Did you ever wonder what can be done to help keep workers focused? Let's look at e-mails.
I'm sure you'll agree that the sheer quantity can be overwhelming at times. The good news, at least we hope it's good, is that we may soon have an e-mail "triage program" to rank the importance of messages. This new program will use probability models. Ready to sign up?
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saving Tech $$$$$$$$$
Nine times out of ten, rebooting your computer, and all of the equipment connected to it, will solve any problems that you might have. When you turn off the computer, wait 10 to 15 seconds before turning it on again.
I even recommended this to a friend of mine who was having TV issues...audio, but no picture. It worked. That was just a hunch with the TV, and I can't swear that my suggestion was the solution, but the set is now working.
I even recommended this to a friend of mine who was having TV issues...audio, but no picture. It worked. That was just a hunch with the TV, and I can't swear that my suggestion was the solution, but the set is now working.
Remember Public Wi-Fi Is Just That...PUBLIC
Think twice before checking your e-mail, bank account, credit card, etc. in a public Wi-Fi area. Go for a walk, enjoy the mall, have a cup of java, but unless it's critical, don't go online. Nearby hackers can capture your passwords even on an encrypted public network. So unless you're looking for new "friends" who can give you grief, don't do it.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
How Do You Optimize Online Display Media?
If an asset can be searched on, it can be optimized. Identifying all the promotable, digital assets available to a web site gives companies that are not content-rich the additional resources needed to be competitive in today’s search environment.
Each web site has digital assets including web pages, images and increasingly video, podcasts, blogs and RSS feeds. A digital asset optimization strategy identifies content in all its forms, formats and intentions and applies filters to qualify what is most promotable. Keyword mapping to each promotable asset (both on and offsite) along with a content promotion plan helps organize and keep accountable the digital asset optimization effort. Web sites that do produce substantial varieties and quantities of content types gain even more advantage when leveraging digital assets.
For example, if you take a displayed graphic image of a Coke logo, the keywords could be Coke, soft drink, cola drink, beverage, and Coke logo. For a video, there should be a summary blurb near the icon that tells the viewer and engines what the video is about.
Each web site has digital assets including web pages, images and increasingly video, podcasts, blogs and RSS feeds. A digital asset optimization strategy identifies content in all its forms, formats and intentions and applies filters to qualify what is most promotable. Keyword mapping to each promotable asset (both on and offsite) along with a content promotion plan helps organize and keep accountable the digital asset optimization effort. Web sites that do produce substantial varieties and quantities of content types gain even more advantage when leveraging digital assets.
For example, if you take a displayed graphic image of a Coke logo, the keywords could be Coke, soft drink, cola drink, beverage, and Coke logo. For a video, there should be a summary blurb near the icon that tells the viewer and engines what the video is about.
Is Social Media Marketing Part of the Future?
I was recently asked that question, and my answer was...it's here and now. Will social media will be a passing fad? I don't think so, but I do believe that it will evolve, perhaps in ways we have not even imagined. There were the early adopters and the ones who didn't, or don't understand how social media marketing works.
The most perfect example of social media marketing was during this past election.
The most perfect example of social media marketing was during this past election.
What Part of BCC Don't You Understand?
It never ceases to amaze me how many well educated people send out tons of e-mails to everyone on their e-mail address list without using a BCC. Whether it's a joke, business tip, or "fill in the blanks" -- I really don't need my address shared with the people on your list.
A great many people are protective of their email addresses, and they don't care to receive e-mail from random people on the net, or your dear friends for that matter. You've also sent their email address to everyone else on the mailing.
Would you give out someone's unlisted phone number? Probably not...at least I hope not. Why is e-mail any different? It's just common courtesy. Well, perhaps, not so common. I recall gently mentioning this to a friend because of her jokes sent to my business address without a BCC. Her response was, "My friends would never do anything." That may be true, but I still don't need it.
When it didn't stop, I simply blocked her from that address. She has another address of mine, and she still includes everyone on the list. Look at it from another perspective, would you send your entire holiday card list out with each card you sent?
For business, how about giving away your contact list? Hmmm...sounds like a smart move. Right? That's what you're doing by including everyone in the To or CC fields. And, some recipients on your mailing might consider everyone on your list fair game for similar mailings.
Viruses and spam-bots are now designed to go through mail files and address books looking for potential addresses. Sending a single message individually addressed to a large list of people increases the chances that they all will be spammed or sent a virus should any one of them get infected. Out of respect for your recipients, please consider not listing them each individually in your mailings?
As far as Google, not using BCC when sending email to a large group who don't know each other appears to be against Google's Gmail's program policies. It's one of the prohibited actions, selling, exchanging or distributing to a third party the email addresses of any person without such person's knowing and continued consent to such disclosure.
Case closed.
A great many people are protective of their email addresses, and they don't care to receive e-mail from random people on the net, or your dear friends for that matter. You've also sent their email address to everyone else on the mailing.
Would you give out someone's unlisted phone number? Probably not...at least I hope not. Why is e-mail any different? It's just common courtesy. Well, perhaps, not so common. I recall gently mentioning this to a friend because of her jokes sent to my business address without a BCC. Her response was, "My friends would never do anything." That may be true, but I still don't need it.
When it didn't stop, I simply blocked her from that address. She has another address of mine, and she still includes everyone on the list. Look at it from another perspective, would you send your entire holiday card list out with each card you sent?
For business, how about giving away your contact list? Hmmm...sounds like a smart move. Right? That's what you're doing by including everyone in the To or CC fields. And, some recipients on your mailing might consider everyone on your list fair game for similar mailings.
Viruses and spam-bots are now designed to go through mail files and address books looking for potential addresses. Sending a single message individually addressed to a large list of people increases the chances that they all will be spammed or sent a virus should any one of them get infected. Out of respect for your recipients, please consider not listing them each individually in your mailings?
As far as Google, not using BCC when sending email to a large group who don't know each other appears to be against Google's Gmail's program policies. It's one of the prohibited actions, selling, exchanging or distributing to a third party the email addresses of any person without such person's knowing and continued consent to such disclosure.
Case closed.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
HealthyForecast
The IT dinner seminar was super. It was attended by a great crowd of people, many of whom were engrossed in conversations about the market. One out-of-work chap said he watched the depressing news, called his broker, who was no where to be found, and decided that it would be a good idea to arrive early for the open bar. Made perfect sense.
We had a fantastic view from on top the Roc, delicious finger food, and a very friendly wait staff. And, that was before dinner.
As I stood by the window enjoying the view and the warm afternoon sun, I noticed a smiling face that was headed in my direction. He looked familiar, and then it struck me that this was the man that I shared a face-to-face seat with on the commuter train into New York. His response was, "Hi again, and how are your knees? At least we have room to move here."
I wonder what the odds are for this meeting? It was almost as much fun as my red sneakers train experience, but I'll save that for another day. In fact, come to think of it, there have been many interesting commuter train experiences including meeting and signing three new clients. There may be a message here.
Our host kept the bar open much longer than expected, but there weren't enough drinks to change the outcome of the projected decline in 2009 Global IT Budgets. In addition to a crisis in confidence caused by a spate of write-downs and concerns over liquidity in the financial services market, for the past couple of years many enterprises have been cutting back IT budget increases as they adopt a more cautious viewpoint of the global economy.
The exception to all of this less than positive news is the healthcare sector which contrary to other verticals, is planning a significant number of increases in IT spend in 2009. So, as far as IT, healthcare is healthy.
In spite of all of the bad news, there are still enterprises that plan to significantly increase their IT expenditure in 2009. Government Information Technology (IT) spending for state and local health care will rise from roughly $6 billion in FY2005 to over $9 billion in FY2009, a 50 percent growth rate over five years, according to a report released today by INPUT, the quantifiable leader in government market intelligence. The projected increase is driven by requirements for greater health care system and administrative efficiencies, as well as continued investments in Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS). In addition, the advancement of electronic records management is serving as a catalyst for increased IT expenditures.
Also driving the increase in health care IT spending is the movement towards electronic records. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a new program to research costs and resources associated with transforming paper-based medical records to digital computer-based records. The 10-year plan is intended to promote the adoption of electronic recording systems by doctors, hospitals, and clinics - it is estimated that less than 15 percent of hospitals and between 10 and 30 percent of physician practices currently have electronic health systems implemented. As the HHS program reaches maturity, the initiative will contribute significantly to the growth in the health care arena, with initial efforts likely seen as early 2009
The bright spot is that it 's still possible to uncover potential growth markets, but it's a matter of research and targeting the right vertical markets with the correct market strategy.
We had a fantastic view from on top the Roc, delicious finger food, and a very friendly wait staff. And, that was before dinner.
As I stood by the window enjoying the view and the warm afternoon sun, I noticed a smiling face that was headed in my direction. He looked familiar, and then it struck me that this was the man that I shared a face-to-face seat with on the commuter train into New York. His response was, "Hi again, and how are your knees? At least we have room to move here."
I wonder what the odds are for this meeting? It was almost as much fun as my red sneakers train experience, but I'll save that for another day. In fact, come to think of it, there have been many interesting commuter train experiences including meeting and signing three new clients. There may be a message here.
Our host kept the bar open much longer than expected, but there weren't enough drinks to change the outcome of the projected decline in 2009 Global IT Budgets. In addition to a crisis in confidence caused by a spate of write-downs and concerns over liquidity in the financial services market, for the past couple of years many enterprises have been cutting back IT budget increases as they adopt a more cautious viewpoint of the global economy.
The exception to all of this less than positive news is the healthcare sector which contrary to other verticals, is planning a significant number of increases in IT spend in 2009. So, as far as IT, healthcare is healthy.
In spite of all of the bad news, there are still enterprises that plan to significantly increase their IT expenditure in 2009. Government Information Technology (IT) spending for state and local health care will rise from roughly $6 billion in FY2005 to over $9 billion in FY2009, a 50 percent growth rate over five years, according to a report released today by INPUT, the quantifiable leader in government market intelligence. The projected increase is driven by requirements for greater health care system and administrative efficiencies, as well as continued investments in Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS). In addition, the advancement of electronic records management is serving as a catalyst for increased IT expenditures.
Also driving the increase in health care IT spending is the movement towards electronic records. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a new program to research costs and resources associated with transforming paper-based medical records to digital computer-based records. The 10-year plan is intended to promote the adoption of electronic recording systems by doctors, hospitals, and clinics - it is estimated that less than 15 percent of hospitals and between 10 and 30 percent of physician practices currently have electronic health systems implemented. As the HHS program reaches maturity, the initiative will contribute significantly to the growth in the health care arena, with initial efforts likely seen as early 2009
The bright spot is that it 's still possible to uncover potential growth markets, but it's a matter of research and targeting the right vertical markets with the correct market strategy.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Paid Placement is Called Advertising...Not PR
Public relations is a very important part of the marketing mix. A successful PR campaign provides third-party endorsement of products or services which is something no other marketing element can deliver. Many people think that once a company starts advertising, editors beat a path to your door. In some cases, that actually does happen, but it's not the norm.
Public relations is very different from advertising. One main differrence is that you can't buy media placement. The story is either newsworthy, or it's not. Paid placement is called advertising.
Both marketing elements are important, but public relations can sometimes be a slow build. Results don't happen in a few weeks or in a month, especially with the three month lead time needed for magazines print deadlines. When dealing with television, newspapers or radio, the three month lead time is not an issue, but competition is an issue.
There have been situations where we've had an instant success story. We created a museum event in Philadelphia at a small children's museum that was an incredible media success story. Every newspaper, ethnic publication and television station showed up for this event. Over the years, we've also had a number of press conferences with tons of media coverage the next day. This is expecially true if the news is sensational or the product is very popular at retail.
In one case, we generated thousands of stories for a client, but we were trying to generate an article in a major business paper. Nothing worked. The editor was interested, but he didn't understand the point we were using as the "hook" for the story. When we finally drove home the point of differrence between mass market retailers and specialty retailers, he wrote the story and it was fantastic. Our story ended up on the front page of the business section minus one column, but it took months and months of work.
Many clients don't understand the PR process. For example, when I was handling the marketing for a major children's line of licensed apparel, the client had signed the advertising contract, but not the public relations contract. He just didn't understand the entire subject and finally asked for a meeting to discuss things. Shortly into the meeting, this charming, grandfatherly gentleman looked at me with a straight face and said, "Why do I have to pay for this, doesn't it just happen?"
At first, I thought he was kidding, but then I could see that he simply didn't understand the process, or the discipline. After a rather lengthy discussion, he signed the contract. The campaign was a big success and so was the clothing line.
Some clients don't have the budget for the entire marketing mix of trade advertising, consumer advertising, sales promotion, web site development and PR. Many will start with PR and trade advertising and then increase their marketing budget over time.
How To Choose An Agency
When you are ready to consider an agency, what should you look for in a PR team? For starters, the chemistry has to be there. You also need experience and media connections. Don't hesitate to ask for client references. Once you have them, pick up the phone and make some calls.
Don't assume that the new business people will service your account. If there is one account person that you feel has the expertise you need, consider requesting that this individual be the point person on your account. The agency should be willing to agree to this request in your written contract. Beware of bait and switch, where you are courted by the new business people who will never be seen again after the contract is signed.
What You Can Expect
Some points to remember:
• Nothing kills a bad product faster than excellent PR and advertising. Customers may purchase the product once and then, that's it.
• When products are photographed, the samples must be in perfect condition. The camera picks up and magnifies very tiny flaws. Retouching is expensive, so be careful when you select product samples for photography.
• PR is not a tool used to force retail distribution. If you try it, the move will come back to haunt you. When an editor asks for information about the retail distribution of a product and/or service, the PR agency had better have answers or the ability to obtain the answers quickly. Reporters and editors always manage to call for this information when they are on deadline so everything is a rush. A response such as we're planning to open outlets soon in your area is not the correct answer.
Put yourself in the editor's place. He/she is interested in writing about your product and the readers expect to be able to find the item in local stores, on respected web sites, or in catalogs. If they can't do any of the above, the editor will not write about the product.
I have had consumers track me down because they wanted a specific product and could not find it at the retail store mentioned in the article because the item had sold out. One Christmas, I was practically running a mail order operation out of the agency because frantic consumers were calling for one specific product that did not have wide retail distribution.
• Trade books usually publish one month in advance. Consumer books publish three, yes three months in advance. If you're hoping for a December magazine story, you'd better start planning in July or August.
• If your agency is creative, it will come up with innovative "hooks" for your products or services.
• The web is very different because a good story can generate almost instant results.
PR is a wonderful marketing tool, but you must understand the basics to understand how it can work for your company.
Public relations is very different from advertising. One main differrence is that you can't buy media placement. The story is either newsworthy, or it's not. Paid placement is called advertising.
Both marketing elements are important, but public relations can sometimes be a slow build. Results don't happen in a few weeks or in a month, especially with the three month lead time needed for magazines print deadlines. When dealing with television, newspapers or radio, the three month lead time is not an issue, but competition is an issue.
There have been situations where we've had an instant success story. We created a museum event in Philadelphia at a small children's museum that was an incredible media success story. Every newspaper, ethnic publication and television station showed up for this event. Over the years, we've also had a number of press conferences with tons of media coverage the next day. This is expecially true if the news is sensational or the product is very popular at retail.
In one case, we generated thousands of stories for a client, but we were trying to generate an article in a major business paper. Nothing worked. The editor was interested, but he didn't understand the point we were using as the "hook" for the story. When we finally drove home the point of differrence between mass market retailers and specialty retailers, he wrote the story and it was fantastic. Our story ended up on the front page of the business section minus one column, but it took months and months of work.
Many clients don't understand the PR process. For example, when I was handling the marketing for a major children's line of licensed apparel, the client had signed the advertising contract, but not the public relations contract. He just didn't understand the entire subject and finally asked for a meeting to discuss things. Shortly into the meeting, this charming, grandfatherly gentleman looked at me with a straight face and said, "Why do I have to pay for this, doesn't it just happen?"
At first, I thought he was kidding, but then I could see that he simply didn't understand the process, or the discipline. After a rather lengthy discussion, he signed the contract. The campaign was a big success and so was the clothing line.
Some clients don't have the budget for the entire marketing mix of trade advertising, consumer advertising, sales promotion, web site development and PR. Many will start with PR and trade advertising and then increase their marketing budget over time.
How To Choose An Agency
When you are ready to consider an agency, what should you look for in a PR team? For starters, the chemistry has to be there. You also need experience and media connections. Don't hesitate to ask for client references. Once you have them, pick up the phone and make some calls.
Don't assume that the new business people will service your account. If there is one account person that you feel has the expertise you need, consider requesting that this individual be the point person on your account. The agency should be willing to agree to this request in your written contract. Beware of bait and switch, where you are courted by the new business people who will never be seen again after the contract is signed.
What You Can Expect
Some points to remember:
• Nothing kills a bad product faster than excellent PR and advertising. Customers may purchase the product once and then, that's it.
• When products are photographed, the samples must be in perfect condition. The camera picks up and magnifies very tiny flaws. Retouching is expensive, so be careful when you select product samples for photography.
• PR is not a tool used to force retail distribution. If you try it, the move will come back to haunt you. When an editor asks for information about the retail distribution of a product and/or service, the PR agency had better have answers or the ability to obtain the answers quickly. Reporters and editors always manage to call for this information when they are on deadline so everything is a rush. A response such as we're planning to open outlets soon in your area is not the correct answer.
Put yourself in the editor's place. He/she is interested in writing about your product and the readers expect to be able to find the item in local stores, on respected web sites, or in catalogs. If they can't do any of the above, the editor will not write about the product.
I have had consumers track me down because they wanted a specific product and could not find it at the retail store mentioned in the article because the item had sold out. One Christmas, I was practically running a mail order operation out of the agency because frantic consumers were calling for one specific product that did not have wide retail distribution.
• Trade books usually publish one month in advance. Consumer books publish three, yes three months in advance. If you're hoping for a December magazine story, you'd better start planning in July or August.
• If your agency is creative, it will come up with innovative "hooks" for your products or services.
• The web is very different because a good story can generate almost instant results.
PR is a wonderful marketing tool, but you must understand the basics to understand how it can work for your company.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
New Media Diversity...the Key to Smart Budgets
Like it or not, new media has emerged as a major player in advertising and marketing, the Internet and wireless technologies. New, different and consumer driven, new media is not going away any time soon. The media revolution is here and it does not play by the same rules as traditional media.
As a kid, I was the last one to leave the library. When we took vacations by car, I always had my nose in a book in spite of parental concerns that I would ruin my eyes.
One day I hoped that I would achieve enough success to be able to afford a huge library. Today that's a reality, and it's called the internet. I'm still one of the last ones to leave the "library" on the east coast --- sometimes at 2:00 AM. The beauty of this new "library" is that it's 24/7 with very loyal customers.
Today, before making a purchase, taking new medicine, or making financial decisions, a large percentage of people conduct online research in this 24/7 library. Consumers are spending a larger percentage of the online time with content and on popular social-networking sites. In 2001, many manufacturers and publishers were wondering whether to include new media in the mix.
There is no question regarding the importance of the new "pull" media fueled by new technology and consumers. Internet users are spending nearly half their online time visiting content - a 37% increase in share of time from four years ago and nearly as much time as spent on communications and commerce combined - according to a four-year analysis of the Internet Activity Index (IAI) issued by the Online Publishers Association (OPA).
The IAI is a monthly gauge of the time that users spend with e-commerce, communications, content and search; it is conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings.
Does that mean that you should shift the greater percentage of your media budget to new media? Definitely not. The headline says it all...Diversity.
A question was raised by one of our visitors regarding how one might use new media in campaigns. One example involves Lance Heft, a client of ours. After a 25 year search, Philadelphia business man and book author, Lance Heft, finally locates his fourth grade teacher, Louise Zulick. The search was important to Heft for so many reasons. He wanted to pay tribute to Louise for her faith in him, and he wanted to say thank you to the woman who played a critical role in his childhood development and in his life.
We could have simply presented the check to the American Cancer Society and invited the media, but we included new media. As the father of two girls, Lance feels strongly about giving back for research so that perhaps a cure will be found. The video ties into Father's Day and the love that he holds for his wife and family.
Check out: New Media in Action Giving Back http://www.crestonadvertising.com/services/newmedia.html
Don't write off podcasting just yet. In fact, don't write it off at all if you want to maximize your marketing budget. Podcasting is a relatively inexpensive way of bringing a message to your target audience with the advantage of being able to automatically deliver the show to the blogs, or mp3 media players of your subscription base. If you have a blog, you can link from the blog to another site that contains your podcasts.
Podcasting makes it easy to share your message with your target audience. And, unlike commercials, podcasting gives you the unique ability to take listeners behind-the-scenes for a "tour" of your product line, or business. It's a valuable tool for a variety of products and services from self improvement, travel, cars, wine, beer, cooking tips, restaurants, pets, wealth building, retirement, buying real estate, trusts vs. wills, to business tips.
If the podcast program contains information with long-term applications, the listener has the stored file to refer to as a resource. Podcasting lends itself to almost every type of business whether it's a home based business, a non-profit, or a major corporation. It can be a source of general information and/or a tie-in to an upcoming event, or product launch.
And, as you may have noticed, politicians are now taking advantage of podcasting. There are over 8,000 podcasts currently available including major network and radio broadcasters, leading magazines, major newspapers and Fortune 500 companies.
You can attempt to create your own podcasts, but unless you have a solid media background along with training as an announcer, it's not something that we recommend. The finished podcast should be very professional and well produced with a seasoned host and production team. And, production is just the first step...then, there's the marketing aspect.
An important point to remember is that the podcast should not just be another version of your commercial...that's not what this is all about. Provide the audience with useful, general tips including interesting information about key people in the company, the story behind your business, and unique aspects about your products, or services. Then gently work in the commercial aspect of your products and/or service with a very understated approach. The best example is the PBS approach.
Like other things in business, podcasting takes a certain skill set which is best left to a group of talented professionals.
Sit back with a glass of wine or chilled mineral water, and enjoy two of our many Cuisine Radio podcasts featuring the very best in dining along with our other business podcasts featuring our talented executive producer and host, Mark Alyn.
http://www.crestonadvertising.com/services/podcasting.html
Remember one important point -- Podcasts are not commercials. They also need to be promoted, and I highly recommend http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/podcasts
Like a strong financial portfolio, your marketing plan should be diversified.
Comments from original hosting site:
You've really shed some light for me. Please consider writing a book if you haven't already.
Many thanks for your insight. I've already adopted it in our business.
Ron Small
Maxx Marketing, LLC
Posted by: Ron Small 08/12/2008 10:06 AM
Hello:
Thank you for the visits, the comments and questions.
Enjoy your day!
Diane Creston
Posted by: Diane Creston 03/03/2008 06:55 PM
This article is a breath of fresh air. And there obviously is much more information behind what is written. I give it a 10. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your expertise in new media, Diane. Best wishes for your ongoing success! Frank
Posted by: Frank Feather 02/20/2008 10:44 AM
Great information -- I enjoyed the article and the information. As a small business owner, this is the kind of info I need.
Posted by: Donna Fenn 12/18/2007 01:47 PM
Great resource. Thank you!
Posted by: Tania 12 12/11/2007 04:25 PM
As a kid, I was the last one to leave the library. When we took vacations by car, I always had my nose in a book in spite of parental concerns that I would ruin my eyes.
One day I hoped that I would achieve enough success to be able to afford a huge library. Today that's a reality, and it's called the internet. I'm still one of the last ones to leave the "library" on the east coast --- sometimes at 2:00 AM. The beauty of this new "library" is that it's 24/7 with very loyal customers.
Today, before making a purchase, taking new medicine, or making financial decisions, a large percentage of people conduct online research in this 24/7 library. Consumers are spending a larger percentage of the online time with content and on popular social-networking sites. In 2001, many manufacturers and publishers were wondering whether to include new media in the mix.
There is no question regarding the importance of the new "pull" media fueled by new technology and consumers. Internet users are spending nearly half their online time visiting content - a 37% increase in share of time from four years ago and nearly as much time as spent on communications and commerce combined - according to a four-year analysis of the Internet Activity Index (IAI) issued by the Online Publishers Association (OPA).
The IAI is a monthly gauge of the time that users spend with e-commerce, communications, content and search; it is conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings.
Does that mean that you should shift the greater percentage of your media budget to new media? Definitely not. The headline says it all...Diversity.
A question was raised by one of our visitors regarding how one might use new media in campaigns. One example involves Lance Heft, a client of ours. After a 25 year search, Philadelphia business man and book author, Lance Heft, finally locates his fourth grade teacher, Louise Zulick. The search was important to Heft for so many reasons. He wanted to pay tribute to Louise for her faith in him, and he wanted to say thank you to the woman who played a critical role in his childhood development and in his life.
We could have simply presented the check to the American Cancer Society and invited the media, but we included new media. As the father of two girls, Lance feels strongly about giving back for research so that perhaps a cure will be found. The video ties into Father's Day and the love that he holds for his wife and family.
Check out: New Media in Action Giving Back http://www.crestonadvertising.com/services/newmedia.html
Don't write off podcasting just yet. In fact, don't write it off at all if you want to maximize your marketing budget. Podcasting is a relatively inexpensive way of bringing a message to your target audience with the advantage of being able to automatically deliver the show to the blogs, or mp3 media players of your subscription base. If you have a blog, you can link from the blog to another site that contains your podcasts.
Podcasting makes it easy to share your message with your target audience. And, unlike commercials, podcasting gives you the unique ability to take listeners behind-the-scenes for a "tour" of your product line, or business. It's a valuable tool for a variety of products and services from self improvement, travel, cars, wine, beer, cooking tips, restaurants, pets, wealth building, retirement, buying real estate, trusts vs. wills, to business tips.
If the podcast program contains information with long-term applications, the listener has the stored file to refer to as a resource. Podcasting lends itself to almost every type of business whether it's a home based business, a non-profit, or a major corporation. It can be a source of general information and/or a tie-in to an upcoming event, or product launch.
And, as you may have noticed, politicians are now taking advantage of podcasting. There are over 8,000 podcasts currently available including major network and radio broadcasters, leading magazines, major newspapers and Fortune 500 companies.
You can attempt to create your own podcasts, but unless you have a solid media background along with training as an announcer, it's not something that we recommend. The finished podcast should be very professional and well produced with a seasoned host and production team. And, production is just the first step...then, there's the marketing aspect.
An important point to remember is that the podcast should not just be another version of your commercial...that's not what this is all about. Provide the audience with useful, general tips including interesting information about key people in the company, the story behind your business, and unique aspects about your products, or services. Then gently work in the commercial aspect of your products and/or service with a very understated approach. The best example is the PBS approach.
Like other things in business, podcasting takes a certain skill set which is best left to a group of talented professionals.
Sit back with a glass of wine or chilled mineral water, and enjoy two of our many Cuisine Radio podcasts featuring the very best in dining along with our other business podcasts featuring our talented executive producer and host, Mark Alyn.
http://www.crestonadvertising.com/services/podcasting.html
Remember one important point -- Podcasts are not commercials. They also need to be promoted, and I highly recommend http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/podcasts
Like a strong financial portfolio, your marketing plan should be diversified.
Comments from original hosting site:
You've really shed some light for me. Please consider writing a book if you haven't already.
Many thanks for your insight. I've already adopted it in our business.
Ron Small
Maxx Marketing, LLC
Posted by: Ron Small 08/12/2008 10:06 AM
Hello:
Thank you for the visits, the comments and questions.
Enjoy your day!
Diane Creston
Posted by: Diane Creston 03/03/2008 06:55 PM
This article is a breath of fresh air. And there obviously is much more information behind what is written. I give it a 10. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your expertise in new media, Diane. Best wishes for your ongoing success! Frank
Posted by: Frank Feather 02/20/2008 10:44 AM
Great information -- I enjoyed the article and the information. As a small business owner, this is the kind of info I need.
Posted by: Donna Fenn 12/18/2007 01:47 PM
Great resource. Thank you!
Posted by: Tania 12 12/11/2007 04:25 PM
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