We get the paper on the weekends in my house.
Actually my wife gets it.
In our city the paper makes you buy a weekend subscription which includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
My wife takes a couple of sections out of the Sunday paper, the rest goes straight to the recycling bin.
Here's why:
Online News Surpasses Newspapers
The inevitable shift finally came in 2010, as more Americans got their daily news from online sources other than print, according to the Biannual News Consumption Survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The findings were released this week as part of Pew's annual overview of the news media.
Specifically, Pew found that the proportion of U.S. adults who said they got their news online the day before increased from 29% in 2008 to 34% in 2010. The proportion that cited print newspapers as the source of their recent news fell from 34% in 2008 to 31% in 2010.
The Internet came out ahead of print in terms of time spent with news sources, with an average 13 minutes per day, according to Pew. That stat beats print newspapers at 10 minutes, but trails TV at 19 minutes and radio at 15 minutes.
This good news for broadcast and cable TV was tempered somewhat by a more pronounced shift in news consumption habits among younger adults. Pew found that the Internet is now the No. 1 news source for the 18-29 cohort, with 65% saying they get most of their news online, compared to 52% for TV and just 21% for newspapers.
By contrast, TV still dominated in the 30-49 cohort, with 63% citing TV news as their top news source compared to 48% for the Internet.
It's worth noting that online news consumption is still dominated by traditional news sources -- including Web sites maintained by newspapers, which many publishers see as the key to future success.
Conversely, Pew noted that online advertising has not proved nearly as lucrative as print for newspaper publishers, raising questions about their ability to maintain both profitability and large news-gathering organizations.
Pew also noted the rise of online-only news operations, such as The Huffington Post, which now hold seven of the top 25 spots for online news consumption. However, five of these seven generate most of their traffic by aggregating traditional media.
(Source: Media Daily News, 03/15/11)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
What Happened to the Newspaper?
Social Media for Business
At the beginning of 2011, I launched another website focused on Social Media.
ScLoHo's Social Media Adventure is based on my multiple years of being online an developing a brand and relationships around the world. It is updated every weekday at noon Eastern time in the United States. Click here to go there, and I always welcome your comments and questions.
If you are still in the baby steps of considering social media for your business, check this out too:
Nine Social Networks Your Business Should Be Using
Part of putting together your social media strategy is choosing which social networking platform works best for you. You may assume that Facebook is the end-all of social networks, but there may be better opportunities for your business with different platforms. Here are nine different social networks and how your company can benefit from each:
1. Facebook. You will be hard pressed to find any company or business that wouldn't benefit from Facebook. Easily the largest social network, your organization will be able to reach the largest amount of fans. Facebook ads targeting feature is interest specified which means you can connect with the exact people who would be interested in your product. Facebook Insights also allows you to measure your page activity so you can track your progression.
2. Twitter. Twitter is the second most popular social networking site. Use Twitter to humanize your brand, provide excellent customer service, and engage with your fans. It is also great for seeking out new fans by searching people who are talking about your brand, product, or field of interest. The one thing businesses need to remember is not to tweet as a brand. Remind your followers that there is a real live person on the other end of cyberspace.
3. Foursquare. Businesses can benefit from Foursquare in a number of ways. Offering deals for check-ins or mayorships are a fun, competitive way to get your customers coming back for more. For bigger brands and promotions, you can even have your own badge. Although they are a huge investment, the badge will live on forever, even if it is only accessible for one day!
4. LinkedIn. To be the best, you have to have the best employees. Instead of waiting until the perfect fit comes and finds you, you can go out and seek them. LinkedIn has not only become the number one professional social network, but also one of the top places for recruitment. You can create a company profile and allow others to follow your organization. Also, LinkedIn ads now has the same targeting features as Facebook. Use this to advertise your company or find great employees.
5. YouTube. Using YouTube is another great way to give a human face to your brand. Posting videos of behind the scenes interactions will give your fans an inside look into your organization. Also, having videos of the CEO, or other top executive, will bring your fans even closer to your company. A video only takes about a minute to make, so grab a FlipCam and start engaging your followers!
6. Quora. If you are a company with a special expertise, then Quora can be very beneficial for you. Not only can you follow similar thought leaders, and ask questions about your industry, but you can also reach out to those in need and answer questions. Spread the work about your company by answering questions and becoming an expert in that field. This is a direct way to connect with fans that have similar interests to your business.
7. Flickr. Flickr can be especially beneficial for companies that are visual. Whether you are showcasing products or homes, you can use Flickr to have easily searchable photos. The tagging features on Flickr make it effortless for your fans to find exactly what they are looking for. They are also a great place for you to hold photos when having contests and giveaways. When using Flickr, it is important that you integrate it well into your other social media platforms.
8. Tumblr. Corporate blogging is the new frontier. Having a company blog will create a real conversation about your brand. Many organizations have corporate blogs, and not just social media companies. These blogs will help you showcase your expertise, attract customers and future employees.
9. Meetup. Meetup is all about bringing your social relationships into a real-life setting. Whether it is once a month or once a year, schedule a meetup where your fans and followers can get together and interact in real life. Make a special event out of it! Have a fan-appreciation meetup or maybe just a meetup for other thought leaders to gather and network. Social media may be enhancing communication from companies to fans, but nothing beats face-to-face communication.
No matter what your business, there is a social network for you. Do you need them all? Probably not. Specify what your social media strategy is, what your goals are, and from there decide which social network will help you best accomplish that.
Which of these social networks does your business use? Which ones would you have added? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
(Source: Online Marketing Connect, 03/03/11)
Keep going.. and going and going...
from the Feedblitz blog:
That Perfect Prospect Hasn’t Returned Your Call? Think in Multiples to Multiply Results! by Dan McDade
Have you, a member of your sales team, or one of your inside reps ever called a prospect two or three times without connecting and then given up?
The answer is likely “yes” as the temptation is to assume a prospect isn’t interested and move on. Yet many of the best prospects need to be contacted multiple times by voicemail, email and direct mail over a period of weeks and months before a conversation occurs.
Here’s why: executives often don’t respond until a need’s priority has escalated. It’s likely that your first few attempts didn’t overlap with the prospect’s need window. Positive outcomes increase when the person calling makes multiple attempts in multiple media across several cycles.
- The associate makes navigation calls to confirm target prospect contact information and administrative support.
- This is followed by a series of discussions with administrators to first sell them on our client's solution and then sell them on helping us get in front of their boss.
- The associate then engages in multiple cycles of contact that include calls, voicemails and immediate email follow ups. A cycle can include as many as six attempted calls, three voicemails, and three emails over 10 business days.
- On the last cycle of attempts, our voicemail explains we do not want to pester the individual, we would like to talk, but we won't leave another message.
- The CFO called us back after the 42nd touch and said, "Don't stop calling me… you are my conscience. I have listened to and saved your voicemails, and I have saved some of your emails. I want to talk to you. I have just been extremely busy. Call me back in two weeks on Tuesday at 10:00 AM, and I will take that call.”
- Two weeks later we generated a high quality opportunity for our client.
- It closed in five months for $1,000,000,000. Yes, a billion.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday Night Marketing News from Mediapost
Click & Read.
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karlene Lukovitz Email Marketing 101
I serve on a few boards and committees for non-profits and this past week.
At a meeting Wednesday, someone asked why we should use an email service instead of doing it ourselves.
MarketingProfs.com has some answers to introduce you to email marketing:
Mastering the Language of Email Marketing
 |
"Every industry has its own language," writes DJ Waldow in an article at MarketingProfs. "The email marketing community, too, has its own jargon that sets it apart. And if you are unfamiliar with it, navigating the world of email marketing can be confusing." Whether you're just starting out, or you've been doing email campaigns for a while, it never hurts to have a concise email-marketing glossary on hand.
Waldow put one together for MarketingProfs, and it includes terms like these:
- Blacklist. A blacklist contains a set of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that are suspected of sending out unsolicited email (spam). "If your sending IP has a high complaint rate, high hard-bounce rate, or a bunch of spamtrap addresses … you are more likely to be blacklisted," Waldow notes.
- Hard bounce. A hard bounce is an email that does not reach the intended recipient because of a permanent error. Hard bounces can occur when an alias (username) or domain does not exist.
- Spamtrap/honeypot. These are old/inactive/unused email addresses that are intentionally set up to catch spammers. If you have spamtrap/honeypot email addresses on your list, it may be time to review your process for growing your email list, Waldow advises.
- Whitelist. A whitelist is a list of "approved" IP addresses and senders. If an Internet service provider (ISP) has whitelisted an IP address, it is more likely to accept incoming email from that address.
- CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Signed into law in December 2003 by President Bush, and updated in 2008, CAN-SPAM establishes the standards for sending commercial email in the United States.
The Po!nt: Don't forget the basics. Email marketing rewards those who know what they're doing, and punishes those who do not. The first step to success is remembering what all the lingo means—and why it matters.
Source: MarketingProfs.
Sphere: Related ContentWhat's Better Than a "Like" on Facebook?
Real interaction.
Anyone can set up a Facebook Page, but the real beauty of Social Media like Twitter and Facebook is the ability to talk back and forth with individual customers.
Even the unhappy ones.
Check out this study I received this week from Mediapost:
However, retailers have an opportunity to fight back and use social media to turn unhappy customers into brand advocates, says the report that shows how retailers are using social media to win back customers and drive buying decisions.
68% of consumers who posted a complaint or negative review on a social networking or ratings/reviews site after a negative holiday shopping experience got a response from the retailer. Of those, 18% turned into loyal customers and bought more.
By listening and proactively responding on the social web, says the report, retailers have a chance to turn disgruntled customers into social advocates. The survey found that, of those who received a reply in response to their negative review:
- 33% turned around and posted a positive review.
- 34% deleted their original negative review.
Consumer's, however, have fairly low expectations that retailers will respond to their negative posts. Of the 32% of consumers that did not receive a response to their negative review from the retailer, the survey confirmed:
- 61% of consumers would be shocked if a retailer responded to their negative comment on the social web.
The data underscores that customer experiences shape consumers' decision to buy or not to buy from a specific retailer. After a positive shopping experience, half of consumers cited great customer service and/or a previous positive experience as influencing their decision to buy from a specific online retailer.
- 31% of consumers purchased more from the retailer.
However, poor customer experiences can stop consumers and kill a potential sale. The survey found that, after a negative holiday shopping experience with an online retailer:
- 21% of consumers decided not to buy anything from the retailer.
Social advocacy can also help drive sales, the survey found:
- Nearly a third of consumers researched what customers said on social networking and reviews websites while shopping online.
For those consumers that had a positive holiday shopping experience with an online retailer during the past holiday shopping season:
- 21% recommended the retailer to friends.
- 13% posted a positive online review about the retailer.
The survey found that 38% of consumers turned to the retailer's website for information or support with online shopping. However, one of the top frustrations consumers had when shopping online was a lack of consistent information from retailers. Specifically, 22% of consumers were frustrated by information that was inconsistent between the retailer's website and customer service agents.
And, a summary report from Marketing Charts concludes that retailers focusing on a young customer demographic might want to pay extra attention to results of this report as a high percentage of US youth ages 8-24 uses social networking sites, according to another recent study from Harris Interactive. Results from "YouthPulse 2010 indicate three-quarters of 8-to-24-year-olds use a social networking site and about two-thirds (68%) spend time on a social networking site daily.
For further research on how customer experiences impact the bottom line, including the fact that 85% of consumers said they would be willing to pay anywhere between 5-25% over the standard price to ensure a superior customer experience, RightNow makes the Customer Experience Impact Report 2010 available here.
Image: Ian Kahn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Sphere: Related Content
Managing Expectations and Budgets
from my email:
Daily Sales Tip: Great Sellers and Great Executives are Both Great Forecasters
So there you are, Mr. Responsible for the P&L Executive at the beginning of March. You take a look at year-to-date 2/28 numbers and you are off your revenue budget. Several totally unpredictable events have cost you revenue. Maybe two sales executives resigned to start their own venture. Maybe a severe weather period slowed down industry activity in your area.
Fortunately, you are not so far off that the full year budget appears unachievable, but if truth be known, you think good luck will have to play a part. Too bad there aren't EVPs of good luck.
It might have to be luck because in preparing your revenue budget for the year you've identified every potential revenue stream and put a number against it. Let's see, core customer renewals and upgrades, new business targets, additional products and/or services, etc.
You are an experienced budgeter so your plan is probably all-inclusive. Well, prayerfully, now that you're in the hole, you'll be able to think of something new.
And this is where your forecasting acumen comes in. You take a good look at the rest of the quarter's prospects and you pick an absolutely "can do" number. This number can be neither aspirational nor doomsday. Rather, it must be born of a deep look at your sales team's pipeline, one-on-one meetings with your sellers and a thoughtful and realistic review of the past forecasting performance of these sellers. You must apply a rational degree of confidence percentage to their forecasts.
How do you accomplish that? First, you challenge each account in the pipeline. "What have you proposed and to whom at this account? Was the decision-maker a participant at the "close?" When did you see him last? Did he agree to the specific price level you are forecasting or did he say he would decide which plan and get back to you? When did he say he would act....?"
And then...the Great Executive Forecaster pulls out each individual sales reps' forecast history sheet (you have them, don't you?) to help gauage the seller's reliability.
You are now in a position to make a professional, informed forecast...and uh, oh.
It's mostly fear of the "uh, oh" that poisons accurate forecasts; fear on the part of average sellers and average managers alike. Here's what happens when that fear is converted to "can do, will do" by the Great Ones.
They come together and help each other get it done! "Joe, among the seven accounts you believe can close this month, two appear to carry the meaningful revenue load. Let's call/see them together ASAP to see if we can close the deal. With respect to client A, if we...do you think that could get him to move today?"
Now the session above does two things: First, it gives the Great Ones the best shot at maximizing the short term results. But let's assume your researched, pro-active challenging and helping still leaves your now professional, and thereofe probably near perfect forecasting, short for Q1. Now it is "What can we change, add, invent that will drive incremental revenue over the next nine months to cover our projected shortfall?"
This is your new, probably top priority exercise. Do it well, and with a little additional luck, you'll crash through your budget.
Source: Sales manager/consultant Bob Sherman
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thursday Night Marketing News from Mediapost
Click & Read:
by Karlene Lukovitz 
by Aaron Baar 
by Tanya Irwin Throw Down or Throw Up?
I admit it. A couple weeks ago I bought a 12 pack of Mt. Dew that was 170 calories a can.
I'm a Diet Dew drinker, which has ZERO Calories.
But the advertising worked.
Unfortunately, I felt like I wasted my money.
Yesterday I finally cracked open a can, took a swig and tossed the rest of the can.
I'll take it to work and see if anyone wants the other 11 cans... free.
Drew wrote about this yesterday on his blog:
Is retro marketing the way to sell?
It makes some sense. How do you appeal the the 75+ million baby boomers? You help them take a trip down memory lane by giving your product a retro make-over.
I saw this Mountain Dew can on the shelf a month ago and immediately noticed how blatant they were in their efforts. They’re calling it a throwback and making no apologies.
An added bonus — teens think retro is cool too. With one packaging shift, this trend has captured the two buying groups with the most disposable income. Teens and boomers. Pretty smart.
And it’s not just a gimmick. It’s a smart sales strategy. Pepsico is reporting that after a few months, the retro can have added one share point to sales, which equates to about $220 million in annual sales. (They’ve also released a retro Pepsi can but my Coke preference precludes me from putting the other cola’s picture on my blog!)
It’s not just food products who are jumping on this retro bandwagon. Nike launched the Air Jordan retro sneakers in February, Disney put huge dollars behind their Tron sequel and look at how many VW beetles you see on the road.
Last month, we had a lively conversation about what sells better — pointing to the past or the future. How do you think the idea of retro fits into that mixture?
(The picture is from Drew too.)
New Ad Campaigns
Amy's latest update:
Lip-syncing unicorns, green rivers and unwelcome houseguests. Let's launch!
The Colorado Lottery launched "Lucky Liam," a 60-second Web film promoting its St. Patrick's-Day -themed Shamrock Shuffle scratch offs. Liam has perfect skin, a horseshoe grill and spouts lines like "I'm straight up rainbow walking your way, shooting stars in the sky when I'm making it rain." Look out for background unicorns in the ad, seen here and created by Cactus, Denver.
McDonald's needs a better lid on its shamrock shake. It keeps conveniently spilling into the Chicago River, dyeing it green, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Last year, during the annual river dyeing celebration, McDonald's planted a life-sized shake on the side of the river, giving the impression that the shake dyed the river green. This year, the shake has legs... or at least a motor. The 12-foot cup was attached to a boat this year and driven down the river, once again making it appear that it was responsible for the green hue. See pictures here, here and here. Take note of the dirt and grime found at the bottom of the shake and remember: it's probably cleaner than the dye used to make the river green! Leo Burnett created the campaign.
I, too, would deem this as an "Excellent Day." New Balance launched a TV spot where a track is built from the ground up, mirroring the voiceover's statement that "excellence is built from the ground up." Once the track is in place, flyers are hung throughout New York advertising a race. Professional runners, adults, kids and dogs show up and participate in the event. I was hoping to like this ad more, since I'm a runner, but it didn't really speak to me. Watch the ad here, created by Arnold Worldwide Boston.
Transform Mad to Glad
from my email:
Daily Sales Tip: A Final Chance
When customers express anger or frustration, they're showing confidence that the salesperson will do something about it.
Even though the complaint may sound negative, it's an indication that the customer plans to give the salesperson a chance before switching to a competitor.
Source: Adapted from The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople, by Stephen Schiffman
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday Night Marketing News from Mediapost
Go ahead, click & read:
by Karl Greenberg 
by Tanya Irwin 
by Aaron Baar The Next Big Thing
It used to be hard to convince people that their business needed a website.
Now websites have been mainstream for a few years.
Social Media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are finally starting to move from the early adoption mode to mainstream and within a couple of years will be commonplace for business to use in their marketing and customer service efforts.
So what's next?
Make sure you are "Mobile Optomized".
It's coming as the next "big thing", due to this:
| Cell Phone Household Ownership | |||||||
|
| Millennials | Gen X | Younger Boomers | Older Boomers | Silent Gen. | G.I. Gen. | All adults |
| % of adults who have a cell phone | 95% | 92 | 86 | 84 | 68 | 48 | 85 |
| % of non-cell users who live in a household with a working cell phone | 49 | 51 | 29 | 42 | 24 | 27 | 33 |
| Total % of adults who live in a household with a working cell phone | 97 | 96 | 90 | 90 | 76 | 62 | 90 |
| Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011 | |||||||
Though cell phones are now ubiquitous in American homes, the level of engagement with the phones does vary widely between generations. The survey found that while roughly the same proportion of adults in the Millennial generation and Generation X own cell phones, Millennials are significantly more likely to use their phones for a variety of purposes. A majority of Millennials use their phones for taking photos, texting, going online, sending email, playing games, listening to music, and recording videos-making them significantly more likely than any other generation to engage in all of these activities.
To clarify the generations by age grouping, the following chart is effective:
| Generation | Birth Years | Age in 2011 |
| Millennials | Born 1977-1993 | Ages 18-34 |
| Gen X | Born 1965-1976 | Ages 35-46 |
| Younger Boomers | Born 1955-1964 | Ages 47-56 |
| Older Boomers | Born 1946-1954 | Ages 57-65 |
| Silent Generation | Born 1937-1945 | Ages 66-74 |
| G.I. Generation | Born before 1936 | Age 75+ |
| Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011 | ||
Desktop computers are most popular with adults ages 35-65, and Millennials are the only generation that is more likely to own a laptop computer or netbook than a desktop.
Almost half of adults own an iPod or other mp3 player. However, among the devices examined in this report, mp3 players saw the widest range in ownership rates between generations. While 74% of Millennials own an mp3 player, only 56% of members of Gen X do, and adoption rates continue to drop for each of the older generations.
Overall, 42% percent of all adults age 18 and older own a game console, and it is especially popular with members of the Millennial Generation and Generation X. Sixty-three percent of all adults ages 18-46 own a game console like an Xbox or Play Station. Overall, 5% of adults own an e-book reader, and 4% own an iPad or other tablet computer.
| Tech Device Ownership By Generational Group (% Cell Phone Users) | |||||||
|
| % Ownership | ||||||
| Device | Millennials | GenX | Younger Boomers | Older Boomers | Silent Generation | GI Generation | All Adults |
| Cell phone | 95% | 92 | 86 | 84 | 68 | 48 | 85 |
| Desktop computer | 57 | 69 | 65 | 64 | 48 | 28 | 59 |
| Laptop computer | 70 | 61 | 49 | 43 | 30 | 10 | 52 |
| iPod/MP3 | 74 | 56 | 42 | 26 | 16 | 3 | 47 |
| Game console | 63 | 63 | 38 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 42 |
| eBook reader | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Tablet | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| None of these | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 43 | 9 |
| Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011 | |||||||
The youngest generation does not lead in all the gadgets studied. Gen X is also very similar to Millennials in ownership of certain devices, such as game consoles, and members of Gen X are also more likely than Millennials to own a desktop computer.
In terms of generations, Millennials are by far the most likely group not only to own most of the devices studied, but also to take advantage of a wider range of functions. Most cell phone owners only use two of the main non-voice functions on their phones: taking pictures and text messaging. Among Millennials, meanwhile, a majority use their phones also for going online, sending email, playing games, listening to music, and recording videos.
Taking pictures is the most popular function on Americans' phones, with more than half of all cell phone owners under the age of 75 using their phones for this purpose (only 16% of adults age 75 and older take photos with their phones). Text messaging, though also widely adopted, is less popular with adults over age 56
| Cell Phone Use (% Of Cell Phone Users) | |||||||
|
| Millennials | Gen X | Younger Boomers | Older Boomers | Silent Gen | G.I. Gen | All adults |
| Take a picture | 91% | 83 | 78 | 60 | 50 | 16 | 76 |
| Send or receive text messages | 94 | 83 | 68 | 49 | 27 | 9 | 72 |
| Access the internet | 63 | 42 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 38 |
| Play a game | 57 | 37 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Record a video | 57 | 39 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 34 |
| Send or receive email | 52 | 35 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
| Play music | 61 | 36 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 33 |
| Send or receive instant messages | 46 | 35 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 30 |
| Source: Pew Research Center, February 2011 | |||||||
These findings are based on a survey of 3,001 American adults (ages 18 and older) conducted between August 9 and September 13, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
This report was from Mediapost.
Stop the Wishy-Washy
I ordered a special piece of jewelry for my wife over the weekend from Amazon.
I knew what she wanted.
I knew how much it cost.
I knew when it would arrive.
Would you buy something that you didn't know how much it would cost?
Would you order something that might arrive "someday"?
Seth Godin has more:
Date certain
A powerful marketing tactic: tell me exactly when I'm going to get it.
"This project will be done noon on Tuesday."
"You'll get the shipment at 4 pm."
Fedex has made billions shipping packages that didn't even have to be there fast, they merely needed to arrive at a time that we knew about in advance.
We don't want to hear, "up to 11 business days." We hope you care more about our project than that.
Sales Relationships
from my email:
Daily Sales Tip: Selling the Relationship
While it's true that buyers are a lot more price-conscious these days, some salespeople have been able to parlay that into a way to generate more business.
If all signs point to prices rising, salespeople can explain that buying (or renewing a contract) now -- at the existing price -- may save customers a great deal of money down the line.
It's an approach that builds additional trust with buyers, while boosting sales and creating a sense of urgency.
Source: Adapted from Results Through Relationships, by business consultant Joe Takash
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday Night Marketing News from Mediapost
Shoes, cars & SXSW. Click and read more:
by Sarah Mahoney 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karl Greenberg 
Posts
