Ruthings

My Klout score!

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:25:46 -0500

I just found out about this site through a friend’s mention of Qwerly. My score - not too bad for a semi-newby, I’d say! :)

SPARQCode (and others) make QR Codes Acessible for Small Businesses

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:12:00 -0500

When checking out from a store, everyone’s familiar with the beep! sound of the bar code scanner. When this product was introduced, marketers and customers alike were probably so excited at the efficiency they could now enjoy. Marketers and customers now have another new technology that could make it easier to communicate: QR codes.

A TechCrunch article describes SPARQCode, a company that is taking using the idea of QR codes and making it more accessible for smaller businesses. Although not the first company to do this, SPARQCode allows businesses to build their own QR codes based on their social media presences and then print the codes for customers to scan when in the location.

However, according to the article, SPARQCode hasn’t perfected this yet. QR-code-scanning customers still have to log in to the business’s Facebook or Twitter account, an aspect I didn’t really understand through the TechCrunch article. However, I’m sure this or another company will iron out the creases and make the QR Code scanning process seamless before we know it.

Even if it’s something that doesn’t go beyond the trending talk, it’s an idea I’m sure others will continue to build on. Personally, I’m excited to get my new smartphone for Christmas for many reasons — one is to find and use one of these QR codes!

Would a cyber war be safer than a regular war?

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:31:45 -0500

You’ve probably heard that Einstein quote that goes something like, “World War Four will be fought with sticks and stones” because in World War Three, we will have nuked each other to an Armageddon.

Well, Einstein didn’t know about the digital age—something that would have a massive impact on any potential mass wars of the future.

I am somewhat a pacifist and would prefer to see no more war during my lifetime. However, if it were to happen, there’s a good chance it would be a “cyber” war, a term that has come to our attention in light of the recent WikiLeaks case. In addition to gathering in a common area and protesting the denial of service to WikiLeaks, people are making a political statement by hacking into financial companies’ websites, according to CNN.

Most are deeming this particular instance a cyber “attack” rather than a cyber “war” because it does not involve two sovereign nations.

But what’s to stop two sovereign nations from engaging in a cyber war?

Imagine the power some countries like Iran could have if they were able to hack in to all Americans’ computers somehow and steal or destroy or somehow technologically ruin our identities! How frightening. However, might this be better than an actual “war” where people physically die?

That’s a question I hope we never have to truly answer, but, sadly, it’s something that could happen a lot sooner than we would think.

"If you don’t have time for social media, you’re basically saying you don’t have time for the..."

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 23:46:29 -0500

““If you don’t have time for social media, you’re basically saying you don’t have time for the customer.””

- Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics
This quote comes from a phone conference Erik had with my social media graduate class at St. Bonaventure University on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. (via jbgordo)

Using LinkedIn Ethically & Effectively

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:31:00 -0500

Professional networking can be a nerve-racking process, especially for recent graduates with little real-world experience. Many adults young and old want to stand out but are shy or nervous in a networking setting. They have to fight that introverted feeling to really build up their networks.

For Gen Yers (like myself) who grew up communicating through AOL Instant Messenger and Facebook, in-person networking may be especially stressful. In fact, if you think about it, we’ve used these digital tools to communicate on so many levels, from breaking up or getting together with a significant other to sharing a baby’s birth or engagement to finding a job. So, it would seem LinkedIn would be the perfect tool for current and soon-to-be professionals. Using LinkedIn, they can build their professional networks without even leaving change from their PJs or leaving their bedrooms!

But, while LinkedIn certainly has its uses, will Gen Y be able to use it effectively and ethically? Here are three LinkedIn features and tips ethically minded Millennials may want to keep in mind on LinkedIn.

1. Recommendations

Are LinkedIn recommendations useful? It depends how users obtain them; if they follow similar ethical procedures you would follow for offline recommendations, then they’re probably quite useful. For example, would you ever ask a best friend with no professional affiliation with you to write you a letter of reccommendation? Maybe, but you’d be more likely to ask a former supervisor who loved a project you worked on under him as an intern. The dilemma on LinkedIn, though, is that often a person viewing your profile won’t know that you and your best friend agreed to give each other stellar recommendations to look good. Because giving recommendations on LinkedIn is so seemingly simple, why wouldn’t you ask your BFF or mom or boyfriend?

Hopefully, you would consider that it’s unfair to employers who obviously won’t know about that “agreement.”

2. Group Discussions

LinkedIn is essentially bragging about yourself and sharing your interests subtely. An offline networking rule applies to LinkedIn, too: Networking is not about asking for a job.

Professionals should be careful using LinkedIn to send broad status messages asking for a job. They could more effectively and ethically use the site if they focused on building relationships with each other, perhaps making each other aware of professional interests and needs as the relationship develops. Remember, in the end, social networking of all types is about building relationships through discussion, not about trying to sell, sell, sell!

3. Messages & Introductions

LinkedIn’s private messaging tool functions like e-mail and is a great way to meet and be introduced to new like-minded professionals. However, as touched upon above, it’s important professionals go about messages, introductions and connection requests in a personable, respectful manner.

For example, avoid saying in your connect-to-me request, “Hi, I’m Sally and I’m looking for a job in marketing. Can we connect?”Also, you don’t want to use the generic “Can I add you to my professional network?” That makes it look like you don’t really care about taking time to see what the person’s about. Instead, personalize the message, even if it’s something brief, such as “I found your profile in the St. Bonaventure Alumni group and noticed you are involved in marketing in the Rochester area. I’d love to connect with you!”

Conclusion

This whole post comes down to the importance of respecting ethical principles valued on almost all social networking sites and also those extra set of principles valued in the offline networking world. Whether you’re on LinkedIn or at an alumni networking event, when building your professional network, you should try to act strategically, aiming for quality over quantity.

Working on long-term relationships like this can lead to increased expertise, a larger professional network, and, down the road, even a job!

HOW TO: Back Up Your Tumblr Blog

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:26:59 -0500

HOW TO: Back Up Your Tumblr Blog:

mashable:

If Tumblr’s (nearly) day-long outage taught us anything, it’s that we should probably start backing up our content.

How Social Media has Changed Our World & Our Lives

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:33:00 -0500

Social media has affected and changed our lives in many ways. Personally, I’m very thankful these changes took place.

I always felt kind of cautious entering the marketing world because I pretty much hate most advertising (it’s just annoying) and I strongly dislike when people or companies lie, cover things up or take advantage of people. For these and other reasons, I studied journalism as an undergrad. I wanted to help the world by telling the truth.

More and more, though, I’m learning marketing doesn’t have to be just about ads and puffery. In fact, thanks to the emergence of the internet and social media, today’s best marketing is just the opposite!

Social media has made marketing much more effective and honest. Also, social media has transformed many aspects of our lives. Three particular changes stand out in my mind, changes discussed in the book “Socialnomics” by Erik Qualman (and many other publications, too, I’m sure).

Social media has made life in general more transparent. Compared to any other time in history, it is much more difficult for anyone, including organizations and individuals, to get away with being inauthentic. For one thing, people can usually identify if a company is being authentic online or not. Just think how easily spammers stick out from legitimate e-mail messages that you’re interested in. Also, as mentioned in “Socialnomics,” social media has eliminated the ability to have social schizophrenia. In other words, your work life and your personal life are melding together because your work friends see you in your personal life atmosphere and vice versa.

Social media has made us more productive (if we choose to be). Rather than waiting until someone comes to use with news or information about their lives, social media gives us the ability to find things out on our terms. If a friend has a baby, she will most likely update her Facebook status when she gets a chance. I can then comment on that or send a card without her having to call or contact each person individually. Of course, there are those who say social media makes us less productive. However, in my opinion, every technology can be used for or against productivity; it just depends how each person chooses to use it.

Social media has made us all more connected. This is my favorite way social media has affected our lives. I have a lot of relatives in Virginia whom I get to see a few times a year, and we email once in a while. But more and more of them (including my 83-year-old grandmother!) are getting on Facebook. This makes it much, much easier to see what my family members are doing through their status updates, photos albums, etc. Then, when I see them in person, we can feel a deeper connection because we already have the “basics” down. For example, I knew before I got to my grandmother’s on Thanksgiving that one of my cousins just got a new job. Rather than asking her generic questions about her life and how it’s going right now, I can skip right to what we really want to talk about: her new job. It helps us all have a deeper, stronger relationship with loved ones, even if they do live 400 miles away!

Awesome use of social media to make money

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:48:33 -0500

Awesome use of social media to make money

RelaxZen Review - Click link to learn more!

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:48:31 -0500

RelaxZen Review - Click link to learn more! :

I received a free sample (courtesy of Smile.ly!) of RelaxZen, a nighttime sleep aid that helps you relax and get to sleep easier. I was satisfied but not overly impressed. However, I plan to try it again. I have $1 off coupons; if anyone’s interested in trying it, let me know! Also, you can visit ThirstMonger.com/RelaxZen and enter the code SMILE to receive 10% off and free shipping through Dec. 31.

The more you know, the more you Kohl's.

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:53:27 -0500

I come from a long line of women who love doing whatever it takes to buy something at a low price. For that reason, my mother, grandmother and I love shopping at Kohl’s, where customers can purchase stylish items while not spending extravagant amounts.

If you shop in Kohl’s for an hour, you’ll hear this message over the loudspeaker at least once or twice: “The more you know, the more you Kohl’s.” This message speaks to the department store’s big idea of helping customers save money. Lucky for us, they’re taking that strategy even further this holiday season by expanding their sales and rolling out tactics that make the integrated campaign even more integrated than last year’s holiday season.

The message of savings ring throughout shoppers’ ears in holiday-friendly statements like “Give, Save, and Be Merry” and “Give, Save, and Save Again with a Kohl’s Charge Card.” Customers can enjoy savings opportunities like Early Bird/Night Owl sales, Kohl’s Cash and special Kohl’s charge card holder discounts. Shoppers will learn about deals available through:

Print: Kohl’s advertised four pre-Thanksgiving sales and plenty of post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas ads/shoppers.

Social Media: Kohl’s social media mix includes Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, with the latter being its most useful, according to this Yahoo! Finance article.

“The company has seen substantial growth of its Facebook fan base, which has more than doubled since 2009 and now exceeds 2.8 million. As a result, Kohl’s will continue to increase interaction on the site, making it easier for customers to shop and share their experiences.”

Mobile: Kohl’s fans can shop from their mobile phones and use special discounts they may have, something they couldn’t do before. Also in the same vein, if store visitors don’t find exactly what they want in the store, they can order online from in-store kiosks and have the item(s) shipped to their homes for free.

Email Alerts: Those registered for Kohl’s emails will receive plenty of discounts throughout November and December.

Direct Mail: Kohl’s charge card holders will receive plenty of money-saving mail from Kohl’s this year, including “Pick-Your-Day” sales. I know from experience that these pieces work, especially with my mother and grandmother. They always ask themselves if the other got the 15%, 20% or 30% coupon. If they got the measly 15%, they try to find someone who has the 20% or 30% since shopping passes can often be reused.

TV/Radio: Kohl’s uses TV and radio ads to attract audiences nationwide.

In-Store: I would say in-store marketing is important to any clothing retailer and Kohl’s does a great job of reminding you where you are and giving you incentives to continue shopping or return to shop. Examples of this include Kohl’s cash, the loud speaker announcements and displays at the registers.

I could probably find even more examples of Kohl’s marketing campaign integration, but this seems to prove my point: Kohl’s has really hit the mark with “The more you know, the more you Kohl’s!”

"weal \WEEL, noun: 1. Well-being, prosperity, or happiness. 2. A raised mark on the surface of..."

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:42:25 -0500

“

weal \WEEL, noun:

1. Well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
2. A raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow.
3. (Obsolete:) the state or body politic.

”

- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/weal

The future makes me freak.

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:48:32 -0500

So, after talking with some Boomer/Gen X colleagues today about some “problems” Gen Y has, I was going to write a post about technologies or business tools that won’t be around by the time Gen Y is the current age of Boomers (about 60). I was thinking 40 or so years from now, calendars, watches, alarm clocks, email, computers, etc., won’t exist separately.

They’ll all be in this one little device we call a mobile phone, cell phone, or something else.

But I started jotting down a few ideas and felt a teeny-tiny panic attack hit me.

The year 2048. That’s when I’ll be 60.

And writing that year down just freaked me out. Just like writing the year “2010” did back in, say, 1998 or 1999.

But it’s coming, just like it came for others before. And that thought just kind of made me think … maybe I don’t really want to write about scary future things right now?

Make your own app (for not too much money!)

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 01:48:11 -0500

Make your own app (for not too much money!) :

This is awesome. I’m definitely going to consider using it for my thesis project!

Are marketers neglecting Baby Boomers?

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:46:00 -0500

Are marketers neglecting Baby Boomers?:

I don’t think so - I never would. But I found this article interesting, even though it makes marketers sound like those Eskimos or whoever that leave their elderly grandfather out in the winter snow to freeze to death…

Some things never change - like many of Godin's lessons in 'Big Red Fez'

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:22:00 -0500

Although seemingly ancient in online years, “The Big Red Fez” by Seth Godin presents plenty of tips and pointers for creating user-centered websites that marketers can still apply today.

The book’s clean format and concrete examples, although outdated, made it an easy and enjoyable read. After reading the book, I felt like I had taken a short amount of time to learn plenty, including the following 10 points.

Make it easy for visitors to find the most important part of the page. Google is a good example for this point. When you type the address in, the homepage is just the word “Google,” a couple search options and the search box itself. Clean, simple, and users immediately know where to go: the search box.
Simplify. Fastcompany.com does a great job of simplifying its website. When you first get to the homepage, you see three main areas: a top menu and two panels of stories. Your eye goes to the initial story/picture, which is often what you’re looking for when you visit the homepage: the top news. Compare that to nytimes.com, which is informative but the opposite of simple, in my opinion.
Make it easy for people to share information.This is especially important in today’s world of social media. Many sites now have a “share” option for people to share content they enjoy. Mashable.com does a great job of this by making it extremely easy to share an article on Facebook or Twitter (and other sites, too).
Design each and every page with only one objective. Nintendo does a great job with this. Their page is clean, easy to navigate and not cluttered. I enjoyed using it, even though I wasn’t looking for anything.
Make your pages, e-mails, etc., about the customer, not about the company. YouTube, and many other new media-type sites, does a great job with focusing on the visitor. YouTube stands out in my mind because, upon logging in, it recommends new videos for you to watch based on your previous views, favorites, etc. It suggests videos based on what I, the customer, want rather than what YouTube, the company, might want.
The most-clicked location on a webpage is the left-hand corner. However, sitesell.com missed that memo. After looking through about 30 examples that used the left-hand corner (mostly to bring visitors to the homepage), I finally came across this site, which didn’t. How frustrating. (And how ironic. The company helps people build websites…)
Own up to your mistakes with a smile. After reading an article on the site, I decided to look around drkisane.com and at one point hit a “404 error” page. Normally, at this point, I would have completely ignored the page. But this error page actually made me chuckle. What do you think?
Make your site easy to stay with, even for lazy people (and on the internet, we’re all lazy).Think about social media sites like Facebook and StumbleUpon; not only do they draw you in, but they keep you looking around for hours by continuously suggesting information that relates to you.
Building tension is smart, but don’t promise something and fail to deliver.
Avoid redundancy!

The last two are self-explanatory, in my opinion, and I had a tough time finding examples. And saying much more would violate that last pointer I provided!

Loco over location-based services?

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:51:10 -0500

Maybe location-based services aren’t as up-and-coming as marketers first thought.

According to a MediaPost article, a recent study shows only about 4% of adults use location-based programs and many who don’t use it cite privacy reasons. I agree that could be an issue. If I’m hanging out at a cafe or bar, I might not want some creeper who sees my check-in to come find me. Or that somewhat sketchy neighbor to know I’m not at my house.

But I think this hasn’t taken off completely for another reason, something I believe will begin to resolve itself in the near future.

Although all the talk is about smart phones, there are still a lot of people without them. I’m one for example. Two of my roommates are two more. In fact, thinking seriously, the only close friend that I can think of who has a smart phone is my boyfriend, who just got a Blackberry for use with his new job. (Is a Blackberry even considered a smart phone? I guess, in my opinion, it is.) This will probably change soon; in fact, I’m hoping to get a Droid or some kind of smart phone with internet for Christmas. I have tried using Foursquare on my regular phone but texting it got so confusing. Perhaps this will be easier once I have a smart phone.

Group Coupons: A Blessing or a Curse?

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:46:27 -0400

Group coupons through sites like Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com may seem like a Godsend for businesses and customers alike.

They allow people to receive great deals and discounts on certain products and services while businesses get more customers. But is it all so good?

According to an article on msnbc.com, group coupons may actually have a negative impact on small businesses that can’t handle a large, temporary surge of customers brought on by group coupons. For example, a small business that’s used to only 50 customers per day will surely have a customer service problem at hand when 500 customers show up instead. When customer service decreases, so does customer satisfaction, leading to a decrease in loyal repeat customers.

So, what should businesses do?

They shouldn’t give up on the idea of group coupons, not just yet.

The MSNBC article says Groupon suggest capping the number of coupons. Another suggestion might be to wait until a business gets a bigger shop or hires more employees to service customers.

In the end, if these “fixes” aren’t possible, it might be smart to hold off on group coupons. After all, I’m sure another trend will come along soon enough!

Integrated Promotional Contests Keep Giving

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:49:00 -0400

Without a doubt, contests are a great promotional tool to generate sales and increase consumer brand awareness. Consumers are more likely to buy something they think might make them rich or give them something they want. For this reason and others, many companies employ the promotional contest tactic. Recently, Sara Lee’s State Fair Corn Dogs launched a particularly successful contest, through which participants could win a $500,000 dream home and other instant prizes (TVs, grills, etc.)

While the contest aspect of the State Fair case is interesting, I found two other aspects particularly intriguing. The first aspect is how integrated the contest’s campaign was. According to a MediaPost article, State Fair used package messaging, free-standing newspaper interests, mobile and a microsite. All of these methods together, to me, signify the importance of IMC. It’s not enough to do a contest and run an ad about it in the paper.

And the results of this contest prove how important the combined aspects are, which is my second point. According to the article,

“Through the promotion, the microsite received more than 250,000 unique registrations and 1.65 million game plays while increasing the brand’s consumer e-mail database by 400%.”

400%! That’s huge. And that means not only did State Fair reach its target consumers (moms) through the contest, but they can use the contest’s effects/results to continue to reach that market.

What do you think about promotional contests like this? Have you ever been involved in them?

Greenwashing: Modern-day Tom Sawyer

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:31:00 -0400

Are your company’s products green and sustainable? Probably not. Just like Tom Sawyer convinced Jim that whitewashing a fence is fun when it’s really not, companies may be convincing consumers they’re sustainable when they may not be.

According to a recent study, 95 percent of consumer products provide buyers with misleading claims about how green the product is. Some companies simply offer no proof of their claims and some use vague or confusing language that misguides consumers. The big question, though: Is this ethical? Is it OK to make information fit as long as it’s based on an original truth?

My initial reaction is that it’s not OK. Saying something is true when it’s only half true must be half lie and, therefore, not fully truthful. Sounds philosophical, huh? Some might argue that marketers don’t have that “full truth” obligation. If it has an element of truth and consumers believe it, what difference does it make?

The difference is having a conscious. Consumers should be able to trust that companies they purchase from are telling the truth. And if they aren’t people will find out (eventually) and should take their money elsewhere.

Political attack advertisements gain vengeance

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:46:00 -0400

Political attack ads are far from new; in fact, they’ve been so overused, many people have become practically numb to them. But what happens when someone crosses the line? There’s a big difference between calling someone a liar and a baby killer.

One of this year’s political candidates just may have crossed that line. Missy Reilly Smith, whom CNN dubs “the long-shot Republican candidate from the heavily Democratic District of Columbia,” aired an advertisement in the D.C. area heavily criticizing pro-choice activists. (See the ad on YouTube here. And a warning: It contains graphic content!) She calls President Obama and Sen. Pelosi, among others, “advocates for killing these babies at any time for any reason using abortion,” while an image of bloody, dismembered fetus arms are shown on the screen.

The interesting issue for marketers here isn’t about abortion but rather about how political campaigns (and accompanying laws) work and what may be in their future. The D.C. network had to run this commercial because Smith is a legitimate candidate. A CNN article says,

“According to the Federal Communications Commission, broadcasters can only reject a federal candidate’s ad if it contains a copyright infringement, or is defamatory.”

So, fearing legal trouble, the network ran the ad with two disclaimers: one warning the ad contained graphic content and another stating the ad is required by federal law without modification.

These days, politicians are very rarely seen as possessing class; most Americans view them as mudslingers who’ll do whatever it takes to win the race. It may be challenging to see this issue without a bias depending on how you view abortion, but consider this:

What if political advertising moved away from slamming their political opponents to showing grotesque, disturbing ads like this? Is this highly emotional and highly sensitive form of advertising a way of taking advantage of the public by not showing both sides to an issue? And does this even matter anymore?