance, before launching a soap collection, a poll can be made for people to pick their favorite scents. A poll like this can determine which scents will sell successfully while increasing customer engagement and loyalty. 
• Test posts during different times in the day to see when the most traction occurs. Companies with older target markets may see more tracking during the afternoon, and target markets with younger audiences may see traction at night. This tactic requires trial and error and can effectively lead to a wider reach.

Here's a brief, helpful Facebook infographic from 99designs:

Introduction to Social Media Marketing

According to the Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research, 77% of Millenials purchase something online or in-store after seeing it on Facebook. This statistic exemplifies the power of social media marketing. Product and brand exposure is built through promotion to social media users. This is essentially the role of digital marketing: to create awareness of products or services through consumer engagement. Companies use advertisements, contests, social/news reactions, videos and spotlights to grab attention. The goal is to create or post content that will be the most interesting and relevant to your target audience. Different tools can be used to access differing markets, for instance, Instagram is great for targeting travelers or foodies, while LinkedIn is vital for connecting with other businesses.

One sound piece of information from the book Introduction to Social Media Marketing is that the digital age is ever-shifting. What is relevant today, may not be relevant tomorrow. However, understanding the basics of certain solid platforms like Youtube or Twitter is an important baseline. Newer technology and spaces will inevitably emerge. It is always beneficial to approach social media with a learning attitude in order to constantly improve and stay up-to-date. For example, according to the Data and Marketing Association, Snapchat is now the fourth most used social media platform for brands, overtaking even Twitter. Facebook, however, is currently still number one!

Social media interaction has inevitably led to qualitative improvement for companies. However, the DMA has noted that "measuring ROI from social media marketing was ranked as the top challenge that marketers faced in 2016".  While this may be a current challenge, there are a growing number of internal and third-party tools that can help gauge quantitative success. For instance, HootSuite, Google Analytics, and Buffer are a few that are becoming more widely utilized.

https://thedma.org/marketing-insights/marketing-statistics/social-media-marketing-statistics/

Social Media

Today, social media has been revolutionary in shifting the way people view the world. The world has become a smaller place with trends, ideas, products, movements, and news being constantly exchanged effortlessly through the world. For the business world, this platform is an incredible way to connect to and access all stakeholders. Social media is powerful to companies because at its core is relationship building. People can now have genuine interactions with brands that they are personally interested in. When companies respond to user outreach, it shows that a consumer's voice is not only being heard but also being listened to. 

Of course, social media has plenty of other perks. At a baseline, it is a free tool that can be utilized to whatever strength required. Social media drives traffic to sites, creates brand recognition, builds brand loyalty, and ultimately increases sales. Sites like Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram are leading the industry. It is vital that any company that would like to stay relevant and connect with their target audience understand social media and how to market through it. Here is a new infographic from Hootsuite with some 2017 statistics.

AdWords Mistakes

 Now that we know basics about how to use AdWords, it is equally important to know how to not use it. Misusing AdWords can be the reason why some campaigns are not successful. Here are some common mistakes that can hinder an AdWords campaign:

• Not using the same keywords in your actual ad. This may seem redundant, but it is sure to get clicks. As simple as it seems, people do like to see what they search in an ad.
• Not utilizing the experiments feature. This feature allows you to run possible scenarios to test out an ad before going live. Running experiments can test aspects like bids and landing pages. You can isolate variables and track changes to determine choices. Ultimately, it saves a ton of money by helping you make a better decision.
• Not using ad extensions (or having extensions that do not work). Ad extensions attract clicks from users and encourages action. Failure to use them could be a serious reason as to why clicks are low.
• Having no negative keywords. Negative keywords are super important because they help you attract the right target market. This way, you avoid paying for clicks from people who were never interested in the first place. Negative keywords help the quality and accuracy of the ad. 
• Lack of a good bidding strategy. It is especially important to understand bids and how they work in the industry your ads are in. Also, important to take into consideration the ROI when setting up high bids - as required in come competitive industries. 

Below are some other examples of mistakes to avoid:

Remarketing

Hello there! Have you ever visited a shopping site, and saw that site's ad on the banner of a Youtube video later that day? It can be a bit freaky as to how the internet knows and tracks what sites you visit. This technique is called remarketing and it is quite effective. Instead of advertising to people that may or not be interested in the content a company provides, it makes more sense to advertise to people that have shown previous interest. This way a company can more precisely capture their target market and spend advertising money on quality clicks. Here are some tips to improve remarketing campaigns:

• Always utilize dynamic remarketing, instead of static remarketing. Dynamic remarketing is known to provide more conversions over time. Dynamic remarketing is more personal because it provided personalized product information to the viewer and thus is more effective, even if these ads take longer to set up.
• Youtube. Youtube is a great platform for remarketing ads. Youtube has a wide audience so it is easy to find the appropriate target market. Also, Youtube ads are easy to set up and if clicked to skip, the impression is not to be paid for!
• Be sure to use Google Analytics to view remarketing lists. You can create remarketing lists with most metrics. For example, shoe shoppers that visited your site in the past 30 days. AdWords will automatically create identical lists like these that allow you to target different audiences. 
• Lastly, it is a good idea to use email lists to create remarketing lists. People that signed up for promotional emails are a great place to advertise to. This is because not only did they just visit the site, but they are also very interested in the products offered. You use Google URL Builder to set up this list.

Maximizing Conversions

Hello! Today, I wanted to share some tips on how to maximize conversions. Getting plenty of clicks is definitely step one but that does not necessarily translate to tangible business progress that conversions provide. Ultimately, it usually is more important to maximize on conversions even if that means less clicks. A successful conversions campaigns means your ad is hitting your target audience really well. At the end of the day, it comes down to quality over quantity. 

Firstly, using geotargeting is extremely beneficial. Using negative bids on areas that your target market is not located in will allow you to spend less on the wrong target and more on the right market. For example, if your ad is promoting a personal heating device, it may not make sense to promote the ad universally across the nation. Instead, it is wiser to avoid places in the south, where the temperatures are already warm and people are unlikely to buy the product. This way you can spend more on marketing the ad to people in the east coast or in the Midwest  where temperatures are colder an thus home to the ideal target market.

Next, it is also very crucial to make all ads optimized for mobile devices. Many people use their cellphones to surf the web. Mobile use is the most probable way people will see ads. Therefore, it is imperative to have a landing page and ad that is firstly mobile friendly. Look at historic data and see what platform your audience is using. It will likely be mobile and if it is create a new ad that is solely for mobile optimization. 

Another tip is to not use the home page as your landing page. The home page typically contains general information that is not specifically catered towards a certain target market, thus resulting in less conversions. Instead, try to match your landing page's material with the content on your add. This will boost your quality score by making the ad more relevant. For example, if you have a makeup brand and place an ad about lipsticks, it is wiser to make the landing page one on lip product sales verses the generic home page  that does not have immediate appeal (to the clicker of the ad on lips). 

Other ways to maximize conversions is to specify keywords and use negative keywords to avoid the wrong target market from viewing the ad. Also, putting the keyword in the landing page URL will help make the ad more relevant to your site. Lastly, focus on improving ad rank. This means work to increase bids and quality score so that your ad appears closer to the top of the page and before competitors. 

Ad Trial

Hi readers! I created an AdWord's ad for the homepage of the RGB exchange a few days ago and it was reviewed and approved by Google. The ad has been running for one day and received many impressions and a few clicks. I thought it would be interesting to share data that was gathered in only a day! When you enter your AdWords account, this is how the overview will appear:

As you can see, there were 282 impressions and 6 clicks that cost me 79 cents each, and $4.75 in total. Each line represents clicks and impressions. All ad groups are represented in this overview graph. So, in my case, there is only one ad group: Green Exchange and only one ad represented. 

These next graphs are also helpful. They display the keywords I chose for the ad and the clicks that were triggered by the keyword. As you can see, most of the keywords I  chose did not result in any clicks. This may mean I have to reevaluate my keywords as they may not be effective. Since the keyword "stock market" is very general, it is likely that those users are not interested in my website. Thus, although it garnered clicks, they may not prove fruitful. However, it has only been one day so nothing is certain yet. The chart titled " searches"  includes keywords real people are currently actively using that are related to my keywords. They are sort of like suggestions although they may not always be entirely applicable.

The bottom of the dashboard shows the devices people clicked my ad on. It seems it is almost all through mobile devices. This also reiterates why having mobile-friendly landing pages are extremely important. The graph next to this called "Day and Hour" shows the time clicks occurred. This data is helpful because by looking at trends you can adjust bids and targeting accordingly. 

Overall, as you can see, it is super beneficial to run trial ads even if they cost a bit of money. It is definitely worth it because you often learn the most from trial and error. And of course, practice makes perfect, and so I plan on continuing to improve and run similar ads. Although this was just a single day's data, it reflects what aggregate will otherwise look like.

Display Network

Have you ever seen ads on the side and upper panels of a website you were surfing? Do they sometimes reflect the website you were just for a while before? This marketing technique is apart of Google's Display Network that I will be elaborating on this week. The display network is essentially over a million apps, videos, websites, and blogs that display AdWords ads. Here are some larger companies that are part of the display network. If surfing on these sites, ads are sure to be seen.

  

Making an AdWords ad for its display network is not too different from the search engine advertising. You can use the same keywords used in a search network ad for the display network. So for example, you have a vegan food line and you notice your audience often searches for vegan recipes. Vegan recipes would be a good keyword to trigger your ad on the display network. In addition to keywords, you can choose topics that if related to a website or video, the ad will appear. For example, if you choose healthy recipes or fitness videos then your vegan food line ad will play before videos of this topic. The goal of display network campaigns is usually for brand exposure as well as clicks. Below is a common example of how the display network looks on host websites. This dynamic is a win-win situation because host websites get paid for letting AdWords ad appear, and the companies displaying the ads get an advertisement space.

Why Choose AdWords in the First Place?

Hello Everyone! Today,  I am going to take it back and discuss why investing in AdWords is a good idea. After doing some research, I came across this blog post, that really summarizes the benefits accurately. Adwords is important because they help small and large companies around the world gain exposure on the internet. This exposure is basically marketing to consumers surfing the web or looking to meet specific needs. In an age where the internet is the most formidable platform in the marketing industry, it is extremely important to understand search engines and how to market through them. Today, this is the easiest and most direct way to consumers. That being said, these are a few reasons why Google AdWords is specifically a great starting point:

1. AdWords is budget friendly. Smaller companies that are willing to spend less on advertising can do so, while larger companies can spend more and have more campaigns. In this way, AdWords is easily scalable to fit the needs of each company.

2. Adwords is highly trackable. Google tracks all the data from campaigns and this allows constant improvement in advertising. Traditional methods like commercials are less measurable and thus lead to difficult-to-understand results.
3. AdWords is faster and easier than search engine optimization, another search engine technique. This is because AdWords is easier to learn and results are near immediate. SEO works to garner search results organically, while SEM is more of paid advertisement. 

The image below summarises the benefits of AdWords or PPC, pay-per-click over other methods.

Getting Certified

The Adwords Certification is a great skill to list on a resume or LinkedIn page, as search engine marketing skills are increasingly in demand with employers.  The certification consists of passing two, 100 question, exams. The first being the Adwords Fundamentals and the second can be chosen from Search, Display, Video, Shopping, or Mobile Advertising. Passing the tests requires some dedication and time, but it is definitelyy worth it! 

The first step is to become partners with Google. Thereafter, on the side panel under "certifications", click Adwords. All six exams are located on this page and can be taken at any time. There are study guides for all the exams as well. However, personally, the greatest tool to passing these exams is to take the Adversting Online Course. These courses are new additions to Google's study kit. The lessons are fun, colorful, and interactive. They actually make studying extremely engaging. Each lesson is about 5-10 minutes long and involves review questions at the end to test what you have learned. To access these courses, first, choose the exam you are looking to take. Then under the "Study for this exam" heading and before the actual study guide is a bolded link, like so:

I've taken a screenshot of the lesson entitled, "Drive results with the Display Network". This lesson takes about 6 minutes to complete. Like other lessons, it involves a brief introduction, lesson, checkpoint, "make it stick" review questions and a recap at the end. This reiteration of the material helps me understand and retain the information.  Here is a portion of the lesson:

As you can see, Google has tried to make the course as interactive as possible. In total every course has under 20 of such lessons. There is also a practice test that can be taken to ensure readiness for the actual- full-length exam. 

From personal experience, I would recommend completing 3 of such lessons a day. The lessons that are harder to understand, should be supplemented by reading over the corresponding study guide. With this method, preparing for and then passing 2 of the AdWord certification exams will take 2 weeks. This is a great way to studying without pressure, time consumption, and cramming. 

I wish anyone who seeks to become certified, good luck! You can do it!

Ad Extensions

Ad Extensions are what make your ads stand out.  They provide additional information that may only be relevant to certain types of businesses or campaign goals. Commonly used ad extensions include site links, callouts, call numbers, and location extensions. Site links provide the top sections of your website that appeal to people. For instance, a site link for Noodles and Company could be "Find Nearest Location" or "Full Menu". These are likely site locations people are looking for when they search for the resultant. In this way, site links make the website faster and easier to access. The following is an example of site links that Nike has utilized for its ad:

Another common extension is the callout feature, which i have previously talked about. Callouts are helpful because they provide additional detail that easily grabs attention. It is important to always add callouts to adds because they are free and lead to higher CTR and quality scores. This picture highlight how callouts look in a search result. Callout phrases like "Over 10 Years of Experience" serve to attract potential clickers. This particular ad contains site links beneath the callouts as well:

Lastly, adding a call and location extension, allows customers to effortlessly contact or reach the company or store. These extensions are especially needed to complete conversions. The examples below show the call button extension for DSW and the location link for the ice cream shop. If the call button is clicked, the consumer will have automatically dialed DSW's contact number. Likewise, if the location link is clicked, Google maps will begin directing the consumer to the ice cream location.