Are You Ready For SEO In The Age Of AI?

It’s a whole new ballgame with SEO since AI platforms have gained in dominance.  Google’s recent core updates emphasized originality and relevance to rank high on a search page.  Meaning you will be rewarded for content that offers unique insights and value rather than relying on generic or AI-generated material. Businesses should focus on creating well-researched, user-focused content that aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T principles, while optimizing for local and zero-click searches to maintain visibility in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

Key Take-Aways:

• Google’s core algorithm updates give greater preference to content that demonstrates originality and helpfulness, impacting businesses rankings and signaling a preference for unique, insightful, and user-focused, informative content over generic, promotional or AI-generated material.
• Businesses should prioritize creating content that shows Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, including naturally incorporated keywords, relevant visuals and engaging layouts to improve user experience.
• With Google’s AI Overview and zero-click searches reducing organic traffic, businesses should optimize their Google Business Profiles, focus on local SEO with geo-specific keywords, and create content like FAQs and blogs addressing customer questions.
• Key factors for SEO success include factors that a business can do themselves and Technical SEO that should be done by a professional SEO expert. In this post we will explore both.
• Actively managing online reviews, engaging with customer feedback, and maintaining accurate business listings in directories help improve search rankings, build credibility, and enhance visibility across platforms.

What Are Google Core Updates:

Google had 4 “core updates” to their algorithm in 2024 (March, August, November & December) and all 4 had impact on how they rank content on websites. Many believe that these core updates signal Google’s war on AI generated content on websites.  Does Google penalize AI content on your website?  In various forums, Google representatives have said that Google doesn’t automatically detect and penalize AI-generated content.  What they have said is that Google highly values originality. This means that repeating generic or widely available information without adding new insights can harm content rankings, as search algorithms prioritize unique, helpful content.

The proof?  In a study of websites relying on AI content, they lost an average of 17% of their traffic and dropped eight positions in search rankings. Conversely, 85% of marketers saw increased rankings for content that offers original insights or perspectives.   According to Google’s Search Central Blog, they’re focused on “helpful” content, regardless of whether a human or AI created it. Content that lacks credibility, is generic (easily found on AI platforms) and not original, or fails to add user value, may be demoted in search rankings.

Sources: https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/googles-latest-search-update-suggests-business-owners-need-a-new-content-marketing-strategy/91019074; https://neilpatel.com/blog/googles-spam-update/; https://writesonic.com/blog/does-google-penalize-ai-content

What Should A Business Do?

• Focus on creating unique, insightful content that goes beyond superficial, well-known information.
• Google core updates emphasized E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Enhance AI-generated content with human insight and expertise.  Show trustworthiness and authoritativeness by showing well-researched information with proper citations and sources.
• Incorporate keywords naturally rather than repetitive keyword use. You should aim for a keyword density of 2-5%. (If you use your target keyword 10 times in a 1000-word blog post, you’ll have a keyword density of 1%.)
• Articles with relevant images get 94% more views than text-only articles. To keep users engaged: organize your content into short paragraphs under clear, short paragraph headlines, use bullet points and lists (formatted like this blog!).
• Look at time spent by visitors on your pages (Google Analytics). If someone stays on your content, it signals to Google that they found what they were looking for, but if they bounce back to search results quickly, it thinks your content wasn’t helpful.
• Google also rewards pages that load quickly and are easy to navigate. Check your website loading speed at https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights

Sources: https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/googles-latest-search-update-suggests-business-owners-need-a-new-content-marketing-strategy/91019074; https://neilpatel.com/blog/googles-spam-update/; https://writesonic.com/blog/does-google-penalize-ai-content

Example Of Optimizing A Blog:

• A unique and engaging graphic (you can ask an AI platform to create one).
• Have a strong headline that usually is formed as a question or an answer to a perceived question.
• An opening sentence that describes your overall proposition for the article and is in a larger font than the rest of the article.
• A “takeaways” section towards the beginning which outlines 4-6 bullet points that are the key points of the article. (Upload your post to an AI platform and ask it to summarize in 4 bullet points).
• Ask yourself: Is this content going to provide the reader with useful information that can’t easily be found anywhere else?
• Use AI to research information and provide idea starters but you need the human touch for originality, to maintain credibility and quality in your content, and avoid being penalized by Google.

 Zero-Click Searches – What A Business Should Do:

• Google “AI Overviews” continue to eat into the organic search traffic volume, the SEO traffic is predicted to drop 30% for informational queries in the next year because users get their info from the Google AI Overview Snippet. This is called a Zero-Click Search.
• Optimize Google Business Profile to ensure your client’s Google Business Profile is fully claimed and verified. Complete every section.
• Actively encourage and respond to customer reviews, which appear prominently in zero-click search results.
• Use Google Posts in the Google Business Profile to share news, promotions, or events. This will help ensure a Knowledge Graph appears when the business name is Googled.
• Focus on Local SEO using local geo-specific keywords like “best pizza in [city]” in website content, meta descriptions, and Google Business Profile.
• Collaborate with local blogs, newspapers, and directories to gain relevant backlinks. Include terms like “near me” in your content where relevant, to optimize for near me searches.
• Create FAQs, blogs & optimized content to address common customer questions directly on your website. These could be selected as featured snippets or directly answered on SERPs or AI platforms.
• Maintain active social profiles, as they may show up in search results. Share regular updates, promotions, and customer testimonials to maintain engagement.
• Ensure website is mobile-friendly since most zero-click searches are conducted on mobile. Test loading speed and navigation.
• Monitor local search metrics using tools like Google Analytics, Google Business Profile Insights to see traffic and engagement. This will help you determine what content is resonating with visitors.

Appearing In AI Platform Results – What A Business Should Do:

• How does a business get mentioned on an AI Platform? AI Platforms (LLMs) are taught their information and one of the key inputs is Google Search results. So all of the things that get you noticed by Google will in turn get you noticed by LLMs!
• Getting reviews from more sources than just Google (angie, yelp, bbb.org). Adding reviews from customers and testimonials to the home page of the site.
• Use superlatives, and describe the quality of your work in your content (LLM’s seem to take things very literally – if you say “we provided excellent customer service” they believe it.)

Pay-Per-Click Ads & Organic Listings:

• A business appearing as high up in the Organic Listings of Google is critical.
• It’s important to appear at the top of Google’s organic listings for your primary keywords, because the first 3 organic listings get more than half the clicks.
• On average, only about 1% of all website traffic to a business website comes from paid search ads. The other 99% of website traffic comes from organic search or other websites.
• Why is organic traffic so important?
• It’s free exposure on the Google search page.
• You can reach people who have never heard of your brand before.
• You can bring visitors with a relevant and specific intent to your site.
• You can reach people locally or worldwide.
• It can be targeted and scaled with a content/SEO strategy.
• It can build your credibility.

Sources: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/397414/nearly-two-thirds-of-google-searches-stay-within-i.html; Datos; SparkToro

The info we’ve covered in this webinar so far, are all things you can coach your clients to do on their own to improve their SEO rankings.  Now we look at how our SEO campaigns help them improve their SEO rankings.  We do the “Technical SEO”.

Technical SEO:

On-Page SEO Factors:  Title, Meta and ALT Tags, URL Structure, Keywords, Quality of Content, Site Maps, Inbound & Outbound Links, Speed, Error Messages, Voice Search Optimization.

• TITLE TAGS are html code on a business’ website that displays on search engine results pages as the clickable headline for an organic search result. They are meant to be an accurate and concise description of a page’s content for both the search engine and the user. Every page of a website should have a unique title tag. This helps search engines understand that your content is unique and valuable, and also drives higher click-through rates.
• META DESCRIPTION TAGS provide descriptions about the webpage, which can be used by search engines to help categorize the page correctly and users to understand what is on that webpage. Every page of a website should have a unique meta description tag. It’s like a free snippet of advertising for your business.
• ALT TAGS are used by search engine crawlers to decipher what an image represents.
• URL STRUCTURE is what search engines look at to analyze a website. If it is confusing they may index only a fraction of the website’s pages.
• KEYWORDS utilized on your website help search engines connect searchers to your site. We’ll determine what keywords the client can rank for. One strategy is to focus on long-tail keywords when you’re in a highly competitive keyword vertical. These are keywords that generally have lower search volume than short-tail keywords (or “head terms”). For example, rather than trying to rank for “pie,” you target “homemade blueberry pies near me”.
• QUALITY, FRESHNESS OF CONTENT refers to how often content is added, updated and linked to, how authoritative and trustworthy it is. Fresh content impacts SEO in multiple ways: It enhances the user experience, encourages frequent crawls by search engine bots, improves relevance and authority within your niche, targets long-tail keywords, boosts user engagement, opens up opportunities for valuable backlinks.  With our SEO campaigns we discuss content strategy on earning higher search traffic for core keywords and we optimize the client’s content for SEO once published.
• Research has shown that video content is many times more likely to appear at the top of Google search pages than a web page with just written content. Encourage your clients to put video on their website. Videos have been found to boost on-page engagement, which is a powerful rankings factor. The majority of web users prefer watching a video to reading words. Using videos on a landing page can increase conversions by 86%. The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video.
• INBOUND & OUTBOUND LINKS refers to the amount of traffic on your site and the number of quality links coming into your website from other websites and links you have on your website to other websites.
• ERROR MESSAGES such as Page Not Found can lower your rank position.
• VOICE SEARCH OPTIMIZATION is helping a business to be featured in the Google AI Overview or the Featured Snippet at the top of a search page which means that users who voice search will hear that read aloud by the voice assistant.
• How does our technical SEO help a website get featured in the AI Overview & snippets? Analyzing the website’s loading speed and making suggestions. Suggesting long tail keywords on the business’ website not just stand-alone keywords. Optimizing the URL structure and internal linking are effective ways to ensure that Google can easily crawl and index the website.

 Off-Page SEO Factors:  Online Directories, Submitting to Search Engines, Online Reputation Management.

• SEARCH ENGINE SUBMISSION includes the top 3 (Google, Bing, Yahoo) and also important but lesser known search engines.
• DIRECTORIES SUBMISSIONS is important because directories rank well for search terms and give you relevant links to your website from the directory’s website.
• Getting your local business’ NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information listed on directories, online business listing sites, and citation sites helps to improve visibility of your website. Backlinks from these sites (the sites linking back to your website) can also have a benefit to your search engine ranking.

Before You Talk To A Client Or Prospective Client About SEO

• You should do some research to see if they even need SEO help.
• Do a Google search related to that business and see where they come up on a Google search results page. Jewelry store, Jewelry store near me, Engagement rings
• Google the name of the business, does their Knowledge Graph come up and is it accurate?
• Put in a Research Request to Vici and get back a Digital Audit Report. It will give you an SEO overview (including keywords and competitor keywords for that particular client).

Online Reputation Management:

• Consists of monitoring, improving, and maintaining the publicly available online information about your business. We set our advertisers up on a monitoring platform that scrapes the internet for any mention of their business, every 24 hours to alert them about what is being said online about their business.
• Online reviews are not only influencing consumers, they’re also influencing search engine results. Search experts believe that reviews account for about 7-13% of the local organic ranking factors considered by Google.
• Have a review display & review generation widget on the website. Ask for reviews via email without the risk. Upload a list of customers, and send a customizable email message asking for a review.

What Should My Clients Do If They Get Bad Reviews?

• Read what they wrote and respond to what they wrote, but don’t attack or be rude. Be honest about mistakes, but don’t apologize for things that are policy, or won’t change. Explain policy when relevant. Write in plain language. Reach back to the goals of the company, that you want people to be happy – vow to do better. Don’t offer a discount. Respond with a confidence in your business and your employees.
• When contacted about a negative review: 34% of users deleted the negative review, 33% of users changed the review into a positive one.

Source: Harris Interactive, Retail Consumer Report

Now you are primed and ready to take on SEO in the Age of AI!  Go get ’em!

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What’s The Lay Of The Land For Native Advertising This Year?

Native ads work because they seamlessly blend into the look and feel of the platforms where they appear, capturing over twice the attention of traditional banner ads while building trust through educating and informing. With trends like branded native video hotter than ever, combined with content-driven landing pages, Native ads are set to remain a powerful, non-intrusive tool for digital marketing success.

Key Takeaways:

• Informative, Educational Content: the preference for educational over aggressive sales tactics indicates that consumers are looking for more than just a product; they seek value and knowledge. Native ads cater to that! Brands that provide informative and educational content are likely to foster loyalty and trust, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
• Importance of Landing Pages: The effectiveness of Native ads is highly contingent upon the quality of landing pages. Users are more likely to convert when they land on content-rich pages that provide detailed product information and benefits.
• Native Ads vs. Display Ads: Understanding when to use Native ads and when to use traditional Display ads is crucial for marketers.
• Content of Native Ads: the success of Native ads is significantly influenced by the quality of copy and visuals used.  Think attention grabbing headlines and informative text.
• Rising Trend of Native Video: with Native Video accounting for a substantial portion of video ad spending, it’s clear that this format is becoming increasingly vital for brands.

 Why do Native ads work?

First, recall what they are – Native display or video ads go across all devices and match the look, feel, and context of the website or app where they are seen, using our targeting strategies. Why do they perform?

• Attention: Native ads receive more than 2x the attention of banner ads. Native ads are read, not just seen (like Display Ads). Most of the visual focus is on a Native ad’s text rather than the image.
• Consumer Trust: 70% of users prefer ads that blend seamlessly with content rather than disrupting it​​. They are perceived as more trustworthy (31% more trusted than social ads).
• Personalization: 90% of Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X prefer personalized Native ads over traditional formats​.

(Stats Source)

Are there Native ad trends that can be leveraged in 2025?

Yes! Leveraging new trends is the name of the game and staying ahead of the curve with digital advertising is critical. Keep a pulse on:

• Implementation of Native Video: Branded videos embedded in publisher content create higher engagement and awareness​. Clients often confuse outstream video or pre-roll/mid-roll video ads with Native Video ads. They are not the same thing.
  • Outstream Video ads are embedded in the content but there is no branding (client name, headline, description text), no matching to the webpage’s format, no customization. It disrupts user experience.
  • Pre-roll/Mid-roll Video ads play before or during the content the person has chosen. It is not a part of the content of the webpage.
  • Native Video ads are embedded in the content but disclose the brand name, and include descriptive, informative text that match the publisher’s look and feel.
• Content-Driven Landing Pages: Native ad clicks should lead to pages rich with product benefits and educational value, not generic homepages, to improve conversions​.  When Native ad users click on Native ads, they want to land on content-oriented landing pages that provide valuable information about products or services – to be informed and educated. These landing pages should not simply redirect users to the homepage but rather offer insights into:
  • Product Benefits: Clear explanations of how the product works and its advantages.
  • Value Communication: Educational content that aligns with the interests of the target audience.

Directing ad traffic to the homepage, if it doesn’t contain the info the user wants, leads to low conversions.  Content-rich, educational landing pages drive better engagement and ROI.

When should you use Native ads and when should you use regular Display ads?

Each type of ad can be beneficial in their own way because they really do different things.  This graph shows the strength of each and when to use:

Targeting of Native ads:

There are many ways to target your Native ads.

• Machine learning via AI Targeting optimizes ad delivery based on real-time engagement, ensuring relevance​ and that the Native Ad is shown to more people like the ones who have engaged with it.
• We have hundreds of thousands of Behavioral Targeting categories to choose from so that we can match up the Native ads to target people who have shown an interest in what the advertiser is offering.  We also have premium B2B and recruitment categories we can use.
• Keyword Targeting is ESPECIALLY effective with Native ads.  This is where we can target a list of keywords that relate to the advertiser’s business and when they appear on webpages the Native ad is displayed.  Think about it, people are already reading about a topic – how great if your Native ad appears on that page and relates to what the person is reading about.
• With Native ads you can Geo-Fence and Geo-Retarget.  This is where we draw a virtual fence around an area the advertiser is interested in (maybe a competitor?) and serve Native ads to people while they are inside the geo-fence and follow them after they leave the go-fenced area and continue to serve them ads.
• Do you have a database list?  We can use Custom Audience Matching, which is where we take your list of people you want to reach and find them when they go online and then serve them the Native ad.  Additionally, we can generate a Lookalike Audience of the people on your list and serve the Native ads to them as well.

We recommend mixing and matching multiple targeting strategies to maximize performance.

Advantages of Native advertising

• Informative and Educational: Content-rich and context-aligned ads improve user interaction and return on ad spend​​. Native ads have more valuable text real estate available to communicate a message, tell a story, inform, and educate the target audience within the ad unit itself, instead of ONLY relying on a landing page to do this for you. Descriptive headlines can improve brand perception and using descriptive words that align with the brand’s values will make them more memorable to the Native ad viewer.
• Call-To-Action:  With Native ads your call-to-action link can say whatever you want – get creative and go beyond “Learn More” and “Click Here.”
• Wide Applicability: Native ads work across all industries and types of companies, including regulated sectors like medical, CBD​​ and cannabis, weapon’s, fireworks, alcohol, tobacco, and adult clubs.
• Seamless Integration: The dynamic nature of Native ads ensures ads match the publisher’s format, increasing user trust​​.

Native ads are more relevant than ever for digital in 2025 with their ability to deliver personalized, non-intrusive, and contextually relevant content. Prioritize creative alignment, advanced targeting, and engaging landing pages to maximize effectiveness.

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WHAT DIGITAL TRENDS SHOULD I USE IN 2025?

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Social Mirror Ads: How Have They Changed?

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Why Mobile Gaming Ads Deserve Your Attention

We often hear, “I don’t want my ads showing up in gaming apps.” But here’s the truth: if you’re not advertising in mobile games, you’re leaving significant opportunities on the table.

When we say “gaming apps” you’re probably envisioning a Gen Z guy playing Minecraft on his phone.  Nope!  A new survey of 207,500 North American mobile gamers conducted by in-game advertising experience platform Monetizr is challenging demographic stereotypes. Players over 43 — Gen X and Boomers — represent 43% of gamers on the platform. Notably, they outnumber both Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z and younger (born 1997 or after) on mobile.  And mobile players are nearly evenly split by gender. Females represented 51% of mobile gamers surveyed.  That “gamer” your envisioning could just as easily be a Mom playing Words With Friends!  In fact, the average age of mobile gamers is approximately 36 years old.

Mobile gaming is no longer just for niche audiences. It’s a dominant channel with immense potential for reach and engagement. A recent report by Digital Turbine highlights that traditional ad strategies often miss out on up to 60% of mobile, gaming-first audiences. Adjusting ad spending to include this channel can boost overall reach by up to 20%​.

Why Gaming Ads Work

Mobile games captivate users for longer sessions than other platforms like YouTube. For example:

• 58% of consumers in the CPG category spend more time gaming than watching YouTube.
• By targeting gamers, brands could reach 9% more retail-focused consumers who aren’t on traditional platforms​

Gaming ads offer unique interactive experiences, making them more engaging compared to static or passive formats found in social media or traditional media. This helps brands stand out in highly competitive advertising seasons, such as the holidays or political cycles​.

And with so many digital options on mobile with Mobile Conquesting, Social Mirror and Online Video to name a few, targeted to your ideal audience that also plays games…score! It is a win-win!

People spend a significant portion of their online time on mobile devices. Comscore data reveals that 57% of digital media usage in the U.S. comes from apps, with gaming apps being a significant contributor.  Players often engage in gaming apps during their downtime, making them more receptive to ads that solve immediate needs or spark local interest.

Many businesses are still hesitant to adopt in-app advertising. By starting now, you can capture attention in a less saturated space compared to other platforms like social media or search ads.

Our Mobile Conquesting product allows advertisers to use both location based targeting combined with demographic and behavioral targeting to reach desired consumers on their mobile devices.

Social Mirror ads look like your social media display or video posts but appear on other websites and apps, linking back to the social media platform and your website, and run across all devices using our targeting strategies.

We are “mirroring” the EXACT look of your social post as an ad that runs on thousands of OTHER websites and apps, targeted just to the people you want to reach across all devices.  Social Mirror ads can be done with any organic or paid posts from s business account on these 8 social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X (previously Twitter) LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, or YouTube.

Ads can be display, video, OTT across connected TVs, or carousel. Call-To-Action buttons can include Click-To-Call, Click-To-Email, and Click-For-Directions!

Video ads are :15 or :30 and play before or during the content someone has clicked to watch, appear on thousands of websites or apps, across all devices, are skippable or un-skippable, and use our targeting strategies.

Top Brands Are Already Shifting

Brands like Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Amazon have started incorporating mobile games into their strategies. This approach has proven to effectively navigate challenges like rising ad placement costs and consumer fatigue during heavy advertising periods​.

It Is Not Game Over For Games.

If you’re hesitant about mobile game advertising, think of it as an opportunity to engage a loyal, diverse, and growing audience. It’s time to embrace gaming ads as a core component of your media mix strategy.

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How Connected TV Caters to Holiday Shopping for Eager Consumers

The holiday shopping season is the Super Bowl of retail. Every brand, big or small, is vying for consumer attention, and traditional advertising methods just aren’t cutting it anymore. Enter Connected TV (CTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) advertising, a game-changing strategy that allows brands to meet shoppers right where they are—on their favorite streaming platforms. And according to eMarketer, Digital Video Viewing Surpasses Traditional TV Viewing, so it is the prime place to be.

Here’s how CTV ads are catering to eager holiday shoppers and why it’s a must-have tool in your marketing strategy this season.

Why Holiday Shoppers Love CTV Ads

According to a recent article from SalesFuel, holiday shoppers are not only engaged but excited by CTV advertising. Unlike traditional commercials that interrupt their experience, CTV ads are seamlessly integrated into the streaming environment, making them feel less intrusive and more tailored.

• Targeted Messaging: CTV allows brands to deliver highly personalized ads based on user behavior, interests, and even location. For example, a shopper browsing for home décor might see ads for festive ornaments, mantle decor or cozy-smelling holiday candles with our behavioral targeting.
  • Some of the behavioral targeting examples include:
• Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shoppers
• Black Friday / Cyber Monday Online Spender
• Black Friday
• Black Friday Shoppers
• Black Friday & Cyber Monday – Home Electronics
• Black Friday & Cyber Monday – Fashion
• Black Friday & Cyber Monday – Travel
• Black Friday Shoppers – Electronics
• Black Friday Shoppers – Electronics Offer Seekers
• Black Friday Online Shoppers – Apparel Offer Seekers
• Black Friday Online Shoppers – Kids Offer Seekers
• Black Friday Shopping Enthusiast
• Black Friday Fashion and Beauty
• Cyber Monday Shoppers
• Christmas
• Small Business Saturday
• Affluent Christmas & Holiday Shoppers
• Christmas – Celebration Planners
• Christmas – Decorating Enthusiasts
• Holidays > Buying Presents > November through DecemberHolidays > Buying Presents > Multiple Weeks prior
• Holidays > Buying Presents > 2-3 weeks prior to Christmas
• Holidays – Hanukkah
• Hanukkah celebration planners
• Hanukkah decoration shoppers
• Holidays – Kwanzaa
• Winter Holiday > Celebration Planners
• Winter Holiday > Movie Goers
• Winter Holiday > Decorating Enthusiasts

As you can see there are many ideal targets to choose from.

• High Engagement Rates: Streaming audiences are more attentive. They’re not flipping channels or distracted by background noise; they’re tuned in, making them more receptive to your holiday campaigns. And with 100% of our ads running on connect TVS (the big screens), this audience is pretty connected!
• Visit Attribution: On-site visits to your business can be tracked for people who have been served your ad on their Connected TV. How does this work? A tracking pixel </> is embedded into the ad creative which associates the user with a universal profile which matches the person with all their devices. When the user who has been served the ad with the tracking pixel (on any device) then goes to the client’s location with their mobile phone their mobile device ID is matched back to the original ad ID number through the embedded pixel.
  

And at Vici we have several OTT options available. OTT with behavioral targeting, AI targeting, custom audience matching and lookalike targeting that appear on many top publishers all on connected TVs which considering the most premium inventory.

Amazon OTT. Leverage the power of Amazon targeting on top tier inventory including Fire TV, Twitch and Amazon Network Publishers and now Amazon Prime Video.

Prime Video has a significant audience appeal, with 71% of its viewers falling within the 18-49 age range. Its gender demographics show a fairly even split, with 47% of watchers being male and 52% female. Prime Video stands out as the largest premium ad-supported streaming service, providing advertisers with unparalleled reach.

The platform’s average unique audience compared to other streaming services is 47%, as nearly half of its viewers are exclusive to Prime Video and can’t be reached elsewhere. On average, users watch 16 hours of content per month. Prime Video ads are designed to maximize impact—they are full screen, sound-on, non-skippable, and non-clickable. Furthermore, the ad-supported viewers on Prime Video tend to be more affluent, educated, and informed than the general population. A notable 25% of these viewers have a household income of $150,000 or more, 18% hold a college degree, and 27% are more likely to be informed shoppers.

Last but not least, Social Mirror OTT.

Social Mirror OTT is very different from “regular” OTT ads.  For one thing, it looks different!  In addition to the video on the connected TV screen, which can be vertical or horizontal, also on screen, while the video is playing, is the client’s logo, headline, description, and a QR code.  The QR code, when scanned with a mobile phone, can take the viewer to the client’s website or be a scan-to-call, scan-to-email or scan-to-map.

We can take any video the client has posted on any of the 8 social platforms we work with, and from that create the Social Mirror OTT ad!

Talk about easy!

Why Your Brand Needs CTV This Holiday Season

The numbers don’t lie: holiday shoppers are loving Connected TV ads because they offer a personalized, engaging, and convenient shopping experience. As a brand, leveraging this powerful medium allows you to connect with your audience in a way that’s both impactful and measurable.

With our advanced OTT capabilities, we help businesses unlock the full potential of CTV advertising. Hyper-targeted campaigns that are designed to drive results. This holiday season, don’t just advertise—connect.

Ready to light up your holiday campaigns? Let’s talk about how our OTT solutions can help you make this season your most successful yet.

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How Restaurants Can Best Use Digital Advertising

It’s that time of year where we are all busy with all the things. From Thanksgiving through the end of the year, it seems like there is always something going on from holiday parties, kids holiday events at school, or just daily life. There is no doubt that retailers love this time of year, but one particular business that sees an increase in business is restaurants. I never knew that the hardest question I would have to answer as an adult would be “what are we having for dinner?”, so anytime there is an option for convenience with dining out, I am in!

As families juggle work, school, and extracurricular schedules, one trend has emerged stronger than ever: dining out. In recent years, busy families have shifted towards dining out more often, seeking a way to enjoy meals without the effort of cooking at home. However, with inflation affecting household budgets, they’re also focusing on convenience and value when choosing where and how they dine.

In a recent study from AdMall, it was found that families are dining out more than ever, but prioritizing convenience and value, and that is something I feel to my core. As a working mom of two young kids, when I am looking for a place to eat, or even grab take out, I want something that is kid-friendly and fast.

Here are some stats and findings from the Family Dining Trends Study, Affinity Group, 2024 for places like full service, fast casual and quick serve restaurants, food delivery services, pizza restaurants/delivery, or any company targeting restaurant food delivery orderers (those ordering twice a week):

• 74% of families report dining out more often this year compared to last, indicating a significant shift towards convenience in family dining habits.
• 60% of families dine out specifically to save time and effort, highlighting the importance of convenience in dining choices.
• 41% of families prioritize a diverse selection of menu options when choosing a restaurant, emphasizing the need for variety in offerings.
• 42% of families seek good value for their money, indicating that affordability is a key factor in dining decisions.
• 58% of families actively look for deals and discounts before deciding on a restaurant, underscoring the impact of economic factors on dining habits.
• 29% of families are more likely to return to a restaurant if they participate in a loyalty program that provides rewards or discounts.
• Over 80% of families have a favorite restaurant they visit frequently, indicating the importance of customer loyalty in the dining industry.
• 88% of diners have had a memorable dining experience, with food quality being the primary factor influencing their desire to return.
• 89% of diners plan to share their positive dining experiences, primarily through word of mouth, which can enhance a restaurant’s reputation.
• 67% of families have experienced a bad dining experience this year, with food quality being the leading cause for negative feedback.
• 60% of diners who had a bad experience cited food quality as the reason they would not return, highlighting the critical importance of maintaining high standards.
• Recapturing diners after a bad experience is challenging, with half or fewer willing to return only in response to a refund or significant discount.

Using digital advertising, restaurants can take advantage of various ways to reach families, frequent diners, and even loyalty members. Through Behavioral Targeting, you can use various products to reach that target demographic:

 Display/Native/Social Mirror/Online Audio/Over-the-Top (OTT)/Video:

• Families with Children 16-17
• Flourishing Families
• Moms with Big Families
• New Families with Children
• Established Families with Children
• Families with School Children
• Families with School Age Children
• Household Type- Families
• Household Composition- Families
• Christian Families
• Older Families and Mature Couples
• Italian Food Frequent Diners
• Mexican Food Frequent Diners
• Restaurant Visitors- Frequent Diners
• Frequent Diners
• Steakhouse Frequent Diners
• Seafood Frequent Diners
• Chinese Food Frequent Diners
• Korean Food Frequent Diners
• Fast Casual Restaurants > Quick Serve, QSR and Fast Food
• Fast Casual Diners
• Dining (by specific location)

Facebook/Instagram:

• Parents (up to 12 months)
• Parents (magazine)
• Restaurants (dining)
• Quick (restaurant)
• Types of restaurant (restaurant)
• Fast Casual Restaurant (restaurant)
• List of fast food restaurants chains (restaurants)
• Fast food restaurants (dining)

Mobile Conquesting:

• Big City Moms
• Fit Moms
• Soccer Moms
• Stay at Home Moms
• Suburban Moms
• Working Moms
• Dads
• Millennial Parents
• Parents
• Diners
• Evening Diners
• Fast Casual Diners
• Late Night Diners
• Lunch Diners
• Morning Diners
• Morning QSR Diners
• QSR Diners
• Sit-down Diners
• Quick Service Restaurant Visitors
• Casual Restaurant Visitors
• Fine Dining Restaurant Visitors
• Specialty Restaurants Visitors
• 100s of restaurants listed by name

TikTok:

• Family
• New Parents
• Parents and Children
• Parents
• All Parents
• Single Parents
• Dining
• Fine Dining
• Restaurants
• Local Restaurants
• Food and Restaurants
• Italian Cuisine Restaurants
• Top Restaurants
• Fast Food Restaurants

 YouTube:

• Parent
• Family-focused
• Family Vacationers
• Parents of Infants (0-1 years)
• Parents of Toddlers (1-3 years)
• Parents of Preschoolers (4-5 years)
• Parents of Grade Schoolers (6-12 years)
• Parents of Teens (13-17 years)
• Restaurant Delivery & Takeout

If you have a list of previous customers or a loyalty program, you can use that to reach just those people and provide them with special offers and entice them to come back and dine with you. Here is an example of an email I received from a local pizza shop. Since I have used online ordering with them in the past, they have my contact information, and now I receive weekly deals via email and on Facebook from them. This targeting strategy, Custom Audience Matching, is available with Display, Native, Social Mirror, OTT, Online Audio, Video, Facebook/Instagram, Amazon, and LinkedIn.

What is also nice about Custom Audience Matching, is being able to take that list and stretch it even further with a Lookalike Audience. This is reaching people with similar characteristics on that initial list, finding them while they are online and then serving them your ads while they are browsing on various websites and apps. For example, if Chris P. Bacon down the road has similar behaviors to me, s/he could now be served this Sal’s ad through using a Lookalike Audience.

To back up how much of an impact digital ads have when it comes to reaching consumers’ attention for restaurants:

• 8% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) took action after seeing an ad on a social media site or app. (great opportunity for Facebook, Instagram, and/or TikTok advertising)
• 4% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) took action after seeing an ad on a streaming TV service in the past year. (great opportunity for an OTT, Social Mirror OTT, or Amazon OTT campaign)
• 1% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) responded to video pre-roll ads in the past year. (great opportunity for Video, YouTube, or Native Video ads)
• 6% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) have responded to digital display ads in the last 12 months. (great opportunity for a Display, Social Mirror, or Mobile Conquesting campaign)
• 0% of Restaurant Food Delivery Orderers (twice a week) already have a company name in mind when they begin to search for a business online. (This stresses the importance of always advertising to create top-of-mind awareness so that when people do want to go out to eat, or order take out, your business is the first place they think of)

Dining out is more popular than ever, and for good reason. As families balance the demands of modern life, the convenience and value offered by restaurants make dining out a practical choice, for both parties! Whether it’s grabbing takeout for a quick meal on the go or sitting down to share a family-sized meal, the way we dine out has adapted. Restaurants that prioritize family-friendly options, convenience, and budget-conscious choices are likely to thrive in this ever-evolving landscape. By strategically selecting restaurants that meet their needs, families can enjoy a break from cooking without breaking the bank and for restaurants, by strategically selecting their ideal target demographic with an enticing offer and/or message, they can win that share of the (pizza) pie.

The post How Restaurants Can Best Use Digital Advertising appeared first on Vici Media Inc..

Local Credit Union finds success increasing RV Loans with Facebook campaign

The post Local Credit Union finds success increasing RV Loans with Facebook campaign appeared first on Vici Media Inc..

Digital Campaign Makes Waves at Waterfront Shopping and Dining Complex: Facebook Campaign Delivered Sand-sational Results!

An outdoor shopping and dining complex sought to enhance local tourism, driving customers to their stores and restaurants. With a focus on delicious food and unique shopping opportunities, they partnered with Vici Media to launch a strategic marketing campaign that highlighted exciting promotions, including grand openings and seasonal events, to attract visitors.

Strategy: Connecting with Families and the Hispanic Community

To effectively reach families looking for engaging activities and to draw in more Hispanic customers, we implemented a Facebook/Instagram Premium campaign. Our targeting strategy focused on various parent demographics, including:

Parents with young children (up to 12 years old)
Parents with teenagers (ages 13-17)
Parents with adult children (ages 18-26)

We complemented this targeting with categories such as Bilingual education, Foodies, Local food enthusiasts, and Shopping aficionados. Our aim was to create a vibrant image of the complex as a family-friendly destination filled with delightful culinary and retail experiences.

Additionally, the campaign featured retargeting from the client’s website, allowing us to reconnect with individuals who had shown interest in the past 60 days. By collaborating with a local radio station, we utilized their listener database to reach parents of young children through Custom Audience Matching, ensuring that our ads were effectively placed. The creative elements included a mix of video and carousel ads to engage the audience and showcase the complex’s offerings. We also developed a Lookalike Audience to further expand our reach.

Results: A Flavorful Success

The results of the campaign were impressive. Over the course of five months, the client achieved a click-through rate (CTR) of 2.48%, an astonishing 35 times the national average. The campaign generated 529,385 impressions and 13,115 clicks, significantly increasing awareness and engagement.

Engagement metrics revealed that there were 85,897 post engagements, including actions such as clicks on calls-to-action, profile visits, and site clicks. The campaign also garnered 1,018 post reactions (likes and emojis), 147 post shares, and 49 post comments.

Most importantly, the campaign successfully resonated with the target audience. The client reported a noticeable increase in attracting the Hispanic community and families, stating, “We saw a big lift in attracting the Hispanic audience and families.”

If your business needs a high-impact, cost-effective marketing strategy, contact Vici Media today to learn more about our white-label digital solutions.

For more information, email su*****@vi**********.com.

The post Digital Campaign Makes Waves at Waterfront Shopping and Dining Complex: Facebook Campaign Delivered Sand-sational Results! appeared first on Vici Media Inc..

Digital Campaign Educates Seniors About Local Community College: Student Recruiting

Attracting prospective students and their families to local colleges is no easy task in today’s competitive academic landscape. A local community college recently partnered with Vici Media to raise awareness and boost enrollment, focusing on high school students, parents, and individuals seeking continuing education or certificates. Their goal was to craft a message of inclusivity, showing that no two student paths are the same—and they’re here to help students navigate every step of the way. To spread this message, we developed a comprehensive branding and awareness digital campaign that would make a significant impact.

Our Strategy: Multi-Product, Multi-Platform

To effectively target the upcoming Winter semester, we kicked off the campaign with a powerful mix of Mobile Conquesting and Amazon advertising. Our Mobile Conquesting approach leveraged behavioral targeting, geo-fencing, and geo-retargeting to reach the right audience at the right time, while the Amazon campaign focused on behavioral targeting, product targeting, and retargeting to enhance the college’s reach.

As the Fall semester came to a close, the focus shifted to promoting Spring enrollment. We continued with Mobile Conquesting but made a strategic pivot—swapping Amazon for Facebook and Instagram, and adding Cross-Platform with Social Mirror ads. This combination allowed us to tap into category targeting and retargeting on popular social platforms while maintaining the broad reach of Mobile Conquesting.

Finally, to ensure a strong push for Summer courses, we stuck with the winning formula of Mobile Conquesting paired with Cross-Platform ads, while continuing the efforts on Facebook and Instagram to keep engagement levels high.

The Results: Enrollment Soars

The results of this adaptable and data-driven campaign were nothing short of impressive. Within just two months, the client requested a readjustment of the campaign based on performance. By including Cross-Platform Targeting with Social Mirror and swapping Amazon for Facebook and Instagram, we saw a significant rise in engagement and conversions.

The numbers spoke for themselves—enrollment in January 2023 was four times higher than it had been in January 2022. Brightly colored ads featuring students and faculty received the highest engagement, helping drive this remarkable increase. As of now, summer enrollment continues on a steady trajectory, with an anticipated growth of 1-2%.

Your Marketing Partner for Success

If your business needs a high-impact, cost-effective marketing strategy, contact Vici Media today to learn more about our white-label digital solutions.

For more information, email su*****@vi**********.com.

The post Digital Campaign Educates Seniors About Local Community College: Student Recruiting appeared first on Vici Media Inc..