Here’s hoping that little cyber Groundhog doesn’t see his shadow on the internet today. Then he’ll be able to chatter his little teeth together, put his nose to the ground, and start sniffing out a whole new perspective for 2010.
Five digital marketing trends I would gladly wave goodbye to:
1. Template Flash-Game Banner Ads – Wherever I’m at on the internet—reading an article, browsing product reviews, searching for tech support—the last thing I want to do is STOP what I’m doing and throw a frame of virtual ten pin. This is just not an enticing offer, and when it comes from a one-stop-shop website for flash banners, it doesn't portray the product or service in a unique way whatsoever. Flash games can definitely be fun, but make sure your consumers want one and make it original.
2. Keyword-Stuffed Websites – I’m a human being not a piece of software. This means that I have a really low tolerance for repetition, especially in sales copy, and all those unnecessary keywords start to bore me quickly. When I land on a site that’s stuffed full of keywords and zero content, I start to think the product might be full of similar flaws.
3. Relentless Pop-Up Ads – You know the ones that appear out of nowhere and, with Gladiator strength, obstruct your browser window. The animation is swirling and flashing all over the screen and finding the minimize button is a needle-in-the-haystack type of quest. After much anxiety and obnoxious distraction, you can finally move on to whatever it was you were doing before you were digitally assaulted.
4. Targeted Social Media Ads – Believe it or not, I don’t really mind being marketed to when I’m on Facebook. The ads don’t really bother me because they’re nicely sequestered to the margins, but I really DO mind the content. Ads that have fished my user profile and responded with teeth whitening discounts for New York City copywriters make me feel the exact opposite of special. I don’t mind that they’re fishing per se, but they could bait that hook with something a little more creative.
5. Irrelevant Landing Pages – Sometimes, I think landing pages were created in a vacuum, free from all external influence and completely void of oxygen. There’s just no other explanation for landing pages that don’t align with the PPC ad or other link you’ve clicked on. Consistency and relevancy really matter in targeted, niche markets, and when I get to a landing page that doesn’t fulfill my expectations, I leave.
So if all goes well today and one cyber Groundhog pops his head up and finds himself out of the shadow poor digital marketing campaigns, my top 5 just might become obsolete. It’s not real likely, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed anyway.
