“Inside the Mind of Google,” the CNBC Documentary

Currently the video can be viewed on Hulu, or in 5 segments on YouTube. I found it interesting and informative.

Maria Bartiromo goes inside Google, claimed by some to be “..the most successful company in the history of the world.”

Topics of discussion are privacy, Google Goggles (their mobile visual search product), AdWords and Google Earth.

Maria travels to Nogales, AZ to showcase Paul Bond Boots, and the small business success they enjoy through the use of Google AdWords.

The Washington DC fire department uses Google Apps, including a customized application of Google Earth. They use it to identify abandoned buildings, find other fire trucks and EMS services and locate properly functioning fire hydrants. In the first year, Google Apps has reportedly saved DC taxpayers more than $3 million.

Interesting facts about Google:
-    For employees, the food is great, the environment is fun, and their laundry can be done for them. Google wants to hang on to their bright employees, and keep them focused on work.
-    In the late 90’s, when students were asked to test the product, they stalled at Google’s minamalist look, sitting for almost a full minute, “Waiting for the rest of it” to load.
-    Almost 2 billion Google searches are performed daily.
-    Since Google is a 3rd party, the data they collect isn’t protected by the 4th amendment.
-    After 18 months, your search information is “anonymized” by Google.
-    Android, Google’s mobile browser has 10,000 apps, compared to iPhone’s 100K.

Steve Smart provides marketing help for busy entrepreneurs. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Big Retailers Inviting Competitors Into Their Sandbox

Some major retailers are opening their online space to competitors, as they monetize their sites that have high traffic, but low conversion.

Natalie Zmuda’s March 8, 2010 article in AdAge Digital Media brings up an interesting trend. (Link to article at the end)

In a nutshell, the article talks about retailers who are looking for more revenue in down times. With conversion rates of only 3%, some are finding new revenue in the form of paid ads from Google AdSense. Natalie mentions Target, Wal-Mart and CSN.

The idea of inviting competitors’ ads into your sandbox makes for some interesting questions.
- How strong does your brand have to be for this endeavor to produce a net gain?
- How do you manage the risks and rewards of a program like this?
- How do you weigh the benefits of the ad revenues against the unknown lost sales?

Google AdSense lets you block select advertisers, so you can tailor your program to allow competition that’s less direct. Fringe customers might produce more revenue from AdSense than from the shopping cart. And if your conversion rate remains the same, the program could be called a success. On the other hand, surfers might find a new and more satisfying source.

The Target, Wal-Mart and CSN sites handle the ads differently. They also differ in their use of social media.

Target Stores:
- Target has no sponsored ads on their home page, but they can be found at the bottom of some of their deeper pages, like men’s jeans.
- Target appears to make no use of social media.

Wal-Mart:
- Wal-Mart’s site is similar. At the bottom of their bedding page they have sponsored ads linked to competitors that don’t carry the same brand.
- What is different about Wal-Mart’s site is their links for Twitter, Facebook, Mobile and RSS.

CSN:
- CSN differs. The page with exercise bikes has more prominent sponsored ads, high and on the left side. At least one competitor has some of the same equipment at the same price.
- CSN not only has links for Twitter and Facebook, they also have a blog with sweepstakes you can enter.

More questions:
- If retailers open the door to sponsored ads, how do they juggle product lines?
- Do they have to develop unique or exclusive lines to minimize competition?
- Would there be a struggle between their primary business and their advertising business?

The AdAge article can be found here.

Steve Smart provides marketing help for busy entrepreneurs. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Is Video About to Get Better on Your Mobile Phone?

Trying to view video on my Blackberry curve is frustrating. Some will show, and some won’t. I’ve been able to view some YouTube videos, but when I try to view the Vimeo clip of me on the race track, it doesn’t seem to work. Although everything’s fine on my PC, there’s some inconsistency in the mobile video experience.

That might be changing with HTML5, the newest major revision of web markup language. In recent weeks, both YouTube and Vimeo announced that they’ll be offering alternative non-flash versions for viewers. Supposedly, some current videos have a link underneath to watch in the non-flash version. I keep checking but I still haven’t seen this feature.

The technical stuff goes over my head, but the reports I’ve read suggest some of the benefits of HTML5.

Flash is kind of a resource hog, so watching video on your computer without requiring flash is helpful. Another benefit relates to mobile phone users. Many phones don’t have flash, sometimes because it’s not available for them.

On the downside, it looks like only a few browsers support HTML5 at this time, but that’s likely to change too. Although we in the US are behind other parts of the world, mobile usage for the whole online experience is growing. We’re expecting more out of our devices, and mobile video is part of it.

It’s been discussed and even used on some level for a few years. But as our mobile devices deliver a more consistently friendly platform, I expect that we’ll start seeing advertisers take more advantage of the technology.

Related articles if you want to know more:

About HTML5:
http://tinyurl.com/y8hm8oe
http://tinyurl.com/yjwmx8r
http://tinyurl.com/p8kfce

About Mobile Video Advertising:
http://tinyurl.com/ydxnx53
http://tinyurl.com/yd3f652
http://tinyurl.com/ye7gcxr

Steve Smart provides marketing help for busy entrepreneurs. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

MAKING YOUR MARK – Simple tips for logo design

You’re a small business owner and you want to leave a favorable impression. You have a logo, but years can pass, your company can grow, and your logo can become outdated.

Several factors can make you want to avoid addressing it. Time and effort are required, and it involves an artistic process that can be fuzzy and even emotional. Here are some helpful tips that can bring some logic to the process.

TIME IT WELL: Rework your logo before you launch a new web site or order new product literature. You don’t want your old logo on expensive printed material that’s expected to last for years. If you’re planning a big campaign, do your best to have only the new version seen in all places.

MAKE IT SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE: If possible, your logo should make a statement about your key value or mission.  Consider BP, formerly British Petroleum. Now an “energy company,” their logo represents the greener sentiments they want to convey. If your product can be characterized as “fun” or “reliable,” a well designed logo can communicate that feeling.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: It should be easy on the eyes, and excessive detail should be avoided. The brain shouldn’t have to do gymnastics to figure it out. Shell’s logo is a great example of simplicity. Nike and Pepsi are two more examples of simple logos enjoying worldwide recognition.

The Starbucks logo history shows a progression toward more simplicity.

SHAPE: There’s no hard and fast rule, but some like a logo (or a version) that can fit in a circle or a relatively square space.

IT MUST REDUCE WELL: Your logo needs to be clear in both large and small scale. A great example is General Motors, whose logo is even clearly recognizable in their FAVICON, the tiny image to the left of the URL in your browser. There are creative options, however. OfficeMax uses the ball of rubber bands for their favicon.

SAY IT IN BLACK: Color printing is becoming more affordable, even at home. But you still need to make sure that your logo looks good in black and white. Ask the designer to provide a version in black and white in addition to the color original.

CHOOSE A PROFESSIONAL: Getting a logo on the cheap will not serve you well. It’s not easy to create a profoundly simple yet original image that reflects well on your business. Interview several professional designers, and ask to see a portfolio of their work. Compare their work with the logos of respectable companies. Some professionals who work for agencies do a little side work, and that can be a great source of savings.

VERSIONS and RIGHTS: Make sure that you truly own the work. Get versions in both color and black & white, and in its original file format, along with versions you can use on your own.

MORE RESOURCES:

http://tinyurl.com/3fnl7w || http://tinyurl.com/4mjj9g

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #6 – Dont ForgEt Proofredding!

We’re at the end of our series of Simple Tips for Communication, and we’ll finish by talking about Proofreading. (Hope you got a charge out of the title.)

During the course of this series someone brought a typo to my attention. I laughed, knowing that this last point was on its way. I made the correction, but I messed it up. I had to correct it again, and chuckled as I did.

It’s all too easy to get in a hurry and fail to check our work. Even when we check it, we can get it wrong. I once had a boss who insisted, “You can’t make the same error twice when you’re checking the math on your sales figures. It’s just not possible.” Well, I proved that he was mistaken. I am indeed a meathead, and I found that my mind could play the same trick on me over and over again. Something similar can happen when we check our own written communications. We know what we meant to say, so we can miss little typos or grammatical goofs here and there. (If you’re like me, you’re still learning the art of grammar.)

I think we’ve all figured out that spell checkers are great, but don’t find all of our mistakes. Simply looking for the squiggly lines doesn’t cut it. Some resulting bloopers are funny, like when the church bulletin says, “Ushers will eat latecomers.” We all want to do a good job in our professional communications, so it’s important to get it right. Sometimes it’s mission critical.

Although someone else isn’t always available to help, it makes a lot of sense to get the use of another set of eyes whenever we can. I often like to solicit my wife’s assistance, and she does a good job of finding my little blunders.

Sometimes people fail to check web addresses and hyperlinks. No one likes broken or incorrect links, so this area requires attention too. And here’s a tip: If you’re working with a long URL, you can use a shortener like tinyurl.com, which gives you a customizing option.

I want to leave you with something funny.

Have you ever wondered about instructions that come with products that were obviously manufactured in foreign lands? I’ve never been able to figure out why they don’t get a true English speaker to proofread the translation. This product description that I found online is a real hoot. It’s for a tool used on auto brakes.

Lock Technology (LT 770) Dual Piston Brake Press: The LT-770 presses in dual brake pistons as intimately as undivided pistons brake calipers. Universal applications programme against to the highest degree cars, short and sonorous trucks. Easy undivided patch performance, eliminates nuts and bolts to get together and dismantle on brake assemblies.

What is a short and sonorous truck, anyway?

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #5 – Be Compelling

We’re almost to the end of this series on simple communication tips, and this tip relates to the reason we’re communicating our message. We want to make sure that our message is COMPELLING.

Of course, we’re going to consider context again, and specifically the context of purpose. Not everything we ever write will need to be compelling. For example, if you’re creating content for an owner’s manual, the purpose is information and instruction. You can apply some of the other communication tips, but you won’t be going for inspiration.

On the other hand, there might be good reason to take your “how-to” content for print or video and make it fun and engaging. It might be a good way to build brand loyalty.

When developing a communication piece, these are some of the questions I like to ask myself:

“What value can I offer my audience?” This is the whole reason we’re planning some kind of message – to offer something to our audience. Even when the purpose of our communication is for our own economic gain, we have to look through the lens of our audience and offer something of value to them. Another way to ask this question is, “Why should they listen to me, and what’s in it for them?” If we can’t answer that question, it may be that what we have to say isn’t worthwhile enough to waste our breath.

“What do I want my audience to feel?” Television ads are great at playing to our emotions. Their objective is to make us feel comfort, urgency, joy or even sorrow. When I present a motivational or inspirational message, the intention is obvious. I choose my words carefully and make good use of vocal tools like cadence and tonal quality. That also helps to hold peoples’ attention.

“What do I want my audience to do?” This is obviously an important question for marketers, but I want to point back to the first question. If your audience doesn’t see the benefit of taking any particular action, the most skillful tricks in the book won’t produce the kind of results you’re looking for. If you do a good job of conveying value, a few well-crafted words or appropriate visual cues with simple and clear guidance will be more powerful.

Speaking of visual cues, don’t underestimate the value of powerful images. Words are necessary, but images communicate elements of your message more quickly and effectively. They can play a huge role in the success of your endeavor.

Were any of these points helpful? Do you have any to add?

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #4 – Be Complete

In the last post we looked at the principle of being concise in our communications. This time we’re considering the idea of being COMPLETE in our message. Being both concise and complete can be a challenge, but you can do it with some thoughtful consideration.

CONTEXT and INTENT: The “complete” story means different things in different settings. Nike can easily post a billboard with their swoosh logo, and their tag line, “Just do it.” Their intent is simply to build brand awareness.

But that won’t do if you’re looking for detailed product information on their web site. On the other hand, you don’t want product information if you’re reviewing their company history. And if you’re making an online purchase, you want very clear, well-placed instructions for each step.

EXPECTATION IS THE KEY: Consider your context and intent, and the expectations your audience will have. When planning your communication, ask yourself, “What is it that MUST be said in THIS message or space, and what information will the audience reasonably expect?” After your message is written, review it to see if important details or instructions have been left out. If you fail to provide all the important relevant points, your audience will probably want to go elsewhere.

LEAVE ’EM HUNGRY: Sometimes it’s actually constructive to leave something out. Depending on your intent, a well-crafted message can leave out just enough to make your audience hungry for more.

Next Post – We’ll cover the subject of being COMPELLING with your message.

Were any of these points helpful? Do you have any to add?

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #3 – Be Concise

This week our topic is on being CONCISE. I’m referring to two things; the overall length of the communication, and quickly communicating each point. I like the term “economy of words”. But it’s important to understand that being concise relates back to the context. One example is oral vs. written communications. This series of posts, for instance, came out of a single oral presentation. I wouldn’t put it all in one post or newsletter.

ORAL: In oral communication there is usually a predetermined expectation of the length of the message. We can also use tonal quality, cadence and motion to help the audience stay interested, understand the material, and categorize the pieces of information.

WRITTEN: In a written piece, the context can vary widely. Here’s an example; as a BMW enthusiast I have a magazine subscription. I like to savor the articles. Some are longer than others, but it’s the pleasure of entertainment that I’m after. If I’m reading a business-oriented blog, I want one or two points that I can quickly digest and move on with my day. A white paper, on the other hand, is something I expect to spend more time reading.

CAPACITY: I have discovered a general principal from being both audience and communicator. The capacity of the communicator is usually greater than the capacity of the audience. Very simply, I probably have more to say than you’re interested in hearing.

ESSENTIALS: When planning content, I like to ask, “What are the essential points I want to address?” Some of my greatest pearls might not fit in the time or space allotted, and they might be better suited for another subject or occasion.

REVIEW: It’s important to review a piece before publishing. A thorough review reveals places where I can do my audience a favor by being more efficient. When I can, I get someone else’s input before I publish or deliver the message.

Next Post – We’ll cover the subject of being COMPLETE in your message.

Were any of these points helpful? Do you have any to add?

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #2 – Clarity

Last week we looked at the subject of CONTEXT. It’s one of the first things I consider when developing a communication piece.

I like to deliver content in a way that can be easily understood. So I pay attention to the idea of CLARITY, and consider the following points:

STRUCTURE: Is there an orderly progression of ideas that makes sense? If you are anything like me, I need to know how each point fits in the overall structure. I don’t like getting lost in a mish-mosh of ideas that seem difficult to categorize.  A lot of worthwhile information can get lost in that kind of rubble. Frankly, depending on the subject matter, this step can take a lot of effort. But it will help you and your audience if you pay close attention to this element.

ANALOGIES: Make sure you use analogies that really work. Of course, many analogies break down and don’t fit perfectly, but it’s important to make sure that the main idea is a good parallel. Don’t leave the audience wondering how it fits.

ILLUSTRATIONS: This relates more to oral presentation. Stories that paint a vivid picture can really help your audience grasp the subject matter. One of my current instructors does a good job of making ancient subject matter come alive by connecting the dots to present-day realities.

Next week we’ll cover another “C” of communication; keeping your message CONCISE.

Till then, celebrate well, and stay safe.

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.

Communications: Simple Tip #1 – Context

This week I’m starting a series of simple tips on communications. Many of us need to communicate in some capacity in our professional lives. Sometimes it’s oral, and sometimes it will show up in print or online. Regardless, there are some simple tips that will go a long way to help us do a better job. This week covers the topic of CONTEXT.

My first step in planning a communication piece is to consider the context, covering a variety of elements.

AUDIENCE is the first element I consider. When speaking overseas I learned a lesson when I made some humorous mistakes with analogies that didn’t work. Even when I’m communicating with an audience of peers, I don’t assume that everyone has the same knowledge base or frame of reference. As I prepare, I try to stay aware of the assumptions I’m bringing to the table, and make adjustments as needed.

MEDIUM is another element. If I am presenting orally I consider the situation and ask myself about the setting, the audience attention span, and how long the message should be. If I am preparing a written piece, I like to consider where the piece will be, how people will be getting it, and in what context they’ll be reading it. Other considerations are in play for online communications. Using content in multiple applications? I need to make modifications when I’m drawing from an oral presentation and putting it online or in print.

Was this article helpful? More on the way in the weeks to come.

Steve Smart helps small business managers attract more customers through improved marketing efforts. He can be reached at srsmart@2Qsolutions.net or 636-699-8772.