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Archives for May 2012

A Barrelful of Cookies

cookies

Over the last few days, I visited every FTSE 100 corporate website to see how they are responding to the European Union Cookie Law.

Obviously things are changing very fast, since the extension period for compliance ends on 26 May, but I found the following good practices at the time I looked…

I like

  • 1 website (BT) explicitly asks for consent via a pop-up from the footer bar. BT has received a lot of coverage for their solution to the Cookie Law, and it is worth visiting their site to see how they have implemented it, if you haven’t already.
  • 1 links to their cookies page via a teaser box on the home page (Aviva). This highlights the issue, and helps to educate people about cookies by bringing it to their attention. I imagine this is a temporary measure, and at some point this teaser text will be replaced.
  • 3% use text or a bar across the top or bottom of the window (outside the main body of the website) to link to their cookies page (ITV, RioTinto, and Serco). While not as central to the content as the Aviva teaser box, these are at least visible on the home page; the RioTinto one stands out most.
  • 4% state that they are assuming consent because you are using the website.
  • 20% provide a persistent link to their privacy/cookies page – labelled as ‘cookies’, not just ‘privacy’ – usually in the footer or other site services bar
  • Around 33% list the types of cookies they use, some providing details of each cookie
  • Around 65% offer some explanation of how to clear cookies (some more detailed than others)
  • Nearly 75% provide some explanation of what cookies are (some more detailed than others)

I’m not sure about:

  • 5% state that they do not use cookies
  • just under 20% do not mention cookies at all.

I suggest that, given the current interest level in cookie usage, the privacy page should include a statement about cookies: even if it is only that you do not use cookies of any type (if that’s true, obviously!).

It is worth conducting an quick audit of your website with a cookie-monitor tool such as Attacat’s cookie audit tool, which may not be 100% accurate (they say it should not be treated as gospel) but which can indicate whether the website is using cookies for analytics purposes, or whether a third-party provider is using cookies (perhaps to facilitate the share price graph).

If you are using cookies, even if only session cookies, analytics cookies, or cookies that do not require consent, I think it is worth making cookie usage explicit, if only to reassure people. It also, of course, demonstrates that you have audited your site, and are willing to be transparent by revealing which, if any, cookies you use.

So what should you do with your website?

As has been outlined elsewhere there are three steps to take to prepare for the new Cookie Law:

  1. Audit your website to find out which cookies you use, and decide which would require consent.
  2. Reveal which cookies you use by updating your privacy page, or creating a dedicated cookies page.
  3. Develop a plan for compliance.

Many people are uneasy about cookies (which may explain a reluctance to accept cookies) but once we all become more familiar with cookies and what they do, people may be more likely to accept them. So the more we can all explain what they are, and what we’re doing with them, the better.

This is why I suggest that in Step 2 you take the trouble to:

  • Explain what cookies are (see Aviva’s cookie policy for a good example)
  • Explain how to clear them (see Sky’s FAQ for an example)
  • Say which cookies you use, and why (see BAE Systems for an example of a detailed explanation). Make it clear if you don’t use any
  • Provide a clear link to your explanation from across your website (because people don’t only arrive via your website front door)
  • Include the word ‘cookies’ in the name of that link, because that is what people will be looking for
  • Highlight that link – even if only temporarily – either visually or by its location.

And have a look at John Lewis‘ privacy page, to see how they’ve done it: not only do the tabs make it easy to see what the content covers, the content itself is reassuring and simply written.

What do you think? Have you seen a good example of cookie clarity on a corporate website?

Only 5% Say Yes to Cookies

Worried that the new European Union Cookie Law is going to adversely impact your online business?

Many people see the new Cookie Law as potentially putting up a barrier to website visitors, or putting them off so that they are less likely to browse.

We don’t sell anything directly via our site here at Corporate Eye, so our business would not be put at risk by any ‘cookie barrier’, but we do use cookies—especially to find out which pages and topics are of most interest to our audience—and having to get permission beforehand is going to be a nuisance to us and (more importantly) to our visitors.

Who are our visitors?

Obviously I don’t know who you all are, but I can make some educated guesses based on various analytic packages. You are mostly reasonably young, highly educated, and visiting from work – and are primarily based in the US and the UK.

Typically, you visit Monday-Friday (and mostly early in the week), with much less traffic at the weekends; no surprises there, given what we discuss here.

So I’d expect our visitors to be digital natives, or at least naturalised long-term immigrants, and to be very familiar with the internet.

Are our visitors relaxed about cookies?

I ran an experiment over a couple of weeks, in which I used two statistics packages, one of which would continue to count visitors and pageloads as usual (A), and one of which would only count a visitor if permission to use cookies was granted (B).

We didn’t bar people from the site if they didn’t accept the cookie – they could still freely read whatever they were interested in; we simply didn’t use the statistics cookie if they didn’t. So package A could still count the number of visitors, and the number of pages visited, but package B couldn’t.

That is, package B could only count visitors/pageloads if people explicitly accepted the cookie.

I know that statistics programmes count slightly differently; I suppose the best way to run the test would have been to run the same statistics programme twice on each page. And this probably isn’t a statistically sound sampling. Nevertheless, I think the results are interesting.

Do cookies put people off?

We found that:

  • the number of pageviews recorded by B was less than 5% of the number recorded by A.
  • the number of visitors recorded by B was 2.5% of the number recorded by A.

However, the overall number and pattern of visitors and pageloads over that fortnight as monitored by A, wasn’t affected by the cookie acceptance request; it was pretty similar to the usual number and pattern of visitors as tracked by A. I’m not sure why the proportional decline in pageloads and visitors differ: maybe because more people ended up reading the privacy page in addition to their intended reading.

Obviously these figures apply only to our site; you may find different results on yours. And comparing visitors or visits between analytics packages can be difficult, as they can be counted differently. But it is clear that there was a sizeable distortion in our website statistics as tracked by B.

What does this mean?

The average number of visitors over the period was, in fact, unchanged. So nobody was put off browsing by the fact that the Accept Cookies popup appeared.

However, very few of them explicitly accepted the cookies by clicking on the OK button.

This might be because they didn’t notice it, though I doubt that. It was quite a large popup. Much more likely is that they – you? – chose not to accept our cookies, either because you don’t like cookies or because you were just too busy to pay any attention to the popup. And it is, of course, your right to refuse: that is the point of the new Cookie Law.

Whatever the reason, that’s a lot of ‘no thanks’.

What impact might this have?

For us, only the inconvenience of inaccurate web statistics. And 95% astray is quite an inaccuracy!

If you’re earning money online, though, whether through advertising or direct sales, it might have more impact. Although functionally necessary cookies don’t require consent, there are others that you could be using to improve your service and sales that do. And if 95% of your visitors don’t accept the cookie, this might make understanding their needs and improving your service more difficult for you.

Most corporate websites will be in a similar situation to ours: cookies are primarily used for analytical purposes (and it may be that the Information Commissioner’s Office will not be concerned with these) or to add ‘nice to have’ features for which the visitor would be happy to accept cookies.

Obtaining consent to cookies is difficult. There’s a spectrum of possible options to balance visibility and aesthetics, running from a ‘You Shall Not Pass’ splash screen requiring acceptance before the site is visible, through a pop-up cookie alert and request, to a static bar saying ‘Please Accept Cookies’ or a link to a page saying ‘We Assume Consent’.

If you decide to aim for strict compliance, and request assent to cookies—as BT, for example, have—then there is a risk, as seen above, of severe disruption to your analytics information. You might wish to consider a top-bar alert similar to that of Rio Tinto: still highly visible, though it doesn’t ask for explicit consent.

We were using a pop-up cookie alert and request for consent, rather than a splash screen or a static bar—and have now removed the pop-up entirely, as the disruption to our analytics was unacceptably high. It remains to be seen what the ICO make of this partial solution.

What about your site? Do you think the Cookie Law is going to affect you?

Coca-Cola Takes Content Marketing to a New Level with the Content 2020 Project

coca-cola company content 2020 projectThe Coca-Cola Company is prioritizing content more than ever in its marketing strategy as part of a new mission to move from “creative excellence to content excellence” through its Content 2020 Project in the U.K.  The company defines content as “the creation of stories that are to be expressed through every possible connection.” For the Coca-Cola Company, “each story must have value and significance to people’s lives.”

The Coca-Cola Company views content as an opportunity to “create ideas that are so contagious, they cannot be controlled.” The company calls these ideas “liquid” and explains them as follows:

“[Liquid ideas] are so innately relevant to our business objectives, our brand, and consumer interests, we call this ‘linked’ and through the stories we tell, we will provoke conversations and earn a disproportionate share of popular culture.”

Using a Conversation Model, the Content 2020 Project starts with brand stories that become liquid ideas to which the company reacts. Leveraging technology, the Project is built on what the Coca-Cola Company refers to as a “demand culture where consumers can turn their demands on 24 hours a day.”

You can learn more about the Content 2020 Project in the two-part videos below.



Already, the Coca-Cola Company has launched a variety of content initiatives on Twitter, Facebook, videos, live online events, and blogs as part of the Content 2020 Project. With a goal to increase reliance on listening to consumers and engaging with them to gain deeper insights than traditional market research can provide, the Coca-Cola Company expects that the Project will enable it to create content that can be flexible and evolve with consumers’ demands.

What do you think of the Content 2020 Project? Leave a comment and share your thoughts on the Coca-Cola Company’s new strategic focus on content marketing.

Coupons Deliver High Engagement on Facebook for Brands

A new study from Wildfire Interactive that analyzed a random sample of 10,000 Facebook campaigns found that coupons drive the highest response rates. In fact, Facebook campaigns with coupons saw 61% higher response rates than campaigns with giveaways, which ranked second in terms of response rates. On the other hand, the report found that pick your favorites Facebook campaigns are shared the most (21% more than the next most shared type of campaign — quizzes).

The complete breakdown of campaign response rates follows:

  • Coupon = 3,037 average entries per campaign
  • Giveaway = 1,888 average entries per campaign
  • Sweepstakes = 1,630 average entries per campaign
  • Favorites = 1,070 average entries per campaign
  • Quiz = 1,024 average entries per campaign
  • Trivia = 410 average entries per campaign
  • Essay contest = 398 average entries per campaign
  • Photo contest = 381 average entries per campaign
  • Video contest = 313 average entries per campaign

Interestingly, the findings were quite different when analyzing the amount of earned media (i.e., shares) that Facebook campaigns generated. The complete breakdown of campaign types by rate of sharing follows:

  • Pick your favorites = 39%
  • Quizzes = 32%
  • Trivia contests = 28%
  • Sweepstakes = 26%
  • Essay contest = 25%
  • Photo contest = 25%
  • Coupons = 19%
  • Giveaway = 15%
  • Video contest = 11%

For brands, these statistics are enlightening. Creating a successful Facebook campaign depends very much on the specific goals for each campaign. Raising brand awareness and broadening brand reach requires shareable campaigns, but the campaigns that get shared the most aren’t the same as the campaigns that actually drive response rates.

For example, a pick your favorites campaign encourages people to show off their great taste (or the version of it that they want the online audience to see). Therefore, these campaigns can become very viral. On the other hand, people don’t necessarily want others to perceive them as cheap, so coupon campaigns are shared less frequently. Similarly, people love to win prizes, but they’re less likely to share contest information and reduce their odds of winning. Coupons and contests drive response rates, but they require greater marketing efforts and expenditures by the brand to raise awareness of them.

These statistics are certainly helpful for brands that want to reach specific goals through their Facebook initiatives. One type of campaign isn’t right for every strategic goal. Consider the findings from this study next time you develop a Facebook campaign, and make sure you build the right campaign for your brand, your audience, and your objectives.

Image: Judit Klein

Facebook Helps Brands Drive Growth in Emerging Markets [Infographic]

facebook hqIn a new infographic, SocialBakers visually explains the opportunity that Facebook offers brands to connect with a global audience, particularly in emerging markets. According to the data in the infographic, of the 901 million Facebook users, only 157 million are located in the United States.

That means 83% of the people who use Facebook are not from the United States. They’re from countries around the world, which makes Facebook a truly global online destination that brands want to turn into sales opportunities.

Here is a breakdown of the ten countries with the most Facebook members:

  1. United States: 157 million people (51% population penetration)
  2. Brazil: 47 million people (23% population penetration)
  3. India: 46 million people (4% population penetration)
  4. Indonesia: 42 million people (17% population penetration)
  5. Mexico: 33 million people (19% population penetration)
  6. United Kingdom: 31 million people (49% population penetration)
  7. Turkey: 31 million people (39% population penetration)
  8. Philippines: 27 million people (27% population penetration)
  9. France: 24 million people (38% population penetration)
  10. Germany: 24 million people (29% population penetration)

The top brands on Facebook vary from one country to the next as you can see in the infographic pictured below.

Facebook brands infographic

Popular brands on Facebook that are successfully engaging consumers, as depicted in this infographic, come from a variety of categories. The apparel, technology, food and beverage, and automotive categories are the most prevalent, but this diversity shows that your brand doesn’t have to operate in a specific category, local market, or niche to successfully engage consumers on Facebook. If a 2011 study by SocialCode is correct, and each Facebook Page fan can be valued at $9.56, the top brands on Facebook are going to reap the rewards of their social media efforts.

It’s also interesting to compare the top ten list from this infographic to similar lists from prior years. In 2011, Ignite Social Media put together a list of the top 50 branded Facebook pages. Back in 2010, Visibli put together a list of the most engaging brands on Facebook while TheNextWeb.com compiled a list of 28 branded Facebook Pages with the most likes. Take a look at those lists and you’ll see some of the same brands that appear on the infographic from SocialBakers for 2012.

Facebook is available in 70 languages, and as the SocialBakers infographic shows, global use of Facebook keeps on growing. Which brands do you think are the most engaging on Facebook? Are you using Facebook to increase the global reach of your brand? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: Marco Paköeningrat

Importance of Following Your Twitter Fans

Jessica Sanders offers a guest post about Twitter for us today, discussing some options for following back your Twitter fans.

As a company on Twitter, or any other social network for that matter, it’s critical that you show your fans and customers that they are very important to you. Social networks are for connecting with others on a personal level, thus customers connect with you to engage and communicate. Following your Twitter fans back is critical to gaining their respect and loyalty, not to mention it’s an efficient marketing model to create brand awareness.

“Twitter has millions of users and more people are joining it every day, which makes it one of the best places to look for potential customers … Not just that, businesses can also connect with their existing customers and interact with them to know more about how the business or brand is being perceived in the market.”

iMarketingFactory.com

Manual

If your business is just starting out or is only taking in a few new followers a week, you will be able to manually follow your new tweeps back. When you do this manually, you have the freedom to customize and engage with your fans. This is ideal for building a strong customer base that is dedicated to your brand.

  • Thank them: Always thank your fans for the following. Customers want to be appreciated.
  • Customize a message or Tweet: Tell them what they can expect from your Twitter account, i.e. offer discounts, exclusive deals, etc.
  • Ask an engaging question: What do you want to see here? How can we make your experience better? Do you have any suggestions for us?

Automatic

Auto-tweeting is quite the debate and a hot topic for large corporations. Because Twitter volume is often too high to maintain manually, companies have turned to automated following processes to sustain the connections while saving time.
If you choose to utilize an automated program, be sure to include a message for each new follower. It should sound natural, personal and avoid the cookie cutter feel. To get started, check out some easy to use automated programs.

  • Tweepi: This is your all in one tweeting dashboard. Perform bulk follows, view stats and send Tweets, all from one place – and all for free.
  • Friend or Follow: As a basic tool, this will do exactly what you want it to, and that’s about it. However, you must be a Gold Member to follow or unfollow in bulk batches.
  • Refollow: You get 100 free unfollow/refollows before having to pay. It’s great for organizing followers, both old and new. The sorting tool will also allow you to organize things such as accounts that have mentioned your company, which allows you to engage more.

Manage New Followers

The built in Twitter feature, Lists, allows you to focus on smaller groups, as opposed to the whole. In a large corporation, this is an easy way to follow everyone back, but weed out the potential bots or uninvolved accounts.

  • Set up your list: You can choose to make this public or private, though I would suggest keeping it private.
  • Add your followers: Create lists of new followers, older followers, niche followers, etc.
  • Give attention: Focus on those within your lists – you may create one list for new followers, and devote a month to them; getting them involved, engaged and interested, then switch them out for a new batch.

Following your fans back is critical to having a successful Twitter presence. There are a variety of ways to do this; simply choose the one that works best for you to get started right away.

Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics from social media to telemarketing services. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including payroll processing for lead generation resource, Resource Nation.