How does a blogger get someone to read their blog?

1 – Write with purpose.

2 – Be consistent in posting.

3 – Utilize social networking sites.

4 – Trackback, Ping, Digg and comment on fellow blogger’s blogs.

5 – Be original and unique. There is already an existing blog on your topic — differentiate yourself.

Seth Godin put together a superb list for garnering traffic on your blog. Check it out: how_to_get_traf.html

A blog is fruitless if no one reads it, digests the information or passes it on.

The consumer fears that mobile marketing will be a slightly tweaked version of telemarketing — something we don’t want to repeat. A recent study noted that 80 percent of cell phone users believe that “mobile spam” is a reason to change their cell phone number. As marketers, our goal is not to annoy the consumer into a new cell phone number, but to provide them with useful information that will leave them wanting more.

Providing consumers with coupons via a mobile alert, or giving them locations with corresponding coupons for restaurants on their travel route are both examples of mobile marketing that leaves the consumer with a positive experience. It is also incredibly important to note that the consumer must be first opt-in for these alerts, and second, always have the option to opt-out.

Mobile Youth notes that mobile marketing isn’t something you do to your customers, but something you do with them. Below, is their slide show of 50 trends in mobile marketing for 2009. Enjoy!

part-1-50-youth-marketing-trends-for-2009-by-graham-brown-mobileyouthorg-presentation?type=powerpoint

This viral and interactive marketing tactic allow users to customize the “beast” within their Levi jeans. They can record a message and forward the message and beast to their friends.  Some call it indecent, others say its pure fun, and I personally find it distasteful and a hard sell with sex.

Although perhaps a little shady, it speaks to the target audience, draws them to the site, engages them with the product and then enables the product to be forwarded to others within the target.  All of which is online, and most of which is viral — well, prior to it being pulled…

Levi’s Live Unbuttoned campaign sells jeans through sex to men ages 18-24. It has proven time and again that sex sells, and typically through controversial ads, copy and various marketing tactics. Point being, it works, and in tough times, marketers will take the necessary risks to keep their product in the forefront of people’s minds and purchases.

The Live Unbuttoned campaign focus’ on individual’s letting go and living for who they are; to live unbuttoned. The entire campaign, in my opinion is a little risky.

Perhaps it is raunchy, but everyone from Jay Leno to Bill O’Reilly is talking about it.  Unbutton the Beast has been pulled from the campaign, but Live Unbuttoned will run for six more months.

Although a strong example of viral marketing, is it ethical? As marketers, do we give the customer what they want (sexual themed ads), or do we uphold ethical and moral standards?

Levi’s is embracing sexuality and individual preferences and encourages consumers to be who they are, hence, live unbuttoned. A portion of the integrated campaign also focuses on gays and lesbians as Levi’s Unbuttoned and Out of the Closet.

Levi’s has chosen to speak to their target audience with controversial and sexual laced ads. It will be interesting to see the results of the Live Unbuttoned campaign.

The NY Times reported a 8.9% decrease in revenue last year due to the decrease of print advertising. It is also noted that business leaders have a higher level of trust for what they read in the newspaper as opposed to online or watch of TV. Personally, I see little need for print editions of newspapers. I garner all my news from respected news sources online, including my local paper and TV stations — however, I rarely watch my local TV station on the television or purchase a newspaper.

The idea of buying a newspaper and sitting down with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning is appealing. But it is much more efficient to have an RSS feed to your Blackberry or iPhone and catch up on the latest news events on your commute to work, or log online during a lull in the morning to browse through the news headlines.

In order for newspapers to survive, they must evolve with emerging media. Our local newspaper has done an excellent job of hosting online advertisments (banner ads and video commercials). They have stepped out and made the effort to engage the consumer on their Web site. They allow comments on stories and classified ads online. This allows the paper, and the reporters, to build deeper relationships with the readers.

MK offered a wide variety of how-to videos that allowed site visitor’s to see make-up application techniques. However, my favorite feature of the site is the MK Virtual Makeover. It allows you to upload a personal photo or use a model to select various shades of lip, eye and cheek color to create a custom look that best suits you.

www.marykay.com

MK’s Web site was truly designed with the customer in mind. The designers kept their focus on the target and designed an award winning, interactive site.

As IMC practitioner’s, we should always strive to keep the target audience in the forefront and design the site to specifically speak to them.

Kudos to MK!

So….I polled my husband, mother and father. All of which are college graduates and use the Internet, including search engines, on a daily basis. My husband and mother were completely unaware of this, and to be honest, they could care less. My father on the other hand, was a bit disturbed. He was under the impression that the best sites appear first in search results. To be told that you are viewing and getting your information for sites that you thought were the best, but are actually paying for those positions is a bit unnerving, and that is where the ethical issue emerges.

Advertising and news need to be kept seperate, or clearly identified. Rarely would someone read the newspaper and view an ad thinking it was news, but the Internet allows that line to be blurred.

I encourage those not familiar with this issue to check out Google Analytics. This free service gives a solid overview of search engine marketing techniques, and how you can implement them for your business.

However, until now the Internet has a whole has been an online melting pot for everyone. That was prior to the emergence of the African-American Web Browser, Blackbird.

Blackbird is a modification to the Mozilla Firefox Web browser. The browser has a different color scheme and feel to it then Mozilla Firefox. It is completely supported by ads and sponsored links.

What does this mean for us, IMC practitioners? In my opinion, it will be an ideal channel to reach the African-American community through variated Web pages, banner advertisements and online marketing techniques. Although controversy is arising from both black and white Americans over the release of this browser, for marketers, this is yet an additional channel to assist us in targeting and reaching our inteded audience.

What are your ethical thoughts on this Web browser? What do you think it holds in store for marketers?

www.mathenymotors.com

1 – Eyes can quickly adjust and “see” site layout. Some sites are so busy and jumbled up with the design layout varying on each page my eyes never adjust.  IMC Principle: Keep design layout consistent on each page of the site. Furthermore, the Web site’s look should also be consistent with other marketing collateral.

2 – Include a search tab on the site. For any site that has more than just a few pages, considering including a search for the site. This enables visitor’s to quickly retrieve hard to find information. At bare minimum, include a site map.

3 – Contact Info should be complete and accurate. There is nothing more frustrating then clicking on the contact tab to find a form to e-mail to the company. I expect the word contact to include a phone number, at a bare minimum. Address, e-mail contact and company directory are also useful.

4 – No more then 3 clicks deep. When looking for information, I don’t want to have click more then three times to locate it. If I find that I have to search multiple pages within the site, then I’m likely to move onto the next site.  If this is absolutely necessary, then refer to suggestion #2.

5 – Asthetically pleasing. I like it to look nice, period.

6 – Solid content. Utilize the “About Us” page to really give the site visitor an insight to the company or product. Don’t simply fill your space with fluff. This does not benefit the company or the site visitor.

7 – No deadends, error pages or broken links. Even the best sites can end up with the aforementioned. If your company doesn’t have a dedicated Web guru, peruse your site periodically and report any broken links or error pages so they can be corrected.

8 – Up-to-date info. Keep your information fresh. It proves to me, the customer, that your site is up-to-date and keeps me returning time and again.

9 – Flash Intros. I detest waiting for a page to load. So much so, that I don’t wait. Flash intros and lots of flash elements in a site tend to cause long load times — in turn casuing customers to look elsewhere.

10 – Music. Avoid corny music, or music period. It isn’t necessary.

Throughout the episode, using what ABC refers to as “limited commercial interruption,” the same ad, or variation of that ad, will run. It is typically limited to 30-seconds before you can elect to continue with the program.

I find as I watch these programs, I remember these ads more so than traditional television advertising.

1 – No Distractions. I’ve set aside the time to be at my computer watching the show. I’m in a seperate area of the house with no distractions.  I’m not jumping up every few minutes during a commercial break to put clothes in the dryer, or unload the dishwasher. I’m devoted to the show AND the commercials.

2- Repitition. I see the same ad in its entirity at least four or five times. Seasonal proof of this is the 12 Days of Christmas. It was recently brought to my attention that although we remember the first several items in the song, we don’t recall as quickly days 9-12. Repitition has proven successful time and again.

Online ad spending was expected to grow fiercely in 2009, prior to the recession. The Wall Street Journal reported, “…research firm eMarketer predicted that online video-ad spending by U.S. advertisers would grow 45% to $850 million in 2009.”

Do you think online program advertising is effective? More so than traditional TV program advertising?