DOING MARKETING DURING THE TURMOIL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, the store assures the customers that the information thus collected will be kept private and it is. Rather than selling Coca-Cola a list of frequent Pepsi buyers and vice versa, the chain sells access to customers who, based on their known buying habits and the data they have supplied, are likely prospects for a particular supplier ’s product. Safeway charges several cents per name to suppliers who want their coupon or special promotional offer to reach just the right people. Since the coupon redemption also becomes an entry in the shop- per ’s transaction history file, the precise response rate of the targeted group is a matter of record. Furthermore, a particular customer ’s response or lack thereof to the offer becomes input data for future predictive models.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Express and other charge card suppliers do much the same thing, selling advertising space in and on their billing envelopes. The price they can charge for space in the envelope is directly tied to their ability to correctly iden­ tify people likely to respond to the ad. That is where data mining comes in. A Recommendation-Based Business Virgin Wines sells wine directly to consumers in the United Kingdom through its Web site, www.virginwines.com. New customers are invited to complete a survey, “the wine wizard,” when they first visit the site. The wine wizard asks each customer to rate various styles of wines. The ratings are used to create a profile of the customer ’s tastes. During the course of building the profile, the wine wizard makes some trial recommendations, and the customer has a chance to agree or disagree with them in order to refine the profile. When the wine wizard has been completed, the site knows enough about the customer to start making recommendations.

 

The Marketing Blog
Hello and welcome to The Marketing Blog. This blog has been developed to share my more than 13 years of Marketing experience with anyone interested in learning more about marketing. The Marketing Blog covers all aspects of marketing with a particular focus on marketing online.


This Week: Marketing With Original Content
7 Mar 2010 at 10:22am
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-week-marketing-with-original.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The Marketing Blog';

Having been in marketing for more than a dozen years, I can tell you that one thing that positions a company and product better than any other, is original content. Having unique content that is relevant to your audience can dramatically improve your business.
What is original content?
Anything that your write and publish (online, pdf, ebook, blog, etc.) is considered original content.  Often times creating original content is seen as a nice to have and not a must-have.  However, if anyone is to really make a difference for their products or brand, generating original content needs to be front and center.
This is why websites like CNN.com and MSNBC are so well known - original content.  Everything on their site is authored and done so with care and attention.  Now you might be say, "I sell widgets.  What does original content have to do with my business?"  That's an excellent question and one worth answering.
If am in the market for buying a widget, I'm probably going to search online.  From my first search, original content is going to win out.  Sites that have original content, that write their own reviews, product descriptions, and so on, are going to be ranked higher in search results.  Additionally, as I engage with the content - perhaps product reviews or descriptions - I'm going to move through the purchase decision process and buy something.
Sites that are using descriptions from other websites or don't have much content that speaks about widgets, aren't very engaging.  A site that creates and publishes different reviews, opinions, usage suggestions, and so on, will keep readers engaged and moving towards the ultimate outcome of a purchase.
Original content doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.
The complaint I often hear is that creating original content can be very time consuming or simply cost a bundle to have written.  In my experience it doesn't have to be.  Of course writing content for a website initially is going to take some time.  Once established, publishing a new article or adding some information from time to time is easy to do.
There are also plenty of plug-ins and other applications that can integrate reader comments, product reviews and so on.  By using these widgets, you can quickly integrate new content into your website site that is both relevant and meaningful.  Many of these widgets are free or very low cost.
If you're searching for original content, there are sites out there such as eLance that can connect you with writers, publishers, and experts to author whatever content you need created.  Most authors can now write for the web or print.  Don't be discouraged by the need for original content, embrace it.
Use original content to generate leads.
One of my favorite ways to use original content is to offer access to specialized information at a price.  Browsers may be interested for example in downloading a guide on how others have used their widgets (previous example) to do a special kind of project.  By asking browsers simply for their name and email, you can add them to your auto responder or prospect list.
Creatively using original content to get individuals to opt in is the first step in creating a pool of potential customers.  Think of their greatest needs, challenges, and requests for information and author something of value.  The result will be meaningful content that they are willing to exchange something for - usually contact information.
Original content is necessary for being successful online.  If you want to rank well on search engines, find a pipeline of potential customers, and be a resource for existing customers who continue to buy from you, then consider developing original content and you're sure to win every time
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Affiliate Marketing Made Simple
3 Mar 2010 at 8:39pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/03/affiliate-marketing-made-simple.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'Themarketingblog';
It's been a while since I spent any time talking about affiliate marketing even though it's something I do every day. A friend of mine asked me for a quick primer on affiliate marketing so I thought I'd share my thoughts with everyone who reads this blog. 

I know from the many comments and emails that many of you are interested in driving more traffic to your websites, improving rankings, and making the most from your PPC and other online advertising.
Many of you have also shared your goal to generate revenue online through affiliate marketing. For those of you who may not be all that familiar with affiliate marketing, the concept is simple: get paid for selling someone else's product. You might be asking, "why sell someone else's product and not my own?" The reality is that affiliate marketing isn't for everyone but it's great if you don't want to deal with the hassles of running your own traditional business.
Selling physical products, either from a retail establishment or online with a website requires that you advertise, sell, and process orders - usually through an online shopping cart. Once you've made a sale, you need to package and deliver the product, support any calls that come in (product questions, shipping inquires, reship damaged inventory, etc.). The process is labor intensive and time consuming.
Enter affiliate marketing. When selling someone else product through an affiliate network the steps are quite simple. You begin by selecting an affiliate product, do some affiliate advertising, and send traffic to a vendor's sales page. When a prospect converts you get paid.  Simple, isn't it?.  The advantage to you is that you're earning revenue with no inventory, no customer service, and no hassles.
What's wonderful about affiliate marketing is that there are plenty of product to choose from and dozens of large affiliate networks that aggregate many advertisers into a single platform, making the process of finding relevant products easy. Different products and offers also have different payouts. You can choose to sell big ticket items with big commissions or smaller offers. There are even recurring offers that deliver a steady income to the seller month after month... my favorite!
Getting started with affiliate marketing is simple to do. Visit a site like Clickbank to find suitable offers and promotional links.  All you need to do is start driving traffic through the links posted on your site and as prospects purchase items for the vendor's web page, you get paid. Most affiliate sites pay every couple of weeks by check, direct deposit, or via PayPal.
There are lots of ways drive traffic to your affiliate offers.  Use your website, write and distribute an article, review the product on your blog, tweet about it, use PPC marketing, etc.  There are many ways to promote different types of products.  I recommend that you choose products that have a good commission ($25 or more) and are related to your content.  If you have a web site about trucks, refer users to affiliate products such as truck parts.  If you stay relevant, you'll get good results.  Wander too far off course and your traffic will never convert.
If you want to start making money online, I encourage you to sign up for an affiliate network.  It costs nothing and can begin generating some extra cash for your wallet.  Successful affiliate marketers can make hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, or more.  Affiliate marketing is a great way to do business online and everyone should join in.For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

The Power of Free Trials
28 Feb 2010 at 2:49pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/02/power-of-free-trials.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'TheMarketingBlog';

This week I was surfing the web looking at different types of offers and couldn't help but think about all of the different approaches to getting prospects further along in the purchase decision funnel. This is one of the most important areas that we, as marketers, can focus on.
One type of sales/marketing promotion that I'm seeing quite a bit of is the free trial. Online, the way this generally works is to offer a 7 day or 30 day free trial.  When signing up for the offer, you are asked to enter your credit card information. Upon trial expiration, you're charged the full amount for your product or service.
Many services are subscription based too, charging your credit card a recurring fee. Subscription sites are a great way deliver information and provide a great deal of value. These sites, and others like them, are using free trials to allow you to experience the product or offering. Those who continue on with the product or service are more loyal and better informed about what they are buying.
I know a number of Internet marketers who offer subscription based services and they claim a much higher level of engagement among customers and higher degree of satisfaction. The question I have to ask myself as a marketer is how I can apply this methodology (free trial) to my own products and services?
This week, think about the products you're marketing or selling. Is there a way to give your prospect a sample of what you offer? If you are offering an informational product, can you share the first chapter or first couple of pages (..as I have with my book, SEO Made Simple)?  Can you offer a small sample of your physical product? If you are a retail store, can you construct product samples that would allow prospective customers to take something home and try it out for a short period - charging them if the item is not returned or returned late?
I realize that free trials aren't ideal for everyone or every product.  None-the-less, they force us rethink how we expose our prospects and services to our target market.  If free trials aren't viable for your business perhaps they can encourage you to rethink the payment model for your products or services.  Can users buy a basic service (sample) and then pay for the standard or platinum service?  What type of upgrades can you offer - adding features beyond an initial purchase.
By rethinking the value of a trial you can take your marketing to the next level.  The key is to experiment with different offers.  Measure how many prospects take you up on the initial offer and then the upsell or ongoing subscription.  It's important to focus on life time customer value, not just the initial purchase price.
Let me know if you're usin free trials and how successfuly they are for you!For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

The Most Powerful Form of Marketing: WOM
21 Feb 2010 at 10:05pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/02/most-powerful-form-of-marketing-wom.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The marketing blog';
I'm often asked, "What is the most effective form of marketing?"  To which I respond, "word of mouth."  Nothing is as effective as word-of-mouth marketing.  The real question is how to generate word of mouth from your customers on a regular basis.  There are a variety of ways to generate word-of-mouth marketing and many are overlooked by companies large and small.
One of the best ways to generate a referral is with a strong customer advocacy campaign.  Do you honor and reward your best customers?  When customers are celebrated, there's lots to talk about.  You can share their honor with others in their segment or group.  Additionally, you can repackage the information in the form of news or video, easily distributed throughout the Web.  This creates awareness and interest for your product or service.
I personally like using surveys to get at the heart of what your customers like and don't like about your products or services.  By utilizing open ended questions like, "Who do you know who could benefit from our product?"  Experiment with different ways for generating referrals from surveys that are personalized and based on customer insights.
Another great way to create word-of-mouth is through a customer referral campaign.  Referral campaigns are simple to implement but require a solid understanding of your audience.  By asking and rewarding your customers for referrals, you can have them do the selling for you.  This type of personal selling is one of the most effective.  Consider low cost methods of rewarding your customers for referrals.  This could be a discount on existing services or added bonuses.
Other word-of-mouth campaigns may be effective in utilizing testimonials.  Today, with the help of blogs, video, and web sites, when customers have a good experience they have lots of ways to share it.  The challenge is to direct your customers to promote good experiences, not bad.  Although I've tried to solve this dilemma for over a decade, the only discovery I've made is that you have to take the good with the bad.
There's actually a silver lining here.  Research has shown that when customer comments contain both positive and negative feedback, they are more believable.  The key is to encourage your customers to speak up about positive experiences and downplay the negative ones.  When you receive or come across negative comments, respond to them - work with your customers to make things right.  After that, let them go.  The balance of positive and negative works in your favor.
Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.  Think of ways to elicit positive feedback from customers.  If you focus on generating word-of-mouth, you'll quickly find a number of methods for encouraging referrals from your customers.  For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Making Money With Pay-Per-Click Advertising
14 Feb 2010 at 2:09pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/02/making-money-with-pay-per-click.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The Marketing Blog';
Whether you've been using AdWords for years or have never even heard of pay-per-click advertising (PPC), know that it's an essential part of any Integrated marketing program.  I recently provided some of my most valuable pay-per-click advertising secrets on an interview with Jonathan Taylor and Russell Portwood at Blog Talk Radio (listen here).  During the interview we discussed how to get started with Google AdWords and some valuable secrets for making money online.
If you're not running any campaigns on Google AdWords, I suggest that you open an account.  The beauty of PPC advertising is that you only pay when an individual clicks on one of your ads.  You might have tried PPC in the past and generated a lot of clicks but no conversions.  Perhaps you tried it for a short while and found it too complicated to manage.  I know how you feel...
The Long PPC RoadWhen I started in Internet marketing, pay-per-click was just coming on to the scene.  The premise was great, only paying for an action, but the results weren't so good.  Over time, as the tracking become more sophisticated and the quality of analytics improved, results started to improve.  I've spent over 5 years making small distinctions in pay-per-click advertising campaigns that have dramatically improved my results.

Many people believe that to get quality traffic you need to spend a ton of money or always be in the #1 paid position.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Some of my highest converting keywords cost the least.  Additionally, and here's a free tip, I often get higher conversions when my ad shows in positions 3 - 6.  I find that prospects clicking in the 'sweet spot' are more buying oriented than just doing research.
To be effective with PPC, you need to run a number of campaigns on your own.  I attended at least half a dozen workshops on pay-per-click advertising and spent close to $1,000 on so called PPC courses only to find that there wasn't a lot of "new" information designed to improve the effectiveness of my campaigns.  What I learned through trial and error was certainly more valuable.  Always seek hands-on experience if you wish to be success.
PPC Made SimpleIn a couple of months, I'll be sharing everything I know about PPC advertising in my next book, "PPC Made Simple."  Until then, I wanted to share a few tips you can use right away to start improving campaign performance.
1.  Set a budget of $10 - $20/day.  It doesn't take much to determine if a particular type of PPC campaign is going to be profitable.  Start with a small budget to generate clicks and watch your campaign closely.  Usually, for around $100 you can determine whether or not you'll be successful.
2.  Do your keyword research.  Start with the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to find frequently searched upon terms.  In addition, do some competitive research using any one of dozens of tools that reveal what terms your competitors are bidding on.  Once you've compiled a list, focus on buying keywords.  Use the Microsoft Commercial Intent tool to optimize your keyword list.
3.  Use a tool like the Google AdWords Editor to help manage your campaigns. The tool costs nothing and can help you stay on top of the performance of your campaign.  Additionally, you can easily manage multiple campaigns simultaneously.
4.  Use the AdWords Dashboard.  As usual, Google AdWords comes with it's own resources for evaluating campaign effectiveness.  Learn the value of your AdWords dashboard.  This gives you information about your click-through-rate, cost per click, and overall campaign metrics.  The more you understand the data being provided, the more effective you can make your campaign.
5.  Implement Google Conversion Tracking.  When you implement conversion tracking, you can quickly and easily see which keywords and ads drive sales.  This is the most important aspect of any PPC effort and essential for long term success.  If you know which keyword/ad combination is most effective, you can optimize your PPC budget.
These are just a few tips to help you improve the performance of your pay-per-click marketing campaigns.  Again, it's essential that you start using Google AdWords in order to learn how to implement successful campaigns.  Even though you may have four or five campaigns that don't generate a favorable return, one profitable campaign can more than make up for it.
Once you launch your campaign, utilize the metrics provided by Google to refine and improve your campaign.  By learning the ins and outs of pay-per-click advertising you are improving your overall knowledge of Internet marketing and finding new ways to promote your products or services.  In addition to generating sales, PPC is a great tool for lead generation as well.For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Watching the Super Bowl...
7 Feb 2010 at 8:27pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/02/watching-super-bowl.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The Marketing Blog';
Each year I look forward to watching the Super Bowl.  Even though my favorite team wasn't playing this year, there's just something about seeing one of the year's biggest events.  I suppose the real reason why I've always tuned in to the Super Bowl is because I'm simply interested in the commercials.  In addition to watching the ads, I'm equally curious as to whom the new advertisers are as well as who continues to spend the big bucks year after year.
This year was a combination of movie previews and some new advertisers as well as the traditional advertisers like GoDaddy and Budweiser.  Although I saw more station programming ads than ever before.  I guess the network had a little difficulty selling out all of their ad space!
Is it worth the price of advertising?
I thought a number of this year's commercials were pretty underwhelming (which seems to be more true each year).  Personlly, whether Dockers is showing a bunch of men walking through a pasture without their pants or Careerbuilder gives us an office tour where employees have nothing but their underwear on, I could care less.  From my perspective, most the advertisers just don't get it.  The only exception is perhaps Bud Light where their audience is the exact segment that's watching the game - those who attend or watch sporting events.  Because of their significant presence, I'm sure they got a pretty favorable price for all of their exposure.
Even so, the purpose of advertising is to engage, brand, and create awareness.  Effective advertising is also capable of measuring a result.  Other than GoDaddy, who gives some of their target audience a reason to go online, there was no real direct response vehicle on any of the ads.  Can you say "missed opportunity"?  That is, if you're trying to reach millenials or even thirty-somethings.  Maybe I missed it, but no references to social media (Facebook or Twitter) or even texting.  Although I'm sure that plenty of people were texting during the game.
The Super Bowl is also a decent platform for new product launches from my perspective.  FLO TV was completely new to me and I didn't even realize that such a device existed.  But without any call to action that was personally relevant to me, I'll probably forget about it in morning.
I guess the advertisers who are spending the bucks are so certain of the effectiveness of their ads that they don't need to measure their results-although I find that impossible to believe. If advertising is still based on impressions, and not action, then it still has a very long way to go.  This is why TV advertising continues to slow and more marketers are taking to the web. Not only is it measurable, but many advertisers only pay for action. 
What's the real challenge?Without direct response, how do these advertisers know if their advertising is generating the result they're looking for?  I wonder if they even thought about the goals of their campaign.  A house made of full cans of Bud Light - cute.. but was it worth the $1M Budweiser had to pay for it?  Personally I like to know if each dollar I spend delivers a positive return.  I guess that's why I spend most of my money on online advertising and little else.
Part of the reason why I don't quite understand Super Bowl advertising is because I don't understand the target market.  It seems to me that everyone from 8 - 80 is probably watching the game.  That's probably why the Who was the half time entertainment.  The Who were big before I was born but I still thought they were pretty good.  I'm just surprised they weren't wearing Pepsi T-shirts, although the drummer's cybals seemed to be painted with Pepsi colors. 
As long as there's TV, on the tube or your computer, there will be advertising.  You wont see any of the companies I consult for advertising on the Super Bowl.  But then again, when everyone is watching TV on their computers, I might not be able to avoid taking the plunge.  And that day is soon upon us.  It's already begun and the next few years will likely complete the transition.  Super Bowl here we come!
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Blogging About Burgers? A Lesson In Social Marketing...
31 Jan 2010 at 10:00am
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogging-about-burgers-lesson-in-social.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'mfleischner';

Last week's post on what we could learn about marketing from wine labels, was a great hit - thanks for all of your comments and feedback. So I thought I'd continue on with our food theme as it seems to be a popular topic for marketers AND food critics.
This week, I'd like to get us all thinking about burgers!  That's right, big juicy hamburgers with the works.  Now you might be asking, "What do burgers have to do with marketing?"  My answer, EVERYTHING!  As you know, marketing today is about much more than the traditional 4 p's (product, place, price, and promotion).  It's about social media, community, and focusing on what you love.  Add the power of social networks and the fact that individuals can easily contribute to the larger discussion via blogs, mobile devices, and so on, and you have a new marketing landscape.
The Straight Beef!A couple of weeks ago I was at a reception and met Scott Blumenthal.  Scott's a really bright guy and told me about a project he's been working on with John McManus and Michael Marino.  They've created a blog to talk about and review hamburgers.  Each post is filled with insightful information about the burger joints they frequent and provides an honest review of the hamburgers they've eaten.  The blog also contains some eye opening stats like how many burgers (and whole cows) these guys have consumed over a lifetime - 1,066 to be exact.  
My first time visiting the blog, The Straight Beef, I got really excited about what I found.  I like a good burger just like the next guy, but the marketing implications were staring me in the face.  Not only is the content of the blog entertaining, but it invites the community at large to participate in the discussion.  Have you had a burger today?  Did you think it was particularly good or bad?  Leave a comment or email the burger guys directly at burger.reviews@gmail.com.  Now this is marketing!!!
Burger Vendors BewareIf you're a restaurant or roadside stand, there's no hiding.  Social media marketing is continuing to gain momentum and is the way that we, as consumers, will get more and more of our information.  The products we want to buy, the services we want to learn more about - conversations are happening about them all over the Internet and we can easily participate or sit back and learn from the experiences of others before we make a buying decision.  This is true for almost anything, even hamburgers.

I think that Scott and his blog partners have really hit on an essential marketing theme.  That theme is to use media like blogging to share what you know and build a community around your passion.  These essential elements can build a following and get everyone talking about a particular product or service.  Do you know what people are saying about your brand? your products? If not, you should.  Be part of the discussion and consumers will get to know you and associate positive feelings towards your brand.
I've think I've spoken more about burgers in this post than I have in a year.  However, being reminded about how easy it is to be part of a larger social marketing community, even if it is about hamburgers, makes me want to talk about them much more often! Don't underestimate the effect that this type of information (a review) can have on your products.  People are reading.. and writing!
Be sure to rate your next burger at The Straight Beef blog. I'm always searching for a better burger!For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Marketing Lessons From a Good Bottle of Wine
24 Jan 2010 at 3:19pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-lessons-from-good-bottle-of.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'RT Marketing Blog';
I look for good marketing no matter where I happen to be.  The other day I heard someone on the radio talking about wine bottles and the marketing connection.  That definitely got my attention as wine labels have so little room for copy that a number of marketing strategies must be at play to influence a purchase.
So what sells wine?  I think there are a few things that move someone through a purchase decision process in the wine market.  I'm no wine expert and quite honestly know little about "good wine" but can certainly tell you what marketing strategies encourage consumers to make that buying decision.
The label. Okay, so we all know that the label is important.  The color, the shape, the imagery.  All of these components have an impact on purchase decisions.  Each color used gives a hint to what consumers might find in the bottle.  Are the colors harsh?  Do they say, "I'm bitter" or are the colors unique and creative, giving potential buyers a sense of newness and being different?
The shape and size of the bottle.  The size of the bottle and overall packaging gives a good deal of information about what you might find inside as well.  Is the bottle traditional in shape?  Is is tall or short?  Each of these nuances must be congruent with other marketing factors to create a story worthy of pursuit.
The price.  Much like a Cadillac, many people buy on price.  Why?  Because price can give you an understanding of value.  Two wines side by side.  They look similar and are of the same size.  However, one has a price of $8.99 and the other $24.95.  Which one is better?  Price may give you the impression that the second, more expensive bottle is "better"... but is it really?
Recommendation.  Does the wine fit the occasion? Has it been recommended by someone in the store or someone you know who told you that you had to try that particular brand, vintage, etc.?  In the wine game, recommendations are a critical aspect of the purchase.
So there you have it.  Some factors that influence wine purchasing.  Are you a wine connoisseur?  If you are, what influences your buying decision?  You may add in some additional factors like, "..all Napa Valley wines are good so this one must be good as well".  This is the final aspect of buying wine (and similar products) and that is your personal experience.  Nothing can replace experience as a driving factor in making buying decisions. 

The next time you're in the market for a bottle of wine, notice what drives your purchase. Enjoy and bottoms up!!!



For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Marketing Lessons From A Cereal Box...
17 Jan 2010 at 8:20pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
This morning I took a few minutes to read the cereal box sitting on the table in front of me. Although I'm an eggs and toast kind of guy, a good bowl of cereal hits the spot now and again. After reading the promotional copy before me, I realized just how good it was from a marketing perspective - Concise, meaningful, and relevant!  It's amazing what you can find on a cereal box!

tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-lessons-from-cereal-box.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The Marketing Blog';

Maybe it's time you took a look at your web site or print copy

When I was in grad school, I spent a lot of time learning about direct marketing and what separates good copy from bad.  As an author, I often struggle with the written word as writing a book (SEO Made Simple) is different than writing a direct mail piece or even website copy.  I learned a lesson a long time ago that came back to me while I was reading my box of Rice Krispies.  When writing copy, ask yourself "who cares?" after each sentence you write.

That's right, "who cares?"  After writing each line of copy, I was taught to ask the question who cares?  If you actually try this exercise you'll find that a number of your sentences are without personalization, are too vague, or simply hold no value for the reader.  After writing each line of copy ask "who cares?"  If you can answer using the copy just written, you're on your way to more effective copy writing.

WIFFM

The other aspect of marketing copy that makes a real difference is the old acronym of "What's in it for me?"  Is your copy directed at your audience?  I was at a sales meeting this past week and presented to three similar groups. However, each group had their area of specialty and focus.  When asked to present to each group, I found myself asking, "Why should they care about the information I'm presenting?".  When I realized that the presentation wasn't ideal for groups 2 and 3, I found myself up late one night making changes to the presentation.

If what you have to say isn't relevant, it will be ignored.  Your copy needs to reflect the mindset and focus of your target audience. It's best to get feedback from those you're targeting and continually work to improve your understanding of their needs, environment, and ultimately the messages they resonate with.

What You'll Discover On Your Cereal Box 

The next time you read your cereal box, you'll discover that with very limited space, and few words, good copywriters make you feel the value and benefit of what you have in your cereal bowl.  I've learned over the years that great copywriting is hard to find.  Bu then again, I never really stopped to read my cereal box.  I suppose great copywriting was there all along.  Enjoy your breakfast!
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

This Is Getting Personal...
11 Jan 2010 at 9:41pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
I just read a great comment from someone about personalized messaging. As you know, I'm a big proponent of GETTING PERSONAL. When communicating to your prospects, how personal are you getting?
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/01/this-is-getting-personal.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'The Marketing Blog';


Now you might say that you deliver very personalized communication. This could be in the form of emails or direct marketing pieces that address your customers or prospects by name. But in today's marketing environment, you need to do better. Addressing someone by name is simply a starting point. If you want to be effective, go deeper.

A great example is a recent communication I received from the college I graduated from. I could tell from the envelope and wasn't at all disappointed when I ripped it open. "Dear former student" it read. Come on! They didn't even have the decency to call me by my name. So of course, it went immediately into the trash. But it got me thinking...

Here is an establishment that knows a lot about me: my name, birthday, the courses I took in school, my fraternity, how many on campus parking tickets I got, etc. Yet they have failed to leverage that information from the perspective of getting my attention or giving me a reason to support their cause - very disappointing.

As a marketing person, I pride myself on not only gathering information about prospects and customers, but using that information to create a meaningful experience for them. If the letter addressed me by name and referenced personal information, it would dramatically improve my interest. "Dear Michael, we know it's been X amount of years since you graduated, but a lot has changed. The marketing program here has been expanded..." OK. Now you've got my attention.

Personalization is your friend. Even if you're sending thousands of emails or direct marketing pieces out to your audience, make it personal. Not only should you be using the information you've collected, but focusing on messaging that addresses the fundamental needs of your prospects. We'll discuss more advanced messaging strategies in later posts, but for now, remember to get personal!
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Marketing In The Year 2010
4 Jan 2010 at 11:47am
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert

tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-in-year-2010.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'mfleischner';


This new year, I couldn't help but ask myself the question, "How is marketing going to be different this year?" I mean, every year pretty much starts out the same but something is bound to happen to jazz things up. Do not call lists, do not fax lists, Twitter. The reality is that anything can happen!

Here are just a few of my predictions for the new year. I probably should consult with the Popcorn report or something that is based on legitimate research, but here's what I think the new year will bring.

1. New social media. Marketers have been struggling to make social media work from a marketing perspective. Even if I have a thousand "Fans" or ten thousand "Followers", what does it really mean? Not only will marketers do a better job of utilizing social media to market their products, but I believe we'll see new innovation in this area as well.

2. Mobile marketing. The concept of mobile marketing has been around for a long time. But with last year's introduction of cell phones that have full browser capabilities, everyone is connected all the time. This spells opportunity in the area of mobile marketing and real time promotions. I'm not sure what it will look like by year's end but I do know that it will be a focus in 2010.

3. An emphasis on organic search. As Google becomes even more dominant (maybe the government will step in this year) and pay-per-click costs continue to escalate, companies will be spending more of their marketing dollars on organic search and proper web design. Having to depend on PPC marketing to generate revenue is still a key ingredient in everyone's marketing budget but so will search engine optimization.

4. Analytics are king. This year, even marketers who have resisted adopting the latest and greatest analytics will succumb. As a mentor once told me, "In God we trust, all others bring data." We have access to more information than ever before and with free analytic programs like Google Analytics, there's no longer an excuse for being unable to identify your best lead sources.

5. More for less. Consumers are going to continue wanting more for less. As a result, marketers must focus on perceived value. Although the tendency may be to discount early and often, creating lasting value is what consumers want and will respond to.

2010 is going to be a great ride. Just like last year, marketers will continue to evolve their methods and effectiveness. We have more tools at our disposal than ever before and the prospects for a happy new year look very, very good!For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Today's Marketing Topic: PR
28 Dec 2009 at 9:58pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert


tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/12/todays-marketing-topic-pr.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'RT @mfleischner';

That's right, today we're talking about public relations. It's amazing to me how little marketing professionals and small business owners know about PR. In fact, PR is largely becoming one of the most ignored marketing disciplines. When speaking about PR to one of my marketing buddies he said, "no one reads anymore.. so PR is basically dead!"

Honestly, I pretty much laughed in his face. "Dead! PR? You've got to be kidding!" I said. The reality is that today's news, social media, and email are all a forms of PR. Sure, I agree that the traditional practice of "getting ink" is old school, but the concept of pushing out a message or creating interest in what you have to offer is just GOOD MARKETING.

Using PR Today

I recently listened to a talk from Tim Ferris, the author of the popular book "The 4-Hour Work Week". Tim went from being unknown to one of today's most recognized authors in a very short time. How did he do it? You guessed it, PR. However, Tim's public relations approach was slightly different than the norm.

He contacted influencers within his area of expertise and let them know about his book. Even a slight mention from market leaders like, ".. taking a trip. Picked up a copy of 'The 4-hour Work Week'.." had a ripple effect that has grown into a phenomenon. In about a week, Tim's book went form nowhere to the New York Times best seller list.

If You Think PR Is Dead, Think Again

So if you're not Tim Ferris and you're not well connected, can PR still work for you? My answer is still yes, you just need to think about it differently. Whether your are targeting bloggers, Tweeters with a huge Twitter list, or other social media, public relations is about distributing your message for others to hear.

If you've done a Google search lately you'll notice the press releases are gaining exposure in search results. This is one of the ways that a well distributed message can appear before prospects and buyers. The next time you do a search check out your results list. You'll notice quite a few listing from PR and other media outlets.

Don't Lose Sight Of Public Relations

Whether you have a robust PR program or are just starting out, learn what you can about public relations. Anytime you want others talking about your product, services, or brand, think PR. Begin with media releases, talking to bloggers, and even reaching out to traditional media outlets.

Think new media too. Video and image are integrated into more and more PR efforts than ever before. Use everything at your disposal to communicate effectively with your audience. PR is far from dead!!!
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

The 30 Day Marketing Challenge: Game On!
24 Dec 2009 at 8:47am
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/12/get-rid-of-abdominal-fat-and-become.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'RT @mfleischner';

This may appear to be my most ridiculous Marketing Blog post of all time, but in just a few short minutes you'll discover how this Internet marketing challenge has everything to do with marketing and little if anything to do with how to get rid of abdominal fat.

A number of weeks ago I was doing a Webinar on how to drive traffic to your web site or blog for little or no money. After the webinar I received a number of marketing related questions via email from seminar participants. I was pleasantly surprise when Internet marketing legend and guru Greg Cesar connected with me. Greg is not only a marketing genius, but he's also a great guy.

We got to talking and Greg gave me a challenge that was too good to give up. He asked, "How quickly do you think you can get a web site ranked #1?" Without giving it much thought I responded, "..about 30 days". And from that simple question the 30 Day Challenge was born.

What This Has To Do With Getting Rid of Abdominal Fat

Okay, so when a guy like Greg challenges someone like me to a seemingly impossible task, you've got to be on your toes. And honestly, other than getting on an exercise machine, working out with an exercise ball, or doing some jogging, my knowledge of six pack abdominals is pretty limited. However, I decided to find an affiliate product to promote and work with over the next month or two and discovered the popular ebook called Truth About Abs.

After conducting some basic keyword research using the Google AdWords tool I landed on the keyword phrase,"get rid of abdominal fat." The keyword gets over 1,300 monthly searches and, believe it or not, the URL wasn't taken. I couldn't believe it either given the fact that exercise and abdominal information is very popular. I bought the domain and started the 30 day challenge to get the site ranked on top for my chosen keyword.

I'm in the process of documenting and recording all of the steps that I'm using to achieve my goal.  When finished, I plan to post the video here and show you step-by-step how I did the research, focused on the exercise niche, chose the abdominal product, selected the keyword phrase "get rid of abdominal fat", and optimized the site for search engines.  I

Now you can see that while the rest of the world is thinking about the holidays, I'm thinking about losing belly fat - I know, an odd thing. But I guess that's what makes marketers like me so strange. Happy holidays!
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Add Integrated Marketing To Your Marketing Mix
21 Dec 2009 at 8:10am
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/12/add-integrated-marketing-to-your.html'; tweetmeme_source = 'RT @mfleischner';

The combination of online marketing and offline marketing can give you a real bang for your buck. It?s pretty common today to find companies running well integrated marketing campaigns that include online advertising like PPC with offline campaigns. This combination is ideal for anyone who is building their brand and driving leads for a particular product or service.

Getting Started With Integrated Marketing

Perhaps you?re running marketing campaigns across multiple media. Even if you?re using something as simple as the Yellow Pages from a print perspective, there?s usually a corresponding form of online marketing that can enhance results.

One of the easiest ways to take advantage of an integrated campaign is use direct mail with a corresponding landing page. For example, I recently worked with a local retailer who was trying to bring more people into their store during the holiday season. My recommendation was to mail out post cards to past customers and nearby prospects that contained an offer.

The post card contained a special offer on select merchandise available in the store. To get a full list of applicable products that could be purchased during the promotional period, users were given a URL to a specially designed landing page. They could print a special coupon by visiting the URL included on the postcard. The web page included additional merchandise, specific information about the promotion, and an opportunity to sign up for special offers. This resulted in a number of outcomes including increased foot traffic and a list of emails that could be used for promotional purposes.

Start Small and Build From There

Creating an integrated marketing program is not an easy thing. All aspects of your campaign need to be well planned and tracked. Often times I see companies working towards integrated marketing only to give it an effort that is partially thought through. When asking consumers to go from an off line piece of marketing (an ad, a post card, a brochure) to an online information or offer, marketers are wise for focus on their audience and product or service benefits.

The best thing you can do is to start with a small campaign. Perhaps your campaign is similar to the retail example above. Or, perhaps you start with a special offer that is communicated via a flyer or newspaper ad. Your landing page needs to be designed with the specific offer in mind. Driving individuals to your home page is a waste of money.

Integrated marketing is only successful is you are relevant. Your messaging must be consistent both online and off. In addition, the look and feel of your offer and landing page should be as consistent as possible. This improves the user experience and enhances conversion rates. When beginning with a small campaign, it?s easier to get the details right and see success.

Split Test and Tracking

Whether you?re running a traditional print campaign or an online marketing program, it?s best to be in a mode of continual testing. Start with a split test. Change your headline, experiment with a different offer, or change your copy. Regardless of which element you choose, split testing sets you up for future winning campaigns.

Track your results using basic web tracking like Google Analytics. To make the most of your integrated campaign, you?ll need a way to track whether your web visitors arrived directly from your promotion. By driving users to a specific URL identified in your direct marketing piece or ad, you?ll be able to measure web traffic. Additionally, require a special promotional code to be entered on your order form. In combination, you?ll have a number of data points that provide valuable information about your promotion.

Integrated marketing can work extremely well if your concept is simple and well executed. Start with a well thought through plan that is easily implemented. The effectiveness of any direct campaign is largely based on the offer and you?re list. Creative has less impact on the overall success of your campaign. So get started and be sure to test your campaign, comparing it to the effectiveness of your other marketing initiatives. You may find that integrated marketing has a better result than other forms of marketing on their own.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Why Gen-Y Is Going To Win The Branding War
15 Dec 2009 at 4:50pm
by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert
tweetmeme_url = 'http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-gen-y-is-going-to-win-branding-war.html';

When Michael invited me to write a post on his site, I wanted to talk about some of the changes that are happening online and the speed in which everything is moving. As an outspoken member of Gen-Y (you know the Under 30 crowd), we are experiencing this change and adapting quicker than ever. 

The Million Dollar Mint
Take a look at young entrepreneurs like Aaron Patzer of Mint.com who recently sold out to Intuit, maker of finance products like Quicken and Quickbooks. Aaron saw a gap in the way personal finance was being handled and created a solution. A good solution. And he did it fast. He did it using technologies like the iPhone, where the Mint.com app is regularly in the top 10 free finance apps. He did it by using customer service through Twitter. And the older generation had to play catch up, or rather buy out the fast kid with the great ideas.

Next on the list are heavy hitters like Matt Mullenweg, creator of Wordpress. This young gun changed the way many people develop websites, manage content and keep clients, fans and web browsers up to date on happenings in the world of the content creator. Next to him is Mark Zuckerberg, king of social networking after besting Myspace sometime last year.

These young people understand the information age in which we live, where information is extremely valuable and the price tag on data jumps significantly higher than the $15 for a CD or $20 for a DVD model that is slowing fading away and crushing long standing business models.

Gen-Y Speed BrandingWith the increased speed in building a brand, the way in which people find you in more important than ever. There is no better way to be found, both cost effectively and conversion wise than from the Google. I say the Google, because they have more than transformed the way the web works. From simple searches back in the early 2000's to buying video sites, serving more ad dollars than any company on the planet and having more access to data than the government (opinion, but I really do believe it).

Young people have found that being on Google's good side can bring more than traffic to their website. Through topics like personal branding, college grads are starting to make a name for themselves that will have employers calling them before the ink dries on their diploma, getting clients without much work experience and having the opportunity to network with people all over the world, due to niche writing, blogging and having a case of the "curious."

The Internet has been around for nearly the entire lifespan of younger Gen-Y's and mobile technologies are in more hands than anyone could have ever imagined, to the tune of 4-1 over internet enable computers.

How To Rock Google In The Branding Space

Get a great domain name. With the availability of vanity names (facebook.com/yourbrand. twitter.com/yourbrand), it is more important than ever to have a home base that you control. Buy a domain and send all your traffic there. Build it as a home for recent articles, your products and services and use it to build your brand, your email list and RSS subscribers.

Grab up the vanity URL's. If you want to own a brand name, than you really need to own it. After you grab a rocking domain, go and signup for the popular social networks and start getting active. This includes YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Brazen Careerist (the latter for the Gen-Y crowd). By getting active on these platforms, you will build a fanbase, great links back to home base and start to dominate the top page in Goolge.

Create killer content. The last step is to get out there and create great content that people are going to want to share, link to and tell their friends about. This should include videos, audios (Podcasts), reports, presentations, images and blog posts. Share them with your followers, your customers, your mailing list and anywhere else that people would find value. Good content spreads. Good content is found by search engines and good content can make your brand stand out!

Your brands can compete with Gen-Y! The challenge is to get out there and outperform us. Work harder. Work smarter. Then cash out for $170 million to an older, slower company like Aaron from Mint. Not a bad exit strategy, huh?


This post was written by Greg Rollett. Join the Rock Star Business Series to learn more about branding yourself or your business. Greg blogs about lifestyle design.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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BIGLIST Social SEO Blogs Update 031110
11 Mar 2010 at 4:02pm
by Lee Odden
Welcome to the post-Winter/pre-Spring version of the�BIGLIST review of�SEO blogs. �Snow is starting to melt and you can actually walk around outside (in Minnesota) without your eyelashes freezing together. We have a nice group for you to review so fire up your RSS reader and subscribe. LyndiT blog gets our attention for great design and user [...]
11 Free Tools for Social Media Optimization
10 Mar 2010 at 8:28am
by Lee Odden
Plenty of bloggers are talking about the inevitable intersection of social media marketing and search engine optimization. Heck, we’ve been blogging about SMO since 2006! Keyword optimized social content and channels of promotion provide abundant signals to search engines for improved visibility on standard, social and real-time search. The changing nature of social media marketing and [...]
Ford?s Focus on Social Media: Scott Monty Interview
9 Mar 2010 at 11:04am
by Lee Odden
When you think of successful consumer brands in the social media space, names like Dell, Zappos and Pepsi come to mind. Another is Ford. Last year the Ford Fiesta movement generated a tremendous amount of awareness (and pre-orders) for a vehicle that wasn’t available to the public yet. (Great summary on Jeff Bullas’s blog) [...]
Poll: Best Royalty Free Stock Photo Sites for Bloggers
8 Mar 2010 at 8:54am
by Lee Odden
As with many bloggers, we’ve been using royalty free images for many years. �Many bloggers make use of images from Flickr and we have too but you can’t always find the right image there. I’ve even made a point to take more photos of people, places and things while traveling for later use in blog [...]
5 Ways to Weave LinkedIn Into Your Marketing Mix
5 Mar 2010 at 7:30am
by Michelle Bowles
From Facebook to Twitter to You Tube, there’s no limit to the number of social networking sites that can be leveraged to interact with customers and prospects, and build positive brand awareness. LinkedIn, however, stands apart from the crowd. The roots of popular sites like YouTube and Facebook are founded on the entertainment side of things. [...]
My Top iPhone Apps for Social Media Marketing
2 Mar 2010 at 7:54pm
by Lee Odden
It’s a little ironic that I’m writing this post about iPhone apps using WordPress on a�Motorola Droid (Devour actually), but it allows me a chance to experience how hard it is to blog, using a tiny tiny tactile keyboard and also finally get this post started. Ah, back to a full sized Logitech keyboard and [...]
Customer & Influencer Research in Social Media
2 Mar 2010 at 7:05am
by Lee Odden
“If you don’t eat your meat you can’t have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat!” Pink Floyd, The Wall. That quote from Another Brick in the Wall reminds me of the cart horse situation with social media marketing: �If you don’t know your customers you can’t engage them. [...]
5 Sure Fire Tactics to Promote a Business Blog
26 Feb 2010 at 7:00am
by Michelle Bowles
Relevant, Consistently Updated Content + Flawless Technical Functionality & User Experience =�Perfect Blog Launch What’s missing from the equation above? You guessed it: blog promotion. Creating a glitch-free blog with informative content means next to nothing without attracting readers. Start promoting your blog today with these five effective tips: 1. Involve influential industry bloggers. By linking to [...]
OMS10 B2B Marketing Case Study: Marketo
24 Feb 2010 at 7:08pm
by Lee Odden
Our agency TopRank Marketing has been working with Marketo providing SEO, content and blog marketing consulting services for about 2 years. I finally had the opportunity to meet Marketing VP Jon Miller in person today prior to his presentation at Online Marketing Summit:�Marketo’s Secret Sauce for Demand Generation. Marketo is one of the fastest growing software [...]
How Journalists Use Search & Social Media
24 Feb 2010 at 11:22am
by Lee Odden
TopRank ran a survey of journalists, reporters and editors on their use of search and social media in 2008. We found 91% use search engines like Google to do their job. 64% use social networks. �Published in Jan 2010, a George Washington University and Cision survey of journalists reports�89% use blogs and 65% use social [...]
15 Social Media Answers From OMS10
23 Feb 2010 at 3:55pm
by Lee Odden
Online Marketing Summit 2010 in San Diego is host to a smorgasboard of internet marketing topics and this afternoon I am priveledged to participate on a panel about Social Media. Panelists include: Chris Baggott, CEO, Compendium Blogware Lee Odden, CEO, TopRank Online Marketing Michael Senger, CEO & Founder, StoneMass Caitlin McCabe, Founder, WhiteLabel Marketing Ben Hanna, VP Marketing, Business.com That’s a [...]
Small Business Tips For Reporting Web Metrics
23 Feb 2010 at 7:00am
by Adam Singer
[Last week, we shared some web analytics basics for small businesses or web site owners new to tracking website visitor data. Building on that, this post explores what you should do next to report that data.] It’s an exciting time to be a small business owner or communications professional. Why? We’ve never had [...]
Brandividualism: Dilemma or Opportunity?
22 Feb 2010 at 9:07am
by Lee Odden
Many business owners and managers are perplexed by the social web. The effect of customer participation with social media on brands is undeniable. The effect of employee participation with social media can be a bit of a�quandary. �The range of acceptance for social web activity runs the gamut from IT blocking all internet connections to [...]
5 Twitter Management Tools You Can?t Live Without
19 Feb 2010 at 2:07pm
by Michelle Bowles
Without a doubt, one of the most popular shiny new objects of many social media marketing programs is Twitter. There are Twitter books, Twitter conferences, Twitter blogs and numerous articles devoted to Twitter marketing. �Unfortunately, there’s not enough time left over after reading all the promises of marketing nirvana from using Twitter to actually implement [...]
Open Letter to Blog Comment Spammers
18 Feb 2010 at 2:44pm
by Lee Odden
Dear “SEO Consulting Services New York” and you too “Starting A Home Business”, I have an admission to make: I don’t like comment spam. You are comment spammers. Our readers don’t like you. I don’t like you. You’re not welcome here. Our Akismet filter has been doing a good job of filtering out spam and our commenting [...]

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Fundraising and advocacy strategies. Trends, tips ... with an edge

Lessons from Haiti Giving
12 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Network for Good, which itself processed $5.3 million in Haiti donations, offers some good observations about the experience. In their article, each of the following points is examined: Major charities represented, but smaller organizations raised significant funds More places to give online during a crisis creates big range in average gift size. Social media outlets activate immediate, far-reaching support. Groundswell [...]
The Smallest Of Cues
11 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Responding to our Boomers Reinventing 50  post, Sarah Spengler commented: "Tom – interesting that you should talk about AARP and their advertizing campaign:  I just received some materials from them, having joined. very recently.  Among their offerings are discounts on motorcycle insurance of all things.  THAT told me I was in the right place.  And it [...]
Boomers Reinventing 50
10 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Two interesting articles about Boomers came my way in the last couple of days. Maybe some insights here for fundraising messages. The first, from Brandweek, discusses the new advertising campaign of AARP. It’s hard to imagine any outfit with a bigger stake in understanding Boomers and their aspirations. AARP does a ton research to inform itself. Says [...]
Top Ten Brands
9 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
I love lists like this. Here are the top ten brands of 2009 according to Millward Brown, a leading market research firm. Millward Brown uses an index based upon trust and recommendation to build its list. Find anything to quarrel with here? Who hasn’t bought a book on Amazon … then another … then another? Have you ever [...]
Secret Millionaire In Your File
8 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by rcraver
Over the weekend Tom sent me a link to an ABC News piece entitled “Secret Donor”. Diane Sawyer sets forth an absolutely charming and moving story  about a Lake Forest College alumna named Grace Groner who died in January  at age 100 and left the college $7 million.  According to Lake Forest’s president the College never [...]
Report On Mobile Giving
5 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Convio, Edge Research, and Sea Change Strategies have prepared this report on mobile giving, probing specifically into the mobile giving generated by the Haiti earthquake. The data reflects a survey of 1500 members of an online panel, screened as current charitable donors. The report notes that up to 12 January 2010 about $1 million had been [...]
Spray And Pray
4 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by rcraver
In the direct mail channel, the thoughtless, non-strategic practice of tossing as many appeals and acquisition pieces as an organization can afford — regardless of long-term result — is referred to as "burn and churn." I’ve railed about that in earlier posts. For those interested in keeping their "bad practices" lexicon up-to-date, the equivalent heedless behavior [...]
Checklist Heaven
3 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Direct marketing guru Denny Hatch was so enthralled with The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande that he updated his own direct marketer’s checklist. Denny’s checklist is 58 items long, so it’s pretty comprehensive. For example, here’s #2: Does your copy contain some or all of the 13 most powerful and evocative words in the English language? [...]
Social Media And Event Fundraising
2 Mar 2010 at 12:00am
by tbelford
Here is a "must read" report from Blackbaud and Charity Dynamics: Making Event Participants More Successful with Social Media Tools. The two firms looked at 1750 events with nearly one million participants to answer these questions: Do integrated Facebook® tools help make event participants more successful online fundraisers? Is Twitter® an effective fundraising solicitation tool for event participants? How [...]
A Reminder About Offer Testing
1 Mar 2010 at 5:38am
by tbelford
Here’s a brief article from the McKinsey Quarterly on "behavioral economics" … or why people make certain spending decisions and how they approach them. Each of the four principles/examples given relates to how a product is presented or priced in a retail context: 1. Make a product’s cost less painful. 2. Harness the power of a default option. 3. [...]

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