Mar
31
2009

Twitter Tip – Automate Sending Articles to Twitter from Google Reader

automatejurvetsonI used to mark articles in delicous to be automatically sent to my Twitter feed via Twitterfeed.  Now, I am able to mark articles from anywhere with my iPhone and have them sent automatically to my Twitter feed using Google Reader.  This method requires both a Google account on Google reader, and an account on Twitterfeed (both are free).

  1. In Google Reader, in the upper right, click on Settings
  2. Click on the Folders and Tags tab.
  3. Click on the checkbox next to “Your shared items”
  4. Go up to the box that says “change sharing…” and select Public.
  5. Click on View public page (it’ll be empty right now).
  6. Now go back to the feed in Google Reader.  At the bottom of any post you want to share, click “share”.
  7. If you refresh the public page, you’ll see your items show up.
  8. On the right side of the public page, you’ll see an item that says Atom feed.  Click on it (it’ll probably show a bunch of code stuff.)  This is the feed to the items you want to share.  Copy the URL at the top of the window
  9. Goto twitterfeed.com and sign up for their free service.
  10. Login to the service. Click “my feeds”
  11. Click “Create new feed”
  12. Enter the username and password for your twitter account (you can then test to see if it’s working)
  13. Paste the URL of the Google Reader public page where it says “RSS feed URL”
  14. Feel free to mess with the other options, but they should be fine if you want to leave them, so click “Create”.

Twitterfeed will automatically check what you’ve marked as “Share” in Google Reader every hour (or whatever you set as the frequency) and then send it to your twitter feed for you.

(photo by jurvetson @ Flickr CC)

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Mar
31
2009

Internet Marketing, Strategy & Technology Links – Mar 31, 2009

April starts tomorrow.  Do you have your ducks in a row?

We post links to stories about how to use the web effectively throughout the day on Twitter, Google Reader Shared or Delicious.  Also, if you have a post or link you think is worth sharing, please let us know!

Mar
30
2009

12 Tips for More Effective Email Marketing

emailfrozenchipmunkEmailing a prospective client can be difficult at best.  Following up on potential leads is important, but so is saying the right thing.  It may help to consider your email piece as an elevator pitch – you only have a few seconds to grab attention and entice the customer to continue the conversation.  Here are a few tips to help make your email more effective:

  1. Keep it short – No one wants to read pages of text in an email.  If it’s longer than 3 or 4 paragraphs, it’s too long.  One or two paragraphs (short!) are best.
  2. Focus on the customer – What benefits are you offering them?  What will they gain from your product or services?
  3. Be concise – Get right to the point about who you are and what you’re offering.
  4. Use bullet points – Short phrases in bullet points can be effective for getting across a message succinctly.
  5. Provide examples – Potential customers want to know what you’ve successfully done in the past.  Keep examples short and link to longer explanations or case studies on your website.
  6. Keep it simple – Even people in your industry won’t want to read wordy technical explanations.  Make sure just about anyone can understand what you’re talking about.
  7. Link to your website – for more information or longer testimonials or stories.
  8. Include a call to action – Whatever you’d like the person to do.  It’s most effective if its something you’re offering them on your website (for free) that you can use to gather the lead (and measure that they’re actually interested).
  9. Introduce Yourself - Customers want to know who you are, but keep it to 1 or 2 sentences (think elevator pitch).  Link to more information on your website.
  10. Followup – Don’t rely on customers to contact you.  Followup with another email or a phone call during a specified time period. Ask when and how they prefer to be contacted.
  11. Respect privacy – Have a privacy policy and follow it.  Allow people the option to opt-out of receiving emails from you. Post it on your website and link to it in your emails.
  12. Give them space -  Don’t bombard potential customers with phone calls and emails.  Give them time to think and do their own work.  Contact them at specific times through their preferred channel.

This an evolving list.  Do you have tips that you’d like to share?  We’d love to hear them in the comments!

(photo by frozenchipmunk @ Flickr CC)

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Mar
30
2009

Internet Marketing, Strategy & Technology Links – Mar 30, 2009

Monday again. Hope you’re feeling relaxed and well-rested.

We post links to stories about how to use the web effectively throughout the day on Twitter, Google Reader Shared or Delicious.  Also, if you have a post or link you think is worth sharing, please let us know!

Mar
27
2009

Using Social Media to Create Great Experiences for Your Customers

relationshipwroteCreating great experiences comes from listening, respecting and getting to know your customers.  Think about a satisfying purchase experience you’ve had recently.  You probably had some personal interaction with the company, they listened and were helpful in guiding your purchase decision.  You felt like they really understood your needs and what you were trying to do. Many of us no longer have in-person interactions with our customers, but we can still use social media to accomplish many of the same touchpoints.

  • Listen – Join social networks where your customers are.  Listen to what they are saying, both in general and about your company.  You’ll gain insight into what your customers really think and what their needs are.
  • Help – Help your customers anyway you can.  Advice and assistance, even if they are not related to your products will be appreciated and will help build trust.
  • Build a Relationship – Reach out to your customers.  Say hello.  Have a personality.  Have conversations.
  • Respect – Don’t shout at your customers.  Don’t spam them.  Don’t send them uninvited email or advertising.  This can be difficult, but asking your customers to take action occasionally is different than bombarding them with marketing.

You’ll find that once you have built relationships with your customers it is much easier to understand what they need and want out of your products.  You’ll spend less time with inefficient marketing and advertising and more time giving your customers the experiences they want with your products and company.

(photo by Wrote @ Flickr CC)

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Mar
27
2009

Internet Marketing, Strategy & Technology Links – Mar 27, 2009

Happy Friday to Everyone!  Hope you have a great weekend!

We post links to stories about how to use the web effectively throughout the day on Twitter, Google Reader Shared or Delicious.  Also, if you have a post or link you think is worth sharing, please let us know!

Mar
26
2009

What Type of Experiences Are You Providing For Your Customers?

friendshipbbjeeTraditional marketing focuses on product features and benefits. But your customers are more interested in the experiences they can have with your products.  Usually when a customer decides to purchase a product it’s not because of the features it offers, it’s because of what they can do with the product. For example, we purchased a flat screen HDTV not because of the number of pixels or brightness or refresh rate, but because it looks awesome when you’re watching a movie or sporting event.  The experience we’re interested in is how the picture looks when we’re watching TV… the features of the TV just help fulfill that particular experience.

What about online?  It can sometimes be difficult to figure out what types of experiences customers are looking for on your website.  It helps to think in terms of tasks instead of products or features or benefits.  What are your customers trying to accomplish when they come to your website?  There probably are many different types of tasks – browsing, searching, contacting, support, purchasing, etc.  The trick is to try to make all these tasks as easy as possible on your one website.

Now, instead of thinking of these actions as tasks, think of them as a chance to interact with your customer.  What would you do if you were in-person?  What types of interactions would you want with a company?  Think of each of these interactions as an opportunity to build a relationship with your customer – or add to a relationship.  Try to think of website visitors as individual people with their own stories and emotions and opinions.

Now, how would you design your website differently to interact with your customers and build relationships? What do your customers say about your website? They may have some great insight – if you just ask.

(photo by bbjee @ FlickrCC)

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Mar
26
2009

Morning Edition – Mar 26, 2009

Just realized that April is right around the corner… when did that happen?

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Mar
25
2009

Advantages & Disadvantages of Different Branding Strategies

brandingsarahjaneOn Monday, we talked a bit about various branding strategies and why you should consider picking one to help your business and marketing strategies. With each branding strategy comes both advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of.

  • Corporate Brand – For companies that only offer one benefit to a customer, they usually use a corporate brand (unless they have an overall holding company).
    • Advantages: Everything the company does is attributed to its brand.
    • Disadvantages: Everything the company does is attributed to its brand.
  • Distinct Brand – Some companies choose to release each product or service as its own brand (ex. Proctor & Gamble).
    • Advantages: Each product stands alone so failures do not affect the entire company or other products.  Distinct benefits for each product can be directly attributed to a specific brand.
    • Disadvantages: Each product will require its own marketing strategy and budget, with no synergy possible between products.  Successes will not be directly attributed to the company’s brand.
  • Hybrid Brand – When a product extends the benefit of an overall brand or company, some companies use a hybrid branding strategy.
    • Advantages: Marketing and branding can take advantage of the overall brand for budgets and reputation.
    • Disadvantages: Any problems or negative press for either the product or the overall brand will affect both brands.
  • Umbrella Brand – If a company offers different products with different benefits, but they all extend the same value to the customer, sometimes they are all offered under an overall brand (ex. Nike – athletic gear).
    • Advantages: Each product contributes to the shared value offered to the customer.  Marketing and branding strategies can be at the shared value level, touting all the specific benefits.
    • Disadvantages: Any product can negatively affect the overall brand and specific benefits may be muddled in the overall shared value.

Whichever branding strategy you choose, once you are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each, you can take those into account when preparing your marketing strategies.

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(photo by Sarah Jane @ Flickr CC)

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Mar
25
2009

Morning Edition – Mar 25, 2009

Happy Wednesday to you!  Today is rainy here in Michigan, but a bit warmer.

We post links to stories about how to use the web effectively throughout the day on Twitter or Delicious.  Also, if you have a post or link you think is worth sharing, please let us know!