Google Adsense

The End of the World! Twitter Traffic Flat!

Written on June 11, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

Quick: stock up on nonperishables, call your loved ones home, gather them close. The world is coming to an end. First we told you the Twittersphere just ain’t what it used to be. Now, brace yourself for this one:

Twitter traffic month-on-month is flat—or maybe even declining.

I know. I’m sorry to break it to you this way; it’s such a shock. But I couldn’t prolong the agony. Hey, hey—sit down. Breathe into a paper bag. Put your head between your knees. We’ll make it through somehow.

But let’s face the sad facts: although Twitter is clearly the wave of the future, not everyone is as forward thinking as we are in embracing the latest, greatest way of doing . . . well, everything.

Look at the stats, if you dare: Quantcast, via John Batelle:

Compete.com:

Perfect measures or not, one has to assume that they’re indicative of some trend. Is the public’s interest in telling what they’re doing now waning just like Oprah’s and Ashton Kutcher’s? Where will Internet marketers turn now?

Read the original here:
The End of the World! Twitter Traffic Flat!

Back From the Dead: Lycos Search (But WHY?)

Written on June 11, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

Don’t you just hate it when someone doesn’t know they’re dead? Lycos Europe insists that it’s feeling much better after spending the last two years in come back attempts, the clearance rack and, finally, utter oblivion. Yes, they think they’ll go for a walk now!

At least that’s what TechCrunch reports from Lycos execs. In addition to regaining the European rights to trademarks on “Lycos” and “Hotbot” (holy 1996, Batman!), Lycos is making a for European domination to rival a nineteenth-century tyrant.

Only, you know, a lot less popular than Napoleon.

Lycos CEO Jungwook Lim says, “Lycos continues to have a loyal user base and we expect this consolidation to help revitalize and strengthen our search businesses within Europe.” And Edward Noel, General Manager of Search and Business Development for Lycos, is in on the act, too:

Over the next several weeks Lycos will be re-launching the provision of search services within the European territory. Locally targeted content verticals will gradually be rolled out and we will be taking steps to enhance our users’ search experience.

Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it?

Oh, I get it—they’re on an alternate timeline, aren’t they? The one where Yahoo bought Google way back when and Lycos still has market share in Europe. Or anyone else.

What do you think? Does Lycos have a “loyal user base” or is this a case of wishful “if I say it, maybe it’ll come true”?

Continued here:
Back From the Dead: Lycos Search (But WHY?)

Areas of Ad Spend Drop 14% in First Quarter

Written on June 11, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: Advertising, book, marketing

As we rapidly approach the end of the second quarter of 2009 there is still news trickling in from what happened in Q1. As suspected, that news is not good. A study by TNS Media Intelligence was reported in today’s WSJ and ad spend for media including TV, print and online display ads fell 14% year to year to $30.8 billion. It is important to note that this number does NOT include online search ads or in store ads.

Based on that what are these numbers telling us? First, they are from the equivalent of a century ago but they are simply validation that things have been bad and all of the complaining may have some merit. In fact, to hear TNS’s senior vice president of research, Jon Swallen, put it “We are now in the record books with the worst quarter in a decade.”

So are we looking at a turnaround anytime soon? Swallen continues

A recovery in the media business may take time. “So far it looks like second-quarter spending is starting pretty much the same way the first quarter ended. There are hopeful signs of general economic indicators bottoming out, but the advertising sector still appears to be lagging behind”.

Had enough doom and gloom for the day. Take heart Internet marketers. TNS , unlike other reports, is saying that online display advertising, which includes banners, was actually UP 8.2%. You can rub your eyes and scream “Typo!” if you want but please don’t shoot the messenger in the comment section. PricewaterhouseCoopers just reported last week a 5.5% drop in online display advertising. So who’s right? Are either right? Shall we just meet close to the middle and call it a draw for online display ads as compared to Q1 for 2008?

As for Q2? Most are saying that it looks like it could be just as bad, if not worse, but there may be sentiment shifting toward some recovery in the second half of the year.

Before we all bemoan the state of the advertising world across the board it is important to take in one last piece of data

TNS said the ad market was hampered by double-digit pullbacks in spending by big industries like autos and financial services.

Ad spending in the automotive category slid 28%, with local car-dealer ad spending taking the biggest hit, falling almost 50%. Spending by financial services companies fell 18%.

Now one wonders what actually happened in other sectors that weren’t in the news for receiving bundles of bailout cash and a lot of negative publicity for their relative incompetence. As with all studies and data it is interesting to track an overall trend but if there is no attention given to the details about specific industries that affect your line of business directly you could be missing the point or, even worse, some opportunity.

Marketing Pilgrim readers work in all areas of business. What are you seeing in your industry? Are you in the doldrums like the auto and finance industries or are you seeing a light at the end of this tunnel (and you are reasonably sure it’s not a train)? Maybe a street level sampling can add something to the big picture. At least you may find out you’re not alone.

Want more marketing news & views? Follow Marketing Pilgrim’s Andy Beal on Twitter!

Here is the original post:
Areas of Ad Spend Drop 14% in First Quarter