Digital Media News

Social networking giant Facebook is hoping to attract more digital advertisers with its latest ad unit, ‘Product Ads,’ that’s been designed to help retailers target their ads more effectively to its estimated 1.39 billion monthly users. ‘Product Ads’ will allow users to upload their entire catalog of products onto the site and target different users with specific products. The products will be selected based on the user's profile, interests and browsing behavior.

The move reflects Facebook's desire to prove that its estimated 1.39 billion members are good for more than just "likes", as it enters intothe lucrative product-listing ad market, currently dominated by Google Shopping Ads.

So, what is Facebook proposing with Product Ads and how does it work?

ExactDrive recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Onevest.com, who has a mission to reshape the private equity industry by democratizing early stage investing: Connect founders to capital allowing their ideas to transform into successful companies, simultaneously creating new investment opportunities for individual investors.

Being an entrepreneur is an inherently stressful endeavor. Being the entrepreneur behind a newly launched startup is even more stressful, since it means constantly having to balance on the fine line between failure and success. Many of the concerns that one has during this time period are warranted, particularly when it comes to budget, client retention, and simply surviving the competitive startup ecosystem. Other concerns, however, are irrational and can take away from the precious energy needed to successfully run a business.

We spoke with six startup founders at different stages in their careers, and asked them what one thing was that all entrepreneurs should stop worrying about. 

1. Competitors

"Keep an eye on them for sure, but don't let what they do dictate what you do too much. Focus on doing what you do best and innovate. If you're watching your competitors too closely, you'll be playing a constant game of catch up that won't do you much good."

Mark Volkmann, Massagebook

ExactDrive had the opportunity to be interviewed by SiteProNews who publishes the latest articles and breaking news on technology, social media, search engines, SEO, business, marketing, content writing and webmaster resources.

Working at a start-up is bittersweet. For every opportunity to work remotely and play ping pong at the office, you also have to deal with long work hours and the possibility of failure lurking around every corner. Despite its ups and downs, its exactly this type of excitement that draws people to the start-up world and away from the traditional 9-5. Needless to say, this type of environment can also cause a lot of stress, and in such situations, it’s important to have a leader that stays level-headed, one who can effectively maintain staff morale. We spoke to various startup CEOs at different stages in their careers, and asked what the most important factors are when attempting to boost staff morale during stressful times at work. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Communication

“Stress is a by-product of the thought of losing control, whether that be missing a deadline, or feeling something is no-longer achievable. By implementing a culture of open communication staff can more quickly raise and discuss issues, which helps combat the stress at source, by allowing the issues to be dealt with. Having that knowledge of support also helps potentially stressful situation become less so.”

— Ian Naylor, AppInstitute

Online advertising has come a long way from the tacky, blinking banner ads of the 1990s. Today, sophisticated, highly targeted online ads are delivered through a plethora of digital channels, from search engines to mobile apps - and a growing number of marketers are reaping the benefits.

With the right strategy, savvy tools, and smart resource allocation, even the smallest of businesses can take on the giants of the online advertising world.

Here are a few small changes you can make to improve your online advertising and make your digital dollar stretch a little further:

ExactDrive recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by StartupNation. Since it’s inception in 2002, StartupNation.com has steadily grown to become one of the leading small business destinations on the internet delivering over 250,000 pages of valued content and attracting over 3.1 million unique visitors in 2013. StartupNation has inspired, educated and consistently attracted entrepreneurs and small business owners from Main Street America who want to be their own bosses and live the American Dream.

If your interviewing for a startup job, its important to know that your embarking on an entirely different experience from the traditional 9-5 work environment. You have to prepare yourself to work flexible hours, wear many different hats at once, and become an expert on any given subject in a short period of time. Most importantly, you have to demonstrate that your personality and work ethic will fit into the vision and values of the company culture. The best way to so, and to set yourself apart from other candidates, is by asking questions which demonstrate your entrepreneurial ambition and drive. We spoke to various startup founders and asked what questions most impressed them during previous job interviews, here’s what they had to say.

American businesses will spend over $43 billion on online banner and display ads this year, and yet nearly half of all the ad clicks will be fraudulent or fake. They will be performed by bots, which areautomated computer programs that browse the web masquerading as humans, for the purpose of committing click fraud.

Click fraud is one of the biggest challenges facing the digital advertising industry today. Millions of online advertising dollars go to waste due to bots, click fraud, and out-of-sight placements. And click fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Bots can imitate the behavior of consumers, by watching a video or making an online purchase. Videos cost more to create, so CPMs are higher, making them a prime target for fraudsters. According to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), bots account for 23% of video ad views.

As an industry, digital advertisers are worried about click fraud - and they are right to be, but sometimes people assume something is click fraud when it’s not.

The era of the “one size fits all” ad creative is over. In case you somehow missed it, there has been a major shift from the old model of display advertising, which depended on advertisers distributing generic content everywhere in the hope of reaching their target audience, to highly personalized content within dynamic ads delivered directly to pre-targeted consumers on whatever device they happen to be using. Learn more about implementing dynamic ads in our brochure.

What has fueled the shift?

Advancements in technology and data capture have fueled the shift - providing online advertisers with access to detailed information on target audiences such as their location, interests, environment and even their preferred ways of communicating with brands. Marketers are now able to turn data into actionable information in real-time, for example, by segmenting audiences and brands while simultaneously considering weather, location, date and time, device, and more.