As the VP of Marketing for the Reno-Tahoe Chapter of the American Marketing Association, I value the benefits of the organization both locally and nationally.

However, I cannot help but be amused by a recent mailer I received announcing an upcoming event titled, “TechnoMarketing.” Ah, the buzzwords.

My initial impression was that I could attend and learn effective ways of mashing up my marketing initiatives into bass thumping beats guaranteed to deliver a solid ROI.

After further scrutiny, I see that the event is in fact an opportunity for marketers to learn more about social media, customer communities, blogs, RSS, and podcasts.

Today, eMarketer issued a report stating that $3.1 million was spent on podcast advertising in 2005, $80 million in 2006, and it is expected to grow tenfold by 2011.

Suffice to say, niche marketing is getting a little more mainstream. What are your plans for incorporating new media into your marketing mix?

tags: rss, blogging, podcasting, new media

Seth Godin recently posted a very timely and thoughtful post on, “Starting over with customer service” where he provides several reasons why customer service is broken.

One major reason is that companies do not do a good job of organizing their data. Often times information is separated by departments, locations, or position titles, and so you are often left explaining your issue over and over again to one employee after another as you move horizontally or vertically up the ranks. This is unacceptable in my opinion.

I personally just recently had a very long and drawn out issue with the company, iRobot regarding my Roomba. It had me red in the face until I finally talked to a supervisor who ended up agreeing to replace the product. One primary problem was they could not access all of my records starting from the first day I had a problem (one year ago) until the end. This took hours of my time holding, waiting, and explaining my situation to several different people. Even though they replaced the product, my perception of the company was tainted.

There is a better solution, but I cannot provide it without using this blog as a bit of selling proposition. But I hope you will find it worthwhile information.

Twelve Horses recently partnered with Salesforce, an on-demand customer relationship management company. The reason why is because we have long since used them for our own personal organization of customer data, and we have been very happy with it. We can easily customize fields to capture the data that is specific to our needs. For example, if someone fills out a form on our website, not only does that action send the online visitor the information they requested via email, as well as fire off an sms text message notification to certain people within Twelve Horses, but it enters that visitor’s information into Salesforce as a lead. This begins a relationship with Twelve Horses that is aided by solid management technology.

So now that customer data is in Salesforce; for instance, name, address, and what information they requested. If a phone or email dialogue transpires between Twelve Horses and that prospect, it is also recorded in Salesforce. If a contract is written up, and the prospect becomes a customer of Twelve Horses, then that contract is also recorded in Salesforce. We can go back at any time and look at how the relationship started, identify what products and/or services they are using, and potentially uncover other solutions we can provide to better their business. The point is there is never a disconnect in the relationship, and it provides us with the ability to offer good customer service no matter who the employee is on either side.

Twelve Horses has been providing customized solutions for better customer service and organization of data for a variety of different industries. For example, we recently designed an online event management solution for a client that completely integrates with Salesforce. After an event, the client can go back and look at what customers went to what events, who they brought with them, how they paid, at what point in the sales cycle did they finally decide to purchase and so on. It helps this client better service its customers and structure its business.

We have also customized Salesforce for real-estate investment companies who want to group their customers by land-buy locations, amount paid, length of relationship, and type of transaction. The client can run a variety different reports related to sales, marketing, and customer service scenarios to maintain a deeper understanding of how they are doing and where they are going. There are many other examples of how we have used Salesforce to empower businesses.

The point is everything that transpires can be documented and organized. Online and offline touch points with the customer can all be integrated, recorded, and easily accessible through a web-based platform. At any time, place, or level of interaction with the customer, the company can understand the needs of their customer and address them in a timely and effective manner.

Understand your customers through better data management and organization. It will reflect better on your brand, and you will retain more of your customers.

tags: customer service, event, data management, Salesforce, Twelve Horses

With the new features - mainly a revamped and unique user interface - set to roll out in Microsoft Office 2007, quite a few organizations will upgrade immediately. Over time, Office 2007 will become the de facto standard in office software. This will have an impact on email marketers and their designers. Here’s why:

In the current version of Outlook, the program automatically uses the same code to display HTML emails that Internet Explorer uses to display web pages. In other words, if the email looks good in IE, it will look good in Outlook. However, with Office 2007, Microsoft has opted to use the HTML rendering engine found in Microsoft Word. This is where the problems occur.

Microsoft Word is not a web browser, and because of this, it isn’t capable of displaying certain elements of standard HTML. Some examples are:

• No support for background images (HTML or CSS) 
• No support for forms 
• No support for Flash, or other plugins 
• No support for CSS floats and positioning
• No support for replacing bullets with images in unordered lists 
• No support for animated GIFs
  (list via SitePoint)

It is unclear whether these are limitations of Word that Microsoft will address in the future or if this is to create a more stable and secure environment in Outlook (is it a bug or a feature). However, what it does mean is that HTML emails will need to have a more simplistic design. Any hopes of taking advantage of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or using technologies like Flash are gone. It also means basic elements like forms will also no longer be supported.

I’m undecided whether this is a step backwards or a correction. Items like forms, Flash, and JavaScript can be used maliciously creating serious security issues.  However, background images and animated GIFS are far from a problem. Either way, marketers will need to quickly adapt their campaigns or suffer the consequences of broken designs.  If you are unsure whether your email will have issues, call me at (775) 332-3000 and I will be happy to look at it.

Bill Marriott, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Marriott International, is now a blogger.  His first post is well written and insightful.  He admits that he’s not big on technology or the Internet, but that this tool can’t be ignored and he looks forward to using to to talk directly to his customers.  Someone over there gets it.

Not only is this another excellent use case for blogging, - after only two days, his blog ranks number three when you do a search on his name in Google - but I’m excited to hear his stories straight from him.  This could turn into a live autobiography.

The last element I’ll point out are the comments.  I’m sure they are heavily moderated and Mr. Marriott doesn’t reply to them directly (although he does answer them via an assistant).  However, they do post them live and not all are flattering.  Mr. Marriott’s goal is to talk directly to his customers.  You can’t talk directly to your customers without doing some listening.

I can’t wait to see who starts blogging next.

P.S. Thanks Myrna for the link.

StumbleUpon is a fun social networking tool that allows users to surf websites that match their personalized areas of interests.  Once a user establishes a profile, they can download a toolbar for their web browser (Internet Explorer and Firefox are both supported).  When the user wants to surf, they can click Stumble, and be wisked away to a website at random.  In the background, StumbleUpon is matching the user’s areas of interest web sites that other users have submitted that match those topics.  Users can also enter a keyword into the StumbleUpon toolbar and search for submitted sites that match that word.

This is very similar to social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us and digg except it has the element of surfing built in.  Rather than the user looking for specific content from like minded submitters, the toolbar does that step for them.  It’s more passive and has a certain element of surprise built in.

Why should website owners care about this?  Getting your site submitted to StumbleUpon can dramatically increase web traffic to your site.  The spike may only last a week or so, but depending on your site goals, this can be significant.  Users can also submit individual pages as well as the whole site.  Therefore, if you’re producing regular content - say a blog - each post has the opportunity to be submitted and becoming viral.

Gannett plans on exploding the newsroom.  In the wake and rubble will grow a new type of organization focused more on “information centers.”  They will no longer organize their editors into groups like metro, state and sports but instead will use names like “data,” “digital” and “community conversations.”  There focus will be more on local then national news and user-generated content will take an even larger role. 

I would treat this as basic lip service if it weren’t for the changes I have already seen in our local Gannett publication, The Reno Gazette Journal.  They now have a section that covers geographic areas by neighborhoods.  Each neighborhood section features area content including: news, photo galleries, real estate commentary and events.  This is definitely localized.

The Gazette Journal is now requiring reporters to run around with cameras and video cameras to create even more content.  They have added a photo and video section to the site.

I’m excited by this because it puts content and distribution fore front.  It removes artificial filters and lets readers filter content how they want.  Do they want to view neighborhood news, local news, photos from yesterday’s events or video from reporter’s latest interview?  Obviously, you can do this on various sites around the Internet but having your local publication bring this forward to the non-techies and have actual people on the street getting paid to gather this information is a huge advantage.

tags: Journalism, News, RGJ

Google’s recent purchase of YouTube for $1.65 billion in shares has sparked increased scrutiny over what content is actually being syndicated through this popular video sharing site.

Over this past weekend, Comedy Central, a division of Viacom ordered YouTube to remove any content belonging to them. Thousands of clips from “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report,” and “South Park” were removed and replaced with the message, “This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

Each one of these shows enjoyed incredible, viral exposure because of video sharing on YouTube. In fact, Stephen Colbert often made mention of YouTube on his show and joked that he should be on their payroll.

I suspect that Viacom was warned by their attorneys of the possible precedent that could be set by not enforcing their copyright to this content; however, I can’t believe that a more strategic settlement couldn’t be achieved. Comedy Central was benefiting immensely from this exposure.

Personally, I have used YouTube many times as a means of demonstrating the hilarity of John Stewart, or convincing someone they should witness Colbert’s wit. I simply pull up a popular clip and show it to them. I am sure there have been numerous YouTube clips that have been shared and emailed to friends, which have only further increased the exposure of these shows.

Without access to the data, I can only surmise what viewer stats have been since Comedy Central content began appearing on YouTube. If I had to guess, I can only assume that it has increased viewers to the show, not decreased it.

Comedy Central has historically done a pretty good job of creating the sense that they are not your average network channel, but this recent move could impact that image. 

At the very least, Viacom could have worked out an agreement with YouTube where they featured advertisements in conjunction with the existing clips. I am hoping this is simply a legal matter that will be resolved.

I like watching these shows, but my schedule does not always allow time for them. It is nice to know that the especially amusing or poignant clips will be in a place where I can view and share them with friends.

While Comedy Central already shares clips on their site, it is not the same as a user-generated place where visitors can truly get a sense of what resonates with others out there in the online world. I suspect that this is the one major thing that Viacom just doesn’t get.

tags: youtube, viacom, comedy central, the daily show, colbert report

With our success of the podcast here in Reno, Steve, our President (and if he had a blog, I would link to it), wants to replicate the same type of content specific to Salt Lake City where our other office is located. Steve asked me to email him the benefits of podcasting so he can gather support in the office and the SLC community. But I said, “Hey, that sounds like a blog post not an email!”

The Podcast
When Robert and I started the podcast, our expectations weren’t very high. We had access to an Edirol sound recorder that our CEO had purchased and a handful of mics. We knew we wanted to interview local business professionals about life and work in Reno, Nevada. We did one practice run where we interviewed each other - an embarrassment that we call episode #1 - and then we went to work. We recorded that first one on June 16th and have recorded 19 subsequent episodes. That amounts to just over one a week.

Benefits of the Podcasting

1. Meeting Local Professionals
   Robert and I have a great time chatting with each interviewee. We usually get to chat for about 15-30 minutes before we record and then 15-30 minutes after we record. It’s fun to get to know people on a more personal level, and we have made some great friends who we would have never met prior to the podcast.
2. Practicing what we Preach
   Our goal is not to make the podcast about Twelve Horses. We rarely mention Twelve Horses during the podcast, and if we do, it’s usually the guest who brings it up. That said, we definitely promote the podcast via our Twelve Horses website and our Twelve Horses blog. When customers ask us if we can implement a podcast for them, we get to say, “Yeah! Have you heard ours?” It has also allowed us to learn the ins and outs of podcasting and make mistakes so we can avoid them when implementing for customers.
3. Viral Marketing
   We’ve selected people to be on the show that we find relevant or buzz worthy. When others listen and like-wise find them worthy of buzz, they blog about it. We’ve also snatched opportunities to interview those with a following. Every time we get write ups and links on other sites, more and more people learn of the podcast and Twelve Horses. This increases our search rankings and listenership.
4. Relationship Marketing
   If you want to meet someone, it can be intimidating to call them out of the blue and ask them to lunch. On the contrary, it’s been quite easy to call and ask them to be on the podcast.
5. Media
   We have had the opportunity to interview two local editors of newspapers and a broadcast reporter. Of course, these interviews didn’t garner direct media coverage or subsequent articles about Twelve Horses (ethical issues abound) but they did allow these media outlets to learn a little more about Twelve Horses and vice versa.
6. Becoming better Interviewers
   Robert and I have really had to focusing on how we talk and present ourselves. Saying “right” or “so” too frequently is distracting. Saying “uh” sounds unprofessional. I’ve learned how to research people to come up with interesting and compelling questions. This is an art form that I am still perfecting. To help with this, I listen to people like Leo Laporte whose an experts at the art of an interview. We also listen to a ton of podcasts to help learn how to be natural and conversational. Some of my favorites are: Buzz Out Loud, Diggnation, Cranky Geeks, This Week in Tech and Inside the Net.
7. Coolness
   This is a cool line item in your job description. It’s fun and I get excited about scheduling an interview, meeting the person and then posting it live. I love to hear feedback and I desperately want local business to participate online. I can’t think of a better way to spend my day.

Steve, I hope that helps! I recommend blogging and podcasting to anyone who will listen. It’s a great hobby and when you can work it into your day job, you’re well ahead of the pack.

There is a fantastic blog controversy raging on the Internet.  A company called PayPerPost has started paying bloggers to bloggertise.

What is PayPerPost
A blogger interested in making a few bucks can create an account with PayPerPost and then filter through the list of opportunities.  Each opportunity lists who the advertiser is, how many words need to be written, the amount to be paid to the blogger upon posting and if the tone should be positive, negative or neutral.  The blogger is not required to disclose that the post is an advertisement, but they are often required to include pre-defined link and sometimes a picture.

The opportunities that bloggers can choose from include things like video phones, neck ties, vacation locations and many, many more.  The price paid for a posts ranges from $2.50 up to $10.00 and there is no limit to the number of posts a blogger can do.  The only requirement is that the blogger has been blogging for 90 days prior to signing up with PayPerPost.

Blogging about the advertisers product does create buzz in the blogosphere, but the real value seems to be in gaming the search engines.  The search engines look at the words that are actually linked and then the destination of the link to determine some authority.  For example, in PayPerPost’s opportunities exists an opportunity to be paid $10 to blog about the PayPerPost’s crew as seen on The Today Show.  In the opportunity, bloggers are asked to link to the blog post the crew did about the appearance, but the words they needed to link were "Guerilla Marketing."  Now, when you search Google on Guerilla Marketing they show up as the fifth result (I know it’s spelled wrong but that’s how they spelled it).  Another example is the search for Ninja Costume.  The number one result returned is an advertiser on PayPerPost.

What is the Controversy
Because PayPerPost does not require full disclosure, many "A-list" bloggers have come out to call PayPerPost and their bloggers evil, scum and the scourge of the earth. To quote Jay Allen:

Pay per post is one of the most vicious and vile economic schemes to cast its shadow over online publishing. Anyone who perpetuates such a system deserves a public stoning (even if they don’t say "Jehovah"). You either pay online publishers for who and what they are, or you keep your wallet out of the game. The Internet already has enough spam; we don’t need bloggers generating it for commission.

Jason Calacanus, who made millions of dollars by paying bloggers to blog, is adamantly opposed to PayPerPost’s model.  The difference being that Calacanus paid bloggers to blog about niche topics and then sold advertising on these blogs.  The line that separates journalist from advertiser existed in his model.  PayPerPost’s model at best blurs this line - at worst, they erase it completely.

My initial reaction was not as strong as Michael Arrington’s, Jason Calacanus’ or Jay Allen’s.  However, after talking with co-Horse Power author, Robert Payne, he made a point that changed my mind.  He hypothesized that if he read a positive review of a pair of skis on a blog that prompted him to buy, he would be very upset to find out that the review was driven purely off of this bloggertisement.  Especially if he found that the reviewer had never even tried the skis.  This made me reflect on past purchasing decisions I have made because of blog and forum posts.

I think much of the controversy goes away if PayPerPost were to force bloggers to disclose these bloggertisements with each post.  I’m not sure who would keep reading a blog that posted nothing but bloggertisements, but at least it would be transparent and honest.

51.6% of visitors to MySpace.com in August were 35 or older according to comScore Media Metrix.  "Older" people are starting to use and participate in social networking, a phenomenon that has previously been thought to be a "kids" thing.

This is huge news for businesses who have been contemplating a MySpace strategy.  It shows that this "older" generation likes to connect, chat and share information about themselves.  Now it’s businesses turn to embrace and adopt this form of communication - to get into this dialog.  Businesses, now more then ever before, can show they are made up of a collection of people and personalities and not just penny pushers and tight CEOs.

I think the other implication here is that MySpace isn’t going to go away as fast as many people have hoped.