The QR Code Fail: The Marketing Gimmick That Won’t Die
Every time I see a QR (quick response) code on an advertisement or banner, I cringe. The first time I came across these squiggly codes was a few years ago, when a client asked us to put one on an ad he was doing. The client had no idea what they were, but wanted one [...]
Get better results from your employees and spend less money! (No snake oil involved.)
Sounds impossible, right? In fact it’s quite simple: Have some of your employees work from home. According to the Telework Research Network, if employees spent just one day a week working remotely, employers could save around $6,500 per year, per employee. Wow. And there are many more benefits to the employer: better employee retention access [...]
How do Adwords work?
By some estimates, 90% of Google Adwords dollars are completely wasted. On the surface Google ADwords is the coolest thing in advertising since the television. When ADwords first came on the scene and people started using it, competition was scarce and it was easy to be successful. Now there are more than 1 million advertisers using [...]
Corporate Social Responsibility: Can your company do better by doing good?
Integrating responsible business practices into your day-to-day operations has become the new norm. Perhaps it’s a fad or perhaps it’s genuine reform. Your competitors couldn’t afford to ignore it: Can you? Most large corporations now have a dedicated CSR director, with an entire department dedicated to charitable activities, community work, and sustainability initiatives. Smaller companies [...]
What We’re Talking About: Facebook’s New Rival, Google+
Two weeks after a (very) soft launch — read: invitation only — Google+ already has a user base of 20 million. And it’s growing fast. Industry analysts predict that this new social “sharing” site will hit 100 million users before the year is out. That’s nothing compared to Facebook’s 750 million users, of course; but [...]
Is your website mobile friendly?
Yikes! Do you realize that 10% or more of the visitors to your website probably view it via a mobile device? More mobile devices, like tablets and smart phones, were sold last year than desktop and laptop computers combined. Your mobile site can be a single screen with links to quick information like your [...]
Even Ad Age Says Traditional Marketing Is Dying
We believe that, while some traditional media has its place, social media and the web is the best way to reach many demographics. But it’s not as simple as just buying online ads or setting up a Facebook organization page. You have be genuine and authentic – and have something original to say. The good [...]
So What Is This Social Media Stuff Anyway?
A lot of people talk about Social Media (or Web 2.0) – but not everyone knows exactly what it really means. That’s okay. Like your mom told you when you were 13, it’s okay to be curious. Web 1.0 was the first decade of the web, where the internet was a place to look and [...]
Twitter Analysis of Budweiser vs. Magic Hat
It’s interesting to see how companies of various sizes are handling Social Media and e-Marketing as part of their Brand Management strategies. One small part of this that I always pay attention to is how they react – or don’t react – to Twitter activity about them. (If you’re not familiar with Twitter, click here [...]
Expertise
Marketing today isn’t usually about a product. Or direct sales. Or traditional advertising. Those can be important – but they’re not what good marketing is about. Good marketing is about Expertise. Expertise goes hand-in-hand with being Unique. Being an Expert in your field makes you Unique. Because most people trying to market what you’re trying [...]
