Message Marketing with MIND MAPS
To work efficiently and effectively as a marketer you need the right tools and the right approach.
As most readers are likely aware, platforms and services exist in abundance to help improve marketing campaign performance. For those more involved with strategy than execution however, a powerful opportunity exists in mind maps.
Defining Mind Mapping
Mind maps are visual diagrams which represent concepts and/or tasks that can be, or are by their very nature, connected. Using the many available solutions on the market such as Mindomo, Mindmesiter or FreeMind will provide Web marketing teams a way to understand these connections, a framework to generate ideas (brainstorm), and a means to prioritize tasks and visualize progress. The ways in which mind maps can be used are many.
Mind mapping is a great technique for just about any type of individual or team brainstorming — site creation, product creation, or problem solving. Most marketers, to their own detriment however, opt to work from “experience” and “intuition” — and often do so in a vacuum.
Mind Maps in Action
When applied to messaging and content development,however, few tools are more useful than mind maps. Web marketers can employ mind maps to identify not just the primary groups or audiences but drill down into the sub-groups to more accurately explore the interests, behaviors and beliefs of these future clients/customers — which is what can really move performance indicators in a positive direction. Let’s take a look at a practical example.
Interests: Consumers have a broad range of interests which typically have relationships all their own. One of the best ways to reveal these relationships are to map them out.
For example, if you sell a product to healthy living enthusiasts, not only do you know it is important to produce content for those interested in physical fitness, but drill further (or in a different direction) into healthy living and you might find some association with a macrobiotic diet as well — another sub-group to explore. Visually mapping out relationships early on will reveal not only the destinations to promote a product or service but entirely new opportunities for content development.
Behaviors: While consumers have a broad range of interests which can help marketers develop appropriate product/service specific content, their behavior is another aspect with which it is important to become familiar and use in content development efforts. Are these prospects only casually interested or are they hard core, power-users? The answer is important as it provides us guidance as to how content might be developed and structured. Let’s return to the healthy living example. Creating a mind map could reveal that many physical fitness enthusiasts are only casually involved. This might provide a signal to a content marketing team to create blog posts for these casual enthusiasts — for example, “Three Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk” or “Get Fit from Your Couch”.
Beliefs: The worldview or belief system of your audience is also important in determining the best possible acquisition approach through content. When a marketer can understand “why” consumers are interested and can craft messages which resonate with these beliefs, message effectiveness can go through the virtual roof. Once again returning to our example, we know that in order to sell our health living products, we will be pursuing those interested in running/jogging that do so casually. But why are they interested in casual jogging? Dig deeper and you might one possible answer is “longevity”. An entire series of articles could be created around longevity and health living, taking cues from interests and beliefs at the same time. One possible post – “How to Live to 100 in Fifteen Minutes a Day.
Get Started with Mind Maps
Mind maps provide the ability to foster an environment of collaboration, help identify the most practical solution, and provide a structure wherein an action plan can be created. When it comes to message-based marketing, seriously consider the use of the solutions as these offerings, while considered to be nothing more than a creative exercise by some, do help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your Web enterprise. Focus not just on the needs or wants of your prospective clients, but
also on the interests, beliefs and behaviors of users for the greatest impact.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Video in Email
With consumers becoming accustomed to watching video on web sites of all kinds, adding video to e-mail can greatly enhance its appeal. The mere mention of video in the subject line can significantly boost open rates. Deciding what type of video to include, however, poses a serious challenge, because it must be relevant to the consumer.
While many retailers opt for videos that educate consumers about a product, the entertainment value can be just as important in attracting and maintaining the consumer’s interest. Apparel retailers, for instance, can create video fashion shows, complete with models walking down the runaway to display the coming season’s fashions.
Potential drawbacks to video are that image quality and the ability of the consumer’s e-mail program to quickly download and play the video significantly influence how consumers respond to it. These problems are magnified for consumers that read their e-mail on a mobile phone, as video-playing technology readily available on personal computers may not work on certain mobile phones.
For example, while a Flash video may play on some mobile devices, it will not play on such popular Apple Inc. devices as the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. If the video doesn’t play or isn’t playing properly, retailers lose their opportunity to communicate with the customer. Without knowing what type of device the e-mail will be opened on, it is becoming more difficult to confidently embed video in an e-mail. The safest bet is to leave video out of the message unless it has been extensively tested on different mobile and desktop operating systems.
E-mail marketers should also pay close attention to the size of the video file as that directly impacts download times of the message itself. “Video can add a lot of bulk to an e-mail.
One way to overcome playability and download issues is to embed an image from the video that displays a play button in the e-mail. When the play button is clicked, consumers are linked to the retailer’s server or to YouTube,which plays the video.
It’s a very seamless process and a good solution for marketers that want to include video because not all the e-mail clients can support video. It’s also a nice alternative to simply including a link to the video in the body of the message, because it adds some visual appeal.
An alternative to video is animation that plays when the e-mail is opened. Animated GIFs adds visual appeal,but without the sound. One well-known example is that of a retailer that included a chocolate bunny animated GIF for an Easter promotion whose ears were being eaten away. Retailers can also use animated GIFs to show a 360-degree rotation of a product or swap products in a hero image.
Given some of the technical hurdles retailers face by adding video to their e-mails, it is recommended marketers first determine whether the medium fits their objectives for the e-mail campaign. If the objective is to educate consumers about a product, it may be worthwhile to include a video product review submitted by a happy customer or one that demonstrates how to use the product.
Product demonstrations, for example, make sense when the consumers targeted in the e-mail campaign are likely to have limited knowledge of the product.
A health and beauty retailer that sells primarily to teens should not assume their customer base knows how to apply the product, so in this case a video can be extremely relevant. What retailers don’t want to do is simply add video because it is a trendy thing to do.
Adding technology for the sake of technology is not the best use of technology. As retailers prepare for the upcoming holiday season there are a number of tweaks they can make to improve the effectiveness of their e-mail campaigns. Identifying and encouraging brand advocates that post promotional e-mails to Facebook or forward them to friends is one way to expand the reach of e-mail during the holiday season.
Retailers can add widgets that make it easy for consumers to post the retailer’s e-mail offers to a Facebook page or forward it to a friend. Retailers will want to prominently display the buttons to activate the widgets; those widgets can also track how many additional people receive and view the message.
Brand advocates are a powerful marketing tool, especially when they use social media to take a message viral. Retailers can readily identify them and create offers they are likely to re-circulate based on past behavior. The more a brand advocate spreads the word about a retailer, the more credibility they can lend to the retailer’s brand.
Simply targeting brand advocates to take a message viral is not enough. Retailers need to make sure they are reaching the brand advocates that have the most dedicated following within their social circles.
A consumer that shares one message that is clicked on by 20 people is more valuable than someone who shares 20 messages that get only one click. Both customers have value, but retailers that want to be sure their message is viewed by the largest audience possible should be concentrating on their most effective brand evangelists.
Consumers that are just getting to know a retailer, and those who have come close to buying before abandoning a shopping cart, are also good targets for e-mail marketing during the holiday season.
Consumers that have recently opted in to the e-mail list can be sent a series of automated welcome e-mails highlighting best-selling products or popular gift ideas over a several week period as a way to expose them to the retailer’s top products.
Another quick, low-budget split test optimization opportunity is in changing the subject line to indicate the message comes from a person as opposed to a company, as some consumers respond more favorably to an e-mail from an individual. Retailers can also test subject lines that ask an intriguing question, such as ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ as a way to engage the customer.
Retargeting consumers that have abandoned a shopping cart can serve as a reminder they have an item in the cart or provide a nudge to complete the purchase, especially if the retailer offers an incentive to buy now.
E-mail campaigns can even be used to precede slower transaction days of the week to level out warehouse and shipping activity. There are a lot of ways retailers can use their customer data to make their e-mail campaigns more efficient.
Marketers can boost e-mail open rates by adding a call to action in the subject line, such as a request to share tips on the retailer’s Facebook page or web site about how to throw a memorable holiday party or decorate the house for the holidays.
A call to action that gets the customer involved by visiting the retailer’s web site or Facebook page can be a subtle way to improve open rates down the road or generate a future sale, because the message keeps the consumer interacting with the retailer.
Regardless of how creative retailers are with subject lines or e-mail content, it means little if their message does not get delivered to the inbox or ends up categorized as bulk or unimportant e-mail. The guardians of consumers’ e-mail inboxes, such as Yahoo, MSN, Google and AOL, which are often called by e-mail marketing experts Internet service providers from the days when e-mail and Internet access services were linked, are continually changing the ways they rate the reputations of bulk e-mail senders, including retailers. Engagement with e-mail—opens, clicks, replies and so forth—is starting to play a bigger part in terms of inbox placement, which means that retailers must get more timely, targeted and relevant for success.
Before, if a retailer sent messages over a clean IP and had a low rate of complaints, they pretty much landed in the inbox, but now the ISPs are trying to reduce inbox clutter and make it easier for consumers to digest their messages. Retailers need to start focusing on building out lifecycle marketing in order to successfully speak to consumers at the right time in the right way.
Other ways retailers can improve delivery rates is avoiding sudden changes in e-mailing patterns. A retailer that regularly sends 100,000 messages per e-mail campaign will most likely receive a red flag from ISPs if the merchant suddenly starts sending to 1 million e-mail addresses. The inbox providers may block the campaign as a result.
Communication is a part of maintaining a good relationship with ISPs, and letting them know in advance of sudden increases in campaign volume or frequency is a best practice Retailers should also make sure their e-mail service provider does not reuse an IP address that is also used by highly aggressive marketers, as that can raise a red flag.
It’s also advisable to put an e-mail campaign through an automatic spam checker that flags keywords in the subject line and main body that may be blocked by an ISP’s spam filter. Using an e-mail marketing system that stays up to date with the latest spam definitions is vital, because avoiding the latest spam definitions ensures a higher delivery rate. The same goes for size limits because some spam filters will block e-mails over a certain size.
Steps should also be taken to scrub e-mail lists, especially when retailers are collecting consumer e-mail addresses in-store at the checkout or customer service counter. All too often e-mails collected under these circumstances are incorrectly entered into the e-mail database, leading to bounced e-mails that damage the retailer’s reputation with the ISPs.
Verify the address before the customer walks away and have keyboard tabs that auto-fill ISP addresses such as @aol to help reduce data entry errors. Once these best practices are mastered, retailers can focus on how to integrate their e-mail campaigns with their other marketing efforts, particularly those in the increasingly vital areas of social media and mobile commerce.
While many retailers opt for videos that educate consumers about a product, the entertainment value can be just as important in attracting and maintaining the consumer’s interest. Apparel retailers, for instance, can create video fashion shows, complete with models walking down the runaway to display the coming season’s fashions.
Potential drawbacks to video are that image quality and the ability of the consumer’s e-mail program to quickly download and play the video significantly influence how consumers respond to it. These problems are magnified for consumers that read their e-mail on a mobile phone, as video-playing technology readily available on personal computers may not work on certain mobile phones.
For example, while a Flash video may play on some mobile devices, it will not play on such popular Apple Inc. devices as the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. If the video doesn’t play or isn’t playing properly, retailers lose their opportunity to communicate with the customer. Without knowing what type of device the e-mail will be opened on, it is becoming more difficult to confidently embed video in an e-mail. The safest bet is to leave video out of the message unless it has been extensively tested on different mobile and desktop operating systems.
E-mail marketers should also pay close attention to the size of the video file as that directly impacts download times of the message itself. “Video can add a lot of bulk to an e-mail.
One way to overcome playability and download issues is to embed an image from the video that displays a play button in the e-mail. When the play button is clicked, consumers are linked to the retailer’s server or to YouTube,which plays the video.
It’s a very seamless process and a good solution for marketers that want to include video because not all the e-mail clients can support video. It’s also a nice alternative to simply including a link to the video in the body of the message, because it adds some visual appeal.
An alternative to video is animation that plays when the e-mail is opened. Animated GIFs adds visual appeal,but without the sound. One well-known example is that of a retailer that included a chocolate bunny animated GIF for an Easter promotion whose ears were being eaten away. Retailers can also use animated GIFs to show a 360-degree rotation of a product or swap products in a hero image.
Given some of the technical hurdles retailers face by adding video to their e-mails, it is recommended marketers first determine whether the medium fits their objectives for the e-mail campaign. If the objective is to educate consumers about a product, it may be worthwhile to include a video product review submitted by a happy customer or one that demonstrates how to use the product.
Product demonstrations, for example, make sense when the consumers targeted in the e-mail campaign are likely to have limited knowledge of the product.
A health and beauty retailer that sells primarily to teens should not assume their customer base knows how to apply the product, so in this case a video can be extremely relevant. What retailers don’t want to do is simply add video because it is a trendy thing to do.
Adding technology for the sake of technology is not the best use of technology. As retailers prepare for the upcoming holiday season there are a number of tweaks they can make to improve the effectiveness of their e-mail campaigns. Identifying and encouraging brand advocates that post promotional e-mails to Facebook or forward them to friends is one way to expand the reach of e-mail during the holiday season.
Retailers can add widgets that make it easy for consumers to post the retailer’s e-mail offers to a Facebook page or forward it to a friend. Retailers will want to prominently display the buttons to activate the widgets; those widgets can also track how many additional people receive and view the message.
Brand advocates are a powerful marketing tool, especially when they use social media to take a message viral. Retailers can readily identify them and create offers they are likely to re-circulate based on past behavior. The more a brand advocate spreads the word about a retailer, the more credibility they can lend to the retailer’s brand.
Simply targeting brand advocates to take a message viral is not enough. Retailers need to make sure they are reaching the brand advocates that have the most dedicated following within their social circles.
A consumer that shares one message that is clicked on by 20 people is more valuable than someone who shares 20 messages that get only one click. Both customers have value, but retailers that want to be sure their message is viewed by the largest audience possible should be concentrating on their most effective brand evangelists.
Consumers that are just getting to know a retailer, and those who have come close to buying before abandoning a shopping cart, are also good targets for e-mail marketing during the holiday season.
Consumers that have recently opted in to the e-mail list can be sent a series of automated welcome e-mails highlighting best-selling products or popular gift ideas over a several week period as a way to expose them to the retailer’s top products.
Another quick, low-budget split test optimization opportunity is in changing the subject line to indicate the message comes from a person as opposed to a company, as some consumers respond more favorably to an e-mail from an individual. Retailers can also test subject lines that ask an intriguing question, such as ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ as a way to engage the customer.
Retargeting consumers that have abandoned a shopping cart can serve as a reminder they have an item in the cart or provide a nudge to complete the purchase, especially if the retailer offers an incentive to buy now.
E-mail campaigns can even be used to precede slower transaction days of the week to level out warehouse and shipping activity. There are a lot of ways retailers can use their customer data to make their e-mail campaigns more efficient.
Marketers can boost e-mail open rates by adding a call to action in the subject line, such as a request to share tips on the retailer’s Facebook page or web site about how to throw a memorable holiday party or decorate the house for the holidays.
A call to action that gets the customer involved by visiting the retailer’s web site or Facebook page can be a subtle way to improve open rates down the road or generate a future sale, because the message keeps the consumer interacting with the retailer.
Regardless of how creative retailers are with subject lines or e-mail content, it means little if their message does not get delivered to the inbox or ends up categorized as bulk or unimportant e-mail. The guardians of consumers’ e-mail inboxes, such as Yahoo, MSN, Google and AOL, which are often called by e-mail marketing experts Internet service providers from the days when e-mail and Internet access services were linked, are continually changing the ways they rate the reputations of bulk e-mail senders, including retailers. Engagement with e-mail—opens, clicks, replies and so forth—is starting to play a bigger part in terms of inbox placement, which means that retailers must get more timely, targeted and relevant for success.
Before, if a retailer sent messages over a clean IP and had a low rate of complaints, they pretty much landed in the inbox, but now the ISPs are trying to reduce inbox clutter and make it easier for consumers to digest their messages. Retailers need to start focusing on building out lifecycle marketing in order to successfully speak to consumers at the right time in the right way.
Other ways retailers can improve delivery rates is avoiding sudden changes in e-mailing patterns. A retailer that regularly sends 100,000 messages per e-mail campaign will most likely receive a red flag from ISPs if the merchant suddenly starts sending to 1 million e-mail addresses. The inbox providers may block the campaign as a result.
Communication is a part of maintaining a good relationship with ISPs, and letting them know in advance of sudden increases in campaign volume or frequency is a best practice Retailers should also make sure their e-mail service provider does not reuse an IP address that is also used by highly aggressive marketers, as that can raise a red flag.
It’s also advisable to put an e-mail campaign through an automatic spam checker that flags keywords in the subject line and main body that may be blocked by an ISP’s spam filter. Using an e-mail marketing system that stays up to date with the latest spam definitions is vital, because avoiding the latest spam definitions ensures a higher delivery rate. The same goes for size limits because some spam filters will block e-mails over a certain size.
Steps should also be taken to scrub e-mail lists, especially when retailers are collecting consumer e-mail addresses in-store at the checkout or customer service counter. All too often e-mails collected under these circumstances are incorrectly entered into the e-mail database, leading to bounced e-mails that damage the retailer’s reputation with the ISPs.
Verify the address before the customer walks away and have keyboard tabs that auto-fill ISP addresses such as @aol to help reduce data entry errors. Once these best practices are mastered, retailers can focus on how to integrate their e-mail campaigns with their other marketing efforts, particularly those in the increasingly vital areas of social media and mobile commerce.
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Sunday, August 28, 2011
Social and Mobile Marketing
Social media and mobile may be the glamorous new darlings of retail marketing, but e-mail remains the tried and true marketing tool in retailers’ arsenal. The reason is simple: E-mail is deeply ingrained in the daily lives of consumers as a one-to-one communications tool.
Unlike the one-to-many nature of social media, where public comments are posted on a Facebook wall or Twitter page for all to see, e-mail allows retail marketers to convey their marketing messages in a personalized way. This enables retailers to tell a story in a way they can’t through other marketing channels.
Even though retail marketers are using social media and mobile to do many of the activities they used to do through e-mail, such as send coupons or post notices of sales, they are not replacing e-mail. E-mail is firmly entrenched in consumers’ daily lives. As new marketing channels emerge, e-mail is evolving to another level as a personalized communications tool that integrates with social, mobile and other marketing channels.
Personalized e-mail based on consumer data from social networking sites is the next frontier for e-mail marketing. By tapping into information consumers post about themselves on Facebook, retailers can create e-mail messages that promote brands consumers have positively commented on, offer accessories to recent purchases mentioned or pitch products their friends like or have purchased from the retailer’s web site or Facebook shopping page.
Retailers can also use that data to avoid pitching products or brands for which the consumer has expressed dislike. Knowing what a consumer dislikes reduces the chance of e-mailing promotions about products and brands that are unlikely to appeal to that customer.
Integrating social media data into e-mail is a very powerful and personal marketing tool.
Getting at a consumer’s personal information on Facebook can be tricky, because not all Facebook users make their profiles public, or they may choose to significantly limit the data available for public consumption. To gather the necessary information it is recommended that retailers encourage consumers to connect with them through Facebook.
Facebook Connect allows Facebook users to privately share their profile and friends with retailers or any entity. Sending an e-mail that requests a Facebook connection allows consumers to opt in to the program, and affords a retailer the opportunity to reassure consumers about how their information will be used.
By electing to connect with a retailer through Facebook, consumers aren’t just saying they like the retailer, they are saying they are willing to share information with the retailer, and that can take e-mail marketing to a whole other level.
Consumers that connect with a retailer through a social network can be encouraged to tell stories about their shopping experiences with the retailer or write product reviews on the retailer’s Facebook page. Those consumer stories can be excerpted and included in e-mail campaigns.
Consumer-generated content plays well with other consumers because it tells an authentic story about a situation consumers can see themselves in or an experience they can relate to. Once the stories are shared, they build on themselves, because consumers want to be a part of the community and tell their own story. This generates a steady flow of fresh content that can be used by the marketing team in e-mail and social marketing promotional offers.
Retailers can also use e-mail in conjunction with social media. They can promote exclusive sales on their Facebook page through e-mail, often requiring the subscriber to “Like” them in order to gain access to the special promotion. Some retailers up the ante and run a series of promotions to sway subscribers, such as “5 Days of Deals” in an effort to drive revenue and grow social followers.
Conversely, retailers can include sign-up forms on their Facebook pages or link to sign-up forms via Twitter to encourage social followers to receive more exclusive e-mail offers in the future.
Social and e-mail can work together to extend a retailer’s marketing reach. Retailers can gather additional information about people based on social profiles in order to e-mail to them in more relevant ways. Social platforms enable retailers to include more engagement points in e-mail; providing opportunities for subscribers to click through and speak with other customers, share stories and feedback and participate in fun events like photo or video sharing.
Knowing the behavior patterns of a consumer that is a Facebook user helps retailers understand how to better engage them through both channels. Retailers want to avoid sending e-mail promoting the same value proposition that is on their Facebook page. If the customer primarily interacts through Facebook, then the goal of the e-mail should be to entice them back to Facebook, especially if they have not been there in a while.
Retailers can use their Facebook pages to encourage consumers to comment on their purchases, and include in their e-mail messages quotes from Facebook users who do offer such comments. This kind of content is also effective for retargeting to consumers that have not responded to a prior e-mail promotion as a way to spark their interest in joining the conversation on Facebook.
Unlike the one-to-many nature of social media, where public comments are posted on a Facebook wall or Twitter page for all to see, e-mail allows retail marketers to convey their marketing messages in a personalized way. This enables retailers to tell a story in a way they can’t through other marketing channels.
Even though retail marketers are using social media and mobile to do many of the activities they used to do through e-mail, such as send coupons or post notices of sales, they are not replacing e-mail. E-mail is firmly entrenched in consumers’ daily lives. As new marketing channels emerge, e-mail is evolving to another level as a personalized communications tool that integrates with social, mobile and other marketing channels.
Personalized e-mail based on consumer data from social networking sites is the next frontier for e-mail marketing. By tapping into information consumers post about themselves on Facebook, retailers can create e-mail messages that promote brands consumers have positively commented on, offer accessories to recent purchases mentioned or pitch products their friends like or have purchased from the retailer’s web site or Facebook shopping page.
Retailers can also use that data to avoid pitching products or brands for which the consumer has expressed dislike. Knowing what a consumer dislikes reduces the chance of e-mailing promotions about products and brands that are unlikely to appeal to that customer.
Integrating social media data into e-mail is a very powerful and personal marketing tool.
Getting at a consumer’s personal information on Facebook can be tricky, because not all Facebook users make their profiles public, or they may choose to significantly limit the data available for public consumption. To gather the necessary information it is recommended that retailers encourage consumers to connect with them through Facebook.
Facebook Connect allows Facebook users to privately share their profile and friends with retailers or any entity. Sending an e-mail that requests a Facebook connection allows consumers to opt in to the program, and affords a retailer the opportunity to reassure consumers about how their information will be used.
By electing to connect with a retailer through Facebook, consumers aren’t just saying they like the retailer, they are saying they are willing to share information with the retailer, and that can take e-mail marketing to a whole other level.
Consumers that connect with a retailer through a social network can be encouraged to tell stories about their shopping experiences with the retailer or write product reviews on the retailer’s Facebook page. Those consumer stories can be excerpted and included in e-mail campaigns.
Consumer-generated content plays well with other consumers because it tells an authentic story about a situation consumers can see themselves in or an experience they can relate to. Once the stories are shared, they build on themselves, because consumers want to be a part of the community and tell their own story. This generates a steady flow of fresh content that can be used by the marketing team in e-mail and social marketing promotional offers.
Retailers can also use e-mail in conjunction with social media. They can promote exclusive sales on their Facebook page through e-mail, often requiring the subscriber to “Like” them in order to gain access to the special promotion. Some retailers up the ante and run a series of promotions to sway subscribers, such as “5 Days of Deals” in an effort to drive revenue and grow social followers.
Conversely, retailers can include sign-up forms on their Facebook pages or link to sign-up forms via Twitter to encourage social followers to receive more exclusive e-mail offers in the future.
Social and e-mail can work together to extend a retailer’s marketing reach. Retailers can gather additional information about people based on social profiles in order to e-mail to them in more relevant ways. Social platforms enable retailers to include more engagement points in e-mail; providing opportunities for subscribers to click through and speak with other customers, share stories and feedback and participate in fun events like photo or video sharing.
Knowing the behavior patterns of a consumer that is a Facebook user helps retailers understand how to better engage them through both channels. Retailers want to avoid sending e-mail promoting the same value proposition that is on their Facebook page. If the customer primarily interacts through Facebook, then the goal of the e-mail should be to entice them back to Facebook, especially if they have not been there in a while.
Retailers can use their Facebook pages to encourage consumers to comment on their purchases, and include in their e-mail messages quotes from Facebook users who do offer such comments. This kind of content is also effective for retargeting to consumers that have not responded to a prior e-mail promotion as a way to spark their interest in joining the conversation on Facebook.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Links for traffic and search engine exposure
The one true secret of link building is that the best link has yet to be discovered. So staying on top of new traffic sources, distribution models and publicity opportunities will feed your website links that result in traffic and exposure well into the future.
Public Relations: Press releases don’t get enough credit as a means to drive website traffic, links and exposure for your websites and their underlying businesses. Services such as PRWeb, BusinessWire, PR.com, and PRNewswire are proven ways to get in front of not just the media but other website owners looking for content to feature on their sites (which means more links). While there is no guarantee that coughing up the often exorbitant fees to these providers will result in actual or immediate media exposure,you will be surprised at the speed at which you will acquire inbound links.
Classifieds: You might also be surprised at the amount of visitors that will come to your site based solely on classified advertising — free or paid. Some of the best sites available in the classified industry include craigslist, Oodle, USFreeAds, Backpage and Kijii but local newspapers are also a good way to get some attention, especially if you are working on a local or regional level. The best part about using classified advertising
to drive traffic is that the cost is often far lower than other promotional methods, if not completely free. But it’s not just the broad-scope classified sites that can generate attention. There are hundreds if not thousands of classifieds in every industry, providing an exceedingly targeted opportunity to generate new links of some notable quality.
Video: Another opportunity to gain exposure, and get links and traffic, is through the use of online video. While there are financial and time commitments to creating video, going viral can help get your website to a tipping point far faster than any other online channel. YouTube is by far the king of video sites, but there are hundreds of others including Vimeo,
Blip.tv, Viddler, 5min, Dailymotion.com, and MetaCafe. Are you distributing your videos to these outlets? Are you monitoring your videos’ success or failure, and watching the performance of others in these channels to see what’s getting noticed or ignored? If not, you need to be.If video is a serious consideration for your website, placing your content exclusively on YouTube is a good bet. Create a YouTube channel (even if you don’t have video content yet) and “friend” related users and “favorite” quality videos.The link from the YouTube Channel to your website is a do-follow link.
Content Development: The information age requires that you produce ... information. Take up a campaign to write content for others by reaching out to bloggers who cover related topics (find some guest logging prospects at BlogCatalog.com). There are many exceptional article directories where you will be able to submit your content including EzineArticles.com, Buzzle.com, GoArticles.com, IdeaMarketers.com, ArticleAlley.com and Amazines.com. These are just a few of the more well known directories but there are hundreds of others. Another very valuable opportunity is through Google Knol. Because any link from Google is worth getting, create content for a Knol and include some links — they too, are do-follow.
Getting Social: Social media has changed the way we connect with others and promote our products and services on the Web. From social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Bebo and hi5 to microblogging services like Twitter, Plurk and Plazes — even social bookmarking services such as Delicious, Digg, Stumbleupon, Mixx, Reddit and others — “social” presents wonderful opportunities to chart the course of memes and discussions, and are widely known as effective ways to create huge streams of website traffic and, ultimately, inbound links.
Directories: DMOZ and the Yahoo! Directory are two exceptional places to attempt to acquire links to your website, but there can be incredibly long wait times (DMOZ) and high prices (Yahoo!) to get included. Consider some alternatives including Business.com, BestofTheWeb.com, GoGuides.com, JoeAnt, RubberStamped. org, Skaffe.com, SiteSnoop.com, Gimpsy.com, IPL.org
and MassiveLinks.com
Public Relations: Press releases don’t get enough credit as a means to drive website traffic, links and exposure for your websites and their underlying businesses. Services such as PRWeb, BusinessWire, PR.com, and PRNewswire are proven ways to get in front of not just the media but other website owners looking for content to feature on their sites (which means more links). While there is no guarantee that coughing up the often exorbitant fees to these providers will result in actual or immediate media exposure,you will be surprised at the speed at which you will acquire inbound links.
Classifieds: You might also be surprised at the amount of visitors that will come to your site based solely on classified advertising — free or paid. Some of the best sites available in the classified industry include craigslist, Oodle, USFreeAds, Backpage and Kijii but local newspapers are also a good way to get some attention, especially if you are working on a local or regional level. The best part about using classified advertising
to drive traffic is that the cost is often far lower than other promotional methods, if not completely free. But it’s not just the broad-scope classified sites that can generate attention. There are hundreds if not thousands of classifieds in every industry, providing an exceedingly targeted opportunity to generate new links of some notable quality.
Video: Another opportunity to gain exposure, and get links and traffic, is through the use of online video. While there are financial and time commitments to creating video, going viral can help get your website to a tipping point far faster than any other online channel. YouTube is by far the king of video sites, but there are hundreds of others including Vimeo,
Blip.tv, Viddler, 5min, Dailymotion.com, and MetaCafe. Are you distributing your videos to these outlets? Are you monitoring your videos’ success or failure, and watching the performance of others in these channels to see what’s getting noticed or ignored? If not, you need to be.If video is a serious consideration for your website, placing your content exclusively on YouTube is a good bet. Create a YouTube channel (even if you don’t have video content yet) and “friend” related users and “favorite” quality videos.The link from the YouTube Channel to your website is a do-follow link.
Content Development: The information age requires that you produce ... information. Take up a campaign to write content for others by reaching out to bloggers who cover related topics (find some guest logging prospects at BlogCatalog.com). There are many exceptional article directories where you will be able to submit your content including EzineArticles.com, Buzzle.com, GoArticles.com, IdeaMarketers.com, ArticleAlley.com and Amazines.com. These are just a few of the more well known directories but there are hundreds of others. Another very valuable opportunity is through Google Knol. Because any link from Google is worth getting, create content for a Knol and include some links — they too, are do-follow.
Getting Social: Social media has changed the way we connect with others and promote our products and services on the Web. From social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Bebo and hi5 to microblogging services like Twitter, Plurk and Plazes — even social bookmarking services such as Delicious, Digg, Stumbleupon, Mixx, Reddit and others — “social” presents wonderful opportunities to chart the course of memes and discussions, and are widely known as effective ways to create huge streams of website traffic and, ultimately, inbound links.
Directories: DMOZ and the Yahoo! Directory are two exceptional places to attempt to acquire links to your website, but there can be incredibly long wait times (DMOZ) and high prices (Yahoo!) to get included. Consider some alternatives including Business.com, BestofTheWeb.com, GoGuides.com, JoeAnt, RubberStamped. org, Skaffe.com, SiteSnoop.com, Gimpsy.com, IPL.org
and MassiveLinks.com
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Title tags
For those unfamiliar with the term “title tag,” it describes the text that appears in the top line of a user’s Web browser. It is also used by search engines as the actual title of a search listing.
If you run an SEO campaign, then you should be very interested in how title tags are currently used — and how they can be improved — on your site. If you run an SEO campaign and are a savvy SEO, you’ll also notice how competitors use title tags on their Web properties.
Writing descriptive title tags is a vitally important aspect of optimizing a site to rank well with the search engines and getting clicked on by visitors on search results pages.
A well-crafted title tag can stand on its own, generating interest from users who know nothing of your website or company, pulling them into the conversion funnel. That is the expectation an SEO department should set when making title tag modifications.
Any effort to modify title tags site-wide should not be entered into lightly. Among the considerations that should be made are the sales and marketing strategies of the Web enterprise or the business running the website.
It is also imperative that the SEOs working on the behalf of a company benchmark the competition as well as those outside the industry to understand how the most popular websites leverage their title tags.
Presence of Keywords
Experienced SEOs know plenty from years of title tag tweaks — such as to include at least one targeted keyword or phrase. That certainly makes sense, but you might be surprised at how few of them actually make the effort, opting instead for using generic terms that do not distinguish a page much less excite users — particularly on long tail keyword phrases.
Still other SEOs realize the importance of using the title tag as an opportunity to achieve rankings through keyword association, as in the case of CouponMom.com below
Prominence of Keywords
It is also relatively well known that, whenever possible, keywords should be used early in the title — it is most common to have the keyword or key phrase used in the first half of the full title. This helps search engines and the visitors they send identify the main subject of the page quickly, not to mention to ensure that page titles do not get cut off by search engines.
Brand Inclusion
You might also notice the inclusion of brand elements on a high percentage of competitive search results pages. CouponCabin.com for example, even includes its name (without the dot com), and even Coupon Divas (image below) includes its registered trademark. If the brand is strong and provides clarity as to what a user might find, using brand elements should be considered for inclusion in title tags.
Special Character Omission
The verdict is out on the role that special characters may play in ranking and clickthrough rate (which many believe are inextricably connected). For now, it is best practice to avoid many special characters in page titles — doing so will put your site at least in line with the vast majority of Web properties.
It’s compelling (and, some would argue, attractive) to include colons, hash marks, dollar signs and ampersands — but the top sites typically do not and you shouldn’t, either.
That being said, there may just be something to being different — as might be the case with wow-coupons.com
Length of Title Tag
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, understand that search engines have limits as to how many characters are used from the title tag and can display up to 70 characters.
There is little in the way of statistical data about the role that title tag length may play in generating clicks (is longer or shorter better?), but focusing on readability and establishing expectations for users should be the primary objective anyway.
If you run an SEO campaign, then you should be very interested in how title tags are currently used — and how they can be improved — on your site. If you run an SEO campaign and are a savvy SEO, you’ll also notice how competitors use title tags on their Web properties.
Writing descriptive title tags is a vitally important aspect of optimizing a site to rank well with the search engines and getting clicked on by visitors on search results pages.
A well-crafted title tag can stand on its own, generating interest from users who know nothing of your website or company, pulling them into the conversion funnel. That is the expectation an SEO department should set when making title tag modifications.
Any effort to modify title tags site-wide should not be entered into lightly. Among the considerations that should be made are the sales and marketing strategies of the Web enterprise or the business running the website.
It is also imperative that the SEOs working on the behalf of a company benchmark the competition as well as those outside the industry to understand how the most popular websites leverage their title tags.
Presence of Keywords
Experienced SEOs know plenty from years of title tag tweaks — such as to include at least one targeted keyword or phrase. That certainly makes sense, but you might be surprised at how few of them actually make the effort, opting instead for using generic terms that do not distinguish a page much less excite users — particularly on long tail keyword phrases.
Still other SEOs realize the importance of using the title tag as an opportunity to achieve rankings through keyword association, as in the case of CouponMom.com below
Prominence of Keywords
It is also relatively well known that, whenever possible, keywords should be used early in the title — it is most common to have the keyword or key phrase used in the first half of the full title. This helps search engines and the visitors they send identify the main subject of the page quickly, not to mention to ensure that page titles do not get cut off by search engines.
Brand Inclusion
You might also notice the inclusion of brand elements on a high percentage of competitive search results pages. CouponCabin.com for example, even includes its name (without the dot com), and even Coupon Divas (image below) includes its registered trademark. If the brand is strong and provides clarity as to what a user might find, using brand elements should be considered for inclusion in title tags.
Special Character Omission
The verdict is out on the role that special characters may play in ranking and clickthrough rate (which many believe are inextricably connected). For now, it is best practice to avoid many special characters in page titles — doing so will put your site at least in line with the vast majority of Web properties.
It’s compelling (and, some would argue, attractive) to include colons, hash marks, dollar signs and ampersands — but the top sites typically do not and you shouldn’t, either.
That being said, there may just be something to being different — as might be the case with wow-coupons.com
Length of Title Tag
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, understand that search engines have limits as to how many characters are used from the title tag and can display up to 70 characters.
There is little in the way of statistical data about the role that title tag length may play in generating clicks (is longer or shorter better?), but focusing on readability and establishing expectations for users should be the primary objective anyway.
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Monday, August 22, 2011
Facebook for making money
With Facebook on virtually every retailer’s mind,many of them are asking,“Why aren’t we using Facebook to make money?”
Indeed, some already are. Social gaming powerhouse Zynga Inc., which sells virtual goods through its FarmVille and other online games available only on Facebook, has demonstrated the willingness of Facebook users to spend money on the social networking site. Zynga, which says it has 232 million monthly active users, reported last month in its filing for an initial public offering of stock that it had revenue of $235.4 million for the first quarter of this year, up 133% from $100.9 million in the year-earlier quarter.
The technology for selling on Facebook has existed since 2009 and it’s proven to be an effective, low-cost sales tool. But in a study of retailers in the Internet Retailer Top 500, my company, e-commerce software provider Ability Commerce, found that 90% of those retailers are not selling on Facebook. Moreover, 21% of them, or 105, have yet to even create a Facebook page. Why the delay? What is holding these companies back? the data we collected points to some answers and may give clues to the future of e-commerce—and specifically Facebook commerce, or f-commerce.But many other retailers, particularly small to midsize ones that sell goods commonly purchased online, such as clothes, consumer electronics, and books and other media products, appear to be missing an opportunity. And with Facebook recently reporting it has 750 million active users, it’s a big opportunity.
One aspect of Facebook that retailers have readily adopted is the brand page. In the roughly one year since Facebook introduced company brand pages where consumers can click to “Like” a company, replacing “fan” pages that used to compile the number of consumers signed up as fans of a company, consumers have enthusiastically “Liked” the Facebook pages of their favorite brands. Retailers have started treating these “Likes” as markers for social media engagement—collecting them through awareness campaigns, contests and other incentives.
Retailers in the Apparel/Accessories category, which includes the top three “Most-Liked” companies in the IR Top 500, actually average far fewer “Likes” than retailers in other Top 500 categories, with an average number of “Likes” per retailer of 592,175. at figure falls behind the retail categories of Books/Music/Video, Toys/Hobbies, Mass Merchant and Health/Beauty.
Some merchants have gone beyond just seeking “Likes” to selling directly to Facebook users.
One example is American Musical Supply, an instrument retailer that is No. 262 in the Top 500 with $45 million in 2010 sales. Inside the retailer’s Facebook store,a virtual shopping cart lets shoppers select as many items as they want. When a customer clicks to check out, she is redirected to the secure checkout on AmericanMusical.com and the contents of her Facebook cart transfers with her. American Musical Supply also features contests like “U like U Save,” where its Facebook fans vote on which product they would like to see on sale.
With such an enormous user base, we know Facebook presents a huge marketing opportunity,implementing a Facebook shopping app is easy to do and can open another high-volume channel of commerce.
Retailers now have a variety of applications available to them to enable direct selling on the world’s most popular social network. Here’s a deeper dive into what Facebook shopping apps can offer.
Virtual Carts—Because Facebook does not off er checkout, many companies with shopping applications off er a Buy button that
redirects shoppers to the retailer’s web site to complete a purchase. This can be cumbersome for someone who wants to buy more than one item. Well-designed Facebook
shopping apps work around this issue with a virtual cart. A virtual shopping cart, such as the one used by American Musical Supply, allows a shopper to add multiple items to her shopping cart without leaving Facebook. When the customer is ready to check out, the contents of her shopping cart are transferred to the web site where she can complete a secure checkout.
Live Chat—A simple and cost-effective way to help customers as they browse a web store, live chat has become an integral part of many of the IR Top 500’s e-commerce sites. However, while that feature is readily available for Facebook, only eight Top 500 retailers, or 2% of those with a
Facebook page, offer chat to their Facebook visitors. Among the categories of Apparel/Accessories and Computer/Electronics retailers, just four retailers employ live chat for Facebook, while the categories of mass merchant and jewelry each has one retailer with a Facebook chat interface.
Other retailers are missing out on a great opportunity to easily connect with their Facebook customers and increase conversions. Live chat enables the retailer to help eliminate buyer objections, direct shoppers to products they need, and up-sell buyers on products and related items.
In researching Ability Commerce’s clients, we have found that shoppers who use live chat for help are three times more likely to buy than other visitors to e-commerce sites. ose shoppers bump up the average order value as well, as chatters buy 55% more than non-chatters.
There are other features that can enhance a Facebook store, but adoption is limited. Of the 395 Top 500 retailers with a Facebook page, only three integrate their Facebook product listings and their Amazon.com merchandise, a step that lets customers buy through Facebook any items a retailer sells through the Amazon e-commerce platform.
Based on the popularity of “Liking” a brand on Facebook and the scarcity of shopping applications, it’s clear retailers have been using Facebook more as a branding tool than as a storefront. That’s a missed opportunity, as Facebook shopping apps can now provide a shopping experience as engrossing as on any traditional e-commerce site.
Looking at other features, only 24 merchants, or 6%, of the Top 500 with a Facebook page, offer some kind of promotional freebie on their page, and only 17, or 4%,
let Facebook visitors buy gift cards.
Indeed, some already are. Social gaming powerhouse Zynga Inc., which sells virtual goods through its FarmVille and other online games available only on Facebook, has demonstrated the willingness of Facebook users to spend money on the social networking site. Zynga, which says it has 232 million monthly active users, reported last month in its filing for an initial public offering of stock that it had revenue of $235.4 million for the first quarter of this year, up 133% from $100.9 million in the year-earlier quarter.
The technology for selling on Facebook has existed since 2009 and it’s proven to be an effective, low-cost sales tool. But in a study of retailers in the Internet Retailer Top 500, my company, e-commerce software provider Ability Commerce, found that 90% of those retailers are not selling on Facebook. Moreover, 21% of them, or 105, have yet to even create a Facebook page. Why the delay? What is holding these companies back? the data we collected points to some answers and may give clues to the future of e-commerce—and specifically Facebook commerce, or f-commerce.But many other retailers, particularly small to midsize ones that sell goods commonly purchased online, such as clothes, consumer electronics, and books and other media products, appear to be missing an opportunity. And with Facebook recently reporting it has 750 million active users, it’s a big opportunity.
One aspect of Facebook that retailers have readily adopted is the brand page. In the roughly one year since Facebook introduced company brand pages where consumers can click to “Like” a company, replacing “fan” pages that used to compile the number of consumers signed up as fans of a company, consumers have enthusiastically “Liked” the Facebook pages of their favorite brands. Retailers have started treating these “Likes” as markers for social media engagement—collecting them through awareness campaigns, contests and other incentives.
Retailers in the Apparel/Accessories category, which includes the top three “Most-Liked” companies in the IR Top 500, actually average far fewer “Likes” than retailers in other Top 500 categories, with an average number of “Likes” per retailer of 592,175. at figure falls behind the retail categories of Books/Music/Video, Toys/Hobbies, Mass Merchant and Health/Beauty.
Some merchants have gone beyond just seeking “Likes” to selling directly to Facebook users.
One example is American Musical Supply, an instrument retailer that is No. 262 in the Top 500 with $45 million in 2010 sales. Inside the retailer’s Facebook store,a virtual shopping cart lets shoppers select as many items as they want. When a customer clicks to check out, she is redirected to the secure checkout on AmericanMusical.com and the contents of her Facebook cart transfers with her. American Musical Supply also features contests like “U like U Save,” where its Facebook fans vote on which product they would like to see on sale.
With such an enormous user base, we know Facebook presents a huge marketing opportunity,implementing a Facebook shopping app is easy to do and can open another high-volume channel of commerce.
Retailers now have a variety of applications available to them to enable direct selling on the world’s most popular social network. Here’s a deeper dive into what Facebook shopping apps can offer.
Virtual Carts—Because Facebook does not off er checkout, many companies with shopping applications off er a Buy button that
redirects shoppers to the retailer’s web site to complete a purchase. This can be cumbersome for someone who wants to buy more than one item. Well-designed Facebook
shopping apps work around this issue with a virtual cart. A virtual shopping cart, such as the one used by American Musical Supply, allows a shopper to add multiple items to her shopping cart without leaving Facebook. When the customer is ready to check out, the contents of her shopping cart are transferred to the web site where she can complete a secure checkout.
Live Chat—A simple and cost-effective way to help customers as they browse a web store, live chat has become an integral part of many of the IR Top 500’s e-commerce sites. However, while that feature is readily available for Facebook, only eight Top 500 retailers, or 2% of those with a
Facebook page, offer chat to their Facebook visitors. Among the categories of Apparel/Accessories and Computer/Electronics retailers, just four retailers employ live chat for Facebook, while the categories of mass merchant and jewelry each has one retailer with a Facebook chat interface.
Other retailers are missing out on a great opportunity to easily connect with their Facebook customers and increase conversions. Live chat enables the retailer to help eliminate buyer objections, direct shoppers to products they need, and up-sell buyers on products and related items.
In researching Ability Commerce’s clients, we have found that shoppers who use live chat for help are three times more likely to buy than other visitors to e-commerce sites. ose shoppers bump up the average order value as well, as chatters buy 55% more than non-chatters.
There are other features that can enhance a Facebook store, but adoption is limited. Of the 395 Top 500 retailers with a Facebook page, only three integrate their Facebook product listings and their Amazon.com merchandise, a step that lets customers buy through Facebook any items a retailer sells through the Amazon e-commerce platform.
Based on the popularity of “Liking” a brand on Facebook and the scarcity of shopping applications, it’s clear retailers have been using Facebook more as a branding tool than as a storefront. That’s a missed opportunity, as Facebook shopping apps can now provide a shopping experience as engrossing as on any traditional e-commerce site.
Looking at other features, only 24 merchants, or 6%, of the Top 500 with a Facebook page, offer some kind of promotional freebie on their page, and only 17, or 4%,
let Facebook visitors buy gift cards.
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Facebook for making money
With Facebook on virtually every retailer’s mind,many of them are asking,“Why aren’t we using Facebook to make money?”
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Sunday, August 21, 2011
Location based mobile apps
Loyalty programs or lead generation? you make the call. But I know I wasn’t headed in that direction until I checked in to Foursquare, Gowalla, shopkick, Loopt or one of the other geo-location services.
Critics have been quick to point out defects in the location-based strategy. Yes, the incentive to check in is pretty thin when your only reward is a badge or some other sort of honorific.
And, yes, the number of people who have downloaded the apps to their phones is relatively small. Foursquare, the category leader, has about 5 million downloads worldwide. That’s a sliver of the 60 million smartphone users in the U.S. alone—and doesn’t even take in the much larger U.S. audience (170 million or so) who are still using regular feature phones and can’t access the app.
The question is, are those objections true for your business? If you had customers who would respond to a location-based game and you could find a way to give them something valuable as a reward, would they check in?
They have for Murphy USA, a gas retailer based in El Dorado, Ark., that operates more than 1,000 kiosk-style gas outlets, most located next to or near Wal-Mart’s big boxes. Buying gas is not exactly the kind of activity you’d expect to tweet to your pals, or even enjoy. And frugal Wal-Mart shoppers might not seem a target audience
for a campaign that requires a smartphone and some mobile savvy.
Nevertheless, the company ran a promotion last July on the Whrrl location-based social network. Users who downloaded the app could check in at the pump and win instant prizes, from free beverages and discounts to a daily $50 gas giveaway.
Murphy, already active increating loyalty among brand fans, publicized the campaign on Facebook and Twitter. It also put up a point-of-sale message at the pumps, with instructions on how new users could get engaged with the Murphy community on Whrrl—or “society,” as the groups are known on the platform—and what they stood to win.
Customers who checked into the Murphy Whrrl society visited four times a month on average, and almost half of those checking in bellied up to the pump an average of six times a month. What’s more, the average fill-up ticket per visit by Whrrl users was $30—twice the industry average.
But the most amazing result was that the check-in drove new customer acquisition at an astounding rate. During the pilot period, 44 percent of those checking in to the brand’s society on Whrrl had never been to a Murphy station before.
Going with a location-based strategy was perhaps counter-intuitive. Murphy USA tracks Wal-Mart demographically and geographically, so the average customer is going to be female with a family. According to a Pew Internet survey in November, only 3 percent of women have used check-in services on mobile, compared with 6 percent of men.
On the other hand, an earlier survey by game maker PopCap found that 55 percent of the player base for social games—like FarmVille and Mafia Wars—are women, and their average age is 43. So maybe the best approach is to ignore the polls and the wisdom about edgy tactics and simply go out, see what your target prospects respond to and build a mobile promotion around that.
Critics have been quick to point out defects in the location-based strategy. Yes, the incentive to check in is pretty thin when your only reward is a badge or some other sort of honorific.
And, yes, the number of people who have downloaded the apps to their phones is relatively small. Foursquare, the category leader, has about 5 million downloads worldwide. That’s a sliver of the 60 million smartphone users in the U.S. alone—and doesn’t even take in the much larger U.S. audience (170 million or so) who are still using regular feature phones and can’t access the app.
The question is, are those objections true for your business? If you had customers who would respond to a location-based game and you could find a way to give them something valuable as a reward, would they check in?
They have for Murphy USA, a gas retailer based in El Dorado, Ark., that operates more than 1,000 kiosk-style gas outlets, most located next to or near Wal-Mart’s big boxes. Buying gas is not exactly the kind of activity you’d expect to tweet to your pals, or even enjoy. And frugal Wal-Mart shoppers might not seem a target audience
for a campaign that requires a smartphone and some mobile savvy.
Nevertheless, the company ran a promotion last July on the Whrrl location-based social network. Users who downloaded the app could check in at the pump and win instant prizes, from free beverages and discounts to a daily $50 gas giveaway.
Murphy, already active increating loyalty among brand fans, publicized the campaign on Facebook and Twitter. It also put up a point-of-sale message at the pumps, with instructions on how new users could get engaged with the Murphy community on Whrrl—or “society,” as the groups are known on the platform—and what they stood to win.
Customers who checked into the Murphy Whrrl society visited four times a month on average, and almost half of those checking in bellied up to the pump an average of six times a month. What’s more, the average fill-up ticket per visit by Whrrl users was $30—twice the industry average.
But the most amazing result was that the check-in drove new customer acquisition at an astounding rate. During the pilot period, 44 percent of those checking in to the brand’s society on Whrrl had never been to a Murphy station before.
Going with a location-based strategy was perhaps counter-intuitive. Murphy USA tracks Wal-Mart demographically and geographically, so the average customer is going to be female with a family. According to a Pew Internet survey in November, only 3 percent of women have used check-in services on mobile, compared with 6 percent of men.
On the other hand, an earlier survey by game maker PopCap found that 55 percent of the player base for social games—like FarmVille and Mafia Wars—are women, and their average age is 43. So maybe the best approach is to ignore the polls and the wisdom about edgy tactics and simply go out, see what your target prospects respond to and build a mobile promotion around that.
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Thursday, August 18, 2011
Mobile Payment Services
Mobile payment systems have come a long way since the advent of magnetic strips on credit and debit cards. Sure, there were mobile payment systems before the credit card, but that ubiquitous magnetic strip fueled the takeoff of mobile payment systems around the world. That same magnetic strip is seeing new competition that
will transform the mobile payment world, just as it did years ago.
Near Field Communication
Many technologies are competing to take over the mobile payment space, but the most often used and talked about is NFC (Near Field Communication). NFC is a short-range wireless technology that can allow two devices, say a smartphone and a mobile payment terminal, to swap data and complete a payment transaction. The short range is an advantage; with a required distance of less than 4 centimeters between devices,there is little chance of accidentally making a payment by casually walking past a terminal. The short distance also makes it almost impossible to eavesdrop on a transaction.
NFC has become a global standard and is being championed by the NFC Forum (www.nfc-forum .org), a non-profit organization designed to advance NFC technology and applications.
NFC for Mobile Payment
The simple answer is, sure thing; what’s not to like? Open your smartphone, select the payment application, and wave your phone near a mobile terminal. Transaction complete.
Well, almost. Currently, there aren’t many NFCcapable smartphones available in the U.S. Even if you’re ready to migrate to an NFC-based phone, are you willing to break a multi-year contract on your current phone to get one? Probably not. That means in the short term, an NFC dongle attached to an existing phone or NFC-based key fobs and cards are the most likely avenues for expanding the reach of NFCbased mobile payments. Alternatively, Bling Nation and Discover Financial Services offer NFC microchips that adhere to anything, including older smartphones.
But dongles and stickers are only temporary solutions. Nokia has said it will include NFC in all smartphones it introduces in 2012. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have also committed to NFC-based phone offerings, and have formed the ISIS group for deploying mobile payment services. They plan to ramp up NFC offerings over the next 18 months, and will provide their first offering in Salt Lake City in 2012, because its commuter infrastructure already uses NFC for payment. ISIS will also work with local merchants to roll out mobile payment terminals in the Salt Lake City area. In essence, mobile operators see NFC as an opportunity to displace the current card
networks with their own mobile payment systems, bypassing card-based fees and collecting the fees and interest on payments themselves.
Research company Gartner expects that by 2012, 190 million individuals will actively use mobile payment systems, including cards, key fobs, smart tickets, and mobile devices. The year 2012 should also see 3% of all mobile payment transactions being facilitated by smartphones, which Gartner feels is the threshold for the practice to enter the mainstream.
Card Networks Expand
Traditional card payment networks, such as Visa and MasterCard, are also entering the NFC market. Visa plans to use a microSD card with built-in NFC support; the card will be usable in smartphones, tablets, and other devices that have a microSD card slot. Visa has already been operating a pilot program to test the system with participating banks.
MasterCard has certified an NFC-enabled SIM card for smartphones; the card will use MasterCard’s PayPass mobile payment system. It will be up to mobile carriers to offer to pre-load the SIM into phones they sell.
As NFC smartphones become more commonplace, the card networks will offer mobile payment applications, which could lead to some interesting competition. Mobile carriers will have to decide whether to use Visa’s microSD card, preload the MasterCard SIM, offer their own ISIS-based service, or leave it to customers to decide.
Some of the top-tier Internet services, including Amazon and Google, are new competitors in the mobile payment market. Amazon believes it can leverage its already remarkable dominance in Internet marketing to mobile payments, essentially providing another payment processing network for brick-and-mortar stores. Google, in partnership with Citigroup and MasterCard, is pursuing an NFC system that will let customers use an Android smartphone for payment. Google also intends to offer coupons at checkout. When you enter a store, Google will send special offers to your smartphone, which you can then redeem at a checkout terminal.
Merchant Support
When discussing merchant support,“support” may be a bit of an overstatement. Only 1.8% of merchants had NFC terminals in 2010, and that figure includes merchants that are part of pilot programs carried out by banks and card networks.
Merchant support is expected to expand to 5.9% by 2015. Before NFC really catches on, merchants are going to have to be willing to get quicker about adding mobile payment terminals, which may require incentives from service providers.
NFC Isn’t The Only One
One non-NFC payment system that shows promise is being used by Starbucks. In this simple system, you load your smartphone with the Starbucks app. When you’re ready to make a purchase, you simply fire up the Starbucks app, which then displays a barcode on your smartphone. The barcode is scanned at the Starbucks register and your purchase is complete. The advantage of this system is that the merchant, in this case Starbucks, already has barcode scanners, and doesn’t need to invest in any new mobile payment platform.
One of the places where new mobile payment systems are really taking off is transportation. Many municipalities have, or are in the process of adopting, new mobile payment systems. These can range from toll roads using mobile payment transponders, usually based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), to complete transportation payment systems that allow a consumer to log in remotely and purchase tickets for trains, buses, trams, parking spaces, even snacks, and use their smartphones to redeem them at transportation center terminals.
will transform the mobile payment world, just as it did years ago.
Near Field Communication
Many technologies are competing to take over the mobile payment space, but the most often used and talked about is NFC (Near Field Communication). NFC is a short-range wireless technology that can allow two devices, say a smartphone and a mobile payment terminal, to swap data and complete a payment transaction. The short range is an advantage; with a required distance of less than 4 centimeters between devices,there is little chance of accidentally making a payment by casually walking past a terminal. The short distance also makes it almost impossible to eavesdrop on a transaction.
NFC has become a global standard and is being championed by the NFC Forum (www.nfc-forum .org), a non-profit organization designed to advance NFC technology and applications.
NFC for Mobile Payment
The simple answer is, sure thing; what’s not to like? Open your smartphone, select the payment application, and wave your phone near a mobile terminal. Transaction complete.
Well, almost. Currently, there aren’t many NFCcapable smartphones available in the U.S. Even if you’re ready to migrate to an NFC-based phone, are you willing to break a multi-year contract on your current phone to get one? Probably not. That means in the short term, an NFC dongle attached to an existing phone or NFC-based key fobs and cards are the most likely avenues for expanding the reach of NFCbased mobile payments. Alternatively, Bling Nation and Discover Financial Services offer NFC microchips that adhere to anything, including older smartphones.
But dongles and stickers are only temporary solutions. Nokia has said it will include NFC in all smartphones it introduces in 2012. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have also committed to NFC-based phone offerings, and have formed the ISIS group for deploying mobile payment services. They plan to ramp up NFC offerings over the next 18 months, and will provide their first offering in Salt Lake City in 2012, because its commuter infrastructure already uses NFC for payment. ISIS will also work with local merchants to roll out mobile payment terminals in the Salt Lake City area. In essence, mobile operators see NFC as an opportunity to displace the current card
networks with their own mobile payment systems, bypassing card-based fees and collecting the fees and interest on payments themselves.
Research company Gartner expects that by 2012, 190 million individuals will actively use mobile payment systems, including cards, key fobs, smart tickets, and mobile devices. The year 2012 should also see 3% of all mobile payment transactions being facilitated by smartphones, which Gartner feels is the threshold for the practice to enter the mainstream.
Card Networks Expand
Traditional card payment networks, such as Visa and MasterCard, are also entering the NFC market. Visa plans to use a microSD card with built-in NFC support; the card will be usable in smartphones, tablets, and other devices that have a microSD card slot. Visa has already been operating a pilot program to test the system with participating banks.
MasterCard has certified an NFC-enabled SIM card for smartphones; the card will use MasterCard’s PayPass mobile payment system. It will be up to mobile carriers to offer to pre-load the SIM into phones they sell.
As NFC smartphones become more commonplace, the card networks will offer mobile payment applications, which could lead to some interesting competition. Mobile carriers will have to decide whether to use Visa’s microSD card, preload the MasterCard SIM, offer their own ISIS-based service, or leave it to customers to decide.
Some of the top-tier Internet services, including Amazon and Google, are new competitors in the mobile payment market. Amazon believes it can leverage its already remarkable dominance in Internet marketing to mobile payments, essentially providing another payment processing network for brick-and-mortar stores. Google, in partnership with Citigroup and MasterCard, is pursuing an NFC system that will let customers use an Android smartphone for payment. Google also intends to offer coupons at checkout. When you enter a store, Google will send special offers to your smartphone, which you can then redeem at a checkout terminal.
Merchant Support
When discussing merchant support,“support” may be a bit of an overstatement. Only 1.8% of merchants had NFC terminals in 2010, and that figure includes merchants that are part of pilot programs carried out by banks and card networks.
Merchant support is expected to expand to 5.9% by 2015. Before NFC really catches on, merchants are going to have to be willing to get quicker about adding mobile payment terminals, which may require incentives from service providers.
NFC Isn’t The Only One
One non-NFC payment system that shows promise is being used by Starbucks. In this simple system, you load your smartphone with the Starbucks app. When you’re ready to make a purchase, you simply fire up the Starbucks app, which then displays a barcode on your smartphone. The barcode is scanned at the Starbucks register and your purchase is complete. The advantage of this system is that the merchant, in this case Starbucks, already has barcode scanners, and doesn’t need to invest in any new mobile payment platform.
One of the places where new mobile payment systems are really taking off is transportation. Many municipalities have, or are in the process of adopting, new mobile payment systems. These can range from toll roads using mobile payment transponders, usually based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), to complete transportation payment systems that allow a consumer to log in remotely and purchase tickets for trains, buses, trams, parking spaces, even snacks, and use their smartphones to redeem them at transportation center terminals.
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Monday, August 15, 2011
Social Networking Security
Social networking services are used by 95% of managers and workers. And, because they use these tools to communicate so frequently, it’s important to consistently revisit the security features, functions, and fallout associated with social sites.
Social Web Site Security Tips
By now you know the routine: Every time you join a new online service or social networking site, you are asked to provide personal data that could include everything from your birth date to your first pet’s name to your job history. As much as you may want to present your true self in the virtual community, you should always take steps to protect your identity and reputation on the Web. Spammers and cybercriminals love to mine social based sites, so consider the following tips when you set up, use, and modify your online profile.
-Be aware of the personal info you post in public areas, such as About Me and Profile sections, and keep it separate from the security questions you establish for accessing your account in the event that you forget your password; others can glean answers to security questions from information you post, potentially providing them access to your account.
-Read messages carefully, whether you're logged in to your personal or corporate social networking profile; spammers may try to send you messages disguised using a friend’s or colleague’s name.
-If you are a manager for a company of significant size, outline an employee security policy for social site use during work hours.
-Read and frequently check a site's privacy settings so you can make changes to your account as necessary; for instance, some of your previously private info could show up on your Facebook profile.
-Adhere to the "rule of permanence": Act as if everything you put online stays there forever (in reality,your data sticks around longer than you might think, even if you deactivate your accounts).
-Don't feel obliged to constantly "check in" with geographic locations or tweet your Foursquare locale on your mobile device, even if it’s for work purposes; someone might try to take advantage of your frequent travels—this practice leaves your home office vulnerable.
LinkedIn
Earlier this year, LinkedIn rolled out privacy and security updates that modify the user interface. In the Account And Settings page, you’ll find that Profile Settings, Personal Information, Privacy Settings, and other information are grouped into a new dashboard design. The top-left section lists your account info, Inmails, Introductions, and Direct Ads. The bottom section lets you access your profile Privacy Controls (and Settings); Email Preferences; Groups, Companies, & Applications; and Account in a tabulated format. FAQs have been moved to the top-right.
Facebook
Popular social networking site Facebook recently added three new safety tools. Facebook has broadly implemented its Two Factor Authentication feature for computing devices. Anytime you sign into Facebook, the site will ask you to type in a code to
authenticate that you are, in fact, a human, and not an automated response generator.
In addition to Facebook’s current virtual library of safety resources (www.facebook.com/fbsafety), the security team has restructured the Family Safety Center to include articles for parents, teens, educators, and law enforcement. Appropriately enough, Facebook encourages a community-based strategy to protect online friends and family with a “culture of responsibility.”
The newly released social report tool lets a Facebook user report an offensive photo to both Facebook and the offender. If a user clicks the blue Report link under a photo, a dialog box will appear. Under Yes, This Photo Is About Me, you can select I Don’t Like This Photo or This Photo Is Harassing Or Bullying Me. If the photo isn’t directed at you by another user, you will click one of the options listed under No, This Photo Is About Something Else. For example, you could select Spam Or Scam, Graphic Violence, or Hate Symbol and click Continue. Answer the prompts in the subsequent dialog boxes to send a message to Facebook.
Twitter
A few months ago, Twitter added a new security setting that protects your username, password, and personal information from hackers: the ability to use HTTPS (HTTP Secure). By selecting the HTTPS Only option in account settings, Twitter users automatically encrypt their account. If you or your company is among the more than 200 million Twitter account holders out there, you can make this change by clicking
your username when signed in and selecting Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page and check the Always Use HTTPS box. Click Save and type your password to finalize the changes. In addition to this feature, you can restrict public access to tweets by using the Tweet Privacy option, also found in Settings.
Social Web Site Security Tips
By now you know the routine: Every time you join a new online service or social networking site, you are asked to provide personal data that could include everything from your birth date to your first pet’s name to your job history. As much as you may want to present your true self in the virtual community, you should always take steps to protect your identity and reputation on the Web. Spammers and cybercriminals love to mine social based sites, so consider the following tips when you set up, use, and modify your online profile.
-Be aware of the personal info you post in public areas, such as About Me and Profile sections, and keep it separate from the security questions you establish for accessing your account in the event that you forget your password; others can glean answers to security questions from information you post, potentially providing them access to your account.
-Read messages carefully, whether you're logged in to your personal or corporate social networking profile; spammers may try to send you messages disguised using a friend’s or colleague’s name.
-If you are a manager for a company of significant size, outline an employee security policy for social site use during work hours.
-Read and frequently check a site's privacy settings so you can make changes to your account as necessary; for instance, some of your previously private info could show up on your Facebook profile.
-Adhere to the "rule of permanence": Act as if everything you put online stays there forever (in reality,your data sticks around longer than you might think, even if you deactivate your accounts).
-Don't feel obliged to constantly "check in" with geographic locations or tweet your Foursquare locale on your mobile device, even if it’s for work purposes; someone might try to take advantage of your frequent travels—this practice leaves your home office vulnerable.
Earlier this year, LinkedIn rolled out privacy and security updates that modify the user interface. In the Account And Settings page, you’ll find that Profile Settings, Personal Information, Privacy Settings, and other information are grouped into a new dashboard design. The top-left section lists your account info, Inmails, Introductions, and Direct Ads. The bottom section lets you access your profile Privacy Controls (and Settings); Email Preferences; Groups, Companies, & Applications; and Account in a tabulated format. FAQs have been moved to the top-right.
Popular social networking site Facebook recently added three new safety tools. Facebook has broadly implemented its Two Factor Authentication feature for computing devices. Anytime you sign into Facebook, the site will ask you to type in a code to
authenticate that you are, in fact, a human, and not an automated response generator.
In addition to Facebook’s current virtual library of safety resources (www.facebook.com/fbsafety), the security team has restructured the Family Safety Center to include articles for parents, teens, educators, and law enforcement. Appropriately enough, Facebook encourages a community-based strategy to protect online friends and family with a “culture of responsibility.”
The newly released social report tool lets a Facebook user report an offensive photo to both Facebook and the offender. If a user clicks the blue Report link under a photo, a dialog box will appear. Under Yes, This Photo Is About Me, you can select I Don’t Like This Photo or This Photo Is Harassing Or Bullying Me. If the photo isn’t directed at you by another user, you will click one of the options listed under No, This Photo Is About Something Else. For example, you could select Spam Or Scam, Graphic Violence, or Hate Symbol and click Continue. Answer the prompts in the subsequent dialog boxes to send a message to Facebook.
A few months ago, Twitter added a new security setting that protects your username, password, and personal information from hackers: the ability to use HTTPS (HTTP Secure). By selecting the HTTPS Only option in account settings, Twitter users automatically encrypt their account. If you or your company is among the more than 200 million Twitter account holders out there, you can make this change by clicking
your username when signed in and selecting Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page and check the Always Use HTTPS box. Click Save and type your password to finalize the changes. In addition to this feature, you can restrict public access to tweets by using the Tweet Privacy option, also found in Settings.
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Saturday, August 13, 2011
Google+ social networking
Google+ is Google's next attempt to create a presence in the social networking space. You can get on board only as an invitee.
The home page is very similar to Facebook, with a similar news feed and a lot of space around for additional features. One does not require a Gmail account to use the service, but if Gmail is your primary web mail platform there are a number of advantages, particularly for messaging.
When setting up an account, you will be asked to identify your friends and move them into customizable collections just how people build social groups offline. The friends you invite will not be able to see the names of the collections or the collections they are in, and can choose how much information to share and how.
Facebook has a similar functionality with its Lists system, but the two are conceptually and practically quite different. In Facebook Lists is and option and is not promoted. Google on the other hand is basing the entire system on silos on friend sand colleagues.
As Google+ grows, the difference may become apparent. Facebook users are already facing an ever increasing flood of information and the ability to trim and edit that will be crucial. Will users actively take up the option, or just make everything public to everyone anyway.
Google+ has good integration with Picassa and other image sharing sites so, uploading new photos is easy. You can also group photos taken on your phone, or by specific circles(collections.
Google+ offers sparks, a way to track news and posting on your favorite topics. It seems to consist of a series of news articles on a given topic.
The Hangout area functionality allows you to converse with up to 10 other people via webcam.
Google+ has a mobile android application which is easy to use, responsive and makes accessing key information, and particularly uploading images on the fly.
Google+ is a much more promising system than either of the company's previous attempts at social networking, but there does not seem to be any immediate threat to Facebook.
Google is getting very good at rolling out constant upgrades and tweaks to improve its applications and services. The platform needs users to take off, but it also needs developers to create the kind of applications that will keep customers coming back.
Google's lack of concern over the privacy of its user's data was a huge part in the
failure of Buzz.
The home page is very similar to Facebook, with a similar news feed and a lot of space around for additional features. One does not require a Gmail account to use the service, but if Gmail is your primary web mail platform there are a number of advantages, particularly for messaging.
When setting up an account, you will be asked to identify your friends and move them into customizable collections just how people build social groups offline. The friends you invite will not be able to see the names of the collections or the collections they are in, and can choose how much information to share and how.
Facebook has a similar functionality with its Lists system, but the two are conceptually and practically quite different. In Facebook Lists is and option and is not promoted. Google on the other hand is basing the entire system on silos on friend sand colleagues.
As Google+ grows, the difference may become apparent. Facebook users are already facing an ever increasing flood of information and the ability to trim and edit that will be crucial. Will users actively take up the option, or just make everything public to everyone anyway.
Google+ has good integration with Picassa and other image sharing sites so, uploading new photos is easy. You can also group photos taken on your phone, or by specific circles(collections.
Google+ offers sparks, a way to track news and posting on your favorite topics. It seems to consist of a series of news articles on a given topic.
The Hangout area functionality allows you to converse with up to 10 other people via webcam.
Google+ has a mobile android application which is easy to use, responsive and makes accessing key information, and particularly uploading images on the fly.
Google+ is a much more promising system than either of the company's previous attempts at social networking, but there does not seem to be any immediate threat to Facebook.
Google is getting very good at rolling out constant upgrades and tweaks to improve its applications and services. The platform needs users to take off, but it also needs developers to create the kind of applications that will keep customers coming back.
Google's lack of concern over the privacy of its user's data was a huge part in the
failure of Buzz.
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