Statistics are everywhere, whether we’re talking about crime rates going down or high school graduation rates going up. It’s no different when it comes to websites, where we track metrics like page views, conversions, and bounce rates. Although we’d like to believe that we’re savvy about the numbers, we may not be as adept at interpreting them as we think. In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman explains why.

One Mind, Two Systems

Kahneman characterizes our two thinking systems as fictional figures called System 1 and System 2. System 1 operates automatically to quickly generate complex patterns of thought. We use this system when we perceive that one object is farther than another one or when we detect an angry tone of voice. Its capabilities can be innate, such as recognizing objects, while others are learned, such as reading and understanding social situations. Whether they’re inborn or acquired, System 1 thinking requires little or no effort on our part.

In contrast, System 2 thinking is deliberate. This system handles operations that require our attention, and we don’t perform them well if we’re distracted. We use this system when we focus on one person’s voice in a crowded and noisy room or when we search our memory to identify a surprising sound. System 2 thinking involves making choices and deciding what to think or do.

The Division of Labour

Although they function in different ways, they work together to make sense of the world. Both systems are active when we’re awake; System 1 runs automatically while System 2 operates in low-effort mode, using a fraction of its capacity. System 1 generates suggestions based on impressions, intuitions, and feelings. System 2 will usually adopt these suggestions with little or no modification. Most of what we think originates with System 1, but System 2 has the final say. However, when System 1 runs into a situation that doesn’t fit into the model of the world it constructed, System 2 is activated to help by searching our memory to find a story that explains the anomaly.

This division of labour works well most of the time because System 1’s models of familiar situations and short-term predictions tend to be accurate. It’s good at automatically identifying causal connections and events—even when it’s not a solid connection. System 1 suppresses ambiguity and spontaneously constructs stories that are as coherent as possible, and System 2 will generally accept that answer without questioning it. This story construction can work to our disadvantage in considering statistics.

The Wrong Focus

We tend to focus on the story rather than the reliability of statistics. In one example, Kahneman cited a study of kidney cancer rates in 3,141 counties in the US. The counties that had the lowest rates were mostly rural, sparsely populated, traditionally Republican, and located in the Midwest, the South, and the West. If we try to explain this pattern, System 1 brings up facts and associations that support an explanation for System 2. We would probably examine the rural characteristic because we associate it with clean living (access to fresh food and no water or air pollution). This explanation makes more sense than trying to explain the lower rate in terms of political views.

However, the counties that had the highest kidney cancer rates also had the same characteristics (rural, sparsely populated, Republican, same locations). Again, we might focus on the rural lifestyle, which might mean poor access to medical care, a high-fat diet, and too much tobacco. For both situations, we look for a story that explains the cancer rate. We’re so focused on explaining how a rural lifestyle contributes to a lower or higher cancer rate that we miss the fact that these areas are sparsely populated; as Kahneman points out, smaller sample sizes tend to yield extreme results more often. Rather than questioning the validity of the statistics, we skip over that to try to explain the results.

Objective Results

So what does this mean for you? When it comes to your website metrics, do some preparation before you gather data. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Define your goals. The information you’re looking for will determine which metrics you’ll use. Are you trying to increase conversions? Do you want to make sure that your site is user-friendly? Are you looking for more information about your site visitors?
2. Decide which metrics to use. Before you begin measuring, make sure the metrics will answer your questions. For example, if you want to test the usability of your site, you should consider metrics such as the time taken for a task, the error rate, and the user’s subjective satisfaction.
3. Pick a tool that meets your needs. There are plenty of options out there, so do your research to find the best fit for your goals.
4. Make sure your statistics are reliable. Before you try to explain the statistics, make sure they have a solid basis. Are you looking at the right metrics? Is your sample size big enough? Is it composed of unique site visitors?

Remember that website statistics aren’t necessarily objective because you can interpret them subjectively based on your prior experiences and associations. If it’s your own site, you may be too close to what you’re measuring to analyze it. For example, you may be too invested in a design to objectively evaluate the metrics for the calls-to-action. Bringing in outside help to assess your site’s analytics can help ensure that your metrics are being measured and interpreted properly.

Image Credit: TEXample.net

Our predictions, in no particular order:

1) Corporations try to attract and retain loyal customers by marketing to the individual, not a market. Digital marketing and NFC devices make this reality easier, and companies evaluate strategies that leverage different social media channels, devices, and apps.

2) Marketing and IT departments become more integrated. Digital marketing and analytics have become essential to tracking and measurement, not just for marketing campaigns but as bellwethers of company success. Could a Marketing IT department be far off?

3) Better use of social media to convey company character and values. It used to be Price, Product, Place, Promotion. Now add to that Personality. When all else is equal, consumers prefer to buy from a brand that shares their values and presents an engaging personality.

4) Marketing gets real time. Instead of, or as well as, the traditional planned annual campaigns, brands will develop the capabilities to launch opportunistic campaigns that capitalize/respond to social media buzz—or lose out to their more agile competitors.

5) Marketing departments outsource more content development and curation. As competition for mindspace in the digital world keeps getting worse, quality and credibility matter more and more. And it takes more effort than internal resources can manage. Time to build a freelance team.  (See our blog post on the Digital Slush Pile.)

6) Companies adopt a focused approach to social media. Companies who decide to take social media seriously will do so by investing in the few that matter to their audience, and which are appropriate for their brand. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the number of channels out there, CMOs take a step back and assess where to focus their digital marketing efforts instead of diluting their brand across the Internet.

7) eBooks take it up a notch with rich media. The technology is ripe, and now with Apple leading the charge, textbooks go digital and more eBooks go multimedia, thanks to enhancements in tablets.

8) Gamification inside the corporation for training and motivation. For a generation of employees brought up on video games, it’s a natural evolution to take training courses or work on tasks that score points—on the job.

9) Intuitive user experience design know-how enters the list of most-wanted skills. With more technology that combines multiple functions into a single device, successful brands are the ones who can create a user experience for every device and app that allows consumers without previous digital knowledge to just pick up, use, and enjoy.

10) NFC gains traction. Retailers and advertisers find creative ways to deployment near field communications in ways that create more consumer intimacy. (See our NFC blog series.)

11) A new appreciation for content curation. Content, content everywhere but not from anyone who thinks. Or as the song goes, “fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on”. A jaded Internet audience seeks out sites that feature credible sources and well-written analyses that explain what’s really going on (closely related to #5).

12) Game theory gets real for retail. Bricks and mortar shops haven’t been able to track how visitors travel through their stores the way their digital competitors can. Companies such as LightHaus VCI use mathematical methods to analyze video footage taken inside stores. Heat maps and other data inform companies about shopper behaviour and where to improve customer engagement. The real borrows from the virtual.

Literary agents have a name for the thousands of manuscripts that come through their door each day from hopeful authors. It’s called the “slush pile”. The agent’s job is to read through that slush pile and pick out the few that are worth taking to market. Thus, when we read a book, we trust there has been some quality control. Similarly, when a reputable newspaper prints an article, we trust the editor has checked facts and news sources; furthermore, he has curated the information by giving prominence to the article based on his assessment of its newsworthiness.

On the Internet, anyone can blog, tweet, and YouTube. As a result, the content out there is the digital equivalent of a huge slush pile, all of it competing for attention from your target audience. What can you do to increase the success of your content marketing efforts?

Why Bother with Content Marketing?

If you want to be successful with content marketing, you have to believe that it will work. More to the point, you need to believe that it is necessary to your overall marketing strategy. Whenever consumers have the choice, they shut out traditional marketing. They ignore magazine ads, use PVRs to skip TV commercials, and mentally edit out banner ads on web pages. They don’t want to be pitched in an intrusive way, but they do want information that helps them make good decisions. Content marketing delivers intelligent, useful information in a digestible, consistent, and free format. In return, we hope our audience rewards us with their trust and their business.

Consider this. According to a study from the Custom Publishing Council and Roper Public Affairs:

• 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement.
• 70% say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company.
• 60% say that company content helps them make better product decisions.

Not only that, but in a January 2012 survey of more than 1,000 marketing professionals, the Content Marketing Institute found that on average, 60% of participants had plans to increase their content marketing budgets in 2012. What’s striking about the results is that they represented a fairly even distribution of company sizes:

• 25% – micro (fewer than 10 employees)
• 29% – small (10-99 employees)
• 21% – mid-size (100-999 employees)
• 25% – large (1000+ employees)

Is Content Marketing Just Blogs and Social Media?

Nope. Done right, content marketing is something that permeates every communication with your target audience. Businesses are incorporating content marketing into:

• Articles
• Blogs
• Case studies
• Digital magazines
• eBooks
• eNewsletters
• Microsites
• Mobile content
• Podcasts
• Print magazines
• Print newsletters
• Social media (other than blogs)
• Trade shows/exhibitions
• Videos
• Webinars/webcasts
• White papers
• Product packaging
• … and more

If you are thinking “wow, this would change how we do marketing”, you’re right. To get successful results from content marketing, you really do have to think differently. You need to think like the editor of an omni-media company, with a variety of “channels” as listed above. The good news is that there’s so much bad content marketing out there, if you are able to deliver and promote consistently high quality content, you can be more successful than your competitors at this game.

Content marketing is about relationship-building, and relationships require trust. You don’t need a huge budget. Creativity, quality, and professionalism can take you a long way—that, and understanding what interests your customer outside of your specific product or service.

• What underlying problems are we trying to solve for the customer?
• How can we complement this information?
• Do they have, or aspire to, a certain lifestyle?
• Is their industry or technology sector in flux?

If you run an organic food delivery service, you may want to write about issues with genetically modified foods, provide recipes, sustainable fishing practices, or how you support urban gardens in poor inner-city neighbourhoods. If you sell financial services, provide links to government web pages about RRSPs and TFSAs and write up some case studies about financial makeovers.

Think Like a Managing Editor

How can you support your business goals through content marketing? The scope of your content marketing efforts depends on your business, communications channels, budget, target audience, and dozens of other parameters that you understand better than I do. At the same time, there are some tasks common to any marketing team who wants to integrate content marketing into the company’s campaigns.

Develop the messages. A managing editor is responsible for articulating the messages to communicate and drive business goals. The goal(s) could be: brand awareness, lead generation/customer acquisition, thought leadership, or increased website traffic. The messages you develop go to the top of every creative brief you hand out to writers and your social media community manager.

Develop the plan. You also need to determine when, where, and how to disseminate these messages through the various “channels”.  An editorial calendar, which lists the content you will feature on each channel, each week or month, is a great way to organize a plan. Try and schedule out a year’s worth of content. Good writing takes time and research, so give your team enough lead time.

Remember to insert internal and external events such as trade shows or product launches so that you can schedule content to support them. An editorial calendar is flexible, so feel free to tweak it in response to customer or company needs, so long as you maintain a consistent schedule. Think of how you always turn to your favourite newspaper column—you want your audience to do the same.

Each piece of content requires a purpose as well as a message.  Develop more detailed briefs for your content developers. Quality content requires time and research, and in the online world, you also need compelling graphics to convey information. You also need to promote the content once it goes out the door.  Work with your team to determine what each piece will need in terms of:

• Content. What is the key message? What information need does it fulfill for the customer? How does it support our business goals? What is the call to action (if any)?
• Design. What images or infographics should accompany the piece? How should it be laid out?
• Promotion. How do we let the world know? How do we alert bloggers and industry analysts?
• Network. Can we use this piece to collect comments, friends, followers, or emails? How can we monitor response?

Hire Professional Content Developers

The same survey from the Content Marketing Institute found that the biggest challenge for marketing departments is “producing the kind of content that engages prospects and customers”. When you make a commitment to content marketing, you need to commit time, budget, and resources.

Your content development needs to be handled by trained writers, graphics designers, and videographers, under the direction of Marketing. Each piece needs review, editing, and proofreading. Poor logic, bad sentence structure, and spelling mistakes will not advance your goal of being the experts that customers should come to for products and services.

Measure Results

One of the calls-to-action you should almost always include in your offline content is a way to link to your website. The reason is simple: you need to measure results over time, and one of the easiest metrics to capture is web traffic.

• Take baseline measurements of traffic. You can look at before/after statistics and also see how was traffic referred to your site.
• Create landing pages. Where appropriate, specific landing pages that support the referring content piece can increase conversion.
• Set up conversion funnels using analytics. You can track which pages visitors click on and help you determine the effectiveness of your web presence.

If you have social media channels, you can also collect online metrics. Traditional surveys are also useful for measuring engagement effectiveness. For example, between customers who receive your eNewsletter and those who do not, what is the awareness level of your newest product?

“Over time” is the key word because building relationships take time. So start now! Once you establish yourself as a source of helpful information, your target audience will also think of you as a trusted source for products and services.

Have you ever heard the saying “not seeing the forest for the trees”? It means that someone doesn’t see the forest (the big picture) because they’re too busy looking at the trees (the details). We experienced this problem while performing A/B testing and want to share our lessons learned. In this case, it took some time to figure out why we weren’t getting conclusive results—we had been focusing too much on the small details.

Defining A/B Testing

A/B or split testing is exactly what it sounds like: testing one version of  an ad or webpage against another one to see how a change to one component affects the conversion rate. Conversion, the desired user action, is defined before testing. It’s a key part of split testing because it determines which version is more successful.

Performing the Test

Last year we performed A/B testing on a client’s homepage to check the effectiveness of the booking call-to-action. On the original homepage, the button was placed in a static image at the bottom-right corner. In our variation, we placed the button in a prominent sliding banner.

To determine which one drew a stronger response, we needed to define conversion for this test. We decided that it occurred when a visitor booked the client’s services. The homepage that elicited the highest number of bookings would be the most successful.

Solving the Problem

As the testing went on, we monitored the numbers, but there weren’t any significant results. We brainstormed possible explanations and tweaked aspects like the button label and placement in our version. Even with these modifications, the results continued to be inconclusive.

Then a team member found the solution; rather than adjusting the design of the page, we should have examined the test plan. Quite simply, we had come up with the wrong definition for conversion.

Remember, we had originally defined it to be when a visitor booked the service. However, between clicking the call-to-action and submitting the booking request, there were several factors—beyond our control—that might have influenced someone’s decision to book. They may have made the decision based on the wording of the booking page or the workflow to book the service; this decision was not necessarily dependent on the call-to-action on the homepage.

The actual definition in this case was much simpler: conversion meant that the visitor clicked the call-to-action. And once we changed the measurement of success, we began to see clearer results for the split testing.

Seeing the Forest

When facing a problem, it’s so easy to focus on fixing the small details that we don’t consider the big picture. For our split testing, we thought the problem was in our homepage design; we didn’t consider our plan to test it. A key part of split testing is comparing conversion rates; if that definition is inaccurate, the results will be too. Once we were reminded to step back and look at the big picture, we found the solution to our problem.

Image Credit: zakwitnij/cc

When every major brand has a Facebook page and a community manager who monitors tweets, it’s time to recognize that social media has become mainstream.  Marketing departments who want to attract and retain followers must dial up the volume to get noticed by social media users.

Remember the days when a website was just an online version of your print brochures? Now websites must capture attention, deliver a constant supply of useful content to their customers, and work hard behind-the-scenes to collect data.  Good online campaigns drive visitors to a website for proof and measurement of a campaign’s success.

The same goes for social media. A simple Facebook page is old hat. Your campaigns must engage, amuse, and assist your customers before they’re willing to share their social network with you.  Many companies with Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook already know that in order to make a difference to their businesses, they need to take the next leap and treat social media as a communications channel, not just an advertising spot.  Here’s what we’re seeing:

Customer loyalty programs tied to social media. Starting in 2010, Tasti-D-Lite customers who engaged in social media about their experience got more reward points than those who just swiped their loyalty cards at checkout. The franchise makes it easy to be social. After customers link their cards to their social profile, each card swipe at the Tasti-D-Lite checkout automatically generates Facebook and Twitter messages, and signs them in to Foursquare. The idea is spreading to other loyalty programs.

Social mixes it up in the real world. The best social media campaigns have always included an offline component, whether it’s a party game (see our TM Events blog post) or the integration of RFID wristbands with Facebook at the Coca-Cola Village Amusement Park. These successes will spur more creative cross-media social experiences.

More gaming embedded into social. You can’t say it was unexpected. Brands know it’s hard to get your attention, so they are building social apps with game-like qualities – and the rewards are for participation.

Conversational content accelerates. That initial engagement can’t be expected to provide enough momentum to retain your followers.  Companies are running contests, launching interesting discussion topics, soliciting feedback, or offering free video content, apps, and games – all of which keeps the conversation going. Some companies already use Twitter in their support group as a way to carry on real-time discussions with customers. Engagement is not enough. Brands need conversation – and that’s a two-way street.

Social media measures ROI. Consider the Tasti-D-Lite campaign. Imagine the data the franchise now collects that they can use when analyzing their business. They can verify absolutely the number of swipes, tweets, and posts, and tie them to sales figures. Plus, over time those statistics can provide a more complete picture of social media’s contribution to business goals. Consider something else: if a campaign is designed to collect user opinions in real-time via Facebook polls and other social channels, it’s a lot more cost-effective than spending money on formal research.

It’s clear that some companies have made the decision to stake out the social media territory with innovative campaigns that put them ahead of their competitors. What’s holding back those other companies?

Lack of social media knowledge at the top. Social media and corporate image are now inextricably bound. Chances are that in most medium-large organizations, it’s the younger members of the team who use social media daily and understand about personal branding and social media etiquette. That being said, social savvy does not equal years of experience with brand strategy, product lines, or overall marketing strategy. CMOs and Marketing VPs are still the ones who carry the responsibility for the success of social media campaigns, so if you haven’t taken a course in digital marketing yet, that’s a good New Year’s resolution to put on the To Do list. At the very least, invest 2 days to find out how social media works and what’s possible.

Lack of IT resources. More than ever, Marketing needs support from IT. Social media is real time and marketing campaigns must respond in an agile way. But for many organizations, IT constraints put the brakes on their ability to take advantage of opportunities or to counter bad PR in a timely manner. Furthermore, IT has to follow procedures to ensure compliance with corporate security and privacy regulations. Marketing and IT need to work together to create a framework that recognizes the cross-disciplinary requirements of a digital marketing world. This may require a push from the top.

Lack of marketing resources. A community manager for social media. A content developer or three. Some creative types who can work with both traditional and online media. A digital marketing guru who can put together a campaign. Start recruiting. Or find some experts for hire.

The bottom line? Creativity and knowledge help design campaigns that meet business goals. Make it your 2012 goal to dial it up for social media.

Social Media Policy

When to Create a Policy

You need a social media policy when:

• Your company deploys a social media strategy. Your social media policy must be referenced when you are drafting plans for content marketing, escalation procedures, approval procedures, and a company spokesperson.
• Your employees are active on personal social media. Your social media policy will provide best practices and define parameters for how they can talk about the company.Remember though, it’s not all about mitigating risk and crisis management. A social media policy is very helpful when employees want to promote your brand. After all, social media is about sharing information. In the absence of such guidance, the most well-meaning intentions will sometimes backfire.

What a Policy Looks Like

There is no set format for a social media policy. You may only need a few specific statements about social media added to your employee handbook and confidentiality agreement. Or you might want a separate document that explicitly states your social media guidelines.

Fortunately, you don’t need to start from scratch. The Social Media Governance website has compiled a list of social media policy examples from over 100 different organizations. (No matter which one you use as the basis for your policy, a lawyer should review the document—especially if you are a public company.)

A simple and short policy is best, like this draft social media policy. However, if your policy is longer than a couple of pages, consider the format of the document. A general policy statement followed by bulleted key points is easy to read. You can also append an FAQ with examples of situations and best practices to further clarify topics.

What to Include in a Policy

Online content goes into the public domain, just like press releases or marketing collateral. Therefore, a social media policy should explicitly state that it applies to online platforms (social networks, blogs, wikis, and multimedia sites) for both professional and personal use.

Full disclosure is important, not just for the company’s sake but for the employee’s credibility online. Unless their job responsibilities include contributing to the company’s online presence, employees need to avoid the appearance of being an official company spokesperson.

Here are some basic guidelines:

• Employees must adhere to copyright and privacy laws and should not disclose confidential or proprietary information about the company or its partners and clients.

• Company logos and trademarks can only be used with permission and must conform to the corporate style guide.

• Employees must clearly identify themselves as employees of the company whenever they post or comment on any aspect of company business.

• Employees must clearly separate their personal views from those of the company; a simple disclaimer such as “The views expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of MyCompanyName” is sufficient.

Many companies manage risk by asking or requiring employees to submit content for approval before posting about the company or industry. Some companies reserve the right to have employees avoid certain topics and remove inappropriate comments and posts. Although this sounds rigid, most employees welcome the guidance; they want to promote the company brand and avoid making statements that could create issues.

How to Implement a Policy

Once your policy is finished, appoint some staff members as the go-to people for social media questions. Then make the policy available to your employees, and let them know there has been a change to the employee agreement they signed when they joined the company.

You may want to educate them on best practices for social media—not just to clarify the policy but to ensure they understand social media privacy and security settings. Help them protect their families and their own privacy, as well as your company.

The best approach is to regard the social media policy as a document that enables rather than restricts. Social media has the potential to create a community around your brand and employees are part of that community. They can be your best advocates because they contribute insights, technical expertise, and business contacts. Make sure they receive the guidance they need to express their views confidently in the world of social media.

Note: While this post offers information on creating a social media policy, it should not be construed as legal advice.

]]> http://www.marketingsmartt.com/social-media-policy-essentials/feed/ 1 http://www.marketingsmartt.com/future-nfc-advertising/ http://www.marketingsmartt.com/future-nfc-advertising/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:27:08 +0000 ray.silva http://www.marketingsmartt.com/?p=5256 read more >>]]> What’s On the Horizon

Last month this blog gave an overview of near field communication (NFC) and how it can drive highly personalized marketing.  This month we take a closer look at the benefits of NFC and how visionaries see it being deployed for marketing and advertising.



Earlier this year, Google quietly dropped QR codes in favour of NFC, launching Google Wallet, an Android app that allows smartphones to store credit cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards so that consumers can make mobile payments by phone. On October 5 Canadian mobile development company Gauge Mobile and media company NewAd teamed up to develop North America’s first Near-Field-Communication Ad Network starting with NFC-enabled advertising displays on college campuses. What next?

Let me be the first to say that slicker technology does not guarantee successful marketing campaigns. When campaigns fail, the problems are likely more to do with marketing strategy and execution than technology. NFC won’t solve such issues. However, given its many business benefits, I’m hopeful that companies will plan for NFC more carefully in order to deliver valuable information, maximize brand engagement, strengthen sales, and harvest deeper metrics.

Deliver information on-demand

Have you ever seen an advertisement and wanted to know more about the product or company? Then forgotten about it in the next moment? With NFC, users can tap/point their mobile device to an advertising display or product tag and receive information instantly. Not only could information include topics such as product benefits, ingredients, usage directions, and where to purchase, but users would be able to save the information for later action; or the retailer could include a ‘call to action’ such as a coupon or the opportunity to purchase online. NFC enabled media tells a brand’s story more effectively and captures the customer’s attention by providing valuable information when they need it most – at the point of impression.


Maximize brand engagement

Brand engagement comes from a combination of quality content, company involvement, and customer interest. You may choose to engage customers through promotions, gamification, or customer service. NFC can provide new depth to brand engagement and make your advertisements more effective.

1. Promotions

NFC will make coupons, giveaways, sweepstakes, and contests easier. At the tap of a mobile device, users can win a time-sensitive coupon, receive giveaways, enter sweepstakes or contribute content. Much like “Facebook Connect”, individuals will be able to connect to external applications, websites; NFC-enabled media however, responds in seconds instead of minutes, giving users a seamless and positive experience that leads to stronger brand perceptions and a more effective marketing effort.

2. Gamification

NFC will add a new level of customer interaction by making the real world part of a digital world. This means businesses will be able implement a “gaming / rewards” layer into their marketing efforts without the worry of customer hassles. With NFC this fun iniative will be next to seamless and make participation easy. If executed correctly, this addition to the game layer can result in stronger brand involvement and longer customer life span.

3. Instant Response

NFC will provide seamless connectivity to a brand. This applies not only to marketing, but also to a company’s customer service efforts. Reading through product information can take time and today’s audience wants instant gratification. Convenient customer service can be the deciding purchase factor. When a customer connects to an NFC device there is the opportunity to provide them with direct, real-time communication to a customer service agent. Having a company representative available will provide the audience with a positive brand relationship and satisfy time-sensitive purchase inquiries.

Strengthen sales

NFC-enabled media turns every brand impression into a potential point of sale. Every tagged billboard, poster, banner, or branded object is a storefront. Customers standing in line for transit, paused in front of movie posters, or sitting on a bus will be able to take out their phones and make a purchase.  NFC will reduce the amount of time it takes to browse, inquire, and purchase goods. This expands a business’ reach and enhances shopping convenience.

This grocery store in Korea has provided out-of-home shopping in a subway station. They help customers save time by giving them the opportunity to purchase groceries while they wait for a train. Although this was a QR code implementation, NFC will do the same and also provide a simpler, more user-friendly experience.

Increase depth of metrics

One of the greatest advantages of NFC technology is its ability to collect data. Every scan, purchase, view, or inquiry that runs through an NFC ad network can be tracked and recorded. Advertisers can obtain a more granular view of data. Imagine being able to see how many shoppers interacted with a piece of media, or purchased at the point of impression. This is extremely important because most traditional media metrics are not accurate enough to prove success.

With a well-planned NFC media campaign, businesses can make decisions using data unprecedented in quality, relevance, and timeliness. In a competitive and evolving advertising landscape, NFC will help advertisers and businesses do a better job of planning and justifying marketing spend.

The release of GaugeMobile and Newad’s NFC ad network changes the advertising world landscape. It provides new opportunities and new mediums for creativity. It’s simple, smart and engaging. NFC allows business to provide customers more information, create deeper brand engagement, strengthen sales and increase depth of metrics. Businesses that creatively adopt this new platform will no doubt see impressive results.

]]> http://www.marketingsmartt.com/future-nfc-advertising/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsmartt.com/blog-your-way-to-success/ http://www.marketingsmartt.com/blog-your-way-to-success/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:41:57 +0000 Martin Wong http://www.marketingsmartt.com/?p=5212 read more >>]]>

We always recommend blogging to our clients because it delivers proven results. A good blog increases credibility with your target audience by positioning you as an expert in the field. In addition, blogging helps your SEO results, social media visibility, and increases website visits. It’s an essential component of digital marketing.

As a result, clients frequently ask us, “How should we blog? What are some best practices when it comes to blogging?”

The best business blogs provide regular, valuable information to their target audience. This means you need to determine:

• Who are you writing for?
• What topics will you write about that will keep readers coming back?
• How often will you blog?


Who are you writing for?

Your target audience affects everything from writing style to content decisions. Think of your audience as a community of potential buyers and influencers. Are they graphics designers, operations managers, or personnel departments? Think of the way they talk and use language. The best writing style is one that is friendly and conversational but slightly more formal in tone. A conversational style makes you sound approachable, but adopting a slightly more formal tone conveys a professional image. Write in a way that makes people want to do business with you.

While you should feel free to use slang and other expressions common to that industry, you still need to write a well-structured piece to get your message (and professionalism) across. Also remember that your community includes people who are new to the industry or are looking for information. It’s best to include brief explanations or links to information if you are covering a topic that requires some background knowledge. Don’t assume that everyone knows that an acronym refers to; write the whole expression first followed by the acronym. For example, once you have written “search engine optimization (SEO)” you can use SEO for the rest of the blog post.

For more ideas on writing for your audience, check out this post.

What topics will you write about?

Whether your business sells to consumers or other companies, your blog exists to support your marketing strategy. Are you trying to increase sales, build brand awareness, or communicate with customers, partners and vendors?  Your content (and writing style) should strive to establish thought leadership, provide guidance, and comment on the latest trends in the industry. Content marketing is all about building credibility through sharing expertise. Avoid selling yourself. Think of topics and advice that your audience would find compelling—it’s about them, not you.

One of the best ways to come up with content for your blog is to brainstorm with your team on a regular basis and develop an editorial calendar that spans three to six months. Decide on the “stories”, the key message for each, and who will write them. This allows writers enough lead time to deliver quality content. Find images for each post to add appeal. Finally, it’s a good idea to assign an editor who proofreads all the posts before they go online and tweaks them for a consistent “voice”.

This ensures a blog filled with:

• A variety of topics (to avoid repetition).
• Posts written by different individuals (to make your business look bigger).
• Core issues (to establish credibility in your chosen field).

How can you come up with some compelling blog ideas?

• Interview clients or leaders in your industry.
• Brainstorm “How to” articles.
• Collect industry statistics and consider the reasons behind them.
• Review industry news, new products and services, business books.
• Feature a successful customer project as a mini-case study.
• Use lists: “Top 10 Reasons Why …”, “Best Sources for …”, “5 Good Ways to …”
• Answer customer questions using quick tutorials.

For more blogging ideas, read this post.

How often should you blog?

There’s no getting away from it—blogging requires an investment in time and writing, especially from the subject matter experts in your company. And once you start, you must stick with it because nothing looks sadder than an out-of-date blog; it looks like you’ve given up on your business.

Posts should be regular and frequent. I feel that once a month is the minimum for keeping up appearances, but consistency is the key, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. Choose a schedule and commit to it.

Whatever the frequency, get the most out of each post by ensuring your social media is integrated with your blog. Your Twitter and Facebook updates should include a link to your newest blog post. You want people to share, tweet, re-tweet, and link to your blog.

Blogs can seem lighthearted and spontaneous, but in practice they need a lot of planning and fresh content if they are to contribute effectively to your overall marketing plan. That is still the main goal of any marketing professional: to execute on a marketing plan that reaches the right target audience.

]]> http://www.marketingsmartt.com/blog-your-way-to-success/feed/ 1 http://www.marketingsmartt.com/customer-sells-case-studies/ http://www.marketingsmartt.com/customer-sells-case-studies/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:14:40 +0000 Martin Wong http://www.marketingsmartt.com/?p=5235 read more >>]]>

When a company wants an effective sales tool, there are few types of collateral that deliver as much impact as a well-written case study. A case study offers these benefits:

• It’s a customer testimonial.
• It helps prospects relate your product or service to a real-life situation.
• It can be used as content for a website or newsletter.
• It can be pitched to publications as a feature article.
• If published, the magazine reprints make an even stronger selling piece because it implies editorial approval

Starting a Case Study

The best time to start is shortly after your solution has been installed and the customer is seeing results. Their impressions will be fresh, and they will be as eager as you to promote their success. If you wait too long, that team or manager may be transferred to another project; you’ll be speaking to newcomers who lack knowledge about the original reasons for bringing in your solution and who may not be as positive.

Writing a case study is rarely a smooth, uninterrupted process; the stars that need to be in alignment are often outside your control. So before you hire someone to work on your case studies, take a look at the project workflow—in an ideal world, of course.


Find Case Study Candidates

Salespeople are always eager to promote their successes, so ask account managers to nominate customers who would be good case study candidates. Ask them to approach the selected customer(s). You want to avoid situations where you build plans around a customer who isn’t ready.

If customers opt out of participating in a case study, add them to a list and follow up with them. (More on that later.)

Confirm How Customers Handle Case Studies

If the customer is open to a case study, ask about their company policies regarding them. Sometimes there are no guidelines, and the story goes to their Marketing and Legal departments for review on a case-by-case basis.

Communicate Your Plans

Prepare briefing notes for the customer. Tell them the general intent of the story; the classic format describes:

• The business challenge.
• The solution requirements.
• The solution deliverables and implementation.
• The happy situation afterward.

Include how the story will be used: in a data sheet, in a newsletter, on the website, or as a contributed article to a certain publication.

Respect the Customer’s Time

Your writer must develop the case study with help from subject matter experts (SME). The customer is only one SME; the others are from your own organization. Make sure the writer gets thoroughly briefed by your internal SMEs before interviewing the customer. For example:

• The Account Manager provides background on the situation before and after implementation.
• Marketing provides messaging and the benefits to highlight.
• The Systems Engineer outlines the implementation challenges.
• The Customer provides their view of how your product or service has vastly improved productivity and delivered on cost savings.

Track the Approval Process

Once the story goes to the customer for review, track the approval process and nudge things along in a professional, courteous way.

Build in lots of lead time for customer reviews. Legal and Marketing approval from a customer can take longer than writing the story. Avoid making deadline promises you can’t keep.

Follow Up and Get More Case Studies

Maintain a list of case study candidates. In addition to new customers, this list should include ones who previously opted out. Follow up to find out if their situation has changed. The goal is to have an ongoing case study program, so you can freshen up your website and collaterals with new stories.

As you can see, writing the actual case study may be the easiest part of the process. However, with some preparation and realistic expectations, your company can reap the benefits from a case study program.

]]> http://www.marketingsmartt.com/customer-sells-case-studies/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingsmartt.com/writing-for-your-audience/ http://www.marketingsmartt.com/writing-for-your-audience/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:09:52 +0000 Amy Gyoba http://www.marketingsmartt.com/?p=5131 read more >>]]>

So you know what you want to talk about, but how will you write it? One of the first things they teach you in technical writing is know your audience, and this applies to blogging or any other type of writing.

Before you compose your content, think about who will be reading it and what you want them to do with the information. Use this analysis to guide the tone, language, and strategy of your writing.

Your Audience

Consider your current readers as well as the ones you would like to target. Study your clients, and look through comments for previous blog posts to see if they reveal anything about your audience. Then think about the people that you want to attract. For both groups, consider their level of knowledge and interest in your topic, as well as your relationship to them.

Your Purpose

Decide what you want to accomplish with your writing. Are you trying to attract potential clients? Are you sharing information with your peers? Are you trying to convey a certain image of your company? What action do you want readers to take based on your writing?

Your Writing

Now that you know who your audience is and why you’re writing for them, think about the tone you’ll use to communicate the information. A good guideline is to write as though you were speaking to them in person. Would your tone and language be more familiar or formal? Your relationship with them will determine your tone, which can be conveyed by the type of words, such as slang or contractions, that you use.

If you want your readers to do something based on your writing, how can you persuade them to do it? A common method is to present their problem and then provide your solution.  Keep in mind your audience’s level of knowledge and interest in the topic; you may need to explain unfamiliar terms or provide more background details. And when you present the call to action, give a reason why they should do it because they’ll be more likely to comply.

Finally, before you publish your blog post, read it out loud. Make sure your writing sounds natural, that the content flows in a logical way, and that it supports your purpose.

Image Credit: Rosenfeld Media / cc

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