Goodreads Monday

Goodreads–one  of  my newer favorite sites.  If you’re a reader and haven’t  visited Goodreads–check it out.  Goodreads

Also, take the time to visit Bitten By Books today.  They’re having a release party for Dakota Cassidy’s newest offering, Accidentally Demonic.

I spent Saturday doing a bit of laundry and making a trip to the feed store. Then Katie, Seth and I drove to Athens to check out Avatar in 3D.  It seems the reviews are either way good or way bad on this one.  We really enjoyed it. Although the storyline was a tad predictable, the  imagery more than made up for that.

I’m still reading (and loving)  Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.

A nice review can be found here.  With it being so dreary, muddy and dull around here, Ms. Priest’s blight-afflicted Seattle adventure has everything I need to overcome my rutty mood.  Zombies whose bite necessitates limb removal, airships, an alternate history, and unlikely heroes–Boneshaker has it all.  Thanks for the ride, Cherie!

The countdown is on to the 2010 Romantic Book Convention in Columbus, Ohio.  I’m taking daughter, Katie and I think one of her friends, Kristen is going with us, too.  We went in 2008 but just for two days.  We’re going for the whole convention this time and are extremely excited!

One of the dinners we’ll be attending is the Faery Ball on Thursday night.  With a theme of elemental fairies, costume making is going to be fun!  I think I’ll try to document our progress.  Pattern choices so far include–

I’m going to be making 3 of these.  One for Katie–who wants to be an earth fairy, one for Kristen who is probably going to go with water fairy and one for me who is going to be a fire fairy.  Because of course, I’m so hot–hee hee.

Today’s Book Ramblings

Visited Bitten by Books today–haven’t checked in there for a while since I’ve been so busy with school.  Glad I stopped by as they’re hosting an interview with YA author of Fallen, Lauren Kate.   I’ve been wanting to read this one because of the setting–a Civil War academy in Savannah.  Check out the trailer~~

Just started The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and already I’m wondering again how wonderful stories end up manipulated and shredded in the movies.

This article in the Seattle Times says it much better than me–

The Lovely Bones’: Director Peter Jackson overburdens Alice Sebold’s delicate novel

Back on the Blogging Bandwagon

I can’t believe that it has been almost a year since my last blog post!  This blog was started as a requirement for a master’s course which I have now finished.  I have my master’s degree!!!  Needless to say, the last few months have been extremely busy with work, family and studying.  Now I find that I do have some time to get back to blogging and I’m going to concentrate on three of my passions–marketing, reading and trying to channel Julia Child.

I’ll be posting odd thoughts about marketing, what my latest favorite book happens to be and any new and delicious recipes I find.  You’ll also see references to my feathered family, too, as they keep me entertained and frustrated at the same time.  My chickens are a lot like my kids in this way, however, if my chickens make me really mad–I can eat them!  (just kidding!)

Before I sign off I want to share a well designed book blog called In Which a Girl Reads.  Check it out, make a comment and be entered to win a book or two!

The Future of Blogging

This blog has been the result of a class assignment for my Emerging Media course.  I must admit that I’ve learned a great deal from my participation in this course.  Mostly, I’ve learned how blogs work and the impact they can create.  In the past I had considered blogs merely as “online diaries” written by wannabe writers, however, apparently I must be one of these wannabe writers as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the blogging process. 

One of the things I’ve learned is that for a blog to be successful, one must try and post regularly.  I think that many start blogs and may post for a few weeks but then they lose interest or don’t have the time for frequent posts. Then when someone does stumble upon their blog, the visitor is likely to be disappointed to find the most recent post to be months old. 

When blogging to create interest in a product or service this could be devastating.  What customer is going to have faith in a business who can’t manage to keep their blog fresh and relevant?  It would be better to not have a blog at all than to take that risk.

During this course I’ve also learned the importance of networking through social media sites like Facebook or MySpace.  These sites are attracting more members daily and it looks as if their membership will continue to grow.   Even Oprah has jumped on board hosting Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerburg, for a recent show where all things Facebook were discussed.

I still need to figure out Facebook and MySpace–I guess I’m just a bit leary of posting something that may somehow be used against me!  The things Photoshop can do are amazing!

I think people and businesses will continue to use blogs to express themselves and to build brand relationships.  I do think that the format may change somewhat as technology seems to always be improving on the basics.  Twitter seems to be a blog spin-off in that people are sharing what they’re doing, but in 140 words or less and without the graphics.  I’m sure as digital capabilities continue to evolve, then our methods of communicating whether it be blogs or Twitterspeak will also continue to evolve.  For the IMC practitioner the challenge will be to try and stay as current and up to date as possible.

Marketing through Social Media

There’s been a lot of talk lately about social media.  First a quick definition–see if you agree with it. I like this one as it makes more sense than others I’ve read.  It was written by Joseph Thornley, CEO of Thornley Fallis a full-service communications and public relations firm.

Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. To do this, they use social software that enables anyone without knowledge of coding, to post, comment on, share or mash up content and to form communities around shared interests.

Some examples of popular social media sites are on line discussion forums like those available at Weightwatchers.com; networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace; and social messaging services like Twitter. 

Chris Crumhas blogged about some ways that businesses around his hometown of Lexington, Ky. have utilized social media–along with suggestions for others to jump on board.  His post can be read here–Real Life Examples: Local Social Media Marketing in Action.  Seeing how businesses are putting social media marketing techniques into use is a great way of gaining an insight into just what can be done with today’s technologies.

 Taking a look at Facebook, I’m amazed at its continued growth.  Facebook has now outpaced MySpace with a registered user base of over 180 million.  Smart businesses can use this huge community to their advantage by using just a few simple ideas.  One thing a business can do is to watch what people are saying about your business and use that to build and improve on your brand’s reputation.  By having a Facebook presence your company will increase brand awareness and chances for interacting with customers.  Facebook also has many ways of targeting ads through user profile information.  Because people can opt in to be your friend, you can target messages specifically to those who have already shown an interest in your business.

Minorities and Marketing, OK or not?

Recently we have been discussing marketing to minorities and whether or not that is truly an ethical thing to do.  First off, what is a minority?  Definitions can be somewhat ambivilant on what should be considered a minority.  According to the federal government a minority is basically  anyone who is not white–i.e. Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, Asians,  American Indians, etc.  This definition refers then to ethnic differences.  What about those who are in same sex relationships?  Would they be considered a minority group?  And what about little people?  I ask because I just saw a television commercial starring a “little person” that was advertising Burger King Burger Shots.  It actually occurred to me to wonder if this was a politically correct thing for Burger King to do.

We seem to be always wondering if we’re offending someone–whether it’s little people, African-Americans, American Indians, people with pink hair and nose rings–where does it stop?  How does today’s marketing professional avoid accidentally stereotyping a minority?  Probably the best way of avoiding a faux pas when it comes to minorities and marketing is to ask the opinions of either a focus group or a consultant before any campaign is initiated.  By doing this  if there is some overlooked offense, it can be corrected before a costly and probably unforgettable, error is made.   Check out these ads from the past–what trouble these would cause today!

Here’s an old TV commercial that would never make it in today’s politically correct culture.

This 2006 ad shows just how hard it is to be politically correct these days.

Just what is New Media?

This semester my class has revolved around types of new media and how IMC (integrated marketing communications) can use these media to connect with consumers.  But what exactly is new media?  A simple definition is that new media is a general term for all forms of communication that are a result of the use of computer technologies.  This is contrary to old media which is represented by print, magazines and any other communications that are static in their presentation.  The main identifying element of new media is that it has the capability of being interactive.  So what are some examples of new media?  Here’s a few of the more popular, but of course, this list grows almost daily. 

Web sites

streaming audio and video

chat rooms

e-mail

online communities

Web advertising

DVD and CD-ROM media

virtual reality environments

integration of digital data with the telephone, such as Internet telephony

digital cameras

mobile computing

Naturally, all of these new technologies have put a serious crimp in the print business.  I’ve posted before about the demise of the newspaper business and it doesn’t seem like its going to get any better.

 So of these, which is the most important to those who practice IMC?  The actual question is which of these is of no value to IMC practitioners?  The answer is none.  All of these methods of communication are important and useful to interact and build a relationship with consumers.  As more and more become plugged in and logged on, the importance of staying digitally fresh and up to date becomes apparent. 

The most valued consumer relationship is one that is interactive.  This means that the consumer knows they can communicate with a business and be heard.  Whether this is through a corporate blog where consumers can post their product opinions or through twittering with representatives of Barack Obama, people want to interact and they want to do it digitally.

Continuing to Chum

After my last post, I realized I hadn’t delved into the many other ways to increase blog traffic.  Besides the contest angle, some of the other ways to attract visitors to your blog include posting regularly.  And of course, if you are a witty, inventive writer all the better.  By posting regularly and passionately you are more likely to have regulars who will return again and again to hear what you’re saying.  However, if they’ve visited once and then a week later, visit again only to find no updates, then they’ll be disappointed and not likely to return.

You can also discuss controversial issues.  Nothing stirs up interest like a good controversy. When the following cartoon appeared in the New York Post, bloggers everywhere found excellent blog fodder.

 

Inviting guest speakers to post on your blog is another excellent way of increasing traffic.  For example, if your blog is a place where you discuss trends in make up, inviting a professional make up artist to blog about a new technique should inspire those with similar interests to stop by and visit.  This works best when you and the guest blogger post about the upcoming visit.  Then, those who have never heard of you but do follow your guest speaker will be led to your blog and become enamoured with your witty writing skills.

Another skill you need to develop when trying to increase blog traffic is that of creating a visually attractive post.  It is absolutely necessary to include pictures, charts, bullets, color etc. to keep your blog visually appealing.

This fascinating tip from SEOmoz on the importance of brand building with your blog

Possibly one of the most important aspects of all in blogging is brand-building. As Zefrank noted, to be a great brand, you need to be a brand that people want to associate themselves with and a brand that people feel they derive value from being a member. Exclusivity, insider jokes, emails with regulars, the occasional cat post and references to your previous experiences can be off putting for new readers, but they’re solid gold for keeping your loyal base feeling good about their brand experience with you. Be careful to stick to your brand – once you have a definition that people like and are comfortable with, it’s very hard to break that mold without severe repercussions. If you’re building a new blog, or building a low-traffic one, I highly recommend writing down the goals of your brand and the attributes of its identity to help remind you as you write.

Another important factor to remember when trying to increase traffic, is to write simple, but catchy title tags so that those who subscribe to your blog will be curious but not overwhelmed. Making sure to use the right tag words both in your title and throughout your blog is essential for search engines to find you, also.  Running your title through a couple of search engines may help you find a way to improve your wording in order to receive more hits.

The top things to remember when encouraging blog visits would be to keep it simple, witty, visually interesting, tag worthy, interesting (through contest, guest bloggers, etc) and mostly remember to write passionately.

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blog! or how to chum them in.

There are sure alot of blogs out in cyber world now.   But do you know what a blog is?  I know some people don’t because when I tell them I’m writing a blog, they ask what in the world is a blog and why am I writing one.  My quickest explanation is that a blog is an online diary where you write whatever happens to be on your mind and then invite others to read your thoughts and post comments.  For some, this is a matter of self-expression–the need to write down and share their thoughts on anything from daily homesteading activites to political ramblings and ravings.  For others, writing a blog is part of their effort to further their brand’s recognition and awareness.  Many corporate blogs are designed for this purpose.  And there are some that are really good at getting their message across without sounding like they’re trying to shove advertising down your throat.  I’ve written about corporate blogs before and I still feel that two of the best are Dell’s and Kodak’s.

What is apparent about these two blogs is the passion for the products the bloggers are discussing.  They are not just raving about computers or cameras, they are sharing their interests and product expectations with others who do the same.  Because their products encourage lots of consumer interest, drawing these folks into reading the blogs and commenting is fairly easy.  However, what do you do when you have a product that doesn’t necessary have a huge following yet?  Or how do you encourage communication with those people who may be interested in what you have to say about your product?  In other words, how do you chum in readers to your blog?

I like to read–alot.  Some of my favorite authors have created blogs to discuss what they are currently working on.  This helps to create interest for their upcoming books and hopefully aid in sales.  Some of the ways that these authors encourage readers to visit again and again is to hold contests.  One of my favorite authors, Gena Showalter, not only posts regularly on her blog  (also a way to chum in visitors), but she routinely holds contests for her readers to win books.  And what serious reader doesn’t want to win a book?  When looking at ways to increase traffic to my blog, I posted on two forums where I’m a regular visitor, Backyardchickens.com and Paperbackswap.com.  I asked for people to visit and comment on my blog and at the end of 3 weeks I would choose a prize winner.  For backyardchickens.com visitors I offered either $15 to be used in the BYC store or a $15 Amazon gift card.  For Paperbackswap.com I offered a choice of several popular hardback books, $15 Amazon gift card or 4 credits to be used at PBS.  Both of these posts led to many new visitors to my blog.  The amount of traffic increased tremendously with some  very nice comments made.  Just check out the stats below.  You can easily see how much the traffic jumped in response to my posts announcing my contest.

PPC, Google AdWords and Frog Feeders

I’ve got my product, my web site and my keywords.  Now how to use them to drive the most business in my direction?  One way to go is to advertise by using Google’s AdWords service.   Adwords is Google’s money-making service that ties together your keywords with your advertisement.  So if you’ve got your keywords linked with AdWords, then each time someone searches using those keywords, your advertising link will appear in the search results.  You will only pay, though, when someone actually clicks on your link.  Mostly.

It is a bit more involved than this, really.  Where you show up on the list has a lot to do with how much you “bid” on popular keywords, how your web site is linked from other sites and even on how old your domain name is.  Some pay per click is flat rate, too.  Here’s a quick definition of the difference between bid based and flat rate from Google’s own Wikipedia.

There are two primary models for determining cost per click: flat-rate and bid-based. In both cases the advertiser must consider the potential value of a click from a given source. This value is based on the type of individual the advertiser is expecting to receive as a visitor to his or her website, and what the advertiser can gain from that visit, usually revenue, both in the short term as well as in the long term. As with other forms of advertising targeting is key, and factors that often play into PPC campaigns include the target’s interest (often defined by a search term they have entered into search engine, or the content of a page that they are browsing), intent (e.g. to purchase or not), location (for geo targeting), and the day and time that they are browsing.

So the trick is to figure out the best use of these techniques to make my product show up in enough searches to keep my business going.  Naturally the best way to do this is by simply keeping very good records of the number of hits you receive using one method or another.  Also, experimenting with the way your keywords are phrased could also lead to different search results.  Google your own keywords and see what the results are and then tweak to improve.  Keep tweaking and updating to encourage those visitors that will bring in the bucks.