Author: Brad Johnson

https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/619137356/0/convinceandconvertconsulting/

Content marketing continues to generate buzz and can be an amazing way to generate new leads and convert those leads into customers. No matter what form the content takes, it can help establish a brand as an authority in its field. The state of content marketing in the last few years has been one of great change.

The latest State of Content Marketing Report from SEMrush analyzed more than 450,000 tweets, 700,000 blog posts, hundreds of thousands of Google search queries and surveyed more than 1,200 marketing professionals around the world.

The report uncovered a number of content marketing trends that ruled the marketing world over the past year.

Here are ten content marketing statistics from the report that highlight the trends most likely to continue over the next several years.

Longer Articles Over 3,000 Words Received 3X More Traffic

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Longer articles over 3,000 words receive 3X more traffic, according to a report by @SEMrush #contentmarketing

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In a few years, articles went from short pieces to lengthy, detailed pieces chock full of information. Pieces of 3,000 words or more got about three times the traffic and four times the shares as articles between 900 to 1,200 words. They also got more backlinks than shorter pieces.

While there is still a place for shorter pieces, a mix of long-form articles helps drive traffic and keeps site visitors engaged. The longer articles may also rank better in search engine results throughout 2020 (until the algorithms change yet again, anyway.

Around 37% of Americans Use Mobile Platforms to Go Online

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Around 37% of Americans use mobile platforms to go online

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For the last few years, there has been a huge push to go mobile-first and to really make online content smartphone-friendly.

While there is evidence that more and more people use their phones to access the internet, the results in the State of Content Marketing Report highlight that many still access websites via desktop.

Pew Internet Research found that about 37% of Americans use their mobile devices to go online and the overall number of people owning a smartphone went from 35% in 2011 to 81% in 2019. Mobile usage continues to rise in 2020.

However, many still use their desktops to research information. In a look at over 1,000 blogs, researchers discovered that around 63% of the traffic to automotive dealerships is via desktop. The numbers reach as high as 80% and above for online education and marketing topics.

The key takeaway here is to write for the audience rather than a device and make sure your website adapts to whatever screen size the user has at a given moment.

Successful Blogs Use a Mix of 13.8% Lists, 10.8% Q&As and 5.10% How-Tos

The report also looked at the different types of articles posted on blogs and found that most blogs benefited from a mix of different topics. For example, online education blogs had a mix of traffic that looked something like this: 3.6% guides, 5.10% how-to pieces, 10.8% Q&A articles and 13.8% lists.

Finding the right mix for each website is a matter of digging into site analytics and analyzing not only the popular topics on that blog but also competitor blogs. Many blogs even offer a look at the most popular articles, making it easy to do a bit of research and uncover which topics are popular with a given target audience.

There Are 2.96 Billion People on Social Media

One thing the report uncovered is that most businesses aren’t using social media as much as they should be, based on the number of users. There are approximately 2.96 billion people on social media.

The only categories using social media frequently enough were the fitness and health, home and garden and pharmaceutical categories. Each business is unique, so some marketers did a better job at social media promotions than others. However, it is a real weakness in the industry that must be addressed.

Headlines of 14 Words or More Got 5X More Backlinks

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Headlines of 14 words or more get 5X more backlinks #contentmarketing

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The report also uncovered an increase in headline length. The reason writers should use longer headlines of 14 words or more is because they get twice as much traffic, two times as many shares and five times more backlinks.

The traditional advice was to keep headline length between seven and 10 words, but that seems to be changing. People want to know they are getting the specific information they’re seeking.

Listicles Get Double the Traffic of Other Types of Posts

Listicles seem to be everywhere. People are busy and they like information they can absorb in quick chunks. The ability to skim over subheadings in a listicle helps the user zero in on the exact advice they need.

The State of Content Marketing Report 2019 by SEMrush also uncovered that listicles get the most shares and traffic — as much as double what other types of posts receive.

36% of Articles With Both H2 and H3 Headings Got More Traffic and Shares

The study also uncovered that the use of both H2 and H3 headings resulted in higher performances.

About 36% of articles with both headings had more traffic, shares and backlinks than similar articles without. The reason likely comes back to the need for people to skim and find the exact material needed. Descriptive headings save the reader time and frustration.

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36% of articles With both H2 and H3 headings get more traffic and shares #contentmarketing

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2020 Is About Ranking Higher Than Position #1

Search engines such as Google now use position zero to highlight quick snippets of content. While rich snippets have been around for a while, the way Google pulls information from content changed a bit in the last two years.

A rich snippet can appear anywhere in the text, so utilizing bullets helps Google see what content readers need most. Bulleted lists also make content more skimmable for readers.

The Word ‘Strategy’ Appeared in 29% of Tweets About Content Marketing

For years, top marketers have turned to well-organized plans in order to gain the most traction possible. The keyword phrase “content marketing strategy” was the most popular keyword in the category of content marketing and appeared in 29% of tweets. Content marketing strategy also appeared in the top 20 questions asked on Google about the topic.

In the last year, most people noticed more and more campaigns geared toward a specific holiday or event. Promoters have learned that people want highly personalized material that speaks directly to them and their needs. At the same time, consistency is the key to brand name recognition. Planned-out programs offer variety while still tying everything together with an underlying theme.

The Majority of Marketing Agencies Expanded Their Product Offerings

Another trend in the past year is a shift in the way marketing agencies package their products. Some agencies turned to proprietary software to increase the advantages of working with them over another agency. There is a lot of competition in the digital marketing space, so anything a company does to stand out increases potential profits.

Agencies should look at services already offered and find ways to expand into a full-service agency, so clients get all their exposure from one place. For example, add an event-planning service complete with logo-imprinted giveaway items. Any work that is farmed out or covered by another company is an opportunity for growth in 2020.

Conclusion

If you haven’t already, I urge you to download the State of Content Marketing Report from SEMrush. It’s filled with even more useful data to help guide your content marketing strategy this year.

The post 10 Content Marketing Statistics for 2020 appeared first on Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy.

https://econsultancy.com/the-best-digital-marketing-stats-weve-seen-this-week-71/

In this edition we’ll be looking at data on DOOH, fake reviews, mobile payments and lots more.

Before we get going, make sure to take a look at our Internet Statistics Database for additional marketing insights.

Contextually relevant DOOH campaigns experience a 17% lift in audience response

A collaborative report from JCDecaux, Clear Channel and Posterscope was released this week, in which it was claimed contextual relevancy in DOOH campaigns has the ability to improve audience response by an average of 17%. The in-depth study was formed of three parts, analysing initial brain response, the ability to recall an ad to mind, and any resulting purchase behaviours.

The first-stage data found that displaying an ad at a relevant time of day or day of the week caused an average 12% increase in brain response from consumers. Meanwhile, location-based ads (such as those relating to the current weather) saw an average 18% increase. Brands that combined both of these contexts together in one ad saw the biggest and most effective uplift of 32%.

When considering viewers’ recall abilities, the study revealed a 17% average improvement in spontaneous ad awareness and a longer overall amount of time spent observing an ad (+6%).

Consequently, the use of such dynamic DOOH ads resulted in a 16% growth in sales compared to a control study featuring no OOH. By comparison, a modest 9% sales growth occurred when consumers were exposed to a traditional non-dynamic creative campaign vs. no OOH.

Glen Wilson, MD at Posterscope commented on the findings:

“We’ve always believed in the power of dynamic and seen amazing results from those clients that have embraced it.  This research proves beyond doubt that dynamic campaigns work, delivering on effectiveness and engagement, but perhaps most importantly, generating an uplift in sales.”

The rise of programmatic outdoor: what advertisers need to know

The average UK consumer wasted £63 on purchases driven by unreliable reviews in 2019

According to a report from Trustpilot, the average UK consumer wasted £63 on purchases driven by unreliable reviews in 2019.

In the UK, 90% of consumers said that they look at reviews before deciding to purchase a product, proving the extent of the influence they have on the overall customer journey to conversion. In fact, respondents from the region cited positive customer reviews as a key purchase driver, second only to the reliability of the product and service.

When it comes to trustworthiness, ratings and reviews are also ranked second – just behind direct advocacy from family and friends. However, the study suggests that consumers are becoming aware of the prevalence of fake feedback, instead making more purchase decisions based on perceived authenticity rather than perfect 5-star reviews across the board.

As a result, 62% of UK respondents said that they would prefer to buy from a company that has made a small mistake and responded quickly to it than one that seems to never have made a mistake at all. The same percentage also admitted that they were not immediately won over by 5-star reviews, instead opting to do more research into the brand before committing to a purchase.

As customer attitudes towards authenticity become more sceptical, perhaps the amount of money wasted on products driven by unreliable reviews will decline over time.

Ratings and Reviews Best Practice Guide

Mobile/digital wallets predicted to make up 52% of global ecommerce payments by 2023

New research conducted by FIS Global predicts that mobile/digital wallets will make up 52% of online payments by 2023. Meanwhile, the global ecommerce market is also expected to see an increase of 53% during the same time period, valuing it at a whopping $5.9 trillion.

It’s not just online shopping experiencing this surge in digital wallet payments, however – it’s quickly becoming the norm for everyday instore purchases too. Twenty-two percent of transactions in physical retail stores were completed using a mobile/digital wallet in 2019, an uplift from 16% in 2018.

It is interesting to note the surge in popularity of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes over recent years, driven by consumer demand and expectations. Consequently, the data from this study indicates that it will be the fastest-growing payment preference over the next five years, rising at a 28% compound annual rate. Currently, the EMEA region are leading the way when it comes to the use of buy now pay later schemes at 5.8% of all ecommerce purchases, while North America comprises under 1%. Both are expected to rise significantly over the coming years.

These statistics emphasise the importance that brands (which haven’t yet done so) must begin offering this payment method and the use of digital wallets or risk being left trailing behind their competitors.

US marketers identify ‘trusting relationships’ as customers’ top priority for 2020, overtaking ‘excellent service’

Marketers have predicted that ‘trusting relationships’ will be consumers’ top priority for 2020, overtaking ‘excellent service’, according to the latest edition of The CMO Survey.

Twenty-seven percent of 2631 US marketers surveyed agreed in February that ‘trusting relationships’ are more important to customers now than they were in August 2019 (scoring 19.4% at the time). Instead, ‘excellent service’, which ranked as the highest priority in August with 26.5%, was knocked off the top spot as it declined to 24% according to the most recent 2020 data.

Chart via The CMO Survey

As a result, 67.7% of respondents predict that improved customer retention will be on the horizon for brands that focus on the highest priorities determined, instigating increased customer loyalty.

Furthermore, the pressure to offer customers the lowest price appears to have waned significantly. In fact, it was the only priority that experienced a year-on-year drop out of all five measured – 21.3% in February 2019 to 10.4% in February 2020. This suggests that shoppers are becoming more concerned with issues such as product quality and customer service than bagging a bargain, as reflected in other reported trends in purchase behaviour.

Short guide to trust, transparency and brand safety

Fashion Nova ranks as highest spender on Instagram influencer marketing in 2019

Insight from influencer analytics tool Instascreener claims that Fashion Nova spent a cool $40m on Instagram influencer marketing in 2019, the highest investment from any advertiser on the social platform that year. Other top spenders on such ads in 2019 include Flat Tummy Co ($13m), Ciroc ($11m) and Walmart (9m).

Fashion Nova, the global online fashion brand, has 17.4m followers on Instagram at the time of writing, and is particularly well known for its celebrity endorsements and collaborations. One such advocate is Kylie Jenner, who reportedly charges an average of $1.2m per Instagram ad. No wonder, then, that the brand doesn’t seem to be afraid of splashing the cash.

View this post on Instagram

“I could buy designer but this @FashionNova fit” ????

A post shared by Kylie ???? (@kyliejenner) on Apr 14, 2018 at 3:43pm PDT

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

However, despite ranking top for spending, Fashion Nova didn’t even make the top ten when it came to authentic user engagement on the platform. Instead, Audi took that crown with an impressive 9.3% engagement rate from its sponsored posts, while Sambazon and Clearblue ranked second and third at 8.7% and 8.2% respectively.

Meanwhile, the total Instagram influencer marketing spend in US and Canada reached in $434m in Q4 2019, up from $234m in the equivalent quarter in 2018, according to the data.

Corona beer’s “Buzz” suffers thanks to coronavirus

New research by YouGov has found that brand sentiment around Corona beer has declined sharply in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

Despite having absolutely nothing to do with the illness (apart from an unfortunate similarity in name), reports have widely circulated that consumers are now averse to buying Corona beer as a result of a perceived link with the virus – or perhaps just an aversion to jokes being made about the link.

While many of these statistics have been misreported, they do appear to have had a real impact on brand perception for Corona beer. YouGov’s “Buzz” score – which measures whether consumers have heard something positive or negative about a brand – for Corona Extra beer has seen a significant decline as news about coronavirus has spread. It is now at a record low of 51, from a score of 75 at the start of January.

Data via YouGov

YouGov also reported that purchase intent for Corona beer has hit its lowest level in two years, although it admits that “the summer-y beverage which is closely associated with beach holidays does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.”

Constellation Brands, the parent company which owns Corona beer, has denied that the continuing news coverage of the virus is having an impact on its revenue. While reports have surfaced of Corona’s parent brand experiencing its lowest sales quarter in a decade following the outbreak, this is linked to a sales slump in China due to fewer people venturing out in public – rather than the name of the beer.

Novel coronavirus outbreak: how Clorox and Lysol are using rapid-response marketing

The post The best digital marketing stats we’ve seen this week appeared first on Econsultancy.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWritePractice/~3/KIOw7AZ_VP4/

As writers, we know reading is a fundamental part of our practice. We’re encouraged to expose ourselves to new writers, texts, words, and ideas. But do you ever find yourself reading something and wondering, “What am I looking for? How can I learn from this writer?”

Writing practice is at the heart of everything we do here at The Write Practice. Every week, we share new fifteen-minute fiction writing exercises to help you practice and grow as a writer.

But what if you could build your own fiction writing exercises? What if you could find something you love in a story someone else has written, and then practice how to recreate that yourself? What if you could take the lead in your own growth as a writer and learn from your favorite stories and authors?

You can! Here are three steps to help you analyze any text to learn its secrets and apply its lessons. 

First, Choose a Book to Study

Developing writers often love to read, but they don’t know how to move beyond the reader experience of a text to analyze how a writer is creating an effect. 

Not every text begs analysis, of course. When I’m after a quick pleasure read at the beach or a fast-paced thriller to help me escape the mundane, I don’t want to slow down to unpack a writer’s method. 

But when I am trying to get better as a writer, I need to choose some texts that can teach me. Depending on your goals, you might choose a writer you admire, a reader-favorite in a genre, or a classic novel.  I think it helps if you’ve read the text through at least once, so you aren’t trying to grasp the basic premise of the scene or section.

3 Steps to Learn From a Book

Once you’ve chosen a text, try these three steps to help you learn a text’s secrets and apply them to your own writing with fiction writing exercises. 

1. Describe what you see

First, narrow your focus. If you want to get better at dialogue, choose a dialogue-heavy scene. If you want to improve your ability to write suspense, choose a chapter or scene that had you captivated until the end. 

Read the scene or chapter slowly, pencil in hand. You can record your notes in the margins or in a notebook. Read a paragraph, section, or page and then stop and describe what you see related to your area of focus.

For example, in a fast-paced scene, do you notice how the dialogue is clipped? Are the sentences short? 

See if you can describe the various parts of the scene. What are the characters doing before and after they speak? When does the scene begin? Where does it end? 

2. Ask why and how questions

Once you have a good list describing what you noticed, ask why and how.

If you noticed the dialogue sentences are clipped and short, even fragments in places, ask yourself why, My guess is that those short sentences speed the pace to keep the reader engaged. But maybe they reflect how the character speaks differently under pressure, revealing insecurity. 

There are no wrong answers—only defensible ones. Try to come up with multiple reasons for how a writer is creating the effect or why they are crafting a scene this way. 

Also, here’s a shortcut for this step: ask yourself what the story’s genre is.

Genre dictates a number of choices for writers. A thriller will almost always have someone racing against a literal or metaphorical clock. A mystery will have a dead body or puzzle, usually in the first quarter of the book.

Notice the patterns you see related to the genre and ask yourself how they propel the story forward.  

3. Apply the lesson

Now that you have a good list of description and some great questions or observations about how and why a scene is developed, it’s your turn. Choose one of the sections you analyzed. It might be a paragraph, a page, or a scene. 

Practice recreating the effect in your own style and voice. You can create a character composite or swap in a character from your work in progress. If your analysis revealed short, clipped dialogue, write short sentences. If your analysis showed a clever technique for character description, try it out using your own details. 

There’s no wrong way to do it. All developing writers mimic the greats as they find their own voices. Don’t be afraid to learn from authors you love, using their work as a model. 

Practice Is Key

It’s one thing to read books you love. It’s another thing entirely to write books you love, books that can hold their own on the shelf next to your favorite authors.

But if you study your favorite books and create fiction writing exercises to practice the techniques they use to capture your imagination, you can recreate those experiences for yourself. Better yet, you can build on them to create something new and innovative, something readers can’t put down.

Pull a book off your shelf, study it, and create a way to practice what that author’s done. How will their skill weave its way into your writing?

Have you used a similar process to learn from other authors? What helps you learn from the books you read? Share your ideas in the comments. 

The post How to Find the Best Fiction Writing Exercises in Your Favorite Novel appeared first on The Write Practice.

https://econsultancy.com/the-best-digital-marketing-stats-weve-seen-this-week-71/

In this edition we’ll be looking at data on DOOH, fake reviews, mobile payments and lots more.

Before we get going, make sure to take a look at our Internet Statistics Database for additional marketing insights.

Contextually relevant DOOH campaigns experience a 17% lift in audience response

A collaborative report from JCDecaux, Clear Channel and Posterscope was released this week, in which it was claimed contextual relevancy in DOOH campaigns has the ability to improve audience response by an average of 17%. The in-depth study was formed of three parts, analysing initial brain response, the ability to recall an ad to mind, and any resulting purchase behaviours.

The first-stage data found that displaying an ad at a relevant time of day or day of the week caused an average 12% increase in brain response from consumers. Meanwhile, location-based ads (such as those relating to the current weather) saw an average 18% increase. Brands that combined both of these contexts together in one ad saw the biggest and most effective uplift of 32%.

When considering viewers’ recall abilities, the study revealed a 17% average improvement in spontaneous ad awareness and a longer overall amount of time spent observing an ad (+6%).

Consequently, the use of such dynamic DOOH ads resulted in a 16% growth in sales compared to a control study featuring no OOH. By comparison, a modest 9% sales growth occurred when consumers were exposed to a traditional non-dynamic creative campaign vs. no OOH.

Glen Wilson, MD at Posterscope commented on the findings:

“We’ve always believed in the power of dynamic and seen amazing results from those clients that have embraced it.  This research proves beyond doubt that dynamic campaigns work, delivering on effectiveness and engagement, but perhaps most importantly, generating an uplift in sales.”

The rise of programmatic outdoor: what advertisers need to know

The average UK consumer wasted £63 on purchases driven by unreliable reviews in 2019

According to a report from Trustpilot, the average UK consumer wasted £63 on purchases driven by unreliable reviews in 2019.

In the UK, 90% of consumers said that they look at reviews before deciding to purchase a product, proving the extent of the influence they have on the overall customer journey to conversion. In fact, respondents from the region cited positive customer reviews as a key purchase driver, second only to the reliability of the product and service.

When it comes to trustworthiness, ratings and reviews are also ranked second – just behind direct advocacy from family and friends. However, the study suggests that consumers are becoming aware of the prevalence of fake feedback, instead making more purchase decisions based on perceived authenticity rather than perfect 5-star reviews across the board.

As a result, 62% of UK respondents said that they would prefer to buy from a company that has made a small mistake and responded quickly to it than one that seems to never have made a mistake at all. The same percentage also admitted that they were not immediately won over by 5-star reviews, instead opting to do more research into the brand before committing to a purchase.

As customer attitudes towards authenticity become more sceptical, perhaps the amount of money wasted on products driven by unreliable reviews will decline over time.

Ratings and Reviews Best Practice Guide

Mobile/digital wallets predicted to make up 52% of global ecommerce payments by 2023

New research conducted by FIS Global predicts that mobile/digital wallets will make up 52% of online payments by 2023. Meanwhile, the global ecommerce market is also expected to see an increase of 53% during the same time period, valuing it at a whopping $5.9 trillion.

It’s not just online shopping experiencing this surge in digital wallet payments, however – it’s quickly becoming the norm for everyday instore purchases too. Twenty-two percent of transactions in physical retail stores were completed using a mobile/digital wallet in 2019, an uplift from 16% in 2018.

It is interesting to note the surge in popularity of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes over recent years, driven by consumer demand and expectations. Consequently, the data from this study indicates that it will be the fastest-growing payment preference over the next five years, rising at a 28% compound annual rate. Currently, the EMEA region are leading the way when it comes to the use of buy now pay later schemes at 5.8% of all ecommerce purchases, while North America comprises under 1%. Both are expected to rise significantly over the coming years.

These statistics emphasise the importance that brands (which haven’t yet done so) must begin offering this payment method and the use of digital wallets or risk being left trailing behind their competitors.

US marketers identify ‘trusting relationships’ as customers’ top priority for 2020, overtaking ‘excellent service’

Marketers have predicted that ‘trusting relationships’ will be consumers’ top priority for 2020, overtaking ‘excellent service’, according to the latest edition of The CMO Survey.

Twenty-seven percent of 2631 US marketers surveyed agreed in February that ‘trusting relationships’ are more important to customers now than they were in August 2019 (scoring 19.4% at the time). Instead, ‘excellent service’, which ranked as the highest priority in August with 26.5%, was knocked off the top spot as it declined to 24% according to the most recent 2020 data.

Chart via The CMO Survey

As a result, 67.7% of respondents predict that improved customer retention will be on the horizon for brands that focus on the highest priorities determined, instigating increased customer loyalty.

Furthermore, the pressure to offer customers the lowest price appears to have waned significantly. In fact, it was the only priority that experienced a year-on-year drop out of all five measured – 21.3% in February 2019 to 10.4% in February 2020. This suggests that shoppers are becoming more concerned with issues such as product quality and customer service than bagging a bargain, as reflected in other reported trends in purchase behaviour.

Short guide to trust, transparency and brand safety

Fashion Nova ranks as highest spender on Instagram influencer marketing in 2019

Insight from influencer analytics tool Instascreener claims that Fashion Nova spent a cool $40m on Instagram influencer marketing in 2019, the highest investment from any advertiser on the social platform that year. Other top spenders on such ads in 2019 include Flat Tummy Co ($13m), Ciroc ($11m) and Walmart (9m).

Fashion Nova, the global online fashion brand, has 17.4m followers on Instagram at the time of writing, and is particularly well known for its celebrity endorsements and collaborations. One such advocate is Kylie Jenner, who reportedly charges an average of $1.2m per Instagram ad. No wonder, then, that the brand doesn’t seem to be afraid of splashing the cash.

View this post on Instagram

“I could buy designer but this @FashionNova fit” ????

A post shared by Kylie ???? (@kyliejenner) on Apr 14, 2018 at 3:43pm PDT

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

However, despite ranking top for spending, Fashion Nova didn’t even make the top ten when it came to authentic user engagement on the platform. Instead, Audi took that crown with an impressive 9.3% engagement rate from its sponsored posts, while Sambazon and Clearblue ranked second and third at 8.7% and 8.2% respectively.

Meanwhile, the total Instagram influencer marketing spend in US and Canada reached in $434m in Q4 2019, up from $234m in the equivalent quarter in 2018, according to the data.

Corona beer’s “Buzz” suffers thanks to coronavirus

New research by YouGov has found that brand sentiment around Corona beer has declined sharply in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

Despite having absolutely nothing to do with the illness (apart from an unfortunate similarity in name), reports have widely circulated that consumers are now averse to buying Corona beer as a result of a perceived link with the virus – or perhaps just an aversion to jokes being made about the link.

While many of these statistics have been misreported, they do appear to have had a real impact on brand perception for Corona beer. YouGov’s “Buzz” score – which measures whether consumers have heard something positive or negative about a brand – for Corona Extra beer has seen a significant decline as news about coronavirus has spread. It is now at a record low of 51, from a score of 75 at the start of January.

Data via YouGov

YouGov also reported that purchase intent for Corona beer has hit its lowest level in two years, although it admits that “the summer-y beverage which is closely associated with beach holidays does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.”

Constellation Brands, the parent company which owns Corona beer, has denied that the continuing news coverage of the virus is having an impact on its revenue. While reports have surfaced of Corona’s parent brand experiencing its lowest sales quarter in a decade following the outbreak, this is linked to a sales slump in China due to fewer people venturing out in public – rather than the name of the beer.

Novel coronavirus outbreak: how Clorox and Lysol are using rapid-response marketing

The post The best digital marketing stats we’ve seen this week appeared first on Econsultancy.

https://wordtothewise.com/2020/02/what-is-fcrdns-and-why-do-we-care/

It’s been a light blogging month. We’ve been dancing around getting the final plans, financing, and contractors set up for the work we’re doing on the Dublin house and then heading off for our first actual vacation in almost 5 years. But, I wrote half of this answering a question on mailop, so I may as well polish and publish.

What is FCrDNS

FCrDNS stands for Full Circle reverse DNS or Forward-Confirmed reverse DNS. It means that if you do a DNS lookup on the domain in a reverse DNS lookup than that domain will point back to the original IP. The name actually comes from the fact that if you start with the IP address and go through the hostname, you get a full circle.

The reason FCrDNS is a thing is because any IP address owner can assign any domain to the rDNS of an IP address. They are in complete control and there are no technical checks that the hostname be a domain they own. Anyone could assign their IP a rDNS of angrygoose.google.com, or flowerchild.facebook.com or jupiter.spamhaus.com to their IPs. And, in fact, lots of spammers did just this, assigning domains to their IPs that they didn’t own.

Why do we care about FCrDNS?

Spammers lie, a lot. The did all sorts of things to avoid being blocked. Stealing legitimate domain names in their rDNS was one of those. They’d set up their IPs forging known domains as a way to try and get around some filters. Receiving systems figured this out pretty quickly. They started doing FCrDNS checks to verify that the person managing DNS for that IP space also manages DNS for the domain space. The underlying idea, is that if the IP points to a hostname and that hostname points back to the same IP, then everything is under control of the same entity.

FCrDNS is a method of deciding whether or not the IP address is legitimately being used by the domain in the rDNS entry. FCrDNS is a way to verify the identity of the connecting IP. If the rDNS doesn’t match, then it’s much more likely that the mail is coming from an illegitimate source. 

What should have a FCrDNS?

Basically, any time you set up rDNS on an IP address it’s good practice to give the corresponding hostname an A record. For IP sending outgoing mail, this is one of those expected best practices. There’s an IP address with a rDNS of a single hostname and the hostname points back to the IP address. That IP uses the same hostname to introduce itself during the SMTP transaction. Certainly when I’m looking at IP addresses and domains and EHLO values I do check to see if everything matches.

But. Not every hostname has to have a single A/AAAA record. A single hostname can point to multiple IPs:

A single IP can also point to many different hostnames or no hostnames at all. In fact spot checks show me that none of the IP addresses in the example above actually have a rDNS set up.

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;2.160.97.40.in-addr.arpa.    IN  PTR

The ability of an IP to point to many hostnames and a hostname to point to many IPs complicates completing the circle. Anyone verifying FCrDNS on an IP with multiple PTR records needs to do multiple DNS lookups for the verification step. Lookups can quickly get out of hand if each of the domains in the PTR has multiple IPs then there’s even more DNS work.

These technical and practical realities are why we can only recommend that an IP sending mail have FCrDNS, we can’t require it. And, in fact, not all outgoing mail servers do have it.

FCrDNS is a hack to link an IP address to a domain. That’s all it’s there for. You set it up if you can, and should probably expend some effort to do so for dedicated outbound servers, particularly those sending bulk mail. But, no, your 5321.from domain doesn’t need to point to an IP simply so you can check this box