6 key trends in digital advertising

Adweek’s list of trends driving digital advertising includes the convergence of mobile and desktop media, the rise of HTML5 as a means of presenting app-like content on tablets and computers, and an abandonment of click-through rates as a marker of online advertising success.  Adweek 

How Facebook commerce falls short

Facebook commerce is being touted as the next big thing in online shopping, but many brands are missing the point, Michael Olson writes. Most big e-commerce sites get a third or so of their traffic from organic searches, Olson writes, but most Facebook commerce pages are hard for nonfans to discover. Until Facebook starts giving marketers the analytics and search engine optimization tools they need, he writes, brands are better off treating Facebook as an adjunct to their e-commerce strategy rather than as their primary online sales hub. GigaOm

6 ways to get more out of your “Like” button

Facebook “Like” buttons are a great way of boosting traffic and spreading content around the Web, John Haydon writes. To get the most bang for your buck, consider positioning the button near a blog post’s headline, or at least keep your buttons “above the fold.”  JohnHaydon.com

Coupons look like local’s killer app

Media companies struggled for years to generate ad revenue from the local online market, experimenting with city guides featuring local entertainment content, banner ads and search ads. The advent of social shopping sites like Groupon, which give consumers discounts at local businesses, appears to have unlocked the local online ad market. According to forecasts from BIA/Kelsey, local online ad spending is poised to climb from $20 billion in 2010 to $35 billion in 2014.  Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model), The

Online coupons reach nearly half of Web users

Digital coupon usage is now firmly a part of the online shopping experience of millions of U.S. consumers. Nearly half of U.S. adult Internet users, or 88.2 million people, have redeemed an online coupon or code for use either online or offline in the past year, according to eMarketer. “Consumer brands are accustomed to promoting their products in stores and in newspaper inserts,” said eMarketer principal analyst Jeffrey Grau. “But as more shoppers make purchase decisions online before taking a shopping trip, brands are following them onto the Internet.”

To find out more about eMarketer’s coverage of trends in digital couponing click here.

Google’s digital wallet has high-profile partners

Google unwrapped a long-awaited mobile-payment plan. Partnerships with MasterCard Worldwide and Citigroup, as well as high-profile merchants including Macy’s and Subway, might mean the system will enjoy faster adoption when it officially launches this summer for Android users. The system will allow consumers to pay, earn loyalty points and use coupons by swiping their phone.  Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)

Heineken ads hit YouTube before TV

Heineken’s newest ad campaign is being released on its YouTube and Facebook sites prior to being seen as a standard TV spot. The clips have already been viewed more than 4 million times. Alexis Nasard, chief commercial officer at Heineken, said the reason behind the campaign is “to think digital at the inception, not as an afterthought.”  New York Times (tiered subscription model), The