Archive for April, 2007
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
When trying to touch base with a customer and maintain some level of brand loyalty, it is important to take note of detail. If you are sending a personalized message, proper care should be taken to ensure the right name goes on it, and if there is code involved, that it is properly tested. The image below is a case in point.
I received this message from Microsoft regarding my XBox 360 Live membership. The last time I checked, however, my name was not “Failed to convert to string from variant type 1″. Now this isn’t an email from some random guy on the internet, this is Microsoft. A company that prides itself in hiring elite programmers and other intellects. Everything else about the 360’s service has been top notch, so it seems strange to see such a blatant oversight occur in this email. Having worked with mass emailing before, I can understand oversights…during the testing phase, not with the letter that is launched. Considering this email gets sent to people across the U.S. everyday, I wonder how many others experienced this, and what their reactions were?
Bottom line, if you plan on making good customer contact, test thoroughly and always proof read. It only takes a few minutes of your time and you could prevent inserting your foot into your mouth.
Posted in Buzz, Tech | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 20th, 2007
I was reading Ron McDaniel’s post on the Buzzoodle blog and found a great tool for showing appreciation to commentors. The DoFollow plugin for Wordpress allows comments to be followed by Google, helping a site increase its ranking.
The plugin is now installed on this site so that if someone posts a good comment, it will be followed by Google. Just another way of spreading some love in the blogosphere. If you are a Wordpress blogger and want to help others, too, check it out!
Posted in Blog Traffic, Buzz | No Comments »
Thursday, April 19th, 2007
I’m coming up with a new design for one of our websites and am running into a snag. I started work on it more today, looking through the web for more ideas, trying some on my own, but nothing. I have a basic skeletal structure, but that’s it. My mind is shooting me blanks.
Part of the dilemma: I could spend time pouring over other sites in our industry, which I have done yesterday for a bit, but promptly stopped. I realized something. How can I make a website that stands out from the rest if it looks just like the rest? I’m not talking about going totally crazy and creating something unrecognizable, but at least something with its own look.
Maybe I should draw inspiration elsewhere from more unlikely sources such as life experience, or something even as obscure as a restaurant menu or a really neat building. Strange, yes, but different, and possibly refreshing, nonetheless. That’s my say of the moment. I’m sure something will come to me soon. Perhaps its best for me not to think about it too hard.
Posted in Buzz | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007
Doing business abroad? Worry about your safety overseas? When people think of potential threats in international waters, they commonly think of either terrorism, plane crashes, or foreign disease. The number one killer may surprise you.
This article by the New York Times has some great insight on the dangers of driving when in a foreign country. Read it and keep it in mind if you are ever doing business overseas.
Posted in International | No Comments »
Thursday, April 12th, 2007
Unless you’ve been living under a rock and void of a computer with Internet capabilities, you’ve noticed the skyrocketing trend towards user created content. Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, Blogspot, and Flicker have all been familiarized by Internet junkies across the world.
Why is this such a phenomenon? Why does it work so well for marketing? The reasons are simple, and powerful:
- It’s quick and easy - No programming skills required. Just sign up for a site, log in, and if you can read, write, and follow instructions. Your new content is then posted immediately.
- Power - The ability for people to reach millions in an instant and provide a message that can have a significant impact gives the user a sense of power they haven’t had before. It can even give some a sense of importance.
- Freedom, flexibility, and creativity - Users have a medium to reach vast audiences where they can say and show whatever they want. The freedom of expression can com from the form of writing, designing your Blog page, videos, pictures, and sharing them with others with no commitment to others. It’s all on your time, and your message.
- Honesty and sincerity of the message - This is the big kicker for creating buzz. Users aren’t part of a marketing team. They don’t get compensated for talking about products, or if they are, they are up front about it. The message is a sincere one on their thoughts. They are trusted because they are seen as peers. It is the equivalent of a good friend telling you how great a new restaurant is. The message isn’t from a salesman, it’s from a peer. Blogging is a particularly powerful tool for this.
While traditional advertising still has its place, the public should not be ignored. It has been made incredibly simple for them to voice their word, and it holds a strong persuasive value. Companies are taking the hint, and have even created contests revolved around user participation. What companies do you know are benefiting from user created content?
Posted in Buzz | No Comments »
Friday, April 6th, 2007
Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting Ben McConnell of Church of the Customer. He gave an excellent presentation on marketing as it occurs out of the hands of “experts” and into the hands of common people.
Lots of great stories were shared as examples of both viral, buzz marketing success and failures. It really got me thinking more about the power of user created content, its appeal, and rampant spread. It really is a brilliant way to market. Yes, the message is out of your control when everyday people talk about you, but the message is free and highly viral. Users eat this up because they get a chance to create, spread a message and get noticed, it’s easy, powerful, and gives them a sense of freedom.
As an added bonus, we received copies of Ben and Jackie’s book, Citizen Marketers. If you have any interest in marketing I suggest you take a look at their site, and their book for a nice refreshing view on marketing.
Posted in Buzz, Interesting People, Marketing | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 4th, 2007
I recently received a comment on my Blog from another Blogger, Mark, at SpendMeToSchool. At first, the comment looked just like spam, but my curiousity got the best of me and I checked out his site. What I found was quite interesting. The blogger claims that he will choose his profession in life based on a number of votes from readers. The catch is that each vote costs $1. Each occupation is decidedly different, ranging from rodeo clown to stunt man.
While the idea of making money by having others make life decisions for you for cash isn’t new, this was still an interesting site to visit. Will he pull through with the task at hand? Take a look for something interesting.
Posted in Buzz | 1 Comment »
