Impressum for your German website

Reading time: 2 minutes

Reliability is very important to our eastern neighbors. If you have a website or webshop which you want to conquer the German market, you must pay very close attention to reliability.

What is an „Impressum“?

Since 1997 it is obligated by the German media law (The Telemediengesetz) to show an Impressum on every online channel where you communicate with a potential German customer. This applies to every professional website, which is commercially active in the German market. An Impressum is more a business card of your company and therefore it is for Germany citizens very important to gain the trust of your German visitors. Like in The Netherlands we include our KVK number in most of our communication expressions, because the identity of a company must always be traceable by a consumer. The Germans gave this its own name: Impressum. Without valid company information on a website for German consumers, you risk a fine up to 5,000 euros.

How does an Impressum page actually look like?

An Impressum consists of the following items:

  • Name of the organization/owner, who manage the website.
    The full trade name and name(s) of the owner, as it also appears in the trade register.
  • Address details of the headquarters.
  • If applicable, a separate mailing address (optional).
  • Full name of director or representative.
  • Contact details, where visitors can contact you, such as company name, email address and telephone number. Place separate contact information for the press as well, if applicable.
  • Regulatory companies (e.g. the local Chamber of Commerce).
  • The Chamber of Commerce number of your company.
  • The VAT number of your company.
  • The bank details of your company (optional).
  • And the person responsible for the content of your website, for example the content manager or editor.

On the Imprint page you can also place your disclaimer and copyright. You want to create one for your own website? Fill in the form below.

Impressum Template Request

Elle Schoenmakers

Elle, Head of International Marketing at Leads International. - She graduated in 2008 from Tilburg University (Digital Media) and is Registered Digital Marketeer (2013). Already more then twelve years active in the dynamic world of online marketing. Elle's specialty is online marketing across boundaries. She is a lot in contact with international marketing specialists all over the globe and with companies who would like to expand their businesses abroad. She combines this perfectly with her passion for travelling, exploring the world and getting inspired by all those different cultures.

Achieving B2B goals with Google Search

Reading time: 5 minutes

When it comes to B2B marketing, SEA is a strategy that is often out of the spotlight. Looking at my own experience, most of my clients pay more attention and budget on other online marketing activities like SEO, remarketing, Social media, etc….but not Search Ads. Why? Because people usually think that B2B is a specific target and it is a waste of money to put an ads on search Google while you can send message directly to your target. I agree that search ads for B2B are not cheap but it doesn’t have to be expensive if you do it right. Moreover, Google Search is an excellent method for inbound marketing, which is highly recommended for B2B.

In this blog, I will explain about how I work on Search Ads for my B2B clients. It’s based on my own experience, thus adjust my tips to your own case.

  1. Modified broad and exact match are my heroes.

Yes, finding the right keywords is a challenge, but it is a fundamental to every good text ads. Apart from that, to make my ads perform best,  I usually separate my ads in the match types, broad modified and exact. I got this technique from my manager at the time I was struggling with ads optimisation. Her advice increased my control over the results. I was able to effectively balance my volume, CPA and I can better control the budget. Also, I would set my bids on 20% less in exact until I got enough data from my broad modified keywords. I don’t use modified broad with B2B as I personally think it doesn’t give me maximum results comparing with the price my clients have to pay. Furthermore, you have to be sceptic to the keyword planner tool and do a decent research on each keyword.

  1. Make room for branding.

B2B businesses need a good inbound marketing strategy to brand themselves to the right audience. PPC is an excellent approach for that. Quote from Brian Halligan, HubSport CEO “Paid ad campaigns present an effective marketing channel when used strategically and in sync with other initiatives”. Google shows that 90% of B2B researchers use search ads specifically to research business purchases. And, 90% of B2B buyers agree that brand experiences which deliver stronger personal interactions are more compelling. Thus, create ad groups that specifically focus on your brand. Address brand experiences, achievements but not products or services details. Remember your brand has to be strong and outstanding. Writing on how your brand associates to the society is a good way to make your ads more personal.

  1. Keep your ad clear and sharp, but don’t forget to test buyer creativity buds.

Contact details, guarantee, delivery service, and other unique points should be on your B2B ads. Because B2B buyers make a purchase based on their company requirements, ads that are clear, direct and pin pointed are what they want. Anyhow, I like to make my text ads a bit fancy. In my opinion, a creative text shows how well you know the products and its specialties. Furthermore, they will outstand from other ordinary ads. For example, me and my colleagues once created text ads for a B2B espresso machine and instead of putting a simple description about how strong and elegant the machine is, we wrote an ad that was focused on “giving your clients a new espresso experience”. We got a really high CTR with low bounce rate as a result. Though, overdo it would affect bad results, hence be careful that you send message to the right direction.

  1. B2B is not all about executive levels.

According to research, nearly half of B2B researchers are millennials. And they are really in to the digital world so your landing page needs to be mobile friendly and optimized for this target group. You will miss a lot of opportunities if you only focus on the executives levels. At Leads International, we never ignore the power of social media, video, and mobile devices. However, before using any channel, it’s important to research their behaviour well. Work closely with your SEO colleagues and your client’s marketing department. If I may suggest, choose one or two of the most powerful channels that fit your client need but don’t use every channel you could think of. Don’t forget, ROAs is all about managing your budget wisely.

  1. Break the language barrier

Not all B2B businesses are local companies. And not all buyers speak English. We always make ads based on the language of our clients location and their targets. For instance, we work mostly for Dutch companies that focus on other countries in Europe. So we usually create ads in several languages besides Dutch and English. Using the local language makes the ads more personal and they reach the target group more easy. Using translation apps is be an option but always sceptical on the translated texts because it doesn’t always give the correct translation and the locals will notice it right away and that will hurt your CTR. Luckily, we have many native marketeers, which bring us the benefit of good local text description, sharp keywords, insight markets and local competitors.

Are you ready for success?

We all know that good keywords and good ads are the most important factors in search ads. But to get the best result with little cost, we need to pay attention in many details. Here are some pointers you need to remember:

  • Divide ad groups by keywords match type is a good way to control cost.
  • Remember to make some good ads for just the brand because branding is B2B basic fundamental.
  • Create ads that are out of ordinary to show how well you understand the B2B market, it helps you increase CTR and conversion rates.
  • Because B2B decision makers are younger than you think. Your landing page need to be mobile friendly. And video ads or social media are popular among this new generation.
  • B2B buyers like a personal touch, make new campaign or ads in local language can make them more at ease to convert.

 

Sources:
Quarizmi – https://quarizmi.com/blog/is-paid-search-inbound-or-outbound-marketing/
PPC Hero – https://www.ppchero.com/broad-modified-campaigns-and-exact-match-negatives/ 
Think with Google – https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/the-changing-face-b2b-marketing/
Chainlink – France – https://chainlinkmarketing.com/mistakes-b2b-marketers/
Think with Google- https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/the-changing-face-b2b-marketing/

Prezent

The 6 Online Marketing trends to keep an eye on for 2019

Reading time: 4 minutes

When other people crawl, we walk. But when others started to walk we must run! That’s how online marketeers cope with this industry. The rapid change of technologies and innovations, keeping us on a fast pace. The year 2018 has almost come to an end. That means it’s time to take a look at the trends for the next year.

  1. Be authentic

If you want to stand out in 2019, make good use of User Generated Content, as consumers are opposing to advertising! People are placing their trust in authentic content and feedback from other users instead of placing it in brands itself. In fact, 70% of millennial consumers are influenced by the recommendations of their peers in buying decisions.

Go Pro is a good example of how UGC (User Generated Content) can make a brand successful. Besides making content about their waterproof lens, just like their competitors, Go Pro made their users generate the products authentically by letting their user posted the reviews. This way the users created over 5000 videos a day with the #GOPro hashtag.

  1. Voice search will grow even further

Half of search requests will be voice-based by 2020. The voice recognition technology will be bigger and better, and consumers won’t only use them when they are driving but will also replace typed search. Google Home and Amazon Echo are the first starters, and received huge attention from users. Learn from their flaws and pluses, make sure you adapte to your voice search contents accordingly and you will be a successful pioneer in this digital world.

  1. Start with VR and AR

Making users engage to your product and using technology to make them active in brand messaging, is a basic concept of VR&AR. Pokémon, for instance, is a good example of how excited users acted on reality gaming. Virtual and augmented realities are not only work on game, but it is becoming an essential tool for brands. IKEA has been using VR gaming technology since 2016, allow their customers try out different solutions via their shopping app. The VR and AR market is supposed to be worth 27 billion dollars and is expected to reach 209.2 billion dollars in four years. You can’t deny the power of this technology anymore. 

  1. Keep SEO close, but keep Social media closer

Social media will be blended to online users even more. There are 3,196 billion global social medial users, significant numbers for advertising business. This is how you can integrate with other services. See how Facebook and LinkedIn allow users to sign up for third-party services with their accounts and share data with third-party services. Make sure you hold your business to social media tight.

  1. Live video boost

The popularity of live video is increasing every year since it has been introduced by YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. In 2016 more than 80% of internet users watched a live video and 67% of live viewers say they are more likely to purchase a concert ticket to see a band or attend an event if they’ve had seen a live stream of a similar event online. Video ads are in favour as well, 65% of ad impressions on Instagram were the result of video content. Adding video content to your market strategy is crucial this year.

  1. Chatbots are coming

Chatbots provide frequently needed helpful information to customers. Imagine going to a restaurant where chatbot takes your order, recommend a new menu, tell you the time when your food will be done and give you a total cost, plus special deal. This is no longer a dream! In 2019, you will see chatbot taking human place in many industries. You can even go beyond like Justin Timberlake, who featured a chat(ro)bot in his new MV. Prepare to see a lot more of this in the upcoming year.

Make sure you take your advantage of the upcoming trends for 2019. Adapt you marketing strategy and start the new year with a bang!

Resource:

Prezent

The countdown to Black Friday has begun!

Reading time: 3 minutes



Only 3 more days…

Black Friday has been an important phenomenon in the United States for decades – since 1952. Everyone knows the images of hectic, turbulent and rather aggressive scenes of people snatching things out of someone else’s hands. These special – for us – amazing scenes take place every year on the day after Thanksgiving.


Well when it comes to bargains, people suddenly show themselves from a completely different side! But it doesn’t stop here, good bargains are borderless. That is why European shops are massively adopting this American ‘tradition’.

But what about Europe? And more importantly, is it useful that you as an entrepreneur do something with this ‘holiday’?


 


YES! You should! The interest in Black Friday is growing across most of Europe and it is becoming more and more popular. Last year, European consumers spending more then ever and the expectations for this year are really promosing. The European statistics of 2017 shows us that the revenue of Black Friday until Cyber Monday increased by more then 50%, the orders with more then 30% and the average order value by 15% (CJ Affiliate – Black Friday Period: European consumers spending more then ever – Dec 2017). So, if you can really offer a good sale, you certainly don’t want to miss this day!


Tips for you – as an entrepreneur – for a successful sale during Black Friday…

√  Start promoting your offers early.
√  Make sure your website is on as many dealsites as possible.
√  Increase your reach to an international audience. As you can see, bargains are borderless.
√  Make sure you have good deals that are actually too good to miss, a 10% discount will not be appealing enough for the bargain hunter during Black Friday.
√  Use social media: #BlackFriday can increase visibility up to 200%.
√  More than 90% of online shoppers compare prices before buying. Use countdowns and urgent action buttons to entice consumers to buy fast.

Good luck with the sale. And let it be a great start for the end of 2018!

Tips for you – as a (small) spender – for succesfull deals on Black Friday…

√ Sign up for newsletters to stay informed about the bargains. As a loyal customer you . Als loyale klant krijg je vaak ook meer privileges.
√ Stay at home and shop from you couch of from you bed, much more comfortable than lugging a big television on the street.
√ Make a list of what you really want and focus on the websites that go with will have it.
√ Some retailers are starting Black Friday early to be ahead of the competition. So don’t forget to be sharp from the start!

Succes in getting the best deals and have fun with your new purchases!



Sources:
Vouchercodes - www.vouchercodes.co.uk/blog/british-shoppers-set-to-splurge-7-8-billion-on-cyber-weekend-26500.html - November 2017
Fierceretail - www.fierceretail.com/digital/black-friday-spikes-europe-over-500 - December 2018 
The Local Denmark - www.thelocal.dk/20171128/black-friday-2017-was-denmarks-biggest-ever-shopping-day - November 2017
The Local - France - www.thelocal.fr/20171124/how-the-french-have-converted-to-black-friday - November 2017
DW - www.dw.com/en/black-friday-is-not-coming-to-germany-its-already-here/a-41498238 - November 2017
Teezily - blog.teezily.com/newsroom/black-Friday-cyber-Monday-tips-to-maximise-your-sales/ - November 2017
Black Friday - black-friday.global/ - 2018

Elle Schoenmakers

Elle, Head of International Marketing at Leads International. - She graduated in 2008 from Tilburg University (Digital Media) and is Registered Digital Marketeer (2013). Already more then twelve years active in the dynamic world of online marketing. Elle's specialty is online marketing across boundaries. She is a lot in contact with international marketing specialists all over the globe and with companies who would like to expand their businesses abroad. She combines this perfectly with her passion for travelling, exploring the world and getting inspired by all those different cultures.

Shift in the e-commerce world

Reading time: 4 minutes

The world of commerce is constantly evolving, especially since the rise of the e-commerce, which has disrupted consumer behavior. The needs of the customers have evolved as well as their purchasing paths. Online and offline stores must therefore quickly adapt to these changes if they want to keep their customers.

Brick and mortar

Since we are in the digital age, the offline stores are suffering a decline in traffic at the expense of online stores.

For consumers, it’s easier to search and compare in e-shops, as well as a more personalized offer that they do not find in the physical shops. They quickly adapted a “ROPO” (Research Online Purchase Offline) purchasing behavior. To adapt to this change of habits and respond to their needs, the brick and mortar must implement various and innovative strategies.

  1. Integration of the e-shop

To keep consumers in stores, brands are trying to break down the boundaries between their online and offline stores by integrating their offline store into the customer journey. For example, with “click and collect”, the customer has to retrieve his order placed online in the nearest store of the brand. This strategy can be successful since the consumer is already interested in the brand and has already saw the products online.

Stores can also be used as “showrooms” for the consumer. This trend is the opposite of “ROPO”, the consumer tries and tests the products in a store, and buy it online, during a discount for example. Although the turnover of physical shops is decreasing, these shops remain essential for consumers.

  1. Digitized stores

To be more attractive to customers, the shops must focus on their weaknesses and take the new customer needs into account. How? By integrating the assets of new technologies into their sales strategy. We know that customers want to save time and like to receive personalized offers. New technology can answer these questions. Innovative and modern strategies such as mobile applications, information kiosks, mobile phone payments, geolocation of products or virtual fitting rooms can be the solution. By implementing these devices, you enrich and streamline their purchasing paths through the digital.

For example, the store Casino, opened for the first time in France a phygital (physical and digital) shop. A shop that, thanks to a lot of innovations, supports the customer along the entire purchasing journey. Are you looking for a product? Ask Max, and the screen will display the itinerary to find your product (developed with Google and voice recognition).

source : http://www.relationclientmag.fr

While physical stores are doing their best to digitalize and be adapted to customer expectations, the online stores are feeling the need to connect to their shoppers.

Online shop

Online stores keep gaining sales share on offline stores. However, many online shops do not hesitate to shift to the “offline side”. Why would they do that?

  1. Ephemeral store

One of the biggest weaknesses of e-shops is the fact that consumers cannot test or try their items before buying them: 37% of consumers feel the need to see or touch an item before buying it. To respond to this need, some online stores opened pop-up stores. A pop-up store is a small ephemeral store that is very easy to set up and remove. It can be used for different purposes: to test a market or in this case, to introduce a new product and get it closer to the customers. Such stores often have the effect of an event which cannot be missed by customers. A good way to communicate, perfect for a branding strategy!

  1. Physical store

Some of the big players of e-commerce didn’t stop here and started to open shops with new concepts to satisfy their customers’ needs. For example, the Amazon stores that opened this year in the United States. Brick and mortar shops without cash registers. They simply installed sensors between the shelves and on the ceiling to detect the items that the customer buys and the payment is done automatically with the application. The web giant has therefore succeeded to remove one of the biggest negative points of offline shopping. It is seen as a significant evolution in the distribution market.

source: www.supermarketnews.com

Zalando has also recently opened a shop in Germany, with a completely different objective: to promote its new « beauty » category of its website. Customers can therefore test the products in this shop and buy them there, or in Zalando’s online shop.

The online world makes life easier for customers. Whether you are the manager of a physical or online store, digitize your brick and mortar or develop your online strategy. You have to become omni-channel, know your customers’ needs and be present where they expect you. Leads International can assist you in the development of your digital strategy and inform you of new international trends! Feel free to contact us for more information.

Prezent

If you block me, I’ll block you.

Reading time: 4 minutes

Ads. If you are an eager user of the internet, you will have seen them. They are on search results, they appear on websites, in your Facebook timeline and when you scroll through your Instagram profile. Ads are used by businesses to promote their products and services and to reach their (potential) clients.

In the past, if you wanted to block the ads on you TV, you simply went to the bathroom, while the commercials were running. Nowadays with computers, that’s where adblockers come into play.

Adblocker grow exponentially

However, the reaction to all the ads might not be what businesses were hoping for. More and more users download extensions and apps to block these ads.

In countries like Great Britain, one fourth of the users had downloaded an adblocker at the beginning of 2018. In Germany the percentage nears a third of all internet users. And the tendency is on the rise. These numbers are all but good news for advertisers and companies.

It seems that the statistics published up to now have been lower than the actual number. In fact, it seems that the actual number is more than double, as the magazine ONEtoONE states.

This crisis, even though it still mostly affects laptop and PC users, is also growing rapidly on smartphones. An average of 15% at the end of 2017 and significantly higher in Asia. Especially internet savvy users are keen on an ad-free experience. But they are by far not alone.

reasons for blocking ads

Marketingland.com

Adblockers grow with the wallets

Particularly frustrating for advertisers is that especially people with higher income are more likely to install an adblocker and, thus, avoid all kinds of ads during their online experience. If we look at the numbers, it is mostly those individuals with a net income of 7500€ and up that prefer to be left “ad-free”. In fact, up to 64% of these people avoid viewing any type of ads. But it is exactly those people who would be really attractive for most businesses.

A few numbers…

In the first half of this year, Statista shows that 42% of British users won’t ever view any type of display ads. In Germany it is a 45%, in France a 43% and in Italy a 39%. If you think about it, half of all the display ads that you are placing as a part of your SEA campaigns will never reach any eyeballs.

age and gender graph

Marketingland.com

A glitch in the matrix

It is, though, exactly this particular group that would be incredibly interesting for brands. It is people with a higher income and higher education that decide to block more ads. Just as well as younger generations are more prone to install an adblocker, rather than their grandparents.

But why do people want an ad-free internet experience? Most people state that they would rather not be interrupted by a random ad, whilst their research or overall surfing experience. This reason seems to have shifted from the initial privacy and security concerns people stated as a reason for installing the adblocker in 2014.

The recent scandals regarding Facebook and Google won’t invert the trend, it seems. Dr. Johnny Ryan, the head of ecosystem at PageFair says:

“[…] But now [ad blocker usage] has grown to a broader demographic for whom [an ad blocker] is closer to just a remote control. The genie is out of the bottle and if the industry had taken privacy and data protection seriously this might not have happened.”

The Adblock wall

But how can websites or companies resolve this growing trend? Some pages have adopted the solution of the so-called Adblock wall. In this case, the user is blocked from viewing the content of a certain website, unless he or she disabled the adblocker. The results, however, are far from what were hoped for: Over three quarters of the users using an adblocker installed said that they would simply leave the website rather than whitelisting it, as requested.

As a result, the company may reply that their conversion rate is at 40% or 50% thanks to this strategy. That might as well be the case, but at the cost of shooing away a 75% or more of its potential customers.

Land in sight?

Now you may ask, “OK, this is all interesting and all, but it seems that I should just quit ads overall?!?” Well, it’s not that simple. What you could do, is try to figure out why your target group installs an adblocker, what the problem is and how you can fix it.

Take Facebook, for example. They tweaked their technology in such a fashion that adblockers would not work on their website. They surveyed their users and researched what type of content each individual was looking at. Accordingly, they gave their users more control over the types of ads they were able to view. As Facebook explains, they have managed to offer a better experience to their users.

So to sum it up: We can’t guarantee that adblockers will cease their exponential growth, but we can assure that by putting the customer in the centre, you won’t suffer the consequences. If you know what your customers are looking for and you can make sure to offer the right product to the right people, these people will thank you (read: Pick you as their provider).

Prezent

e-Reputation and Influence Marketing

Reading time: 3 minutes

Consumer behavior

Any consumer who wants to buy a service or product goes through several steps that we all know: The buying decision process. These steps are:

  • Awareness stage: awareness of the need or problems
  • Evaluation stage: research for information or solutions
  • Purchase stage : compare the solutions and choose the product or service provider.

 

As a company, it is important to be present at the purchasing process to ensure that the final choice will be on your side. To achieve this, it is necessary to study the behavior of your potential customers. Consumers are looking for a lot of information to be reassured in their choice. They have less and less confidence in advertisements (banners, e-mailing, TV…) and prefer to receive advices from people who have already used the service or product, such as their family and friends, reviews and comments on internet, social media, influencers or on blogs.

The word-of-mouth influences a lot of consumers! The opinion of the close relations is very important for them as they have confidence in these people. They seek their advice and opinions and follow their recommendations.

E-reputation

As a digital marketing agency, we have focused on the importance of the e-reputation for your company and how to manage it. The e-reputation is extremely important for your company, as 80% of Internet users get informed online before making a purchase.

Reviews and comments

Consumers do not hesitate to post their opinions on internet and explain their customer experience, whether it is positive or negative. Their motivation is to share their satisfaction or dissatisfaction in order to advise future consumers who wish to buy the same service or product as they do. These reviews are very important for the reputation of a company, because during the research of information, 70% of the Internet users take these reviews into account, they trust the authenticity of these comments. Customers thus become real media!

avis / reviews

Remember that it is also important to have negative reviews. This may sound strange, but be aware that consumers will have more nichenfidence if they can find different opinions. To have only positive reviews is perceived as ” trickery ” by the company.

Tip: Answer customers’ comments and reviews. Reply to negative customer reviews, find a solution to their problems and respond with real facts, these reviews will lose their significance. Also thank positive reviews, they will appreciate your attention!

Influencers

Who are the influencers? An influencer is a person who, through his or her media exposure, can influence consumer behavior in a specific niche. The companies very quickly saw an affordable way to reach their target audience in large numbers and therefore began to offer them partnerships. The influencers share information for improved consumption, promotional codes, information on new products/brands or restaurants and hotel addresses. By sharing the information with their community, influencers advise and recommend companies and share promotion opportunities to their community. The deal is a win-win situation for everyone: the brand gains notoriety, the influencer is paid and the consumers benefit from the promotions.

But not all consumers see influencer marketing from the same point of view. The fact that influencers are paid to give their (positive) views on a product, makes the recommendation lose its authenticity and considers this marketing as manipulation and lies. To remedy this problem and be transparent to consumers, influencers are now required to indicate on social media when their content is sponsored.

Tip: To make your influence marketing strategy work, you need to be honest with your consumers and find relevant partnerships. Look for influencers who might be interested in your brand.

You understand that…

To comfort your potential customers in their choice, keep an eye open on the reviews of your company and set up relevant partnerships with influencers. Are you interested in more advice? Contact us! We will be happy to help you to implement a digital strategy for your company.

Prezent

Dmexco 2018: What you missed…

Reading time: 6 minutes



It was that time of the year again! The most important marketing event on the digital calendar! The week that driven marketers, media professionals and pioneers in tech have been looking forward to for a long time. The moment when the dynamic world of digital marketing, media and technology comes together to meet each other live in Cologne, Germany.


Every year the DMEXCO grows bigger and this year was no exception, with more than 1,000 exhibitors from 39 countries and almost 600 speakers, everyone got the opportunity to increase their know-how, share their own experiences and expand their network! And I was again able to use that limited time well.



Trending topics: AI, (and the effects on voice search, chatbots, digital assistants) and blockchain.

Artificial Intelligence

It’s true that AI can transform the world – but only if we democratise it. We have to make sure that everyone with good ideas can access it – not just companies with millions of dollars to investAxel Steinman – VP Bing Advertising Sales EMEA



The central topic this year was Artificial Intelligence. Where last year it was even more of a buzzword at the Dmexco, you see the investments in AI continue to increase and it is now really seen as a technology which is of great importance to our economy.

From handy personalized recommendations from Netflix and Spotify that we all enthusiastically click through, to the massive adoption of voice assistants like Siri and Google Now, Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the busy lives of consumers.


Baidu (the Chinese version of Google) is one of the largest progressive Artificial Intelligence companies in China. Alex Chen, (vice president of Baidu) showed how AI can make our lives a lot easier and more practical (voice assistants / self-propelled vehicles / recognizing diagnoses and diseases). “We have reached a new era of internet advertising. The next generation of artificial intelligence is reinforcement learning. This will triple effectiveness in advertising” says Chen.



Blockchain

“I would encourage everyone here if you are a business leader. If you don’t have a blockchain strategy, you need to start now. It doesn’t matter if you are not a financial firm, every company needs to be thinking about this, in the same way that every comapny needed an internet strategy in 1995”. | Alex Tapscott – Co-Founder, Blockchain Research Institute; Co-Author, Blockchain Revolution

It’s innovative, it’s promising, it’s groundbreaking, it’s complex and it’s something that can change the world. These are exactly the terms we, marketers, love.

– Evolution of marketing 2018 –
Blockchain - Second digital ageThis year there was a great demand for clarity behind the Blockchain invention. Blockchain (originally the data structure behind the bitcoin network) is a technology that has the potential to fundamentally change the world and our lives, just as the computer and the internet (the first digital age) did. Tapscott is not talking about the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, but about the ‘second digital age’. Companies like Uber and AirBnB are very successful because they own a lot of data and collect, analyse and apply it in a smart way. But with the blockchain revolution, it is the individual user who has the power.

– Showstoppers: why blockchain could fail? 2018 –

Showstopper: Why Blockchain could fail

When it’s going to change the world is still a big question.
For now there are still a lot of showstoppers to be overcome
(Tapscott – Co-Author, Blockchain Revolution).

 

 

International online marketing

With so many international inspirers, surprisingly enough there were not many marketing gurus that addressed the international aspect of online marketing. This also has to do with the fact that it is becoming more and more ‘normal’ to explore the boundaries and go beyond them. But I see that there is still far too little local thinking and acting so that a lot of potential remains unplucked. With a good local strategy, the Euros (bitcoins) will be flowing in. So I do see a big opportunity for us here at the Dmexco 2019! 🙂

Still, I have gained some interesting international key takeaways for you that you should take into account:

*  From GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) to BAT (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent). China is
“The Big Innovator” in the next 10 to 20 years. (Peter Würtenberger – CEO of UPDAY for SamSung).
It is the fastest growing internet nation worldwide. Now around 20 years in the marketplace,
Alibaba generates more than twice as much revenue per year than Amazon and eBay together.

* Not only the huge market size (1.4 billion) makes China a really interesting target group for you as an
entrepreneur. The convenience that this brings with it is certainly worth considering. For example, to
reach the entire European population (a population that is 2.5 times smaller than China), you have to
offer no less than 22 different payment solutions and then you have only 80% of the market. In China,
this counter is added up to 1 payment method – WeChatPay (Tugce Bulut – Founder & CEO StreetBees).

It is now much easier for companies to expand internationally, because costs have dropped. You don’t
always have to do it market by market. (Philipp Justus – Google).
 

Programmatic advertising is booming in Europe. In 2017, 12 trillion Euro were invested in programmatic
advertising on the European market (in 2013 this was 2.3 trillion Euro). Marketers want more control and
more transparency. In Europe, you can see that companies take more control by hiring more in-house professionals.
It will be more a collaboration between companies and marketing agencies, where the marketing agencies will be
used for consultancy (Simon Halstead – IAB Europe).

Dmexco tips 2019

Frauenparkplatz Dmexco

Repeatedly I tell our customers: The market of the Germans is so different from your own.
I had not yet made my entrance on the Dmexco, when I was immediately confronted
with the differences. A parkingspot only for women, why? Take all those differences into
account when conquering the German market!

It is and remains a German event. At such an influential, international conference, many presentations
are given in German and exhibitors like to communicate in German. In the online world this is becoming more
and more personalised and the data can be used ‘as if you speak their language’. But for now: learn a word or
two of German or take someone with you, who is proficient in the German language.

Crowd Dmexco2018Embrace German efficiency! Arrange appointments of 30 minutes and save the small talk for happy hour.

To make the most of the power of the event, it is a good idea to be well prepared. It looks bigger
and busier every year, so outside the meetings and conferences, take one of the many maps and
leave some space for discovering new pearls/companies. Note to myself: No matter how busy it
is in my digital agenda, next year I will certainly use the two full days for this inspiring event.

Keulse KölschDuring such an event you should of course stay hydrated, because talking about business
the whole day certainly makes you thirsty. So end the day with a real Cologne Kölsch
#workhardplayhard!

Elle Schoenmakers

Elle, Head of International Marketing at Leads International. - She graduated in 2008 from Tilburg University (Digital Media) and is Registered Digital Marketeer (2013). Already more then twelve years active in the dynamic world of online marketing. Elle's specialty is online marketing across boundaries. She is a lot in contact with international marketing specialists all over the globe and with companies who would like to expand their businesses abroad. She combines this perfectly with her passion for travelling, exploring the world and getting inspired by all those different cultures.

The importance of local marketing

Reading time: 3 minutes

Local marketing used to be seen as just a marketing opportunity for the smaller businesses such as restaurants, shops and outlets. These smaller companies are mainly dependent on the local customers, which makes the use of effective local marketing a must for their business. However, nowadays even the larger companies can get a lot out of using local marketing to reach the right target group. Targeted use of local marketing can lead to an increase in both your online and offline sales.

Google research shows that over 80% of internet users use local search terms. The study also shows that the use of a local search term is more likely to lead to conversion. When a local search is made on a smartphone, at least 18% of the users purchase, compared to 7% who purchase with a non-local search.

It also speeds up the purchasing process.  45% of the people who had carried out a local search took action (purchase) within 24 hours. In addition, location-based advertising increases store visits and purchases by 32%.

That sounds good, doesn’t it? But how do you actually use that local marketing? A well picked combination of multiple marketing channels is the key to effectively reach your local target group.

First of all, it is very important that your website is designed for the local public. Make sure your website is informative, user-friendly and up to date. Offering the right contact and address details, opening hours and an up-to-date offers on your website are crucial. To further increase your reach to local audiences, make sure all this information is also available on all your social media channels.

Of course you also want to be found locally. For example, a painter from Tilburg wants to be at the top of search engines when searching for ‘painter in Tilburg’. By combining localized ads and keywords with targeted and local targets, you ensure that you are found by your potential customers in the region. Furthermore it’s good for your local branding to be present on the local magazines, websites and directories.

In the area of international online marketing, local marketing is essential. Regardless how strange that may sound. Each country has several regions, each with its own culture, dialect, customs and traditions. Think of Switzerland, for example, where three different languages are spoken, which naturally brings the necessary cultural differences with it. By localizing your marketing, you can respond to the needs of your target group and reach them in the way they want.

In order to reach potential customers with a high conversion potential, local marketing is the ideal option for your business. Leads International specializes in (international) local marketing and can support you in reaching your local target group. Contact us!

Alexander Jungnitsch

Social Media in France

Reading time: 3 minutes

E-commerce on social media

Social media were created to connect people through social interactions. In the past few years, the number of users on social media has increased. They are used daily which makes them very interesting for compagnies.

Social media have become a powerful channel in the e-commerce world, which is constantly growing. Shoppers go on social media to find inspiration for their next purchase, so being active on this channel has a positive influence on your notoriety and visibility. But on which social media channel is it most interesting to communicate for your company?

There are hundreds of different social media platforms around the world. Some of them have become international like Facebook, others stay popular locally, like Xing in Germany or TENCENT QQ in China. What about the French market? On which social networks does your target audience spend its time?

Audience of the French social media

Even if France is the country where social media are used the least in Europe, France remains an interesting market with a large audience to exploit. France has 38 million active users on social media, that is 58% of its population! It is therefore good for your notoriety to be present on French social networks if you want to conquer this market.

But don’t run headlong into campaigns on all social media channels! Study your target, and only when you have determined it, choose on which social media you should be on. For example, Snapchat and Instagram have a younger audience while LinkedIn is more used by professionals, which makes it great for B2B campaigns.

You can find below the social network audiences in France in 2018.

Social media in France vs. the Netherlands

The audience of social media in France is different from other markets. Let us compare it with the Netherlands, for example. There are two main differences between these two countries.

First of all, in France, Facebook is the first social media used by far. In the Netherlands, Facebook is second behind WhatsApp, the instant messaging (Not represented in the French audience because WhatsApp is in the 6th position in France). This platform, already optimized for Dutch companies, has only started its professional development in France since the beginning of the year.

The second difference that can be noted is the way LinkedIn is used. French internet users are not very active on this professional platform, only 14.4% of the population uses it. While in the Netherlands, 25% of the Dutch population has an account.

If you want to boost your brand visibility, generate more traffic and boost your conversion rate, study your target market before starting your campaigns on social media. Remember that it is important to be present where your target is.

Tips :

  • Gaining their trust: although the French people spend more than an hour a day on social networks, the majority of them are wary of the information diffused on these platforms and 40% are worried about the security of their data.
  • Change your ads often, in order not to make your post boring.
  • Test different audiences to find yours.
  • Optimize your ads for mobile, there are 31 million active users on social media on mobile

Do you want to conquer a new market but you don’t know which social media channel to focus on? Our international marketers can help you find the right channel!

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Sorry, we’re closed

Reading time: 3 minutes

Italy, the dream holiday destination for many. The country of pizza and gelato. The country of “chiuso per ferie” (En: Closed for holidays). For those of us doing business with Italy, August can be a pain in the neck. Are you doing business in Italy? Are you aware of the month off in August? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Ferragosto

We all know that summer time is generally more relaxed. Many colleagues take some time off to go on holiday and, in general, the workload decreases a bit. Nothing bewildering.

In Italy, however, it all begins with Ferragosto, the Assumption day on August 15th, a national holiday for a predominantly Catholic country. It is a day on which offices, factories, restaurants and so on are closed. The day a literal exodus takes place. Millions of Italians swarm from the cities towards the beach. Traveling on that day can be a nightmare.

However, that is only one day, right? Wrong! Traditionally, Italian families spend the whole month of August by the sea. Mothers and children relocate to beach houses or campsites. If the husbands have to work, they visit on the weekends.

Chiuso per ferie

Doing business in Italy in August? Think again. Most factories and businesses close not only for 2 weeks around Ferragosto, but even today for the whole month of August. This practice has been changing, since the financial crisis of 2008.

You can now find more and more businesses working throughout the month, but not everyone. Every now and then, we get the occasional customer being frustrated that his supplier is on holiday, production is on hold and it is overall a hardship to find anyone who can help.

closed cafe

As for businesses, employees are forced to take the whole month of August off, if the company closes for holidays. So chances are good that, if your Italian supplier or partner does not reply until the beginning of September, he is probably enjoying the Italian summer.

In recent years, however, this has been changing. More and more businesses work in August. Especially after the crisis and with a rise in e-commerce, businesses cannot risk taking a month off.

High season for tourism

Of course, not everyone closes, since Italy is a tourist country and its GDP relies on tourism, touristy locations, especially by the beach, are working tirelessly. Some stores are open 7 days a week from 8 am all the way till 11 pm. So, if your business revolves around tourism, this month could be the busiest for you.

La bella vita in August

In conclusion, if you plan on doing business with Italy in August, we can only advise you to head over to the beach, join the Italians on a barbecue, eat some watermelon, throw water balloons at each other and enjoy the summer. Who knows, it could be good for your networking…

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