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At Mindstream Media Group, we focus on delivering the results that really matter to our clients. Here’s our president, Zac Keeney, on how we amplify campaigns by bridging the gap between online audiences and actual in-store sales.
Category: Mindstream Media
Marketing Defined: A Glossary of Essential Marketing, Media and Advertising Terms
Having trouble keeping track of marketing, media and advertising terms? Here’s our ongoing collection of essential industry terms to help you understand your marketing campaigns.
This glossary will cover key terms across traditional and digital marketing disciplines including:
- Search Engine Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Local Search Engine Optimization
- Display Advertising
- Video Advertising
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Traditional and Digital Media Buying
- Campaign Targeting Tactics
Ad Rank
A value Google uses to determine your ad position (where ads are shown on a page relative to other ads) and whether your ads will show at all. Ad Rank is calculated using your bid amount, your auction-time ad quality (including expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience), the Ad Rank thresholds, the context of the person’s search (for example, the person’s location, device, time of search, the nature of the search terms, the other ads and search results that show on the page, and other user signals and attributes), and the expected impact of extensions and other ad formats.
Source: Google Ads Help
Algorithm
A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. Search engines (e.g., Google) use ranking systems to sort through the hundreds of billions of webpages in their search indices to provide searchers useful and relevant results in a fraction of a second. These ranking systems are made up of a series of algorithms that analyze what searchers are looking for and what information to return.
Learn more: Details on Google’s search engine algorithm
Alt Text
Also known as “alt attributes” and “alt descriptions” (also known technically incorrectly as “alt tags”), Alt Text is used within an HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a page.
Source: Moz
Attribution
The process of identifying a set of user actions (“events”) across screens and touch points that contribute in some manner to a desired outcome, and then assigning a value to each of these events.
Source: IAB
Average Position
Also known as “Avg. Pos.” – this statistic is most commonly associated with Google Ads campaigns and describes how your ad typically ranks against other ads. This rank determines the order ads appear on search engine result pages.
- The highest position is “1,” and there is no “bottom” position. An average position of 1-8 is generally on the first page of search results, 9-16 is generally on the second page, and so on. Average positions can be between two whole numbers. For example, an average position of “1.7” means that your ad usually appears in positions 1 or 2.
- Your ad’s rank can change, causing its position on the page to fluctuate as well, so your average position can give you an idea of how often your ad beats other ads for a position. However, the most important thing is to find what’s profitable for you, which might not be to show in the top position.
Source: Google Ads Help
Related article: Google Says Goodbye to Average Position
Backlinks
Also called “inbound links” or “incoming links,” backlinks are created when one website links to another. In essence, backlinks to your website are a signal to search engines that others vouch for your content. If many sites link to the same webpage or website, search engines can infer that content is worth linking to, and therefore also worth surfacing on a search engine result page (SERP). So, earning these backlinks can have a positive effect on a site’s ranking position or search visibility.
Source: Moz
Bounce
In Google Analytics, a bounce is calculated specifically as a session that triggers only a single request to the Analytics server, such as when a user opens a single page on your site and then exits without triggering any other requests to the Analytics server during that session.
Source: Google Analytics Help
Bounce Rate
Single-page sessions (i.e., bounces) divided by all sessions or the percentage of all sessions on your site in which users viewed only a single page and triggered only a single request to the Analytics server.
Source: Google Analytics Help
Business Listings Management
Optimized local listings that allow brands to deliver information to local consumers across the web on search engines, social media, local directory sites, data aggregators, etc.
Learn more: Listings Management from Mindstream Media
Click-thru Rate (CTR)
The rate at which ads are clicked on, calculated by the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions (the higher the better).
Clicks
When someone clicks on a link like a digital ad or search engine result.
Content
Any type of information displayed on your website, blog, social media or other channels; this can include copy, images, videos, whitepapers, infographics, etc. Content can positively impact your SEO ranking if it’s high-quality (informative, engaging, useful, unique, etc.).
Content Marketing
A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Source: Content Marketing Institute
Learn more: Content Marketing 101 Series
Conversion
When a visitor completes a desired action on a website (click-through, form fill, purchase, etc.).
Conversion Rate
The number of conversions divided by the number of visitors.
Cost per Click (CPC)
The average cost paid when an ad is clicked; can fluctuate daily based on a number of factors, including competition, market size and geographic location.
Cost per Lead (CPL)
Calculated by the budget spend divided by the number of leads.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email and their websites to connect with current and prospective customers.
Source: Hubspot
Display Advertising
Advertising through banners, graphics, text billboards, audio and/or video that appear in specifically designated areas of websites, apps or social media.
Learn more: Digital Display Advertising
Earned Media
When customers, the press and the public share your content, speak about your brand via word of mouth and otherwise discuss your brand. In other words, the mentions are “earned,” meaning they are voluntarily given by others.
Source: Small Business trends
Email Marketing
Using email messages to connect with current and potential customers.
Impression
Each time an ad is shown.
Impression Share
The number of impressions received divided by the estimated number of eligible impressions; helps determine number of missed opportunities due to budget constraints.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A metric by which the success of a campaign is gauged (e.g., clicks, opens, impressions, calls, conversions).
Landing Page
A single webpage that is usually the destination of an ad click, i.e. the page where a visitor “lands.”
Local Citations
Any mention of your business locations on the web. They are any combination of your company name, phone number, address, zip or postal code and website address. Citations can include mentions with or without links to your website and are a key factor in improving your local search results.
Source: Whitespark
Meta Description
A description of a webpage not visible on the actual site, but that appears on a search engine results page.
Meta Tag
Provides metadata about an HTML document, typically used to specify webpage content description, keywords or author, which can be read by browsers, search engines or other web services.
Metadata
Data or information about other data.
NAP Data
Name, address and phone number; a business’s online identity.
Omni-channel Advertising
Also spelled omnichannel; integrates multiple types of media such as print, radio, TV, digital, mobile and social, which enable a better customer experience across devices and channels.
Over-The-Top (OTT)
Premium long-form video content that is streamed over the internet through an app or device onto a TV, PC, tablet or smartphone without requiring users to subscribe to a wired cable, telco or satellite TV service.
Source: Video Advertising Bureau “You Down with OTT,” Q1 2018
Related article: Check your connected TV terminology
Owned Media
When you leverage a channel you create and control. This could be your company blog, YouTube channel, your website or even your Facebook page. Even though you don’t strictly “own’ your YouTube channel or your Facebook page, you do control them and don’t have to pay for basic usage.
Source: Small Business trends
Paid Media
When you pay to leverage a third-party channel, such as sponsorships and advertising on third-party sites.
Source: Small Business trends
Paid Social Advertising
Sponsored content or paid ads on social networks that can target specific audience segments like age, gender, behavior, interests and geographic location, among many others.
Learn more: Tips for Building Social Media Campaigns That Actually Work
Pay-per-click (PPC)
A type of advertising in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.
Premium Local Directories
Paid advertising campaigns that allow brands to reach ready-to-buy consumers on premier online local directories such as Yelp, YP, Superpages and Citysearch.
Programmatic Ad Buying
Typically refers to the use of software to purchase digital advertising, as opposed to the traditional process that involves RFPs, human negotiations and manual insertion orders. It’s using machines to buy ads, basically.
Source: Digiday
Related article: What You Need to Know About Programmatic Advertising
Reputation Management
The act of influencing or controlling a brand’s reputation online, which is determined by factors like social media, reviews, the brand’s website and its position on search engine results pages.
Retargeting
Also known as remarketing, a form of advertising which targets online traffic after they have left a particular website or digital property.
Schema.org Markup
Schema.org (often called Schema) is a semantic vocabulary of tags (or microdata) that you can add to your HTML to improve the way search engines read and represent your page in SERPs.
Code Sample
<div itemscope itemtype=”https://schema.org/Book”>
<span itemprop=”name”> Inbound Marketing and SEO: Insights from the Moz Blog</span>
<span itemprop=”author”>Rand Fishkin</span>
</div>
Schema.org is the result of collaboration between Google, Bing, Yandex and Yahoo! to help you provide the information their search engines need to understand your content and provide the best search results possible at this time. Adding Schema markup to your HTML improves the way your page displays in SERPs by enhancing the rich snippets that are displayed beneath the page title.
Source: Moz
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. Includes optimizing titles and descriptions, adding alt text to images, maintaining a blog and submitting business data to directories, among other activities.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The layout of the page returned by a search engine after a searcher enters a query.
Structured Citations
Your business information (NAP) on a business listing directory. When you see lists of citation sites, these are pretty much always business listing directories where you can submit your business and get a citation. Example sites for structured citations include:
- Yelp
- Yellowpages
- Superpages
- MapQuest
Source: Whitespark
Title Tag
An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. Title tags are displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) as the clickable headline for a given result and are important for usability, SEO and social sharing. The title tag of a web page is meant to be an accurate and concise description of a page’s content.
Source: Moz
Web Leads
Leads generated through activity on your webpage such as link clicks, requests for more information, form submissions, etc.
Unstructured Citations
Your business information (NAP) on any other site that’s not specifically a business listing directory. Common examples where you’ll find unstructured citations are blogs, magazine/newspaper sites, wikis, etc.
Source: Whitespark
For more help in understanding your campaigns, make sure to subscribe to Mindstream Media Group’s blog to get the latest marketing, media and advertising news delivered straight to your inbox.
Traditional Media Group Adstaff Merges with Digital Agency Mindstream Media
Mindstream Media, a national marketing agency, announced its merger with Memphis-based sister agency, AdStaff Media, to create a full-service agency doubling the size of the two organizations.
AdStaff brings nearly 20 years of traditional media strategy and placement in television, radio, newspaper, out of home, magazines and sporting events for brands such as Subway, Ultimate Software, Blue Plate Mayonnaise, Fantastic Sams, Bellin Health Systems and Glenfiddich Scotch. These traditional services complement Mindstream Media’s paid search, social, display and video, content marketing and other digital capabilities, as well as yellow pages advertising.
Last year, Mindstream Media was named Trailblazing Agency of the Year and holds Google Premier Partner status for their impressive work in the search industry. This level of expertise, in addition to Mindstream Media’s solutions and client base, including brands like ServiceMaster, Samsung, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Bank of America, Roto-Rooter and The UPS Store, will only bolster the combined organization’s success.
“Mindstream Media’s expanded capabilities support the agency mission of connecting brands with consumers whenever and wherever they are in the buying journey,” said Terry Tanner, newly appointed president of Mindstream Media. “Across every medium, Mindstream amplifies results for our advertisers, whether their goal is increased brand awareness, reach, lead conversions or a long list of other KPIs.”
Billings for the combined agency ring in at $150 million.
All previous AdStaff locations, including but not limited to Memphis; Nashville; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; and Birmingham, Ala., will operate under the Mindstream Media brand. Mindstream Media locations in San Diego; New York; Milwaukee; St. Louis; Peoria; and Cedar Falls, Iowa will continue to operate as before.
Mindstream Media, along with 16 other agencies spanning media, marketing and public relations, is owned by Eastport Holdings, based in Memphis.
About Mindstream Media
Mindstream Media, a full-service media agency, designs and executes sophisticated traditional and digital marketing strategies that deliver sales for national brands by growing brand awareness and generating qualified local leads.
Building Better Client-Agency Relationships Starts with Building a Better Agency Model
The CMO Club recently surveyed 106 chief marketing officers to see how they viewed the existing agency model and asked them what changes they’d like to see in the traditional client-agency relationship. Their findings really got me thinking about the best approach marketing agencies can take to serve our clients in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Is it the full-service agency of record (AOR) model? The specialized shop model? Somewhere in between?
Personally, I think it varies for each client based on the brand’s needs, the competitive landscape of their vertical, the rapid evolution of the media environment and a host of other variables that would take too long to list.
That’s why I think the best approach is for agencies to work on being flexible enough to leverage the strengths of both the full-service and specialty agency models, avoid the weaknesses of each and remain pliable enough to adapt when needed.
So, how can agencies take on this best-of-both-worlds approach? I have few ideas based on personal experience but I’ll dive into that more in a bit. First, let’s set the table for this conversation by looking at some of the key findings from The CMO Club’s study.
Nearly half of the respondents (47 percent) use the AOR model which includes the 25 percent of brands who use a single AOR and some independent agencies, plus the 22 percent of brands who just use an AOR.
The big agency model was by far the most popular. And, while 55 percent of all respondents said they’re moderately satisfied with their current agency model, only 14 percent said they are highly satisfied. Moderate satisfaction is simply not good enough. Agencies shouldn’t have a “Cs get degrees” mentality about serving our clients.
When asked what’s the most challenging aspect of changing agencies, more than half of respondents said it’s “investing in educating new agencies” and more than a third said “finding/vetting new agencies is time-consuming.”
Neither of these answers should come as a surprise. For agencies, getting to know a brand intimately is essential in producing successful campaigns, but it takes time. And, as any brand or agency who has gone through an RFP can tell you, the process can take months and significant resource time before a decision is made.
For the AOR model, 55 percent of respondents cited a “lack of innovation” as a source of dissatisfaction and 35 percent indicated that their “capabilities are too narrow.”
When an AOR can’t meet the demands of their clients, those brands turn to one or more smaller agencies. According to the study, brands use “independent shops to get better, personalized service, increase the value of their marketing dollars and garner the creativity needed to break through the clutter.”
I’d agree with the study’s authors that this may be swapping out one problem for another – working with different agencies has the benefit of individual expertise, but it also makes it a lot more difficult to align various marketing efforts.
When asked about the benefits of small or mid-size agencies, 44 percent of respondents said “better-personalized service” and 40 percent said “more specialized knowledge.”
This makes sense, as smaller agencies usually focus on a few core marketing services. This makes it easier to become experts in those areas and coordinate efforts between teams.
How to capture the best of both worlds
The findings of this study were interesting, but not all that surprising. Here at Mindstream Media Group, we’ve been noticing the shifting needs of brands for some time and have taken major steps to evolve our capabilities and account management style to adapt to the changing environment.
To strike a balance between full-service and specialty agency, we took two major steps and a lot of incremental ones. Our first big change happened more than two years ago when we joined the Eastport Holdings’ family of agencies. Being a part of a large holdings company has given us access to 16 sister agencies with a variety of specialties to complement our own offerings.
This integration has been a huge plus for our agency. Now, when a brand approaches us with a need that’s outside of our wheelhouse, it’s not a problem. We just reach out to the appropriate agency within Eastport and get to work. It’s also great for our clients because they keep a single point of contact at Mindstream who can coordinate efforts between the agencies.
The second big change was more gradual. Since we joined Eastport, we’ve steadily combined forces with new Mindstream offices across the country from San Diego to New York City. Each of these teams brings different but compatible talents and capabilities that allow us to provide a full suite of digital and traditional marketing services.
Our new extended family allows us to handle any of our client’s advertising and marketing needs like a big agency could. However, as a single agency, Mindstream Media Group still functions like a smaller shop. And, like other small-to-medium sized agencies, our teams are made up of experts dedicated to specific marketing services. The only difference is, we have a lot of those teams now.
Benefits of a blended agency model
This blended agency model is very effective at solving two major issues from CMO Club’s study:
- The AOR model leads to a lack of innovation and a capability set that’s too narrow.
- The multiple-agency model leads to complications with managing relationships across partners.
Our model allows us to resolve the first issue by acting like a specialty shop – agile and dedicated enough to deliver innovative campaign strategies and customized content. At the same time, our expanded capabilities allow us to handle a variety of marketing services. Which means our clients enjoy a single point of contact and more holistic marketing strategies. It also means that, like a full-service agency, we have access to all the resources, technology and expertise we’d need to meet any client request.
Closing thoughts
I’m not trying to claim that we’ve found the perfect agency model. In this industry, that’s impossible. Change happens too quickly and each brand is too unique. The strategies that are perfect this minute are outdated the next. A system that works perfectly for one brand is anathema to another.
I think the best approach is just to make sure you have the right mindset – stay flexible and agile, remain dedicated to customer services, allow technology to make your life easier and, most importantly, embrace change.
Looking for a marketing agency with the capabilities of the big firms and the personal touch of a specialty shop?
Contact Mindstream Media Group today.
Mindstream Media Group Named Among Yext’s First Preferred Partners
Mindstream Media Group earned Yext’s new Preferred Partner status by managing some of the nation’s premier brand listings, local SEO and reputation programs on Yext’s platforms.
Yext, a leader in Digital Knowledge Management, provides the technology for dispensing accurate brand location data across a vast network of search engines, maps and directories, while Mindstream Media Group manages the advertiser partnerships, sets the strategy and uses performance to optimize programs.
In 2017, Mindstream Media was named Yext’s Trailblazing Agency of the Year for its creative, holistic view of advertising and data strategies allowing its clients to better compete using Yext solutions. In 2011, Mindstream Media (then Marquette Group) was one of Yext’s initial digital agency partners.
“Mindstream is a leader and innovator in leveraging Digital Knowledge Management technology to put its clients in control of their information everywhere,” said Jonathan Cherins, EVP of Partner at Yext. “We’ve been working closely together for years, and we’re proud to have them as one of our first Preferred Partners.”
Yext’s Preferred Partner Program allows greater collaboration between Yext and Mindstream Media Group on behalf of Mindstream’s advertising clients, increased support from Yext, more advanced product training and co-marketing opportunities.
“Utilizing the Yext technology platform brings a tremendous value to our clients and allows full control of individual location data online. We are proud to support many of our clients who have been recognized as leading their industry in local online presence. Yext continues to be ahead of the curve on driving further technology in the local online space, and our clients benefit directly from their continued focus.” said Marti Janson, Mindstream Media Group’s Chief Client Officer.
Want to learn more about how Mindstream and Yext work together to manage brands local online presence? Check out our Local Search solutions or contact us for more information.
Mindstream Media wins Yext’s Trailblazing Agency of the Year
Mindstream Media, a locally focused, national digital agency won Yext, Inc.’s (NYSE: YEXT) Trailblazing Agency of the Year Award at the ONWARD 17 global conference in New York City last week.
“These awards are for the companies and people who are challenging themselves to think differently about the future of their businesses and industries,” said Brian Distelburger, Co-Founder and President of Yext. “The winners of the Yext Explorer Awards are constantly innovating, and are leveraging Digital Knowledge Management technology to light a new path into the Intelligent Future.”
From left to right: Eric Webb – President, Mindstream Media; Brian Distelburger – Co-Founder and President, Yext; Chris Malone – Executive Vice President, Mindstream Media; Jonathan Cherins – Executive Vice President, Yext.
Mindstream Media’s Trailblazing Agency of the Year award is one of the eight Yext Explorer Awards. As the Trailblazing winner, Mindstream Media was celebrated for taking a 360-degree view of the universe of marketing leveraging Digital Knowledge Management to prepare its clients to better compete. Mindstream Media was among the first agencies to partner with Yext at the company’s inception.
“We are proud of our partnership, as together, we transform brands with their valuable content to create engaging experiences with consumers – when and where it matters most,” said Mindstream’s EVP Chris Malone. “Leveraging the Yext technology, Mindstream Media powers growth for national brands across the ever-changing digital landscape. We appreciate the recognition from an industry-leading partner as it confirms the value we deliver to clients we proudly serve.”
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About Mindstream Media
Mindstream Media designs and executes sophisticated digital media strategies that increase sales for national brands by growing brand awareness and generating qualified local leads. Teams in San Diego; New York City; St. Louis; Milwaukee; Peoria, Illinois and Cedar Falls, Iowa provide search marketing, SEO, social, listings management and hyper-targeted display solutions. Mindstream Media proudly represents these, and many other, advertisers: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, American Express, Verizon Wireless, Samsung, Roto-Rooter, ServiceMaster, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and The UPS Store. Mindstream Media is a recognized Google Premier Partner specializing in search advertising and display advertising. Learn more at mindstreammediagroup.com.
About Yext
Yext is pioneering a new category called Digital Knowledge Management, which gives businesses control of all of the public facts that they want consumers to know across the intelligent ecosystem. The Yext Knowledge Engine™ lets companies manage their digital knowledge in the cloud and sync it to over 100 services in the PowerListings® Network. Yext Listings, Pages and Reviews enable businesses around the globe to facilitate face-to-face and digital interactions that boost brand awareness, drive foot traffic and increase sales.