Archive for ◊ October, 2008 ◊

A while back I wrote that email marketers need to do their homework about to who and when they are sending messages.  To say I am shocked that these companies did not read my article and immediately change their processes would be…an exaggeration.  If they paid any attention to the world of e-marketing they would have already done the research and I wouldn’t be ranting (again).

Now I’ve decided to name names.  Hopefully they have the sense to at least have a “Google alert” set up and will read this.  If you are one of THEM, congratulations for getting here.  The messages listed below were all received within one week, Sunday midnight to Sunday midnight and arrived outside of regular business hours (CST). more…

Communications can be a challenge

You’ve heard it a 1,000 times over, you must advertise to keep your business afloat.  For many businesses though, effective communication with consumers is one of their biggest challenges.  You must try to think like your customer, put yourself in their shoes. That’s not always an easy task.  Often advertisers are so caught up in the copy, the design, the music and the ‘call to action,’ that they forget to consider the surroundings and circumstances under which the ad will be seen consumers often end up seeing advertising which probably cost more money to create that it brings in.  Not all mistakes are so big that they jump out at you, little ones happen too – but they can damage your image just as easily.  Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a big agency it can be easy to over-look mistakes when you are so closely involved in a project.    Larger advertisers may have the time, money and resources to do A/B testing or focus groups.  It’s my opinion though, that because humans like to make others happy the people being watched and/or tested will inherently try to figure out what the tester wants and give it to them.  Testing, if possible, is an important and useful tool – just use the data you acquire carefully.  Lastly, I strongly urge you to have someone without a vested interest in your advertisement, and who has never seen any version of it, look at it to make sure that it gives the intended message and does not make you look like a jack-ass.  I hate to tie this back to lawyers, but much of what they quote is based on what a “reasonable person” would do.  Put your ads to the same test – what would a reasonable person see, think and feel when they experience your ad?  I offer a few samples I think should have a “reasonable person” test. more…

A few weeks ago I wrote an article asking “What Twitter Name Should Jack Use?” I wanted your help in deciding whether or not to change my Twitter name from @web_guy to @JackLeblond.  While the concensus was by far in favor of the change, there were a few folks with a valid reasoning to leave it alone.

I decided to follow the majority of advice, switched over a few days later and never looked back.

Today while attending the eMarketing seminar at InnoTech Austin, my decision was proven to be the right one – multiple times.

I was fortunate enough to actually meet several people from my tweet stream, and a few more that follow people that follow me.  The spark of recognition when I introduced my self was obvious.  I have no doubt in my mind that had I stayed with @web_guy on twitter, those people I met today would have had no clue who I was.  Yes, we may have figured it out eventually, but that immediate recognition helped to jump start conversations because we already (sort of) knew each other.

Related article - you may want to read So you’ve decided to join Twitter…now what?

After eating this tasty, quick and easy meal your family may exclaim “poulet magnifique!”  An added bonus, it’s a nice stress reliever because you get to beat the chicken with a mallet for a few minutes.  Kid’s room not cleaned? BAM!  Neighbor’s dog on your lawn again? BAM!  Boss cut your staff? BAM! BAM! BAM!  Okay, let’s not get carried away.  Seriously though, smashing the chicken to the right thickness is the only difficult part of this recipe. more…

Everyone has heard that Internet video can be a powerful tool for creating sticky web sites. Until recently though, video has been out of reach to the average “webmaster.”  With the increased availability of high-speed Internet access, and the rapidly decreasing costs of equipment and technology, that has changed.  Really good video is now being created not just by professional videographers, but by everyone from soccer moms (and players) to CEOs. They all know that video is one of the best ways to improve the engagement level (A.K.A. “stickiness”) of their web site. Regardless of whether you are selling homes, cars or blenders on your Web site video tours and product demonstrations attract and retain visitors.

Stop over to agentgenious.com to read my article about the best way to ensure your videos get found, and remembered after being watched.