At the beginning of the year I was asked by the Direct Marketing Club of NY to become a Board member. The timing of this invitation was interesting because it came right about the time the National organization DMA was having an alleged internal political feud regarding the ever complicated series of tubes called the internet. While all of the infighting was hearsay there was something palpable in the air. What happened after the dust settled is what interests me. Matt Blumberg CEO of Return Path emerged as a key player in the outcome….he reacted and recapped the situation on his blog. I pulled the relevant parts but please read the whole post here.
Why I joined the DMA Board, and what you can expect of me in that role
I don’t normally think of myself as a rebel. But one outcome of the DMA’s recent proxy fight with Board member Gerry Pike is that I’ve been appointed to the DMA’s Board and its Executive Committee and have been labeled “part of the reform movement” in the trade press. While I wasn’t actively leading the charge on DMA reform with Gerry, I am very enthusiastic about taking up my new role. I gave Gerry my proxy and support for a number of reasons, and those reasons will form the basis of my agenda as a DMA Board member. As a DMA member, and one who used to be fairly active, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the DMA over the past few years.
1. The DMA could be stronger in fighting for consumers’ interests….
2. Despite a number of very good ideas, the DMA’s execution around interactive marketing has been lacking. The DMA needs to accept that interactive marketing IS direct marketing – not a subset, not a weird little niche. It’s the heart and soul of the direct marketing industry. It’s our future.
3. The DMA suffers from a lack of transparency that doesn’t serve it well in the hyper-connected world we live in here in 2009 – that’s a nice way of saying the organization has a big PR problem.
While I do not hold the political weight of Matt and do not have nearly the experience, I do see some key similarities in what he is trying to do at the DMA and what I hope to do at the DMCNY as the DMCNY is like the local version of the DMA…a sort of microcosm if you will. The part of Matt’s platform that has the most relevance to the DMCNY in my opinion is point 2. The DMCNY lacks a cohesive interactive vision and that has a profound effect on new membership and the clubs ability to stay relevant. They need to embrace digital…even more they need to cuddle with it…they need to tuck the internet in at night and give it milk and cookies. I need to somehow ignite a sea change to make that happen.
Here is the challenge…I am just the new kid at school. It’s difficult to make immediate impacts when you have to worry about the political ramifications of your actions. I am not trying to go Jerry McGuire at the first board meeting you know? So…I decided to do it the old school way (no pun intended)…one person at a time. In the era of crowd sourcing, millions of twitter followers and thousands of FB friends I am doing this door to door baby. That’s the only way to get someone to understand the true power of web 2.0. I just sounded like the Emperor right there… “Something something web 2.0 Something something Complete”. Kind of an obscure reference so here is the source…wink.
Anyway here is another key point…the DMCNY gets the internet they just stopped advancing around 1998. So my first goal modest as it sounds is to bring the DMCNY into the web 2.0 world one member at a time. My second goal is around membership. We need an infusion of web kids. We need to get the club on the digital communities map. We don’t need a whole continent on the map…we just need an island, a niche. To help establish that I we are doing probably the best thing we can do…having an open bar. A group of us in the events committee are throwing an event this April that will be a great first step in the right direction for getting new members interested.
Luckily I am not alone in my quest to shoot some Web 2.0 steroids into the DMCNY. There are a ton of club members that share my interests and passion for the cause. We stand together my friends…committed to raising the bar. Good luck and good night…and to infinity and beyond.
I have been in a ton of conversations lately about stats and the social media umbrella and how many people are in the conversation. These are from the Social Media Summit. The numbers cannot be ignored….my favorite point is about the small businesses, I have an example of that I am working on.
Social media use on the rise: More than 71% of businesses plan on increasing their use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs in 2010, according to the 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report.
Mass consumer adoption of social media: With more than 400 million people on Facebook and more than 1.2 billion Twitter updates in January 2010 alone, these are numbers you just cannot ignore.
Small businesses are dominant players: Small businesses are cashing in quickly on social media. Surprisingly, half of small businesses using social media say lead generation is its top benefit (Small Business Marketing Forecast 2010).
Social media drives search engine optimization: The top three benefits of social media marketing are (1) generating more exposure for the business, (2) increasing traffic to websites and (3) improving search engine rankings, according to 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report.
“The latter half of the 20th century saw the built environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. Augmented reality may recontextualise the functions of consumerism and architecture, and change in the way in which we operate within it. A film produced for my final year Masters in Architecture, part of a larger project about the social and architectural consequences of new media and augmented reality.”
I am always fascinated by common human experiences. Things that span the Earth and create a link between us all. The internet of course is one of those things…but there are so many others. Its amazing how close we all are….yet how far away at the same time.
As we all navigate through this crazy period this age old adage still rings true, perhaps more than ever. It doesn’t matter if you are buying bread or a brand new shiny website you get what you pay for. It is so frustrating to think that there are people out there who expect a diamond but want to pay for it using the price of the coal. This is a pure venting post but damn it someone has to say it. I found this on a development blog and they say it best….
“And as is always the case, in every market, you get what you pay for. A $5000 car isn’t going to last as long or perform as well as the $50,000 car, and it isn’t going to come with warranties and support, either. It will do what you want, at least for a while, but you’re on your own when you take the cheap route.”
“Cheap designs don’t save money they cost more in the long run!Whats wrong with cheap web design? Usually cheap web design means corners were cut somewhere, using pre-built templates, stock photographs and cut/paste content. Unfortunately many people end up hiring someone that promises to build them a website for $500 bucks. They soon realize the person they hired can’t deliver what was promised and they end up with a website their not satisfied with. Many of these designers make low quality websites, fail to meet deadlines or worse yet they take your money and run. Many companies advertise $500 websites just to pull you in. The final bill is often many times that amount. Why hire a professional web designer? You get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create you an attractive, affordable website designed specifically to meet your needs. You get what you pay for!”
The real gem in this excerpt is the bit about hiring a problem solver. That is what you want out of your web designer/agency. You want to work with problem solvers that can recognize the needs of your brand and execute properly even in the midst of static and distraction. That is the difference. That is what you pay for. And that is worth every penny.
I have been supporting Greenpeace for almost 2 years now. I actually converted with one of those Greenpeace guys on 23rd Street. I know, how could I right? Most people hate those guys, but he camped right in the spot where I used to smoke cigs and thus we got to talking. And isn’t that always the trick…just communicate. (communication means listening too). At any rate I signed up to give them 5 bucks a month. A drop in the pan but in the world of micro-giving not bad. So I get their usual messaging….an email every month…oddly enough a DM piece every once in a while (doesn’t seem very Greenpeacey to send out junk mail…but for the 60+ crowd direct mail still works)…but I got an email from them this week that raises some issues with me. Although I applaud their effort to engage…the overall effort is weak and outdated. I will let it speak for itself:
The idea is a simple one: download our short one-page toolkit and print out a few copies of the “wanted” poster we have created for Rex Tillerson. Then, take some time over the next couple of weeks and put them up around town. It’s as easy as that and should be a lot of fun.”
OK…so let me get this straight….Greenpeace wants us to print out a bunch of flyers to get the word out? I mean seriously? Does it really make sense to have one of the ”greenest” orgs condone printing out a bunch of wack flyers that won’t have any impact. I know I know they’re supposed to be looking “big picture”…but that is exactly my point. If the goal is to get the word out about this horrific CEO let’s get the word out. Any organization/non-profit, whatever it is, no matter what you are trying to do or push, should fear the same thing….being irrelevant. Once your message and how you deliver it become obsolete so does your mission. I think the most frustrating part is that they are almost there…the idea is like flirting with something that can have legs. So let’s examine this thing and see how they could have done better.
First of all I do like the whole “wanted” theme. Its catchy, it makes sense, its provides a nice motif to work with. Where the mission goes astray is the delivery and the overall design of the campaign. You are telling people to put up flyers around their town? What good will that do? No one can share that info easily….you maybe get 5-10 seconds of the person’s time, if that, as they are passing the flyer…there is no incentive to take any action. Rather than using the 1945 approach to marketing they should have gone to where the conversation is…the internet. Why not push Greenpeace supporters to use the Wanted Poster as their profile picture on social networking sites. Why not use twitter to create a digital “America’s Most Wanted” of sorts. I would also create a micro-site that functions as both a petition and a billboard for the movement. People like to discover things….so give them stuff to discovery. On the micro-site I would include as many videos and links as I could that could that illustrate why he is on the “Most Wanted List”. I would provide incentive for singing up and spreading the word. Currently there is only a blurb about this on their Facebook wall with pretty much the same messaging as the email. It is paramount that GP engage the users on their level. Give the people something to talk about. Give them something to do besides print a bunch of paper flyers.
In today’s world causes are like little badges people where to help differentiate. Making the “Wanted” movement a part of the current vernacular would create evangelists out of people who never would have otherwise reach. For instance…remember when the Iran elections were going on last year? I can’t tell you how many people changed their profile pictures to reflect the green hue indicative of the opposition candidate. That created curiosity…”why is your profile picture green? Oh…that’s because I support democracy in Iran.”
Get the conversation started Greenpeace. You are falling behind. Call me…we can help.
“Let’s get conversions!” they cheer from the cliffs and huts of the village. We hear it everyday. How do we increase conversion rates? No matter the vertical or the offer the answer is simple. Provide value….be compelling. I converted myself on an offer this weekend so I thought it relevant to share. And perhaps bring you some value. First, remember that everyone is competing for eyeballs both online and offline….what the internet provides is interaction with the brand….eyeballs plus action so that to me is the goal. Let’s go through the steps of my recent conversion.
Step 1: I received the below email. Delivery time Friday 4:45pm…Subject Line: Happy Valentine’s Day from eMusic…the offer: Here is a gift for you. How curious and tempting right. I am fan of the “Unwrap it now” call to action as well. Visually the creative is decent. I have issue with the header navigation. I know the old “best practice” hand book has a chapter on this but in this case I say let the V Day offer stand alone. Its going out to existing users and its a conceptual event driven offer. Nav in the email is just not necessary in this case. But alas the offer was compelling so I clicked.
Step 2: I was routed to a landing page and was auto played a short Flash Video. The video was good I suppose. Not to intrusive but not that big of a WOW factor. It works though as it is an offer for existing users. The action isnt to forward this. So the video is short and the song is too which is nice. The end state of the video plugged the offer and below the vid there is a link explaining the gift….5 free downloads.
Step 3: I clicked the redem button and was on the home page ready to log in. So now I am here….logged in with free stuff to use. I noticed something I liked on the home page (see below)….I read about the artist…then downloaded her whole album. The experience was so good I searched again and downloaded another album. I pay for 35 songs a month and used almost all of them in this one session.
So I interacted and had a brand positive experience in just three clicks. There are a couple reasons I like this besides the fact that it brought value. For these kinds of sites and services its important to remember that sometimes your users forget they are even a part of the community. I know I do sometimes…I have lost my downloads a few times because it just slips my mind that I have them waiting for me there. While it may seem like it doesn’t matter if I use my downloads or not as E-Music will make their money anyway I contend that it means everything. They need to show that people use their service so they can intern sign more artists and labels to get an even broader audience. So this offer is relevant, compelling, it brings value and encourages interaction. Good job E Music. Still a fan. Here’s a sample of what I found…pretty sweet…the drop at 0:49 seconds in is ridiculous. Enjoy
This just came out today. Seems a little late…but I am down with it. I will def try it. On the onset it seems to do everything FB does. I wonder what implications this has for them. More on this as I give it a try. Scobleizer chipped in it for a pretty good read.
Last week I was invited to speak at Scholastic publishing in Soho. As i mentioned on twitter I kept a look out for one Mr. Potter but saw neither he nor Clifford roaming the halls. I was asked to speak for 20 minutes about optimizing landing pages. Wow. So many things to say so little time. I racked my brain trying to figure out a way to provide value to these people while still trying to come up with something new and relevant. What makes this a difficult topic is that Landing pages, and the things that make them successful, just like everything else on the internet change all the time depending on so many things. How can I be educational to the education people? I set out on the usual research of sites and blogs that anyone else would…google, marketing sites, etc…I needed more. I needed something new. The more I read and discovered the more I realized that there is no answer. There were sites offering “Top 10 Landing Page Secrets” and the usual “Your Guide to Landing Pages”. No smoking gun thing that makes a landing page “optimized”. For as many products as there are in the world there could be equal number of landing pages that work. There has to be a framework in which we can talk about all landing pages across all verticals. Then I considered this…..a constantly changing system never has answers….it is all theory. At the heart of it…optimizing a landing page is nothing but a guess. Thus was born Landing Page Theory. (Only pronounced properly with your tongue in your cheek…)
The 5 rules of Landing Page Theory
Landing Page Equilibrium (L) = The point at which a landing page achieves balance and is thus optimized against other systems
The right combination of variables (V) and constants (C) will equal (L) V +C = L
L can only be proven through testing various combinations of (V) and (C) using the scientific method
All choices should be made in consideration for the user
All if this is only theory: there are no rules if you convert
What is a CONSTANT?
A clear and concise goal
Your audience
Your entry points
What is a VARIABLE?
Clear call to action
Appropriate forms
Consistent imagery
Solid brand message
Good user experience
Copy in “F” shape pattern
Stickiness: Do I want to click out?
Testimonial
Product shot
There are a ton more…
After explaining my new Theory I took a look at some case studies to provide some concrete examples. I identified the constants and then we worked as a group to identify the variable and decide if they indeed equaled L. The below is a Pin Code campaign we did with Breitling Watches. What are some of the variables?
Do you have any landing page examples that we could examine in this context? A special thank you to Stephanie Miller and the DMC for including me in the panel.
Since January 12, 2010 I have thought a lot about how much of an impact social media has had on the relief efforts of the horrible tragedy that occurred in Haiti 2 weeks ago. I obsessively watched Wyclef’s Twitter page for updates and from Twitter to Facebook to BBM to Text, I was encouraged in a multitude of ways to donate to the Relief Funds. There’s no doubt that the ease with which people are able to donate money is a Godsend and it certainly contributed to the over $50Million raised in the first few days after the earthquake. An article in The Nation states that the disaster in Haiti proves the value of Social Media. I’m not sure how many non-believers were left, but hopefully they were all depleted during the past 2 weeks.
The fact that communication, thoughts and opinions can be transferred in real time is an amazing and immense benefit to this world and I’m a huge advocate for how social media allows more and more people to get involved in global events. However, in my opinion, nothing can truly replace the “traditional” actions that need to take place in order for some real and powerful changes to be made. Social media is not a substitute for these actions, it can and should only serve as an aid. I feel that the last few lines in this article written by Ben Parr in Mashable states it best:
“We have to be realistic, though: new media isn’t going to stop censorship, overthrow oppressive regimes, or heal the people of Haiti alone. Social media has transformed communication, media, and the transmission of information, but it still takes people on the ground to pull people out of the rubble or to fight for freedom.
Just as Paul Revere embarked on his midnight ride to warn that the British were coming, social media acts as both the first warning and the rallying cry for mobilization. In the end though, social media is just a collection of tools. It’s up to us, the people, to make the real impact on our world.”
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