Minelli's Marketing Blog

  In the past, a search using Google would produce lines of never-ending text. In recent years Google has been incorporating splashes of color into their search pages. Image extensions are one of many ways images have been incorporated into the search engine. Understanding the basics of image extensions and their benefits can help advertisers create better ads. Google Ads are currently offering image extensions and dynamic image extensions for text ads. In “Google Ads Tutorials: How to Set Up Image Extensions” , Google Ads explained image extensions and their benefits. Image extensions for text ads allow advertisers the opportunity to incorporate an image into a text ad. The advertisement includes the standard headline, description, and URL with an image attached. In the example below, a quick search produces a text ad with an image extension. A square image sits in the lower right-hand corner of the text ad. Images can be uploaded, selected from an asset library, stock images, or ...

After entering an inquiry into Google, you have already used a keyword. Keywords are the terms or phrases that users may use to search for a product or service. Selecting the right keyword for a Google ad to appear can prove challenging. Google Ads’ Keyword Planner allows advisers to choose beneficial keywords by identifying new keywords and their search volume. Keyword Planner is a diverse tool that helps advertisers choose keywords for Google Ads. In Todd Kelsey’s Introduction to Search Engine Marketing and Adwords: A Guide for Absolute Beginners , the author discussed the Google Ads’ tool Keyword Planner. The tool helps marketers by generating keywords for Google Ads. An advertiser can enter a few keywords with a link to the website or only a website link to generate a list of keywords. In the example below, a list of keywords was generated using Minelli’s Marketing Blog. The list includes a range of bid prices that indicate the price range historically paid for an ad to appear in a...

There is nothing as uninteresting as staring at a block of text. Today, people crave engaging visuals coupled with informative text. Graphics are a powerful addition to any social media marketer's toolkit. The design tool VistaCreate gives social media marketers the ability to create eye-catching content quickly. VistaCreate is a design tool that requires no design experience to create engaging graphics. In “ Best Image Editing Tools to Create Killer Rich Media ”, Neil Patel discusses free image editing tools like VistaCreate. The editing platform can be used to create graphics for a variety of social media platforms and print applications. Individuals can create everything from an Instagram story ad to print posters. To save time, VistaCreate offers a variety of customizable templates to choose from. Designers can modify color themes, include images, text, objects, and sound, and animate the design to their preference. VistaCreate's time-saving templates allow users to create ...

Creating a Google Ads campaign doesn’t mean an advertiser’s job is over. An advertiser acts as a supervisor for campaigns by regularly checking data. By monitoring Google Ads campaigns, an advertiser can make informed decisions to improve the campaign. There are two main aspects of a Google Ads campaign that advertisers should consider: timeframe and click-through rate (CTR). A productive habit to develop is setting aside time to monitor existing Google Ads campaigns. In Introduction to Search Engine Marketing and Adwords: A Guide for Absolute Beginners , Todd Kelsey describes how to monitor a Google Ads campaign. To check a Google Ads campaign, an individual must set a timeline. For example, reviewing a campaign over the last week or month. By experimenting with a timeframe, Google Ads users can better identify a holistic view. Including a reminder on your phone to check on a Google Ads campaign can help individuals remember to monitor their campaign regularly. Reviewing two month’s w...

Due to the pandemic, remote working became the norm for job titles such as social media marketer. Staying connected with members of a social media marketing team became an awkward task. Hootsuite offers digital alternatives to stay in touch with team members virtually, depending on the Hootsuite plan. The platform assigns roles and includes messaging functions. Before learning Hootsuite’s collaborative features, individuals should understand Hootsuite’s organization levels. According to “ Introduction to Hootsuite Organizations and Permissions ” , an Hootsuite organization is composed of members, teams, and social networks. There are three levels to a Hootsuite organization’s members: super admin, admin, and default. Super admins are the top level and can manage all members, billing, vanity URLs and more. Admin have access to all social networks, users, and teams. Defaults are the lowest level and can only view information for teams and social networks that they have access to. Teams a...

Amazon, an online shopping site, has it all right at your fingertips. A plethora of products are offered through Amazon, from streaming movies to buying shoes. With millions of active customers worldwide, Amazon offers Amazon Ads to advertise products. Amazon Ads includes a variety of ad formats based on advertiser's goals. Amazon Ads are versatile. According to “The Basics of Success: Understanding Amazon Ads” , there are a variety of advertisement formats, locations, and payment methods to choose from. Amazon Ads offer Sponsored Products, Video ads, Audio ads, and more. Sponsored Products is a cost-per-click (CPC) method to advertise individual product listings on shopping results or product detail pages. Video ads appear during streamed videos. Out-streamed videos can be viewed outside of video content both on and off Amazon. Audio ads appear on Amazon music across multiple device formats. Before picking an Amazon ad, an advertiser should understand their goals. An advertiser’s...

Robots, self-driving cars, spreadsheet programs, and Alexa all involve a form of artificial intelligence (AI). To comprehend how AI performs tasks such as driving a car or answering a question, an individual needs to understand hardware and software. AI involves a complex system of connections that is difficult to follow. Understanding the basics of hardware and software can help an individual understand the complexities of AI. Hardware and software work together to make AI possible. Todd Kelsey describes the basics of hardware and software in Surfing the Tsunami . Hardware is the framework of any computer, including silicon chips and circuits that form computers. The chips connect to form a relatively fixed path. Electricity runs through hardware, allowing complex calculations to be made. To create functioning AI, hardware must be coupled with software. Software is the instructions that direct hardware. According to Kelsey, software is similar to the human mind's thought process. ...

Text ads are a type of advertisement offered by Google Ads. In a quick Google Search for candles, an individual can find a text ad such as the one below. There are a few parts to a text ad that advertisers must understand to develop a successful text ad. All text ads include a URL, headline, and description. Google Ads has a variety of ads to choose from, including the standard text ad. In Todd Kelsey’s Introduction to Search Engine Marketing and AdWords: A Guide for Absolute Beginners , a text ad has three main components: final URL, headline, and description. The final URL is the final destination or landing page; the ad will take a user after a click. Often the final URL would be a link to a blog, website, or a page from the website. There are three headline fields. A minimum of three headlines must be filled to produce a text ad. Including keywords in a headline can boost an ad’s relevance. In the description fields, an advertising highlights unique value propositions. The descript...

After creating a Google Ads account, advertisers can begin the ad design process. When utilizing Google Ads, there are three basic groupings that advertisers should understand: campaign, ad groups, and ads. The three categories act like nesting dolls. Campaigns, the largest container, holds a variety of ad groups. The ad group, the medium-sized category, houses multiple ads. An advertiser can use each category to their advantage. Before creating an ad, an advertiser makes a campaign. To make a Google Ads campaign, an advertiser should know their business goals. In Todd Kelsey’s Introduction to Search Engine Marketing and AdWords: A Guide for Absolute Beginners , the campaign category identifies campaign type, bids, location, and schedule. A business's goals dictate which campaign type they should use. For example, a business trying to promote an app would benefit from the App campaign type rather than a Local campaign type that is used to promote a location. Advertisers identify th...

Today, people carry a tiny computer in their pockets daily. Computers keep important data, such as location, passwords, and more. Cybercriminal activity and unauthorized accesses haunt computers every second. Cybersecurity has become a necessity. Cybersecurity has seen steady growth and is predicted to continue. Over the last 12 months Google Trends has documented a continual increase in the interest of cybersecurity. The rise of cybersecurity is attributed to multiple factors in Amit D.’s article “Future of the Cybersecurity Job Market 2022” . Cybercrimes have increased exponentially with the emergence of disruptive technologies. Businesses are investing more in cybersecurity. The popularity of cybersecurity leads to a need for employees. Increased awareness of cybersecurity demands a proper workforce. Amit D. further discusses the desire for a larger workforce. There has been a 94% increase in cybersecurity jobs since 2013. Many cybersecurity listings go unfilled due to a lack of a...

During your daily commute, a billboard for Nike appears on the route. Viewing the advertisement probably won’t result in purchasing sneakers from Nike. Billboards and other forms of traditional advertising can be difficult to track return on investment (ROI). Online advertising provides trackable data to improve campaign effectiveness. The metrics in digital advertising provide data and measure the performance of an ad or campaign. According to Todd Kelsey's article “Branding/Impression, Analytics/Clicks'' , there are two main metrics: impressions and clicks. After viewing an advertisement, the ad can make an impression. For example, 5 million people potentially saw a Nike ad on Google and may have formed a positive impression. A positive impression can result in a click and purchase. Out of 5 million impressions, about a thousand people clicked the ad. An impression doesn’t guarantee a click. An advertisement may get multiple impressions before getting a click. Advertisers...

Figuring out the best ways to promote a company through digital advertising varies. An artist promoting their art may start by posting their artwork on Instagram. The craft supply store Michaels could use paid advertising on Google to promote a sale on oil paint. Organic and paid marketing have similarities and differences that can help marketers decide the best route. Organic social media marketing is free and maintains relationships with customers. The image below is an example of an organic Facebook post. According to Page Cooper’s article “ Paid vs. Organic Social Media: How to Integrate Both Into Your Strategy ”, organic social media marketing includes free content shared through posts. Organic posts reach the social media account’s followers, possibly the friends of followers that shared the post, and people following a hashtag in the post. Word of mouth, when people share content, is the holy grail of organic marketing. Individuals share excellent content, products, or services ...