PROGRAMMATIC MARKETING: THE FUTURE OF ONLINE ADVERTISING

As the Internet has rapidly grown over the years, business minds have realized the importance of taking their brand online. Once the development is done & the web platforms get set up, it’s time to make people aware about your product. Without promotion, it’s nearly impossible for an online business to survive. Therefore, companies have started combining SEO with a PPC campaign to advertise their business.

But, with time, the online advertising landscape has changed drastically. New techniques pop-up frequently, and before you know it, your competitor moves ahead of you by making use of them. One such technique is- Programmatic Advertising/Marketing.

What is Programmatic Advertising?

When technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) get used for buying digital advertisements online through an automated system, it is known as Programmatic Advertising. It doesn’t involve pre-set prices or any human negotiation. Hence, the name- Programmatic.

Benefits of Programmatic Advertising

    ⦁ Unparalleled Targeting

An advertising campaign aims to target the right audience. And Programmatic is undoubtedly the best when it comes to targeting a specific audience. The software getting used eliminates all the flaws of a traditional ad campaign. Once your ad gets seen, you can see how many impressions get made, who all looked at your ad, their locations, etc.

    ⦁ Higher ROI

Through Programmatic, you can target based on a specific gender, location, interest, education, age, browsing behavior, etc. This specified targeting results in fewer wasted clicks.

A Google Ad displays your ad even to those who won’t give it a second glance. On the other hand, Programmatic ads are considerably cheaper, as publishers are also finding it hard to sell their ad space. Thus, the rates are usually low. Therefore, you can start a Programmatic campaign with a small budget and end up making a high ROI.

    ⦁ Multichannel

One of the key issues with traditional advertising channels such as AdWords and Bing is that they have their network of sites where your ads are displayed. For instance, when you run a display campaign on AdWords, your ads will only get shown on Google’s partner websites. Fine enough. But what about other websites that are not part of Google Display Network? Similarly, if you run a video ad, even if your campaign is running with the world’s largest ad network, you’ll only be able to reach YouTube.

Programmatic advertising provides you access to a massive inventory of ad networks, publishers, and ad exchanges.

    ⦁ Better Reporting & Tracking

Unlike traditional ad campaigns, an advertiser will not have to wait until the end to find out the results and drawbacks. Programmatic allows for real-time reporting. Therefore, you can judge the success of the campaign from the start.

    ⦁ Total Automation

Programmatic gets widely recognized as a new-gen ad strategy as the software does the bulk of your work. It reduces the stress of advertisers as there are no negotiations with a human. Thus, advertisers can channel all their focus on developing the best content and strategies for their ads.

    ⦁ Real-Time Bid Adjustments

Programmatic Advertising involves Real-Time Bidding (RTB), which is nothing but a real-time auction between advertisers. At a time, multiple advertisers can bid on an impression. Advertisers can determine their target their valuable audience and then adjust their bidding accordingly.

Working of Programmatic Display Advertising

Before understanding the working of Programmatic, it is crucial to learn about the terminologies used in this technique by advertisers and publishers:

    ⦁ Real-Time Bidding (RTB):

Buying and selling of ad space online via real-time auctions that happen in milliseconds.

    ⦁ Demand-Side Platform (DSP):

Software that is used by advertisers to buy ads automatically. It is more of technology rather than the software. Some of the leading DSP platforms include Turn, MediaMath, Invite Media and DataXu.

    ⦁ Supply-Side Platform (SSP):

SSP is a technology platform used by publishers to sell advertising space automatically. It is the publisher’s equivalent of DSP. Some of the leading SSP platforms include Google, OpenX, Right Media, and PubMatic.

    ⦁ Data Management Platform (DMP):

A data warehouse that’s essentially a software that holds information about consumers and customers, DMP collects information primarily through cookies that get used for advertiser targeting.

    ⦁ Ad Exchange:

It is a digital marketplace where advertisers and publishers buy and sell ads. Leading ad exchange platforms for programmatic advertising include OpenX, The Rubicon Project, and Google.

So, how does the entire process work?

1. Publishers create ad space on their websites via SSP and connect their SSP with an ad exchange.

2. Advertisers set their target audience, cost, budget, and other necessary details with their DSP and attach it with an ad exchange.

3. A user visits a website. All the information about the user gets sent to the ad exchange.

4. If the user’s information matches an advertiser’s defined audience, he will enter the auction for RTB. If it’s programmatic direct, the ad will get served.

5. The advertiser with the highest bid will win the ad space for programmatic RTB, and his ad will get served.

6. The publisher will get paid for the ad.

Types of Programmatic Display Advertising

Depending on the advertiser’s requirement, there are two widely used Programmatic Ad techniques:

    ⦁ Programmatic RTB

In RTB, a real-time auction is conducted between advertisers to see who comes out on top. For example, a user is playing a game. In between the levels, an ad is displayed in front of the users to entice them. Programmatic RTB decides which ad will get shown in between these levels. The highest bidder’s ad gets displayed.

There are two things that you can test and analyze with your RTB campaign: optimization and expansion.

Programmatic RTB can get used to generate CPM (Cost per Mille), CPC (Cost per Click), CTR, Leads, and can even be beneficial for testing purposes.

    ⦁ Programmatic Direct (Automated Guaranteed / Programmatic Guaranteed)

What if you want to buy ad space for a week or 10k impressions on a highly relevant website? You cannot do it with GDN and programmatic RTB.

But you can do it with programmatic direct.

This method bypasses bidding and makes your ad guaranteed every time the page is loaded and successfully passes your set criterion for targeting.

Programmatic Direct gets suggested for companies looking for Engagement, Brand Awareness, and Website Visits.

Programmatic RTB Vs. Programmatic Direct

The first question that arises in an advertiser’s mind- What type of Programmatic Advertising should I invest in to gain maximum output?

For advertisers new to this technique, it gets highly recommended to run an RTB campaign because they typically have lower costs while providing you with enough data to optimize your campaign. Even Statistics show that programmatic RTB is 70% cheaper than programmatic direct.

But, if you own an established business looking for premium placements and brand safety, then you can go for programmatic direct.

In Conclusion, we’re regularly witnessing the powerful new examples of Programmatic getting paired with other marketing channels. Programmatic Marketing is on the rise – and there are competitors out there already implementing and reaping benefits from it.

If you are planning to venture into Programmatic or looking to combine it with your existing PPC and SEO campaigns, look no further than 6DegreesIT. With our high-quality Programmatic Marketing Services, we will develop an ROI-driven strategy for your ad campaign to deliver your desired outcome.

Contact us today!

STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE – WEB DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN 2020

The Web Development industry is an ever-expanding domain that witnesses the rise of new and exciting trends each year. Tech giants like Apple and Microsoft are pushing towards the native apps , but it does not undermine the rate at which the Web Development industry is evolving in front of our eyes.

There are countless Web Development companies worldwide, but we only hear a few names at the very top. These big fishes have successfully established their foothold in this industry because they implement the changes according to the trends in an eye’s blink.

If not followed, these trends can leave you far behind your competitors and even hinder your opportunities to attract new visitors.

Let’s have a look at the FIVE Web Development trends you must follow in 2020 to stay afloat in this competitive industry-

1. Animation in UI

Several research types have shown that the human attention span lasts for 8 seconds, which indicates that your interface must get designed to engage the visitor within the first 8 seconds. The visual experience is one of the vital factors that decide the success of your website.

Without modifying the functionalities too much, developers can add background motion graphics, attractive transitions in header and footer, modular scrolling, animated hovers, etc. Although it is time-consuming, adding animations to your UI will increase the end-user engagement and turn your website into a magnet that will keep on attracting new users.

2. Mobile Responsive Design

Previously considered a luxury feature, the Responsive Design feature has seen a rapid increase in demand and spread like a bushfire.

Mobile Users keep increasing each year, and 2020 is no different. Nobody wants to go through the ordeal of browsing on their desktop. Instead, people prefer to browse any website through their mobile phones. Therefore, including this feature automatically increases traffic on your website.

Even Google has taken notice of this feature and added:“mobile-first indexing,”which means that the ranking of your website will now depend on how well it gets optimized for mobiles.Thus, increasing the importance of having a Responsive Website.

Bootstrap is a widely preferred technology for building a mobile responsive design as it provides a host of essential components for developing effective and efficient websites.

3. Voice Search Optimization

Voice Search Optimization is another trend that cannot get ignored. Users worldwide have become accustomed and increasingly comfortable using a voice search such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

According to Google, every 2 out of 5 searches on mobile is a voice search. Thus, the Voice Search Optimization goes hand in hand with the Responsive Design feature.

As far as a Web Developer is concerned, he/she will have to work with the Web Speech API to execute Voice Search Optimization. This API includes two elements- speech recognition and speech synthesis. Speech recognition allows recognizing the voice queries, whereas Speech synthesis helps in enabling scripts to read the text content.

This trend should be your priority if you want to stay ahead of your competitors.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity

The most prized possession of a human being is Data. Nowadays, it has become alarmingly more critical to protect your data.The scale of Cyberattacks and Online frauds has risen to an unprecedented height.

The success of a web application can get judged based on its level of Data Security.Therefore, Web Developers must take all the necessary measures to make their website secure. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an innovative technology that enhances the level of Cybersecurity . The importance of AI has gathered momentum in recent times, and many developers have started using AI-powered techniques such as biometric logins that scan fingerprints and retinas.

The rapid growth of AI cannot get neglected, and we can’t overlook its benefit for Cybersecurity.

5. Accelerated Mobile Pages (Faster Load Speed)

We have already understood the importance of having a mobile-friendly website that caters to most of the audience. If we go back to 2015, Google launched Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project to the public, and this project has evolved and transformed into a technology of its own.

AMP technology is a trend that encourages developers to build websites that work smoothly across all mobile devices and load in a heartbeat. An AMP page’s loading time is about 2 seconds compared to 22 seconds taken by a Non-AMP page.The loading time is decreased by 20 seconds because AMP avoids unnecessary elements of the interface and only displays necessary information to the end-user. Since Google first introduced the technology, implementing it on your website will increase your website’s visibility in SERP, thus proving to be an excellent tool for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Developers can use the AMP HTML open-source framework to include AMP technology in their websites and improve user experience.

In Conclusion, if you are an established web developer or starting your web development career from scratch, you must keep these FIVE trends in mind while developing your website in 2020.

If you are thinking about hiring a web developer to build you a fully-functional website? Look no further than 6DegreesIT. Our professional web developers will leave no stone unturned to create the best product for you, following all the aforementioned trends.

Contact us today!

GROWTH OF TELEMEDICINE DURING COVID-19

“In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.”

The true meaning of this quote by Albert Einstein can be witnesses in front of our very eyes in the current climate. During these challenging times, the Telemedicine Industry has seized the opportunity to help people cope with the pandemic.

Telemedicine techniques have made a positive contribution to helping health professionals connect with the patients virtually and combat the public’s general fear of physically stepping out and going to a hospital or medical facility.

What is Telemedicine?

Introduced in the late 1950s, Telemedicine has taken a spotlight during the current pandemic, and people have started to realize its true potential. Telemedicine is a practice of providing remote virtual healthcare when the patient and provider are not present physically with each other.

Through a HIPAA compliant video-conferencing software, doctors can consult and prescribe their patients. All these technological advancements have made healthcare more accessible and cost-effective since there is no need to travel, and you can receive the consultation from the comfort of your homes.

What is HIPAA & Why is it necessary for the technology used to be HIPAA compliant?

The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is standard for patient’s sensitive data protection. Health Providers that deal with Protected Health Information (PHI) of a patient must ensure that they have the proper physical, network, and security measures to follow HIPAA Compliance.

When it comes to the virtual world, the channel of communication used by the health professional must comply with the following HIPAA Guidelines-

  • Only authorized users should have access to ePHI, i.e., electronic Protected Health Information. The ePHI includes patients’ confidential information such as medical records created, stored, transmitted, or received in any electronic format or media.
  • Data transmission should be fully encrypted to protect the integrity of ePHI.
  • A system of monitoring communications containing ePHI should get implemented to prevent accidental or malicious breaches.

Therefore, before trusting any health provider and providing your data blindly, ask them whether the technology they are using is HIPAA compliant or not.

Types of Telemedicine

Testing times bring out unique solutions, and when modern technology combines with the human brain, nothing is impossible.

To provide remote health services, health professionals from across the world have adopted various modes of Telemedicine which include:

  • Telephonic Consultation
  • Video Consultation
  • WhatsApp/SMS
  • Telemedicine apps– using an approved EMR (Electronic Medical Record) where case records, images, investigations, tele consults can be stored, retrieved, and a video camera used for interaction. Peripheral medical devices located remotely can get controlled, and results obtained in real-time.
  • AI-Based Chat Bots

6DegreesIT has constantly tried to collaborate and create reliable, secure, robust products for clients worldwide, aiming to bring about a revolution in the Healthcare department. Check out our portfolioto see all the products developed by our team.

Use of Telemedicine during COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 has been unparalleled. Businesses and Industries have shut down across the globe, leading to millions of people losing their livelihood.

The number of infected cases has only gone in one direction, i.e., up, which has caused a massive disruption in all the countries’ Healthcare departments. As COVID-19 continues to create chaos in Healthcare systems, Telemedicine has stepped up to become a savior.

Telemedicine is getting used to mitigate the virus’ spread in mass populations and safeguard the medical staff working at the front line.

Not everyone is suffering from COVID-19. Therefore, Telemedicine techniques have allowed patients suffering from other medical ailments to receive proper care from their homes, thus, minimizing the risk of contracting the virus by traveling to a medical facility.

People suffering from COVID-19 are the top priority and should get considered emergency cases, and thus the non-emergency patients can receive remote health care through various Telemedicine modes.

What does the future hold for Telemedicine?

Once the pandemic is over, life will never get back to normal. Social Distancing is and will continue to be the norm. Worldwide, COVID-19 has caused millions of people to explore Telemedicine for the first time. In the post COVID era, patients may never want to step out for a face-to-face health consultation.

Therefore, Telemedicine will only skyrocket, and we will see many technological advancements soon to enhance the functionalities of the software used for Telemedicine.

The growth of Telemedicine will help both the Patients and the Healthcare providers significantly. Patients can avoid the hassle of traveling to the clinic and waiting outside the doctor’s room. On the other hand, medical professionals such as doctors can spend more time with their patients, and the overheads required to build a clinic will get reduced.

Conclusively, we have to keep in mind that Telemedicine practices existed even before the pandemic; it’s just that COVID-19 has shed light and accelerated these practices’ growth.

If you plan to invest in Telemedicine and develop a HIPAA compliant technological software or app, look no further than 6DegreesIT. Our professional developers will leave no stone unturned to create the most secure and reliable product for you, which will yield your desired outcome.

Contact us today!

TRACK COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACT ACROSS THE GLOBE USING LIVE TRACKER BY 6DEGREESIT

At 6DegreesIT, during these difficult times where people are bound to stay isolated, we focus on creating something that brings us all together -A new tracker for the Corona virus pandemic impact worldwide.

Developers at 6DegreesIT have designed interactive maps to access the COVID-19 situation in each country- just a click away. This COVID Pandemic Tracker renders users with all updated information on the corona outspread that has affected more than 1,340,000 people worldwide with more than 74,800 deaths. The tracker also updates you with the current impact of the disease on the global level.

A small green and whiterevolving cubical at the bottom-left corner of our website, showing succinct data on COVID-19, is a representative icon to be clicked upon to access the complete tracker. The latter is a world map showing the total number of Corona positive cases, deaths, and recoveries. While the global figures of the same are mentioned at the top of the tracker, you can click on any particular country on the map to know the status of COVID-19 there.

6DegreesIT can avail you the live Tracker for free if you have a WordPress website, so that you can help your audience to remain aware of the worldly situation that the pandemic has created. We all are in this together as a planet and as species.

Request for a Free Tracker Here!

While medical professionals, police officials and janitors are struggling to save lives, the least we can do is to contain the spread of COVID-19 by self-quarantine. Sitting at home and remaining updated regarding this pandemic issue using a tracker, as we pray for this crucial free grammar checker phase to end – are the strands that unite each one of us on this planet today.

HOW TO MANAGE EMPLOYEES WHILE WORKING REMOTELY?

Working from home, few months down the line, was not considered a priority. But due to this sudden and imposed shutdown, all corporate sectors have settled for working remotely. Also, it is quite evident that after the pandemic ends, work from home is soon going to become a Trend. We understand that currently, most of the employers are dealing with the unease of managing a completely remote staff. Hence, for this time and for the long run, it is essential that you learn to efficiently manage your remotely-working employees.

Here are the tips to manage your remotely working staff:

1. Video-Based Communication

Communicate with them on a regular basis. Do make sure you interact on a video conference at least once a week. This is important as it solves a lot of misunderstanding that could otherwise occur due to miscommunication over texted conversation. Do remember that the time zones differ and what you can do is take advantage of the communication channels for business management. Following are the examples of the same-

Communications:

  1. Skype
  2. ZOOM
  3. Slack
  4. Google Hangouts, etc

Task & Project Management:

  1. Jira
  2. Trello
  3. Gitlab
  4. Asana
  5. Basecamp, etc

2. Remain Approachable

People feel important when they are responded promptly. They should know they can look up to someone for seeking advice at the times they feel clueless or doubtful. Be prompt in replying your employees, so that they can approach you before making any mistakes.

3. Set Guidelines

Set up certain guidelines to be followed by your employees while working remotely. Deploy usage of Task Management Channels such as Asana for a regular updating of the tasks assigned along with their due date. Make EOD submissions mandatory. Set deadlines to reply official mails. Include Team-Shared docs. for assignments within the team.

4. Create A Communication Strategy

Some employees require a list of processes and some only need a brief to the work. Interact with them to know what kind of inputs nurtures their productivity while working in isolation. Then make a list of employees subjective to their required type of insight. Approach the employees according to that list.

5. Use Technology To Support, Connect, Bond

Use collaboration tools for celebrating birthdays and official milestones (for example- work anniversaries), as well as for celebrating formal accomplishments and reorganisations. Show them your support for their success and make sure to helpfully address them for achieving their goals. Engage with them in conversations at personal- level, in order to make it easier for them to jell.

6. Convey Your Expectations

Every individual has a different definition of efficiency. Let them know clearly what you expect from them. If they are aware, they can give in their require efforts accordingly- in order to get the job done smooth and better.

7. Discuss Your Decisions

While working remotely, the real problem that arises is the elucidation of the decisions made by different people, differently. This leads to wrong actions. Therefore, discussing the cause, enforcement procedure, and outcomes of a decision with your team, leads to a clarity and ease of enactment. This way, the employees also can provide their inputs, leading them to efficiency.

There are numerous world-famous companies that already provide remote working option to their employees. Have a look –

Work from Home

GitLab

A DevOps platform most businesses are using to manage their workflow.

Zapier

An app that integrates more than 1,500 apps to automate workflows.

Hotjar

Analytics software that helps users understand their website’s audience.

GitHub

A developing platform to host and review code &work with over 36 million developers.

Trello

Forecasting and analytics tool for growing businesses.

Amazon

Online shopping, streaming, and subscription service.

Cisco

IT, cybersecurity, and network infrastructure company.

Glassdoor

Employer review and job posting website.

COVID-19: IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE MARKETING AS PANDEMIC STRIKES

Yes, we understand that the organic traffic is slowing down. And that, there is conversion decline in most countries. But Marketing is your business saviour during this Coronavirus Pandemic. And we explain you why –

As per the U.S Small Business Administration, 7-8 percentage of the revenues are supposed to be allocated to marketing for businesses who are making up to $5 million in sales annually.

And during this global Pandemic, it is crucial to maintain the required level of marketing.

Here are the reasons to Undoubtedly persist Search Engine Marketing during this slow down.

1. THERE IS A DEMAND OF PRODUCTS GONE SCARCE

While SEO helps locate relevant information, there is a necessity for products and services during this unwanted break – making Marketing a Huge Requirement for your business to level up in the Ranking game!

It is important in this critical phase to keep up the optimization work. While Cutting off on paid advertisement can be a wise decision; targeting Keywords as well as the products that are going scarce is the WISEST, as this can make your small business notch up in the contemporary commerce run.

2. PEOPLE INDOORS, GO ONLINE FOR EVERYTHING!

People, (as are supposed to be) staying indoors, turn towards online businesses. It is important to keep optimising.
Search Engine optimization and inbound marketing are few which sustain the long run.

A Great suggestion from our side shall be to perform link building operations for the alternatives of products which have become expensive and have gone scanty. These are challenging times but there’s so much opportunity!

As you present your business up ahead the Searchers, you score it when the buying decision is made.

3. ULTIMATELY, THIS PHASE IS GOING TO END

Conclusively, everything will As you be back to normal and stability will be re-established.

And you need to either maintain or outgrow the pace of your commercial growth rate.

So, after everything gets back to normal, you don’t want to lose hold of the client base sustenance.

This time can be utilised to work for repromotion when businesses reboot again. Therefore, Keep on and Don’t stop your marketing Efforts!

HOW TO MANAGE ONLINE MARKETING DURING THE PANDEMIC SLOWDOWN?

A LOT can be done while others remain on that side of the screen. We share with you the tips on how to employ online marketing during the COVID-19 outbreak to keep pace with changing behavioural patterns of the audience. Have a look-

1. SEO MANAGEMENT

Attentivity to Visitor behaviour is important in order to perceive how the present scenarios are affecting users for devising new business opportunities –

  • Observe if they are seeking for other/new products and services or content.
  • Whether there is a difference in searching pattern for your site by the visitors.
  • Publish content relevant to COVID-19 during this period.
  • You can create a blog category for the same if you gather as much as minimum 4+ authentic articles on the topic.

2. UPDATE YOUR GMB PROFILE FOR LOCAL CONSUMERS

Update your operating hours status on Google My Business to make people aware of your altered timings. You can also share posts with revised offers so that your customers reach you out conveniently.

Reportedly, Google has recently announced to deploy its Artificial Intelligence Assistant- Duplex to contact businesses for confirming their updated Business hours in order to reflect them accurately as people undergo google search or Maps. Infact, even the businesses that are temporarily shut down are being updated with their current status on the search engine!

So, do not forget to share your correct information so that it is reliable for the consumer to approach.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

  • Large customer base can be retained through social media groups. Demonstratively, LinkedIn as well as Facebook groups can be created to post updates and sustain discussions, alternative to your main commercial site.
  • Software like HOOTSUITE are provided with features like scheduling and approvals. Exploiting these during this pandemic is a great way to manage scheduling and posting updates while working remotely.

4. STRATEGIZE CUSTOMER RETENTION

  • Online marketing holds prime for building and keeping the trust of people amidst the testing times.
  • Make sure able to maintain the connection with them during this deceleration period.
  • In fact, updating your customers with the commercial tricks and tips relatable to your products and services is a rich source of holding the Customer base.
  • Enlighten your customers about how you are accommodating New Preventive measures to protect them and your employees.
  • Publish reliable informative pieces in concern with COVID-19. Let them be aware of more and most of the current situation outside. Make sure to backlink to the original site of reference leaving a space for readers to verify.

For more in depth advice and support please contact the team.

Most importantly, do not forget to sanitise your hands, wear mask while going out, and Minimizing public contact during the coronavirus outbreak!

Stay Safe and KEEP OPTIMIZING!