IndyWeek.com Give Guide
The linked post is the "inside baseball" story of how a local free print publication created the first Indy Give Guide (http://give.indyweek.com/ ). The "Give Guide" is way to help local nonprofits raise funds and it is content, social and ECOMMERCE gold.
I am writing almost a bog post a day about the Guide and driving social links to our Story of Cancer Page http://give.indyweek.com/Nonprofits/Health-and-Wellness/Story-of-Cancer-Foundation ). Every Ecom Director's ears just perked up (lol).
Cause marketing done right rocks social maketing and an Ecom merchants register like no other conent marketing. The IndyWeek.com give guide is cause marketing done right because:
* Low cost, Big Reward (traffic, brand awareness, SEO).
* Emotionally resonate especially at this time of year.
* Focused altruism that builds a strong network of contributors for future years.
* Helps first and figures out money later (perfect for our Thank You based economy).
If your band, company or website hasn't figured out how to create something as cool as the IndyWeek.com Give Guide steal the idea and mashup a great and related list of nonprofits in your business vertical.
If you sell HVAC you might create a guide based on your customer's favorite charities. If you are a B2B agency ask your customers who they give to and mashup a guide from those connections.
The IndyWeek.com GiveGuide is a great example of how a little creativity and the right altruistic idea can make a HUGE difference in your Website's authority and SEO AND it helps local charities feed hunger tigers and cure cancer so that is cool too :).
Story of Cancer Foundation page on GiveGuide
http://give.indyweek.com/Nonprofits/Health-and-Wellness/Story-of-Cancer-Foundation
Five Quick Content Marketing Tips For SMBs
SMBs (Small to Medium Sized businesses) are feeling overwhelmed. Instead of saying, "You Must Know Everything." maybe we should start with five quick tips:
SMB Content Marketing Tip 1: There Is No THEM
SMB Content Marketing Tip 2: Email Marketing With Personas
SMB Content Marketing Tip 3: Blog Q&A Content
SMB Content Marketing Tip 4: Conversations Not Lectures
SMB Content Marketing Tip 5: Have Fun and Create Fun
CrowdFunde knows ecommerce is expensive and a highwire act if there ever was one. Quirky.com and Threadless.com show the power of tapping crowd wisdom for product development but why stop there.
CrowdFunde is a new tool, a tool that helps ecommerce merchants tap crowd wisdom to lower costs and increae profits.
B2C Content Marketing Laggards Narrow Gap With B2B - New CMI Study and How B2C Content Marketing Is DIFFERENT
You knew the gap between B2C laggards and…
Martin (Marty) Smith:
When I scooped the Content Marketing study showing a narrowing gap between B2C and B2B content marketing it struck me to share 10 ways B2C content marketing is different than B2B. I spent 7 years as a Director of Ecommerce and the last two as Marketing Director for Atlantic BT, a B2B web and software Development Company in Raleigh so can speak intelligently about both camps (one would hope :).
Here are 10 Ways B2C content is different than B2B:
* More User Generated Content.
* More contests and games.
* Less content creation.
* More content .
* More snippets and keywords less paragraphs and white papers.
* More social content less evergreen.
* Visual support important to both, REALLY important B2C.
* Content has to be FLATTER (less linked, less words, more bullets) and more visually support of immediate conversion.
* LESS YOU (website owner) more THEM (community formed around brands or products or your website).
* Money is ultimate judge of success.
You could argue money is the ultimate litmus test for both, but B2C is about money today and B2B is about money tomorrow.
Marty
I don't know this Ecommerce agency, but their video points to a BIG problem with video marketing - it seems easy. Video marketing is far from easy. This video is a classic example for burying the lead. After some loud rock music and four slides in we see they've worked on 150 Magento ecom websites.
THAT’S THE LEAD & IT'S BURIED.
Instead of the rock music I would start with a quiet single piano followed by this slide sequence:
Slide One: Magento Is The Most Dominant Ecommerce Platform.
Slide Two: Leading Retailers Using Magento Include (pick three in different verticals).
Slide Three: We've created 153 Magento Ecommerce sites.
Slide Four: Last Year Our Magento Ecommerce Sites Generated over $100M in Sales.
Slide Five: Like Hearth Surgery The More Magento You Do The Better You Get. Slide Six: Don't risk the HEART of your business.
Slide Seven: Call COMPANY NAME at PHONE
I would build the piano into a jazz piece by the end. My proposed sequence tells the Magento Story, creates a "Made To Stick" Analogy for the company's expertise and is SPECIFIC about exactly how many sites were created and how much money they've generated.
Never say things like "We've created 150+ Magento sites" because not being specific lowers your legitimacy. Even if by the time your viewer sees the video you will have created 300 Magento sties BE SPECIFIC and update later.
The other problem this video demonstrates is the NO STORY problem. We won't pay attention to o understand noise. Story creates connection and connection creates understanding. Always tell a story. My sequence tells the Magento story assuming that is the stronger story to tell.
If the firm was a branded firm I would tell the firm's story, but a low cost possible offshore provider should tell the story of the nearest brand - in this case Magento.
Everyone Is In The Viral Business Now When everyone is in the “viral business” it is harder for anyone to cut through clutter and have a small thing become a big thing.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Five tips I wrote about the other day are:
1. Process Is Product. 2. Know Your Content (not all content equally viral). 3. Who You Know, Who You Follow. 4. When To Post Where. 5. Great Titles & Share Breakout data.
Holiday Ecommerce
Good article on Holiday marketing strategies. Most Ecomerce retailers are putting finishing touches on their plans. I like the way this post organizes RETURN first. Always easier to sell MORE to people who already love you. I would add these tips for returning:
* Ask for advocacy. * Gamify something. * Curate something. * Pad or Phone something.
Find a way to take some direction from your customers. When we ran out of sale inspiration we asked our best customers what we should put on sale when I was a Director of Ecommerce. We got great suggestions and sales. One great rule to ecommerce Internet marketing is when in doubt ASK.
This year I would make it a point to ASK for advocacy, create a game (or two or three) make sure you make your holiday gig MOBILE and curate something of THEIRS to your site.
Inbound Marketing
Some of the same advice, especially the mobile part, goes for inbound B2B marketing during 4Q. Create a cool User Generated Content (UGC) contest and curate content, ideas, comments and visuals from your visitors, customers, advocates and friends.
PPC
I wouldn't buy anything NEW during 4Q despite the incorrect belief that MORE can help if numbers start to dip. PPC is a TIMED and REPUTATION activity so double down on what is working but don't buy NEW until after 1.1.14.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Set Social Expectations & Then BEAT THEM
Michael Jordan knew how to set expectations and then beat them. I was lucky enough to see him play several playoff games and the superstar could will his game to another level.
There are no secrets on the court or in business today. When Michael Jordan took over a game it was clear what was going on and THAT is what must have made playing against him maddening.
Michael Jordan's Nissan car dealership in Durham could learn a lesson in social media marketing from their namesake. The car dealership recently underwent an extensive renovation that must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
One of the innovations was a much better waiting room with worktables and away from the damn TV. I pulled up next to an AC outlet during my last stay and worked while my car's oil was being changed.
Michael Jordan's Nissan installed a window from the shinny new workroom out to the garage. Great idea, but a loaded gun too (much like social media). Once you show me a window on to your world all things become theater.
The experience of watching my car leave the garage and then NOT to be called to transact the $50 oil change for twenty minutes when I was in a hurry to get to work was frustrating (despite being able to use their Wi-Fi and do work). The window CREATED AN EXPECTATION.
Think of your social media efforts as creating an expectation too. If your company or brand is on social media your customers and supporters have an expectation that you will keep them informed (provide a window into your thinking and actions) and include them in some meaningful way in your process.
"Include in some meaningful way" can mean responding to questions or @yourtwitter notes to forming special teams and requesting feedback from your social channel. Social media is a CONVERSATION and those who listen more than they speak and care more than they don't are using social media marketing to kick the stuffing out of competitors who don't get it.
I asked to see the service manager and he told me he was down three people and offered a free oil change next time. Good (not great) response. The great response would have been to ask me a question and elicit the feedback I'm writing here.
The great response to customer dissatisfaction is to FIND the kernel of the discontent and then learn from it to improve. The manager, so caught up in his own problems, missed a chance to excel like the man whose name is on the building :)
Holiday Ecommerce 20 Questions
If your Internet marketing team can answer YES to the 20 content marketing, social marketing, email marketing and cause marketing questions then wax up your board and hit the beach.
Better to SURF now with solid plans in place than even think about time off once the October tsunami hits. This time of year it took 2.4 visits to make a sale when I was an Ecom Director. In October it took 1.3 visits and in November and December a little over one.
Those numbers mean NOW is the time to test and create plans so you don't have to THEN. Plan now, DO THEN :).
In recent years, online video has evolved into a powerful marketing tool. Use the following guidelines in this Infographic to help fine tune your video-making endeavors and maximize your viewership.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Great infographic on increasing video stickiness from KISSmetrics. Video is a powerful tool for an ecommerce webstie, but beware. Video is so engaging it can lower conversions. Follow outline in this KISSmetric infographic to INCREASE conversions.
Looking for “The Scoop on Email Marketing”? ProMarketing Leads has created an infographic outlining just how important email marketing is for your
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Email Makes The Money
When I was a Director of Ecommerce email marketing produced the highest MARGIN (i.e. dollars to the bank) of any marketing channel by far. Email is under attack these days.
Email marketing is different and changing. Different because relevance is demanded so personas and segments are a must. Different because mobile devices increasingly curate email so your emails must look great on mobile AND be formed "mobile friendly".
Mobile friendly means:
* Strong visuals.
* Few words and less copy.
* Tease the click or tease the "keep for later".
* Strong offers and clear CTAs.
If you run an ecommerce website and are NOT email marketing and making subscriptions into your list your A priority I'd love to know what is :).M
There is a new sheriff in town. There are two new sheriffs in town an angry Penguin and a pining penguin.
Google's algorithm changes add gasoline to a fire that was already burning - marketing in REAL TIME or The New Now!
RSR and Bronto Software survey provides insights into use of consumer path-to-purchase data (New report provides insights into use of consumer path-to-purchase data http://t.co/ECoTzF6puK #retail...
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Ecom Retailers Need To Plug Holes, Make Money
Wow, this study from my favorite email platform (@Bronto) will blow your hair back. Plug even a few of these gapping holes and it could mean millions in sales for ecom retailers.
Follow any two of the ideas in this study and ecommerce retailers could be using email marketing to profitably increase sales. Amazing with all the new shinny things how blocking and tackling is still the best place to MAKE MONEY NOW.
Great study and tips from Bronto. BTW, email is under pressure from mobile and hyper local, but still beyond valuable to ecommerce.
Businesses are flocking to video content marketing as an efficient and wickedly effective content tactic. But the focus on making the video often overshadows the marketing of it.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Excellent tips here on video marketing for business. Challenge BEGINS when video is created. Still need to market, Be aware of SEO and watch a set of KPIs that will inform, tweak and convert.
Have you ever heard about how the Walkman came to be? It’s an interesting story – during the 1980’s it became really popular for people to walk around with boom boxes on their shoulders, playing music.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
There is a great line in this post about why The Walkman succeded because Sony asked WHY people where doing what they were doing instead of just trying to sell them one more thing.
The hardest thing any marketer does is shut up (lol). Sony proved the value of the right question at the right time. What is your "question strategy", something that should be a subset of your content strategy.
Click on the Earnest Edge to watch a great example of awesome video marketing.
Martin (Marty) Smith:
Watch Discover The Earnest Edge Video Here
http://ernestpackaging.com/
Good News & #StealThis Video Marketing Tip
The Discover The Earnest Edge video is GREAT video marketing. The #StealThis is in the editing that alternates between pitch and fun. The outtake feel of the fun INCREASES the overall impact. Wouldn't have bet on that.
Don't kid yourself; there is some serious money here. The video is smooth, and looks like butter. He can FEEL the money, but the spontaneous feel combined with some of the facts such as tenure of employees and customers creates TRUST, and trust is created FAST.
The tricky part about video is SENTIMENT is more important than fact. What you SAY isn't as important as HOW you say it. All of those smiles and laughter communicate powerful nonverbal signals directly into our brain.
SENTIMENT buys your attention. I listed to the fact about tenure because everyone seemed to be having such a good time. That made me CURIOUS and I actually listened.
The Content Marketing & SEO Bad News
Earnest may not lose many customers, but they don't understand Internet marketing either (and so they will lose customers). Their website is in trouble:
PageRank: 3 (home) Links In: 39
Page Spread: 400 pages in Google Facebook Likes: 324
Twitter: almost 2,000
OUCH! (except for Twitter, it is acceptable)
Talk about spending money in all the wrong places. Million dollar video with no content marketing support (blog is a PR1), no community and no campaigns (where is the "join" or "subscribe" form?).
Diversify or Get Clobbered
Internet marketing is only as strong as its WEAKEST link and there are a passel of weak links on EarnestPackaging.com The "tapestry" approach I keep ranting about protects this kind of under-diversificaiton. Having a GREAT video and lousy everything else is a prescription for disaster.
Give almost any Internet marketer 3 technical SEO writers who know or can learn the packaging business, a great graphic designer, a platform approach to the code and marketing, some gamification and a budget of between $20K and $50K and those prized "Earnest videos" won't be seen. Cool that Earnest has such low customer turnover, but very business is an Internet business now. The team that knows and can act on the truth of that statement wipes these beautiful videos off the web.
I wrote a piece about Why Internet Marketing Isn't What You think It Is a few months ago and this packaging website needs to read it.
Humans have been telling stories with pictures since the days of cave paintings, so we should be pretty good at it by now. All right, uswant to increase your business? Then translate your business stories into videos. I know I know, who's got the time in which is the best tool to use? Most of my stories I share with my clients in the board room. When I think of taking some of my business stories and creating a video or two to share on my website, I get just completely overwhelmed. But this info graphic drives home the necessity of creating these videos so that your stories can do your marketing for you. For example, for those of you who have products 85% of customers are likely to purchase purchase a product after watching a video on your website about it. Wow! For service businesses, 65% of the C suite or top senior executives of the company will continue to research you after viewing one of your videos. Wow again! there are quite a number of articles in this collection about tools and strategies for creating effective digital stories. So dig in, learn lots, and work creating these videos into your schedule. And I'll work hard on trying to take my own advice! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;
Marty Note
Karen (@Kdietz) is a great storytelling resource. I agree with all of these ideas especially moving stories to video. I just got back to my desk after shooting a "Conversation" with my boss Jon Jordan about Ecommerce.
Easy, painless and fun and the video will attract 10x the followers of the same information written into a blog post. Visuals are crushing textuals so be sure to incorporate these tips into your storytelling. Oh, and don't forget STORYTELLING is your marketing strategy.
I selected this article from copyblogger because it delivers, it's simple, straightforward and right on the money! Here's an excerpt: "I believe a story can potentially carry the entire sale for your product, even if everything else is technically “wrong” in your ads ** no clear call to action **lame bullets **weak offer For example: "Nothing in the movie "Top Gun" told you to buy Maverick’s brand of sunglasses or join The US Navy. Yet, the movie “sold” both products to hordes of people. **So, how do you apply this to your marketing? 1. The personal story
This is one of the most common landing page stories. **This one is simple — you just “walk” people (step-by-step) through a painful problem you went through and how you achieved the result your readers are looking for. 2. The historical story **This kind of story is extremely persuasive, contains nothing even remotely resembling “hype,” and can persuade people to buy things they otherwise might ignore. 3. The “meet the guru” story
**This one is related to the personal story, but it’s got more “pop” due the built-in credibility it gives you. **These suggestions have proven to produce results, he gives more examples...... Curated by Jan Gordon covering "Storytelling, Social Media and Beyond" Read full article here: [http://bit.ly/yVmlNV]
**** Recently appalled at how little copy was on maor ecommerce sites I was reviewing this articles seems prescient and important. Marty
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