A couple months ago, a couple coworkers and I were reminiscing the fun each of us had at “bush parties” back-in-the-day. After a few chuckles and laughs, we realized each of our visualizations of a bush party actually looked very different depending on where we grew up, our lifestyle and perception.

Definition of a bush party by:
·         Rural Saskatchewan Girl – party in an empty field with a bonfire
·         Rural Alberta Boy – party in an empty field/farm
·         Urban Alberta Girl – party in a park with sparse gathering of bushes
·         Rural Ontario Boy – party in a forested area

What does this have to do with marketing, you ask? Well, let’s take this into the web world. One technique may work for one client, where others do not. When I start a website project, I brainstorm ideas specific for the client: what is their industry? Who is their target audience (gender, age)? Any corporate colour themes to be restricted by? Any websites the client likes? The questions are endless! I put myself in other people’s shoes and ask myself “how would so-and-so-from-this-industry-or-age-group-interpret-this?” Age range of users plays a big factor on how fancy or complicated a site can be built.

Another perspective to have is for a Web Developer, like myself (!), to critique the website. Us Web Devs have built many websites in our lifetime; we know what makes sense from a usability standpoint and how design should work in terms of menu layout and functionality. Working with a Creative (graphic designer) will give you design highlights to make the design pop, and their expertise and talent will vary from person-to-person as well.

What do we learn from this? We are who we are from our past and everyone’s perspective will be different. Learn from those around you with the expertise and soak up their talent to the fullest. This is what they do best. Embrace it!

Image References:

http://christianreadsquran.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/bonfire.jpg

http://cwmcdonald.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/fieldjuly7-12-8237.jpg

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/gperidas/media/TarSands_Calgary.jpg

http://eofdreams.com/data_images/dreams/forest/forest-10.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs8eMswZ5lA/UFawrcw5OdI/AAAAAAABQE0/8FG_uoEFV0M/s1600/Vase+Face+Illusion.jpeg

p.s. No, this was not just an excuse to show you a picture of Channing Tatum Although, you’re welcome.

1. http://channingtatumunwrapped.com/

2. http://www.howiemandel.com/

3. http://justintimberlake.com/main

4. http://www.katyperry.com/

5. http://kb24.com/

6. http://www.parishilton.com/

7. http://perezhilton.com/

8. http://www.rollingstones.com/

9. http://www.russellbrand.tv/

10. http://williamshatner.com/ws/

Until recently, I assumed that the majority of people understood the differences between the various social media services. It is one thing to know about what services are out there, it is another altogether to know how to use them effectively.

A little while back my father, who is in the process of retiring, asked me about social media for his new consulting business. Like most people, he is on the usual suspects like Facebook and LinkedIn already, but was interested in knowing if there was anything else he could use to promote his business and tell his brand story.

I began to explain to Dad that there were a lot of social media services out there and that each one has a specific use depending on his desired response. However with each subsequent sentence I noticed an increasingly blank and confused look on my Dad’s face. Here I thought that I was giving advice and knowledge worthy of a TED Talk and I had lost Dad no more that 3 sentences in.

It was at that moment that I realized all the knowledge and experience I have makes no difference if I can’t explain social media in its simplest form to people who are not familiar with it. I was far too caught up in all the granular details, when all Dad wanted (or needed, to be more accurate) was a simple and understandable explanation.

The funny thing is… as well as I understand social media I struggled for a way to break it down to something understandable for him. It was at that point I told him that I will get back to him and went on a research mission searching for a way to describe and explain social media quickly and effectively. An elevator speech of social media if you will.

I came across a wonderful post on geek.com called “Social Media Explained with Donuts.” This was the clearest break-down of social media services and the differences between them that I could find. It goes something like this:

• Twitter – I am eating donuts
• Facebook – I like donuts
• Foursquare – This is where I am eating donuts
• Instagram – Here is a vintage photo of my donuts
• YouTube – Watch me eating my donuts
• LinkedIn – My skills include eating donuts
• Pinterest – Here is a donut recipe
• LastFM – I am now listening to donuts
• Tumblr – Here is a story about  donuts
• Ask.com – Can I get pregnant eating a donut?

The examples above are just a few of the more popular social media services out there but this is a great example of how to explain social media effectively and quickly. Needless to say this was a far more superior way of describing social media to my Dad.

This is now how I begin all conversations with people, including clients who are in the beginning stages of using social media.

Thank you Dad for another valuable lesson learned!

We can tie this same theory on the web with real estate being the space on a webpage and the walking score as the ease of use for the visitor.

Ask yourself:

• What is your first impression of this place? In Web: The design of the website should co-exist with your company’s brand definition.
• Are there amenities around? In Web: The design should have call to action “buckets” in strategically placed locations for easy access.
• What is the walking score? In Web: The menu navigation needs to be clear so that the user can find the information right away.
• One-mile in compact neighborhood (walk everywhere) vs. sprawling suburb (drive everywhere). In Web: Having a clear defined site map with not too many sub-levels is very important.

Think of all the details and you won’t be disappointment in the end product, both in buying a home and building a website!

With the spookiest of days upon us, it seems like the perfect time to talk about the scary mistakes that so many companies – both small start-ups as well as large corporations – are making when it comes to their marketing strategies. Of course at William Joseph, we’ve never made any of these mistakes (tsk, tsk) but we see them happening all the time (not with our clients of course) and wanted to share them with you in an effort to ward off the evil spirits that contribute to them:  a lack of understanding, imagination and sometimes just plain cheapness. So like garlic to a vampire, arm yourself with these marketing horror stories and use the knowledge to save yourself from impending danger.

Marketing Horror Story #1 – Playing it too safe

Too many companies say they want to get noticed or do something ‘edgy’ but when it comes right down to it, they get scared off by ‘what people will think’. While it’s certainly true that not all brands can get away with edgy advertisements that push societal norms, most can in fact take a few risks with their advertising as long as the core message remains on brand and is authentic. It’s also important to note that ‘edgy’ advertising doesn’t need to be crude, rude or nude but just creative, clever and original.

Marketing Horror Story #2 – Snubbing social networks

It’s true that social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are fairly new marketing channels whose longevity hasn’t yet been truly tested, but don’t kid yourself into thinking they’re a fad or just for young people. The Internet has allowed us countless ways to communicate in the most genuine form as marketers – directly with the very people who use our products and buy our services. It allows us to have discussions with, and not just at, our customers. So if your company is not using social media to communicate, or you’re not taking advantage of running a social media ad campaign, you’re missing out on an invaluable way to reach customers on the most basic level – as a ‘friend’.

Marketing Horror Story #3 – Hiring an agency based solely on price

We know, we know…. Hiring an advertising agency can be a daunting and expensive task. Every agency will tell you that they’re creative and cool, and many will provide a quote that seems too good to be true. And it probably is, for two reasons. One, they’ve purposely low-balled the quote to win the business and will then end up tacking on ‘add-ons’ as the project proceeds so you end up paying just as much, or more, by the time the project is over. The second reason the quote is so low? Because that agency sucks (and I don’t mean the Vampire type of suck) and you’ll end up with marketing materials that are evidence of that. At WJ, we’ve heard it so many times: “I choose X agency over you because they were cheaper” but the result of that cheap work was that the client was left with materials that they were so disappointed in that they ended up coming back to us at shortly after. Having wasted money and time developing the crappy stuff, they then rely on us to fix it and it ends up costing them even more money in the long term. So do yourself and your budget a favour and choose your agency based on the strategy they recommend, their design portfolio and their fit with you as a client. Not on price.

Marketing Horror Story #4 – Not taking advantage of happy customers

Anyone who owns a business will tell you that it’s 10 times easier (and cheaper) to get business from return customers than it is to find brand new ones. And that’s true…but what’s even smarter is turning those happy customers into advocates for your business. Let’s say you’ve done a great job for them and they tell you that – so why not ask them to tell others? Ask them if they’d be willing to make a Facebook status update promoting the great service they just got from you – you never know how many of their FB friends are going to see their post and seek you out. But don’t stop there. Ask to write a Case Study on the work you did for them and post it on your website or social media page, include a testimonial from them on your site, or offer them a referral discount if they send new customers your way. If someone is happy with your business/service, make sure everyone knows it!

Marketing Horror Story #5 – Death by consensus

One of the most troubling things a marketing agency can hear is “We really liked it but then we showed it to Judy down the hall and she just isn’t sure.” Don’t get me wrong…I’m sure Judy is a lovely lady who is very good at her job, but I’m going guess that Judy’s job isn’t in marketing. Way too often, the agency and the client will spend weeks, if not months, developing a campaign or marketing concept that has strategic rationale and a creative execution developed to solve the client’s problems or needs. Everyone loves it…until… someone shows it to someone who shows it to someone and that someone “isn’t sure” if they like it, and then all of the sudden the client gets cold feet without evaluating the merit of the criticism. So the next time this happens, ask yourself: Is this person part of our target audience? Do they understand the background or context surrounding the idea? And, does their opinion even matter? If the answer is no, then you know what you need to do – trust the work of your agency and don’t kill the idea.

The prevalence of these deal sites is relatively new. A few years ago, I saw one of the founders of a deal sites appear on Dragon’s Den. Two young guys with a vision pitched the idea to the Dragons who immediately saw the value in their idea. Within a few short months, new deal sites began popping up everywhere. Copycat sites began appearing and soon after, disappearing after hawking their deals to businesses and customers alike. I began to wonder how effective deals were in promoting a business? As a customer, I was a sucker for the deals but as a marketer, I was much more cynical. The prevalence of deals quickly became overwhelming with multiple sites offering the same deal from the same supplier or retailer. Big sites such as Groupon and Livingsocial were buying out their small competitors and essentially, buying their membership base.

Deals are released daily, some even hourly.  Hundreds of subscribers purchase the deal and these small business owners are suddenly flooded with customers. This is a pivotal moment for a business owner. The moment where the first impression may be the only impression. Deal buyers are often fickle, following the deals to another new restaurant or retailer. They are demanding, seeking out true value, service, and quality all with a scrutinizing eye. Studies have shown that restaurants are frequently rated 10% lower after the release of a deal than before. The new deal seekers change the way the business operates. Business owners are sometimes unprepared for the sudden influx of business, leaving their new customers with the wrong impression of what the “normal” service or product quality is at the business. Regular customers are unable to secure reservations or are neglected by regular staff, left waiting for their food or for customer service. To top it off, the deals are at times a losing proposition for the business. With some deal sites taking up to 50% of the already discounted rate, deals are putting some businesses out of business. Would these people come back again after buying a deal? Some studies note just 35% of deal users spent beyond the deal’s face value, and only 20% returned to purchase again at full price. Did these deals attract the right kind of customer? Did they produce a sustainable lift in business over time? One had to ask, “Do deals help or hurt a business?”

This all sounds like a bad news story for businesses participating in the deals. So why participate in a deal? Sites such as Groupon have an enormous database of members that will be introduced to your product or business. These members have already signed up to receive the offers; they are already a captive audience. Timing of the launch of the deal is critical. Like any seasonal period, you have to get your team prepared for the sudden onslaught of business. You’re not pedaling the latest iPhone or cabbage patch dolls of yester year, but it can sure feel that way to you. Deals need to have a limited time availability and must dictate the start time to ensure you have all your eggs in a row before the deals come rolling in. This is the time to make an impression and convert a trial customer to a loyal customer. The structure and quantity of deals available is important too. Limited availability not only drives up the sense of urgency and impression of exclusivity, but it also helps to control the number of deals that will be redeemed. You’ve already gained the exposure through Groupon’s database, now you just need to win over that customer.

For this customer, I’ve tried to put aside my online shopping habit and am more critical when buying a deal. I always check to see if I can get a reservation into the restaurant or can book an appointment before buying the deal and only buy when I know I can use the deal in the near future. Or at least that’s what I tell myself!

Less than two weeks to a co-worker’s wedding and less than ten months to my own, I found myself looking for gift registries last night. Being a little bit of a geek, I did a whole bunch of research on various stores and stumbled upon an article about Crate and Barrel’s gift registry. They have an app (free—even better!) which provides real-time updates to manage a gift registry. There is a scanner in the app which you can go in store to scan items to add to the registry. You basically have your personal scanner (your phone) vs. having to borrow the store’s scanner! COOL!

I thought I stumbled upon the best thing ever and decided to see this app in action. A mailing address is required and it only works with a ZIP code (no Canadian Postal Code). Having found this app but then not working was like running into a concrete wall. It even ruined my blog post! I was supposed to rave how easy-to-use technology helps consumers, how companies increase sales as the return benefit, therefore, marketing technology is important!

Since this app wasn’t all that was cracked up to be, the moral of this post is whether you are thinking of building a website or getting print material made, think of ALL the details and give the customer an experience they won’t forget so they come back for more. In this instance with Crate & Barrel, the idea was great, the functionality awesome, but one thing (however it seems minor) put a negative aspect to the product.

REF
http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2012/06/04/crate-and-barrel-builds-on-mcommerce-strategy-with-bar-code-scanning-app

1. First Impressions
In life, I was taught, “Looks aren’t everything”; but in the online world – looks is a major part of legitimacy of your website. A design that suits your clientele with an easy to navigate menu and strategically organized content will go a long way to achieving your online goals. Ask yourself: Who is your target audience? What are you trying to achieve with a website? Who are your competitors? What is your budget? Being specific in your needs will help make sure you have a solid foundation before embarking on a website build.  A website is just like a house – a strong foundation is critical.

2. Starting pages
Make sure all pages of your website are relevant and to the point.  Every page is your homepage now.   Your actual homepage probably only accounts for less than 40% of incoming visitors. Surprised? Here is an example:

If we search “William Joseph Communications” in a Google search, sometime similar to this (below) will display:

People can click on the contact link and miss the homepage where we showcase material of interest – this is why we’ve integrated content buckets on that page featuring this content in smaller form.   This way, people get what they came for (our contact info) and a little extra by the ability to be quickly transported to our portfolio.  That being said, I’ve analyzed various user-clicking habits in the past and about half the people click on the smaller sub page links. This intrigued me as I usually click on the homepage and from there, navigate through other parts of the website.  It just goes to show that you need to think about all the ways that a user might experience your site, and how and what you want them to take away from it no matter where they enter.

3. Up-to-date content
Love it or hate it, content is king in the online world. Adding quality material to engage consumers is key. The design will intrigue the user, but the content is what keeps them coming back. There is an analytic term called “bounce rate”; this refers to the amount of time that visitors enter the site and leave the site rather than continue on to view other pages. Typically, the lower the bounce rate the better on pages with significant content. A high bounce rate on pages that display something other than quickly consumed information (say, your contact information, or other quick info) typically indicates that users have not found what they are looking for and so have left to go find it.

4. User device
Times are changing, mobile surfing is growing fast. Is your website compatible to both mobile and conventional web surfing? Does technology on your website (i.e. videos) work on all browsers and mobile devices (i.e. flash is not supported in an iPhone). The dimensions of a website layout has changed throughout the years as well. In the 90′s square monitors (left) were the main stream where as now, the wide screen theater style (right) is more popular. Keep up with what your clientele and the technology they use for the best results.  Out of date websites are more apparent than ever now due to changing device formats and platforms.

5. Track with Analytics
Knowing where your visitors came from, which pages get the most activity and what kind of device they are using can be an easy way to help you change your game plan to gain more visitors and/or sales by targeting a more specific audience. Google Analytics can tell you all of this information and display it in a chart or graph form as well. Knowing what is happening can help refine your future goals and monitor your past actions for success.

REF:
http://www.netmagazine.com/features/five-essential-google-analytics-tips-web-designers
http://www.netmagazine.com/news/mobile-drives-marketers-soda-survey-121810
http://support.google.com/adwords/certification/bin/static.py?hl=en&topic=23858&guide=23857&page=guide.cs&answer=152618

Images used:
http://www.google.com/search?q=william+joseph+communications&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://img1.grafika.cz/grafika/images/FW900.jpg
http://www.externaldevicesprice.co.uk/images/cheap-Samsung-P2470HD-Full-HD-Widescreen-LCD-TV-Monitor-Freeview.jpg
http://dallasgoogleguru.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/google-analytics-example.jpg

While surfing the web, one article by SitePoint intrigued me. Titled: “Creating a Personal Brand: Too Late! You Already Have One”. This article was about how others perceive something/someone without the person actually marketing themselves. The same day that I read this article; I heard of an interesting situation.

The situation:  Company-A gathered a few people (Name them Person-X, Person-Y, Person-Z) for a proposal for a project to Company-B. Company-B told Company-A to that they would not get the work if Person-X was in the proposal because of his reputation.

True story! So an individual’s personal branding has a big effect on not only their co-workers but also companies with which they work – for better or for worse! This leads me to think how perception and personal experience brands companies! How many times have attitude from a staff member or environment ruin or made your stay more enjoyable at a hotel? (I’m sure everyone who reads this can comment on this.)

A positive experience was when I had the amazing opportunity to stay in a luxury beach resort called Amanyara on the Turks & Caicos Islands. Prior to check-in, locals asked “where are you staying?”. When they hear “Amanyara”, there was always a smile on their face followed by the comment “you’ll get treated very well there”.

On arrival to the resort, we were greeted by staff who gave us a tour of the resort while we sipped on a refreshing mint drink. At lunch, friendly staff gave us basil infused hand towels; hand soap from the bathroom had a hint of orange blossom. Funny how aromas trigger memories and alter moods, but that is another blog post! The overall ambiance of the private villa, spotless white sandy beaches, infinity pool and the very friendly staff members made this experience amazing. Overall, superb architecture, style and most importantly excellent customer service attributed to the branding of this resort to make it a luxury. Just imagine if the staff treated us poorly, would this experience have been the same? Most definitely not.  Like this and any other experience, one sour needle could have ruined the whole experience.

Now, take a look at yourself. Where does your personal branding rate in other people’s eyes?

REF
http://www.sitepoint.com/creating-a-personal-brand-too-late-you-already-have-one/

http://www.amanresorts.com/amanyara/home.aspx

Images Used:

http://personalbranding101.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Personal-Branding-Naming-Alternatives.jpg

http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2009/04/turks-caicos-resort-l.jpg?400:400

http://images.pegs.com/imageRepo/3/0/35/532/815/IQ1129504_Beach2_j_J.jpg

http://www.amanresorts.com/uploadedImages/Aman_image_library/amanyara_images/yara_large_square_images_236/4_accommodation/Yara_Villas_Pavilions_236.jpg

A few years ago, I finally got the nerve to buy my first motorcycle. I had ridden dirt bikes as a kid but the fire breathing monster I bought bore little resemblance to anything of my childhood. After a year of riding, I found myself increasingly frustrated when trying to describe what it felt like to “split the mustard n’ mayo” with my bike. So I decided to buy a few cameras and try my hand at shooting my own motorcycle videos.

Admittedly, at the beginning I had no idea what I was doing. Being a film nerd and making a film were entirely different endeavors. But I persevered through the learning curve. I wanted to share my feelings about riding. The best place to do so was YouTube. Facebook might be the buzz word of the day, but here, the sheer volume of content would be both a challenge and an advantage for me. I was utterly amazed to discover that YouTube users as a whole, upload 35 hours of video every minute of every day! If I were to find a captive audience, I would find it there. Considering the unimaginable amount of footage I would be competing against could easily drown me out – I would have to learn from the mistakes of others who had gone before me. The biggest mistake I saw was what happens when people were seen as inauthentic. I decided to make a list of rules I would live by when navigating the fickle waters of social media. So far, they have served me very well, and have garnered me a very loyal following.

1. Create by my own compass.
I wanted to make content for myself and no one else. I saw how the motivation to spend countless hours in front of a computer faded once one started feeling like they were fulfilling other people’s requests rather than their own. No matter much I appreciate each and every subscription, its about the work – not the subs.

2. Answer every comment and thank every subscription.
Being seen as responsive and active in the community is crucial. People are immensely appreciative when you do simple things like answer their questions and thank them for subbing. Also, it has the added benefit of creating free advertising for yourself when other people see your comment on that person’s page.

3. Watch, comment, and subscribe to others in the community.
It can get difficult to constantly keep up to date with other producers of similar content, but it creates authenticity for your online persona and secures you a place as a leader in the group. With so many people creating content, I made the choice to subscribe to only those I thought had truly stellar work. This way my list was kept to something manageable. Also, when I added someone new, they knew I was sincere.

4. Avoid showing any personal information.
Luckily, the particular YouTube community I joined was perfectly comfortable with online personas. So it did not affect my authenticity. Primarily I wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons. The last thing I wanted was to have someone showing up at my house in the middle of the night. I hide my license plate as well in my videos for this reason.

5. Treat every single person the same way you’d treat them in real life – even trolls.
Feeling anonymous can be a double-edged sword. People sometimes forget they are addressing real people, therefore it can be easy to be rude or harsher than you would be in person. It’s also difficult to anticipate people’s reactions to your work, let alone your comments. So to be safe, I try to imagine my grandmother watching and/or reading everything I produce and/or write. If she would be offended, I try another tactic. It’s important to note, she wouldn’t have to be interested in the subject, just not offended by how it was approached.

6. Treat my YouTube persona like a brand.
Just like a company or product, I tried to give myself, my channel, and my videos a look and feel that was consistent, but not repetitive. This was especially challenging for me in the beginning since I was still learning how to create content and my goals didn’t always match my abilities. Just by going back to the first couple of flicks, it’s easy to see how my brand evolved along with my skills.

7. Put my faith in the word of mouth.
Being that most of my job is about pushing out a message to others, I wanted to allow for the organic process of social media to take root and grow without my interference. I continue to do this today by letting each video I create stand on it’s own merit. If it fails to connect with the audience, the number of views will show it. One should note, that doing it this way means you need patience, but it is absolutely worth it in the end.

8. Constantly push myself to build on what I have learned.
As much as this was a way to share my passions, it was also an exercise in learning a new skill that I hoped one day I could capitalize on with my work in the Design industry. The more I learned here, the better off I would be down the road.

9. Have fun and not try to take myself too seriously.
This one seems to be obvious, but surprisingly, many people forget about it. Keeping it fun means I would keep doing it.

10. Never censor my detractors.
Part of being authentic is letting people hate you. You can’t please everyone and it is useless to ever try. Whether you are a company or a just a one-man-army like myself, it is notoriously tempting to keep the good stuff and erase the bad to keep your image pure and sparkling. But it’s so important to keep the whole mess. When people made disparaging remarks about my work, I thanked them for their input, defended my choices if applicable, and kept their comment as part of the public record of that video. My hopes are that when other people read them and my responses, they appreciate my confidence in allowing both sides of the conversation. Unlike push media, social media at it’s root, is a conversation. Limiting it in any way is defeating its purpose. Don’t forget, trolls need love too.

If you’re curious about how I put this list into practice, you can find me on YouTube, under “ROKKIT44″. Be sure to stop in and say hi.