08/20/2004
Had so much fun researching this week's Friday Fun that I almost got lost in cyberspace. Yes, I do spend time pulling sites and searching out odd information for divas that like at least some of their marketing tips with a dash of fun and a throw of a puffy featha boa!
"They are tough, they are gutsy, they are the grown-up but naughty Nancy Drews we always wanted to be." USA TODAY Carol Memmott
What a great quote! After discovering that diva, Kate Spencer director, university marketing and communications at
AU shared a love of female detectives heroines, I set out to visit a few friends -
Stephanie Plum,
Kinsey Milhone, Kate Millholland,
Joanna Brady,
V.I. Warshawski and some childhood pals too -
Trixie Belden and, of course,
Nancy Drew.
Did you know that there were spunky female detectives in Victorian novels? However, seems they often weren't taken seriously. (Change happens slooooowly.) Gotta love this dialogue from Lady Detective by WS Hayward.
"I am a female detective and I ask you these questions in order that justice may vindicate her character and reputation for impartiality"
"A - female - detective," he repeated slowly.
"I think I said so."
"Why, I should as soon have thought of seeing a flying fish or a sea-serpent with a ring through its nose."
Intrigued? Pay a visit to Chris Willis’ site.
Want something a little more exotic? Precious Ramotswe is Botswana's only female detective - The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
Val McDermid, author of Lindsay Gordon and the Kate Brannigan novels, is writing stories that reflect the way "women network and operate within a nexus of friends and contacts." Her chicks have attitude but they also have "groups of friends whose importance is at the heart of who these women are." Note: Andrea, Kirsten, Michele and Yvonne sounds like Val has been reading your books and blogs!
Janet Evanvoch is trying to update her work by editing some of her bloopers. From the perspective of Y2004 they're not even close to hitting the pc (polically correct) mark. But if you have a sense of humour they're pretty funny http://www.evanovich.com/ click bloopers.
Original: "I just used the portable scanner as an excuse to see you. I know this is a little sudden, but the truth is I'm painfully attracted to you..."
J.E.'s comment: "Just what every woman wants to hear. I guess this has something to do with his "aching groin". Now we know why the hero was still single-- he needed better pick-up lines."
Diva detectives who have an attitude, guts, are a little bit naughty and in the end find glory…what’s not to love? Tip to publishers and authors - Sure would be a hoot to read a Stephanie, Sue or VI blog. And an innovative customer loyalty strategy.
Read More
Salon - The Female Dick
List of authors and their female mystery heroines at the Framingham Library.
08/19/2004
Tore out The Chatter (biz section) column from the Sunday NYT. Two important lessons for marketers.
First Lesson Learned
You can never control the media.
Wurtzel's Quote: "It kind of went right back to where God intended it to be."
NYT: "Alan Wurtzel, above, president for research at NBC, on the sudden return of young male viewers in the Nielsen ratings."
Questions for divas: At first reading what did you think? Did you take away that Mr. Wurtzel's comment was totally pc (politically incorrect)?
The story behind the quote.
“Mr. Wurtzel's facetiousness was matched by a real sense of vindication. He was among the most vocal of the critics who took on Nielsen last year, saying its numbers - which in September showed a drop in viewing by young men of more than 10 percent - could not possibly be accurate because they were so inconsistent with viewing patterns established over years of measurement.” I Media
Note: Fall 2003 Nielsen Media Research announced that young males - the hardest-to-reach and most intensely targeted subset of humans in North America - were watching 12 percent less prime-time network TV than in 2003. Wired
Second Lesson Learned
Reach and awareness don't necessarily buy customers.
08/19/2004
Mark Cuban is a "brand" unto himself. Like him or leave him he sure knows how to make a buck and his blog is one of the most active on the web. Cuban's next venture is a reality show - The Benefactor. It's all about what Cuban calls "success tests." You don't have to be a fan of RTV or a fan of the Dallas Mavericks even a fan of the Blog Maverick to appreciate these success factors which could easily be incorporated in your next corporate retreat.
Mark Cuban's Six Success Tests
1. You don’t get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.
2. Time is more valuable than money. How you use your time is critical.
3. Work hard, play hard. Pushing to be successful always increases stress levels at some point, how you manage that stress creates a foundation for how you’re energized to go for your goals!
4. Roadblocks to success come from the unlikeliest of sources. You have to always expect and be prepared to deal with someone trying to beat you to the punch, or stop you dead in your tracks. How you deal with the unexpected, speaks volumes for your ability to succeed.
5. Everyone has the ability to be successful. There is something in all of us that makes us special, the hard part is pushing through boundaries and finding it and not being afraid to show it.
6. One of my favorite tests was based on one of my favorite sayings: It’s not if the glass is half empty or half full, it’s who is pouring the water. Knowing whether you are pouring, or whether your glass is being poured for you, is critical.
Will The Benefactor win the rating test? Tune in next season to find out, in the mean time Cubans's Sucess Tests are a winner with me!
08/17/2004
It is better to light just one little candle
Than to stumble in the dark.
Better far that you light just one little candle,
All you need is a tiny spark.
Full lyrics
Alan Nelson, of the blog Command-post, is hoping that bloggers will light thousands of candles in support of an innovative viral blog cause marketing strategy. Strengthen The Good is a network of bloggers who have joined together to raise money for micro-charities. One blogger...one dollar...at a time we can make a difference.
Thanks FreshBet for the candle.
08/16/2004
This looks like an exciting marketing manager opportunity with Spunlogic , a very cool Atlanta-based company, that is creating a reputation for innovation in the Interactive space.
Spunlogic Marketing Manager Job Description
We are currently seeking a Marketing Manager to help take Spunlogic to the next level. The successful candidate will work with our VP of Marketing to both spread awareness about Spunlogic as well as develop lead generation campaigns.
Responsibilities
1.Generate and implement an annual strategic marketing plan
2.Coordination or implementation of the following possible activities (TBD):
a.Public Relations activities
i.Promotion of client success stories
ii.Contacting publications for story pitches
iii.Writing press releases both for external press and for the Spunlogic website
b.Awareness tactics/campaigns
c.Lead generation campaigns
d.Online marketing tactics
e.Events including webinars, seminars, roundtables and social events
f.Quarterly client newsletter
3.Identifying and securing local, regional and national speaking events for Spunlogic
4.Copywriting for various marketing communication initiatives
5.Management of the Spunlogic website
6.Sales support (as deemed necessary)
7.Ensure consistency of our brand positioning in all efforts
Requirements
1.5-10 years of related marketing experience
2.Public Relations experience
3.Copywriting skills/experience
4.Experience developing and implementing marketing plans
5.Experience with some or all of the following activities:
a.Awareness generation
b.Lead generation
c.Marketing Communications
About Spunlogic
Spunlogic is an award-winning interactive marketing and technology company that uses an in-depth understanding of online behavior to help companies attract, convert and retain customers. We provide a full range of solutions including online behavior strategy, interactive design, web development, email marketing, online advertising and e-commerce applications. We’ve completed a wide range of projects for both local and national clients including the Atlanta Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, Dirt Devil, Georgia Pacific, The Honey Baked Ham Company, Penske Truck Rental, Porsche Cars, Simmons and The Weather Channel.
If you're interested contact:
Donovan Panone
VP of Marketing
404.969.3943
08/16/2004
The man-on-the street reporter, Jay Berkowitz, wraps up his coverage of the Search Engine Marketing show with Ten Relevant Lessons Learned.
Ten Relevant Lessons Learned
1. An Apple a Day
Matt Cutts, the popular 'Google Guy' shared this tip in one of the day 3 sessions. Content is King in search marketing, this means that lots of high quality content (copy) on your website is the best way to be found by the search engines. Matt suggested eating an apple a day is good for our health, adding a page of copy each day will improve your search engine performance.
2. Measurement is Hot
Everyone is talking about measuring the traffic to their sites and the different software that provides this information. A few basic, but critically important questions: What is your website conversion (% of sales/visitors)? How many people leave your site from the home page (an indication of lack of interest)? What is your top exit page (an indication of a page that turns people away)? By answering these questions you can identify the opportunities to improve your site.
3. Make News Releases Keyword Rich to Capitalize on Search
Identify the top keywords people search Global Promoter keyword suggestion tool) and include these keywords in your media wire releases. Try PRWEB they offer internet and search friendly releases for a great value vs. the traditional wire services.
4. Conversion is the next Frontier
We are all getting better at driving traffic to our sites; we will hit the next level by converting more visits into leads or sales. Driving traffic to specific relevant landing pages is one of the most effective tactics. Overall average site conversion is 2.3% how are you performing?
5. Diversified Search
This is the strategy of moving beyond Pay-Per-Click and Natural Search Optimization to develop quality traffic in other ways. One successful tactic is Paid Organic, this works like 'advertorial' print ads you pay for in newspapers and magazines, highly trafficked sites will place articles and links to your site for a fee - see TrafficLogic.
6. Linking Strategies
There was a lot of discussion about the high value of increasing the number of links to your site. This is particularly relevant for your performance on Google and contributes heavily to your Google 'Page Rank' one of the important measures that Google uses to rank your site on searches (get this tool free in the Google toolbar . Increase links to your website by trading links with partners and suppliers, and write articles for submission to popular industry websites. Another great tool, in Google type link to see how many links you have to your site in the Google servers.
7. SEMPO
Looking for a Search Engine Company or a Search employee? Call me for recommendations, or visit the new Search Engine Professionals Organization. They have the best job board in the industry.
8. The 8 Second Rule
When people click on a search link and come to your site (or a landing page) you must tell them who you are and what you offer in a clear concise way that takes less than 8 seconds...or they are gone. As consumers, we're all impatient, we all know to click the back button and try another link in our original search.
9. Watch out for scams, promises and Boiler Rooms
Search firms 'guaranteeing' page 1 rankings and calling from telemarketing boiler rooms are often not the partners you want to hire. Check references very carefully and search the company name on industry chat boards and Google to ensure they aren't scammers. Traffic Power has been mentioned frequently in sessions and on boards, buyer beware!
10. Put the keyword in the title
For paid search, put the keyword in the title of the ad. In most cases this improves click-thru because the searcher believes he/she has found a relevant link.
Blogs as a "search strategy" still appear to be below the radar screen. When I first began Diva Marketing Dana VanDen Heuvel told that search engines love blogs because of the content, links and html. The key word rankings that Diva Marketing pulls, almost from day of post, still surprises me. Including a blog as part of in your Interactive marketing plan is a great way to increase traffic to your "traditional" website. Perhaps the next search conference will include blogs...as a traffic strategy for websites and how-to increase blog rankings.
08/16/2004
In my online travels I often come across great Free Biz Stuff. Some are eBooks, some are ASP programs and others are video clips. Stuff that you want to share...here's the start of an on-going resource.
Posted August 2, 2004
>Wizard Academy Press - brief video clips and eBooks including book reviews and marketing strategies.
>Tom Peter's Re-imagine Scorecard - tool to help access business strategies.
>Mandarin Design - free (or "beer budget") tools to support blogs.
>Snag IT from TechSmith - screen capture utility that captures, edits, and organizes website content.
>The Fallacy of Chasing Cool from Plan B - eBook - make sure you read "Confessions of a Recovering Trend Scout, The Cool Hunter" by Mark Lewman at the end of the article.
>The Power and Politics of Blogs by by Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell - wonderful piece of research on blogs although concentrating on political blogs has some good data on blogs in-general.
>Testfy! How Remarkable Organizations Are Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell and Jackie Hubel - features 18 profiles of organizations and their success with customer evangelism.
>Books A Million - chapters of new and to-be published books delivered twice a week to your inbox.
>800 CEO Reads Book Excerpts - excerpts of books via a blog, with of course an RSS feed!
Posted August 16, 2004
><Skype - Free internet telephoney. Download the software, plug in a microphone and your good to go. According to my cousin Jim the sound is great.
<>Free trade publications. Found the link via our friends at Small Business Trends
<>The Cluetrain Manifesto An eBook by Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger on how the Internet is changing business communication and customer expectations.
08/15/2004
From BuzzMachine came across a company, LexBlog that offers turn-key blogs for lawyers...complete with design and content options.
LexBlog definately gets it...."Web sites? They're so 90's, it's law blogs now".
Which spins another question in my mind during the wee hours of the am...if one of the criteria of a blog is original content (from a unique perspective/"voice"), if a blog includes syndicated content that is sold to several/many blogs is that "blog" still a blog?
08/15/2004
Bonne nuit Madame Julia. Julia Child taught us how to master the art of French cooking with joie de vivre and a glass of Bordeaux close at hand!
The Diva of French Cuisine also taught us a lesson that is even more important than a perfect soufflé. She showed us that life is an adventure where new opportunities await no matter your age. Julie was 50 when she debuted her first TV program on WGBH in Boston. She changed kitchen culture and food TV. And she didn't stop at one show or one book. Nor should you or I!
Tour Julia Child's Kitchen
More about Julia Child on the NYT site complete with audio slide show and on PBS.
Bon Appetit Julia. We raise our glasses of Bordeaux to you!
Gratitude is the heart’s memory. Thank you.” – French Proverb
Note: Time Cover - November 25, 1966
08/13/2004
Catch the thread on of what makes a successful blog (or blogger) on Asterisk*. The comments are as valuable as the post and worth a click to the blog.
Here are D. Keith's Idea's
1.Well written. Good content will make or break your blog. Period. This it the #1 thing that makes a blog successful in my book.
2.Frequently updated. Unless you’re a guru of some sort you really need to stay on top of it. This can be a real challenge.
3.Consistent. This is kind of a combination of the first two. I like sites that are able to maintain quality and frequency overtime.
4.Open. I like to read people who are honest and willing to talk about tough issues in a free and open way.
5.Responsive. Those who respond to feedback and try to adapt to the wants and needs of their audience get high marks from me.
6.Well designed. Yes, I do judge a blog by its design. It’s not the most important thing, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t matter at all.
7.Aware of its audience. If you don’t know your audience it’ll show.
8.Varied in topic. I feel there are lots of people who would disagree with this, but I like sites that change the subject every once in awhile.
9.Personal. I tend to enjoy a blog with a bit of a personality. I want to “get to know”, to a certain degree, the person(s) behind the site. Tone and style have a lot to do with this.
10.Thick skinned. With any successful site comes nay-sayers, trolls, pedants and spammers.
11.Honest. Readers are smart and they can smell bullshit.
12.Accountable. Mistakes are inevitable and there are times when it’s best to fess up and admit where you’re wrong.
13.Funny. I like a blog that can make me laugh on occasion
