McIntosh Marketing Blog

Madison Avenue must be reeling at the fast changes within our media world. How could they have predicted the sheer transformation of how YouTube, social media and the worldwide dominance of the celebrity mentality would shape how we market.

Nike just released a new advert that say’s so much about the changes of not only how world revolves, but how we interact with each other. Moreover, this advert from Nike indicates to businesses on how the majority of marketing has yet to really caught up with those fast-paced changes. The Nike advert that they just released, featuring soccer phenom Ronaldo, is not only a strong message in itself, but a commentary of where we are at as a global community.

Let’s look at the critical aspects of this advert from Nike:

• The advert is three minutes long, not 30 or 60 seconds. This is because YouTube has extended our ability and expectations from a video and an advert. Nike is not buying a traditional TV spot; they are telling a story and letting viral marketing run its course.
• The video shows how addicted we are to sports, but how much it is a part of our lives and even the ability to gain power, affect markets and transform the pride of an entire nation with sports. True sports heros are national treasures and icons, just as Ancient Greece revered their gods.
• Featuring in that video is how YouTube videos are not only watched, but how then drive new jargon, dances and even how we communicate, establish reality and that we understand each other, knowing we belong to the same “tribe.”
• The new slogan, “Write Your Future” captures the desire to determine our future in these uncertain times. Just like Nike captured a generation with “Just Do It”, they have now found three new words to embed the minds of a new generation looking for empowerment, even if vicariously through a brand and a hallowed sports figure. It offers hope and that one can do something about it without looking for government entitlement.

Nike has struck marketing gold once again, showing that like any art form one can capture and articulate a new feeling through a strong brand and simple message.

For those who are just starting out blogging, or want to start, you are not alone in your quest to find your voice, as well as reach out to a growing audience of blog followers.

No other single medium is more challenging and yet rewarding. To blog successfully one must be humble and to understand the rules, written and unwritten, as well as be persistent. There is no other easy way to become successful than to simply commit to the process and be consistent in one’s writing efforts.

WordPress is a free blog service that provides a ton of plugins, not to mention that it is fairly easy to learn and use. There are many videos available, as well as help here at McIntosh Marketing if you want to get your blog and web site designed to a top-notch level. WordPress is also very SEO friendly and has been growing more and more in popularity.

You just have to love how mainstream media is now utilizing online buzz to generate their own stories. Moreover, Ellen Degeneres recently demonstrated to all of us a powerful way to spin that buzz, even becoming a part of that craze.

It was just a matter of time before someone called Greyson Chance, a veritable overnight success on YouTube, due to his amazing cover of “Paparazzi” by international phenom, Lady Gaga. That really isn’t the story of this blog. While the young performer was featured on Ellen’s show, and even getting to speak via phone to Lady Gaga herself, the real success on the spin is how Ellen featured herself in the video while Greyson Chance did a shortened version on Ellen’s show.

Knowing that this video would as well go viral far above anything Ellen could ever dream of, Ellen and her producers made sure that Ellen stood next to Greyson Chance during his electrifying performance. Five hundred thousand hit later, and now Ellen is empowering her brand and relevance to the social media crowd.

Lesson: News is happening all around you in your industry, town and other circles of influence. With some creativity and some good taste, you could find yourself easily riding the wave of the success of another.

It has been a long known that precise market research is the heart and soul of successful marketing. Without research, you are not only going at your online efforts utterly blindfolded, but also wasting your valuable funds. Moreover, you will see much less ROI from your marketing dollar.

The problem with most start ups, small and medium businesses, and innovative entrepreneurs is the lack of time and finance to spend with a professional market research company. Limited budgets and a slight desperation to get money in the door on an immediate basis can be a major road block that most companies never overcome. It is for sure that long-term success never comes about from short cuts.

Here is a small list of cost effective methods that you can implement to gain some fairly rapid insight on how to generate a better, more rapid ROI with your marketing dollar:

1. Study those who are successful.

Intrinsic to their success was doing something right. Apple did not invent the computer, but they have the found a better way to sell them. You will be amazed at how accessible successful people are through books, blogs and workshops. Those who are passionate and successful are also those who love to share and give back to those people who are truly striving to make a success out of themselves.

2. Study those who have already purchased from you.

I am still amazed on how many successful people who have thousands upon thousands of past clients in their files and lists, yet have never conducted any type of survey as to why they purchased from them or what reasons they have for buying more. I had one client who had a multi-million dollar business who could not tell me what her typical client was like. We then listed her top 50 clients and studied not only what type of business they were, but how they were originally procured and sold and the bright ideas started to ignite. Once we determined what market was generating most of her income, it became simple to determine what similar markets to target in future marketing efforts.

3. Study “Heavy Users.”

I bet you that 10% of your clientele comprises 30% or more of your revenue. This is true of almost all industries or businesses. What drives any business is a core group of clientele that spend much more than the others. Imagine targeting “heavy users” as a consolidated marketing campaign.  You will drive in more ROI and profits with less effort.

4. Talk to people, ask lots of questions and have your ideas challenged.

You can do this informally, through emails and even by conducting a focus group. If you intend on selling life insurance, then one would know through industry journals who are the typical clientele. But go beyond just numerical demographics. Talk to people personally that fit into that category. Walk around neighborhoods or attend conferences where these type of people frequent or do business. Real market research is about getting your hands dirty, rubbing elbows with those who are involved, discovering how they feel and even listening and noting the phrases and buzz words that they use.

5. Learn the basics on market research.

It is not as hard as you think. Become a student versus an ignorant victim.

The key to organic internet marketing success is to do the right things right, and to do them consistently. Now this may seem to an oversimplification or even overused. But from our experience of speaking with over 300 companies in the last six months, we have found over 90% of businesses with web sites violating this simple mantra. Here are some things you must do to generate more success:

1. Put the keywords, no more than 8, in the Title tag.
2. Repeat the key words and/or phrases as least 3 or 4 times in the body of the blog, article or press release.
3. Make a keywords meta tag even though most engines ignore that now. Some use it, and so it’s worth it.
4. Write articles and have them submitted to over the 100 directories available.
5. Have at least 400 words in the body of the article, blog or press release.
6. Make sure that the title tags on subsequent pages use other keywords.
7. Get your blog listed with the over 300 directories available.
8. Post your blogs in your social media pages, linking them automatically through your RSS feed.
9. Comment on others blogs, allowing you to build relationships and links back to your web site and blog.
10. Always include your web site and social media pages on all email salutations that go out from your company.
11. Continue to educate yourself. Go to seminars, read books and subscribe to various blogs to learn how to become a better and more competent member of the web marketing community. “Knowledge is Power.”

These are simple actions that any small company can do, and over time, these actions will generate new relationships and ultimately new business.

I have always been a fan of Sun Tzu’s treatise, The Art Of War.  But when I recently watched the History Channel’s presentation on this world-renowned book, it made me think how most businesses do not apply it.

One would need to watch this TV version of the book as a good start, as well as read the book itself. ( I recommend the James Clavell version)  But one thing stuck out for me above all else and that was to attack an enemy’s weakness despite one’s size. In this case size does not matter. In other words, any guerrilla force can be effective if they are stealthy, consistent and attack the enemy’s weak spots.  And everyone has at least one.

In marketing, I hear to often about how they have a small budget, no sales people, lower revenue and on and on. In other words, they have not realized that they have to adapt and become a guerrilla marketer. And no where else can this be done more effectively than the web. This is because of two major factors:

1. The internet has evened the odds, more than any other factor in business. You may be operating from your home, or even while eating a muffin at your local coffee house, but your potential client cannot tell that by looking at your web site.

2. About 90% of the companies, big and small, are either not utilizing all possible methodologies and tactics or are making big mistakes that is costing them SEO and SEM potentialities.

The guerrilla marketer does not look at what he or she does NOT have. They look at their competition’s weakness and develop practical ways to exploit them.  Most companies do not blog often. This is a weakness. Most companies do not submit articles or use online PR distribution channels. This too is a weakness. There are hundreds of examples of weaknesses to be found.

Based on this knowledge, one can then develop tactics that would make Sun Tzu proud and your banker even happier with all the profits generated with your online marketing campaign.

Ancient knowledge is still as applicable as it was today, even in the world of internet marketing.

You must follow certain rules in writing a good Google Ad. Many people have made the mistake of stuffing keywords to find out that this strategy can be costly by attracting the wrong types of public who are not inclined to buy or take action.

From our experience with Google AdWords, SEO and SEM, these are key points to follow:

1. Your grammar, spelling and punctuation must be perfect. Capitalize the first word in each sentence.
2. Provide four lines of text with no pictures.
3. Your first line must be limited to 25 characters.
4. Be as specific and precise as possible.
5. Lines two and three must be 35 characters each.
6. Use keywords twice more when possible.
7. Tell users why they MUST have your product. Have a “call to action”.
8. Cite statistical information and facts.
9. When you are selling something, include the price.
10. Use your third line for a “call to action”.
11. Line four is for your destination URL. You must place your URL within the ad itself.
12. Sell your benefits with power words and hot buttons.
13. Write in simple, everyday words.
14. You must utilize keywords within the ad itself.
15. Test, Test and Test. Place many ads simultaneously and test which is best.

Google Ads can be a powerful and profitable means to driving people to your website and to generate a lot of sales and profits. Use them right and you will find that your Google Ads strategy could be your biggest edge against your competition.

The Big Three has meant for decades, “GM, Ford and Chrysler”. But with their problems comes the next evolution of that term, particularly when talking about web marketing, SEO and SEM.

The Big Three in the internet marketing world is Facebook, Google and YouTube. Make it big with these three media giants and you will make it big in business. Let’s be real. Facebook is social media, Google is how you find almost anything and YouTube is the new TV. Hopefully you are gearing your mind-set, your marketing budget and how you interface with the world’s newest Big Three.

I know what most are thinking right now, “A blog is not a web site.”

Yes it is. In fact, for small businesses and entrepreneurs a blog really is the most ideal format in which to have your web site. But more than that, a bog as your web site puts you in control of the most important battle in web marketing: Generating original and  relevant content.

Having spoken to hundreds of small business owners, entrepreneurs, Dr.’s and even those in direct marketing, I know that blogs are not fully understood as to what they are and their power. While most have heard the term and even read them from time to time, most have not really understood what they are and how they are in reality your most effective marketing and PR tool when utilized correctly.

A blog is a a web site, but with some added bonuses. Communicating often and with passion positions you as a thought leader, an authority in the field. Not only that, every time you blog you are casting more fishing lines into the sea of business opportunity. Maybe your next blog will not generate a sale directly, but it starts a conversation, opens the door to a potential referral, or even being quoted in a trade magazine. Blogs set you apart, and the more you do and the more articulate you become, you start to rise the above the others.And studies have shown that the more you do it, this builds a cumulative benefit in that search engines recognize an active blogger, and so you earn higher rankings.

The Blog is short for “Web Log.”  Blogs are independent journals that allows you to not only demonstrate your competence, but it also allows you to add pictures and videos. This is your single biggest opportunity to get your voice heard. In fact, it can be the very anvil in which you can shape public opinion about you, your service or product, or even trends within your industry. Why be a bystander, a mere spectator, when you can be an active contributor to the ideals opinions of what is being commented upon. Blogs allow you to do this better than anything else.

Blogs can be placed into your social media sites, such as Facebook. Versus making a comment, link from Face book right to your blog. This build credibility and drives traffic your web site and blog.

Probably the best place to start is WordPress.org. This allows you to start your blog on a free format that is highly SEO friendly.

Let blogging become a way of communicating, sharing your vision and thus garnering more attention and business.

Even though Kodak did not invent the camera, they sure did have generations believing so. Special times became known as the “Kodak Moment.” Now with the proliferation of video technology and accessibility, Kodak film is long dead and now we live in a YouTube world.

In speaking with people, you get the idea that most assume that YouTube invented online video. Like Kodak before, their brand is now synonymous with online video. They didn’t invent it, they have dominated that position in the mind of the consumer. And now it is time for business people and entrepreneurs to utilize YouTube’s brand dominance and reach to position themselves above their competition.

You see, we are still in the infant stages of the usage of the technology, not the technology itself. A recent study found that the average YouTube user watched 98 videos just in the month of March 2010. These YouTube videos represent a fundamental change in how we get news, become entertained and make decisions with whom to do business with. And believe it or not, it builds credibility. It can even make you a on-line celebrity.

Now while your ambitions may never be to land in US Magazine, it nonetheless represents a powerful medium to reach people, and withing a very short period of time educate and excite your potential market. Don’t show me a picture of your lunch special, show me how you make it. Start your own on-like cooking show.

While so many companies want me to download a PDF file, they should be sending me to their YouTube TV channel, describing it, involving me and demonstrating their passion for what they do. People want to connect, feel attached to something and that really is what is at the core of any brand: A valuable relationship.

Become a YouTube media expert for your brand and watch more and more people connect with your brand like never before.