Barb’s notes

Even in my soft drink days, there was a certain edge of “geekiness” to me, and some fascination with technology. I probably got this from my dad. He was, no surprise, an engineer.  Back in my soft drink days, I learned a computer language  to do regression analysis charts on things like displays and market share. It printed out on a dot matrix printer.  State of the art.

Later on, I leveraged technology as a competitive advantage. Even with a legal disclaimer as the landing page (I kid you not) we managed to sell a roof within 24 hours of launching a new Web site in 1997!

Today, I am all over social media, online video and slide shows, and effective Web presence for my clients.

So, when I found this test to see if I really am a geek, I couldn’t resist! My score: Total Geek. Not bad. Enough to get this official badge.

What kind of geek are you?

Small business owners often tap their children, students and friends to build Web sites. After all, it’s either free or very cheap, and helps out a relative, student starting out or  a friend. Others use a Web design shop, who’s sole business is Web design. (As opposed to marketing.)

Continue reading 5 reasons to use a marketing pro for your Web site

Recommended must read: Is your social media expert really an expert? The top 25 ways to find out.

This new post by Peter Shankman and Sarah Evans (both experts) nail the differences between those who claim to be experts and those who really are experts in social media. Social media is, of course, the hot marketing topic de jour, surrounded by tons of hype and more than a few charlatans. Peter and Sarah do a great job (as usual) of showing how to spot the posers.

Social media may not fit every organization’s goals and does require on-going attention. And the elements may vary from business to business. Not everyone needs to be on all of the “latest and greatest” platforms. Beware of anyone who makes a blanket claim to that effect.

Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, offers some great features. The attractive landing page with a single stunning photo as backdrop to the simple search box sets the stage for a different experience. There are some interesting tools that come with search results – a table of contents, cool travel feature and others – but how has Bing performed it’s first few days?

Initial reports from Stat Counter claimed Bing exceeded Yahoo! traffic. Search engine land posted a great article Did Bing Leapfrog Yahoo? Not exactly. which compares tracking metrics for Bing’s performance compared to Google and Yahoo!.

In the world of online marketing, few things compare with a good search presence. Bing certainly adds a new face for the world of search. How it catches on, and how people use it, will affect a good SEO strategy in time to come.

Good marketers do their homework. Homework goes by different names: due diligence, research and discovery among them. Whatever moniker you choose, it boils down to the same thing: work. Lots of work. Work to learn more and more about who your customers may be, what matters to them, where they go to get information, to shop, and on and on.

I’ve noticed many people want to skip this part. Eager to get to the “fun” parts like graphic design, tag lines and soundtracks, they barrel ahead at full tilt – often in the wrong direction.

It’s irritating as sand sometimes. The market and competition seem more active during the homework phase, and business owners often feel they are wasting time and their money with little to show for it. But, like oysters, it takes time for the discovery process to yield the pearls. By doing the work up front and learning as much as possible, you can avoid costly mistakes and instead capture opportunities you may not have known existed.

“Oh, you’re in advertising”

How many times have people said that when they ask what I do, and I respond “Marketing.”

The truth is, many people, including some clients, view marketing as advertising. In their defense, it is a tangible part of marketing that they can see. But advertising is a small slice of marketing – one way to get the message out.

Marketing, on the other hand, encompasses everything from creating a new product or service, to the price points and distribution channels to PR/advertising/promotions and events. It encompasses a lot of behind-the-scenes-get-your-hands-dirty work and a great deal of strategy. For advertising to work, a strong marketing plan comes first.

Advertising is one tool in the toolkit, and considered part of a larger category called “promotion”. Other activities in promotion include publicity (PR), events, sweepstakes, coupons and many others. If a marketing firm sells itself as advertising only – beware.

Last week I gave a talk about networking for job seekers. About twenty people showed up, ranging in age from 20’s through late 50’s (guessing). We were there to talk about local networking, but soon covered networking opportunities on the Web. Continue reading Job seekers learn about LinkedIn

Seth Godin’s blog had a great post this morning. He clarified the difference between knowledge about your field (content) and having a track record of actually doing effective work in your field and knowing how to do it correctly. I call it the “secret sauce” that a professional brings to the table.

“Venture capitalists like hiring second or third time entrepreneurs because they understand process, not because they can do a spreadsheet.” – Seth Godin

You can purchase individual press releases, sales collateral or white papers all day long, but if you do not have a master market mixer, then you lose the magic that translates to sales and and enduring brand. That’s what you are really hoping to buy, isn’t it?

How people converse speeds up relative to the plates in the air. At least that’s my theory. Meetings, planning, travel. All of it adds up to managing hectic lifestyles in micro seconds. So if you cannot grab attention in 3 seconds, it is often gone.

We used to call it the Blackberry test. If your colleagues faded to check their Blackberry, the point was not compelling or relevant enough to stay engaged in the conversation.

Social media seems like that. 140 characters or less to Twitter a relevant message. Is that so different from headlines? Not really.

Effective marketing has always been about earning attention. Fast. Because if you do, most people will stop and learn more. If you miss, then they move on.

And rightfully so.

Just caught Peter Shankman’s talk at the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter.  Worth the watch. Social media is buzzed about everywhere. If you want to cut through the nonsense and see the real deal, watch the video. Good stuff, plus he’s got a great sense of humor.