perspicacious medley

Twitter Brand Perception Survey - WS

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:56:00 +0000

Get your own at Scribd or explore others: Business twitter brands

Band Names Rejected by the Smashing Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:55:00 +0000

BY RYAN VAUGHAN

Eating Candy

Wearing Costumes

Carving Pumpkins

Smashing Mailboxes

Egging Houses

TP'ing Front Yards

Drinking Schnapps

Razorblading Snickers

Shitbombing Principal Reynolds' Beemer

Riding in Squad Cars

Calling Stepdad for Bail

Doing Community Service

Five Getting-Started Blog Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:29:00 +0000

By P.J. Fusco, The ClickZ Network, Jan 30, 2008

While most in the SEO (define) industry probably consider blogging to be a no-brainer, many large online retailers have yet to embrace the concept of broadening their online range with blogs.

From a pure SEO perspective, blogging offers many benefits. Search engines, and Google in particular, love blogs. A blog naturally tends to rank better in search results than an e-commerce site for specific topics, because blogs have a freshness factor most e-commerce sites can't achieve.

Blogs can readily be set up to be crawl-optimized by design. But don't run out and start a blog at Blogger or MySpace. You're far better off using Moveable Type or WordPress to produce your first blog at a tenured, company-held domain name or, at the very least, incorporated into your existing site.

There's little or no heavy lifting required to set up a blog. Search engine spiders respond just as easily. Because blogs are usually only two or three layers deep to crawl, search engine spiders can rifle through most blog constructs quickly and efficiently. This helps keep indexation levels repeatedly refreshed, particularly if frequent posting is a top priority.

Blogs are generally considered more "real" and inherently trustworthy compared to self-serving corporate or e-commerce sites. There's less direct financial incentive in blogging, associated bloggers, and blog content. All other elements being equal, a well-written blog is as trusted by readers as by search engines. Due to its interactive nature, a good blog can go far to enhance the visibility of brands, goods, and services.

So what's a good blog, and how does it become great? A good blog really has something to say to its audience. If the content resonates well with visitors, readers can get hooked on it. Repeat visits lead to more RSS feed subscriptions, which transcend to greater content syndication that can increase an online retailer's new-to-file acquisition rates. All this can be achieved with a concentrated effort to engage the audience. If you're scared of your customers and fear what they might say about your brands, goods, and services, you'd better make it a really great blog.

A good blog also encourages natural link building. Bloggers tend to befriend and link to other bloggers. Even a blogger for a big company or major brand can gain trust in the blogosphere by producing a blog with something real and new to say. A blog makes you one of them. Bloggers are therefore more likely to link to your site and blog and to provide favorable coverage on their blogs. Blogs build an author's credibility as a thought leader in a space so long as posts are relevant and intelligent.

A well-written blog can enhance your company's online reputation, recruit new clientele that increases traffic to your native site, and be a significant part of your long-term link-building strategy. First, though, you may want to answer a few questions. For example, how do you get started?

Getting a new blog started can be the hardest part. Choosing a topic, getting the blog designed and set up, putting metrics in place, and creating an editorial calendar to ensure that enough content is generated take time, a modest monetary investment, and, most important, a little planning. Many online businesses find the following questions are the toughest to answer before beginning a blog:

What will the blog be about? The blog's theme should be consistent with the company's product or service lines, but tangential enough so the blog isn't solely about things the company sells. A blog that only exists to link to its e-commerce site won't get far in the blogosphere. Jewelry retailer ice.com came up with a gossip-rag angle with its Sparkle Like the Stars blog. The blog has a trendy, fashionista gossip columnist writing style, talking about what jewelry celebrities are wearing and how to replicate the look. It's much more buzzworthy than a "here's what's new in stock" blog. SeenON, on the other hand, avoids the gossipy side of the conversation to focus on what celebrities are wearing and where. Both blogs work well for the different online retailers.

Who will blog? Company blogs can be written by employees, non-staff, or brand evangelists (i.e., passionate customers). If the blogger is outside the organization, make it clear the blog is sponsored by your company to avoid negative press about ghost-blogging. Blogs have been lambasted for trying to fool readers (e.g., Raging Cow, Wal-Mart). Employees make good bloggers because they understand the brand direction, and the message can be controlled more easily. Nonemployees make good bloggers because they tend to be more trusted and less prone to having a one-track mind when it comes to writing strictly about products. Who blogs really depends on your blog's theme.

How much time will blogging take? Daily posting is ideal, but a couple times a week is sufficient. The higher the posts' quality, the less frequently you have to post. If each post takes 30-60 minutes to write, that's one-five blogging hours per week. And when you're first getting started, it's a good idea to allocate an equal amount of time to commenting on other bloggers' blogs. Total blogging and commenting time is about 10 hours a week, unless there's a cumbersome post approval process. If the legal department must preview each post, rewrites and disclaimers could add some 30 hours per week to the timetable.

What will blogging cost? Many blog services are free, but no-fee blog services aren't optimally designed to maximize keyword visibility and link popularity. A corporate blog should represent the company in voice, design, and brand. It should be built on a solid strategy and planned to deliver maximum benefit to the company's e-commerce Web site, while not appearing to be a corporate tool. Starting a blog can cost very little if "brandonistas" are involved, or it can cost as much as an entry-level marketing position. All the same, the technical platform is relatively cheap.

Will blogging really help? If the blog is optimally created and maintained, with a transparent, sincere voice and a commitment to using it to build relationships as well as links, then, yes, it will help. How much? That depends on how much the company is willing to invest in developing relationships with customers and prospects in the blogosphere. The only time blogging can really hurt is if the bloggers are insincere and dishonest and ignore their audience, or if your company has a god-awful online reputation in the first place. If you're in a war of attrition over your company's online reputation, it's going to take a heck of a lot more than a simple blog to fix the mess you're in.

From a SEO perspective, starting a blog is just one tactic. A brand-spanking new blog should be considered just a part of your overall SEO strategy. A blog can be a big or a small part of that strategy.

Don't have a SEO strategy in place? We'll have to leave that conversation for another day!

Social Media- Good Question

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 03:21:00 +0000

With the rise of social media and user-generated content, how do you manage your online reputation and maintain, enhance & protect your brand identity?

With the rise of social media and user-generated content, managing your business’s online reputation is key to owning your brand and is fast becoming a growing problem for companies.

Are you using the services and technologies of emerging vendors such as Reputica , Nielsen BuzzMetrics , Andiamo Systems , Market Sentinel or Visible Technologies to help you monitor, protect, nurture and build a stellar reputation for your business.

For further insight on this topic, please visit:
http://www.saastream.com/my_weblog/2008/01/new-years-top-r.html

Christian Smagg
Csmagg@gmail.com
www.saastream.com

Answers (40)

Ray . Casey

Owner at Arestar (R*), LLC - Innovative Home and Marine Automation Solutions

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Business Development (1)... see more

Good questions and I am waiting for the answers :). First off get tuned into the Trademark process, know the terms of usage of the site you post to, get a trademark in the EU first and then US (My brand/trademark is getting slimed by a gangster rapper, thug from France on MySpace, very painful for me, yet I complained to facebook and they knocked this guys account offline the same day of the complaint. MySpace has done NOTHING in 2 months). Create a BLOG to use as PR when the abuse starts... Make sure you win the SEO battle against the offenders. I am not an authority here just telling ya what I am dealing with right now. Oh, get a lawyer :)

Ray . Casey also suggests this expert on this topic:

Paul Burkhart

Clarification added 27 days ago:

BTW - Also be very sure you 100% trust and know the person/company that does your incorporation for you. My incorporation was BOTCHED and that left the door open for my troubles. The plot could even be uglier if you are not working with a will known/reputable incorporation mill.. Caveat Emptor and do NOT shop for the rock bottom lowest price on incorporation...

posted 27 days ago | Flag answer as...

Joey Rahimi

Managing Director, BrandingBrand.com

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Best Answers in: Internet Marketing (1)

This is an excellent article.

It reminds of the Microsoft Vista ... and how the average computer buyer nowadays is saying, "I need a new computer, but it can't have Windows Vista on it"

If you go onto Dell or HP, you can't buy a new computer that does not have Vista, so many buyers are forced to go to websites that are lesser known and less reliable because they have older computer models that use Windows XP. Many others though are buying MACS ...

Sure, there are problems with Vista, but Microsoft should have people out there not only fixing these problems, which they already are, but also promoting that the problems are fixed and that the uproar is somewhat of a hoax. In other words, hire people to comment on the blogs, the forums, and the message boards. Microsoft should create it's own blog, and encourage customer participation and insight. The more microsoft participates in the discussion, the better they will be treated as a brand.

The same should be applied to any business. Every business should have a blog that encourages participation. Every business should have a facebook and myspace pages that lets customers see who they're dealing with.

Microsoft isn't some large corporation that feeds off of the weak ... it's an innovator, with innovative people that love their company, their work, and their lives. The more we are able to meet these people face to face (online), the better it is for their brand.

Bottom line. No matter what business you're in, large or small, you gotta let your customers "in" buy participating in social media. Those that don't participate will be left behind.

Joey Rahimi
joey@brandingbrand.com
www.brandingbrand.com

Links:

posted 27 days ago | Flag answer as...

Curt Craighead

Divisional Content Manager at JCPenney and Owner, Best Light Communications

see all my answers

It's short sighted and ill-advised to think you can. As a consultant, I find the companies most interested in managing their online reputation and brand ID are companies more interested in managing the perception of the truth. That is to say if you are operating in a way beyond reproach, the management of your corporate persona isn't an issue. Slander and disgruntled employees notwithstanding, we should be building brands and organizations we're proud of, and are confident enough to launch into the world without trepidation. This pride in itself enhances the brand identity.

posted 27 days ago | Flag answer as...

Emna Astrous

Independent Internet Professional

see all my answers

Social networks and UGC can be an opportunity for your on- line business as well as a part of risks that can threat your brand image and reputation:

1. An opportunity:

Social media (digg likes, bookmarks, newsgroups) allow you to build and diffuse your brand image quickly, but you should choose ones which drain visitors to your web site, so you don’t waste time and effort in building relationships within networks without any returns.
Because, to generate qualified traffic than convert these leads into customers, not only simple customers but loyal clients, need too much efforts and energy.
To build long term relationships is the key for your business.

Let clients and potential customers take part of your activities: suggest new ideas, recommend your products and promote your business thanks to marketing article and affiliate programs.
Bloggers can be powerful affiliates to your campaign and share the marketing effort with you.

Also the promotional supports that you can supply them with are important. As we talk about viral marketing and prescriptions, testimonials are good means.

2. A threat

Also social media can be a best place for upset customers or even in-home employees to attack you and get your image down. So the tip don’t upset customers and keep an eye on your unsatisfied employees.
It’s so important to track what’s been said inside your social networks or other networks.
May be all you need is so simple than you thought: just tape your domain name or your company name in Google “it will told you what’s been told about you in the hood”.

posted 27 days ago | Flag answer as...

Mark Brimm

Search Marketing Analyst at Interface Communications Group

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Being a die-hard search marketing guy, I still think this question relates back to search strategies. Whatever people can search through a Google-affiliated search engine will yield results which will create the main consumption channels online. Social Media Optimization and other more recent developments all are little more than novel ways of looking at the same old search equation. Keeping the brand intact is more specifically a branding issue and I think belongs as a subset of search marketing for any web marketing department. I like all of the tools mentioned, and many others like the Google tools rolling out now, but I think too much emphasis is usually put upon the do-it-all tool to perform magic since most tools can't quite "do it all". The magic is in my opinion to be found within the experience of the hardcore web marketing veterans who have experimented and innovated over the lifespan of the Google phenomenon and how it has transformed/subsumed all other innovations on the web regarding search.

Ultimately, I think the brand identity does not normally suffer from over-exposure issues in the social media arena, however, care must be taken in the selection of social media marketing partners. This is another reason why nobody is ever going to be satisfied with any one suite of tools out there in the quest to conveniently leapfrog the search marketing expert.

Blogging and other user-generated content will find it's own sphere and I think it already has, largely. It's not given more credit than due, and ultimately we are all going to have to surrender to the idea of everyone having a potential impact on our brands. This is why PR is already factor to displacing much offline advertising already.

Susan Emmens

Online Marketing Strategist and total Word Nerd

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Guerrilla Marketing (1)

Hi there Christian,

Personally, I sign up for Google Alerts to email me when my name or company shows up in a search spider crawl. While it's not foolproof, it at least helps me see what's going on out there.

I've never had to employ any external help, but I'm a wee little person in the grand scheme, and probably not an overly controversial one at that. What I've found has helped with clients who've asked for help with this is aggressive content building around their name or business, securing hits from reputable sites, etc. The more you can drive down the bad reviews in search the better, at least for right now.

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

Renée Barrett

Business Development & Marketing Consultant; CRM Trainer; Social Networking & Change Management Coach; Speaker; & Writer

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (1)

That was an excellent article! Additionally, it's not just businesses but also individuals that face this problem.

Most marketers are familiar with the 4 Ps of the marketing mix: product, price, place & promotion. Online social networking isn't that different.

Here we have become the product and now also must safeguard our unique brand identities. I believe that online social networking which is arguable a form of individual marketing, centers around 4 new Ps: privacy, persona, placement, and postings.

When you participate in sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, Craigslist, Amazon or your own blog, individuals first need to consider these 4 Ps. They will improve the quality of your online social networking experience.

Privacy - Young or old, some degree of privacy is desired. Employers, big brother, and others are watching. Use settings on sites to control who sees what information, photos, & blogs.

Persona - Decide how professional you need to be and how much of your personal identity you are comfortable sharing with the world. You know the first w in WWW. Don't leave yourself vulnerable.

Placement - Time is the most precious and unrenewable resource we own. Who should get your online time? Will it be your friends, hobbies, career pursuits, or kindred spirits? Only you can decide what communities deserve your profile.

Postings - What should I say about myself and others? Will I speak my mind completely or censor myself. Will my words haunt me one day? Am I listing private contact details that jeopardize my personal safety? Metadata can be harder to remove than a tattoo. Think before you post, then edit.

A greater deal of strategy needs to be employed in the cyber world. Businesses and individuals that don’t make themselves aware of the best course of action will be held accountable by someone.

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

John Kaplan

Senior Manager of R&D at VMware

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I think the best way is to get content with value out on the web. Real discussion from genuine people who have a real point of view. Get rid of puffery, get rid of scrubbed, content-free marketing literature, and give away some worthwhile information for free. If people want to engage you and challenge your facts or argue from their point of view, that's great. Keep the conversation going and keep it interesting and your community will find you. The Cluetrain Manifesto is the best resource I've found so far on this.

Kent Lewis

Owner, Anvil Media, Inc.

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Internet Marketing (2)... see more, Career Development (1) see less

While managing your brand and reputation online is more challenging than ever with the Web 2.0 explosion, the fundamentals have not changed. Perhaps my background in public relations helped out in my early days of Web marketing back in '96, but I've been helping clients manage reputations since then, using a variety of tools. To answer your question, I believe the vendors you've mentioned (and a few you haven't like BuzzLogic) all offer powerful insights, but at a relatively high price. We largely rely on free and low-cost tools to monitor and manage client reputations, as much for the value as for the insights garnered by doing your own legwork. We like Google Alerts, RSS aggregators and media-specific platforms like Technorati. For more insights into our philosophy and approach to online reputation management, I've included links to relevant articles below.

Links:

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

Andrew Jordan

Chairman and Founder at Reputica

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Management of reputation is nothing new. Nor is people's willingness to backbite, criticize and generally sound-off about brands, corporates or products. But what has changed is people's willingness to utilize publicly accessible media in which to channel their frustrations, opinions and views. Call it what you like - Web 2.0, social media etc - this phenomenon is influential because people believe people. They always have. How many times have you gone off a friend's recommendation when buying something ? Well, this is still happening only the audience has increased from a small circle to many millions. And that is the principle reason why it is influential.

To reference one of the posters above, yes this is about perception. But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), perception is what counts. Fact plays only a supporting role. I could recount many instances where stock price has been severely damaged by the influence of internet-hosted content but I'm sure you could do the same. Taking the moral high ground and hoping that your brand will carry you through is risky.

So, in my opinion, the challenge comes not only from the ability to monitor what's going on (which Google Alerts do in a limited fashion) but also having a comprehensive knowledge of HOW data proliferates around the internet, a measurement of WHICH data sources are influential and, most importantly, having tools and techniques at your disposal to be able to take a proactive strategy to mitigate potentially damaging data.

Michael Seidle

mike@seidle.net - CEO Indy Associates - Internet Marketing - Affiliate Program Management - SEO

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Best Answers in: Career Development (1)

The secret to having a good reputation isn't buying a glorified content alert
system - it's actually doing good business and being a good human being. If you do things right, you find people that will simply stick up for you (try badmouthing an Apple product). Also, don't stick you head in the sand - let employees participate in forums - and simply have a plan for response to negative posts (i.e. have someone post a "private message me and I'll see if I can help out - then fix the problem) that turns negative into positive!

Most companies that have asked me about reputation management often are simply asking how to silence people from talking about their product or want to create an artificial reputation. Most often it's because a consumer got pissed and put up either a web page telling their story. The first response is to send in the lawyers - which often makes the situation far, far worse.

If you are looking for a good way to keep track of your reputation - try Google Alerts, Technorati and del.licio.us. They cost less, and don't give you "metrics" (which often have more in common with a random number generator) and do show you what Google is finding and indexing and what bloggers are talking about.

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

C. Edward Brice

VP Global Marketing at SAP

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With social media the nature of your dialogue with your ecosystem will be your underlying support for your brand reputation. Being authentic, collaborative, efficient and real time in your social media dialogue will be essential to building and establishing your brand reputation. The goal of social media is to turn your prospects and customers into your brand champions & innovators.

There are several tools emerging to gage the buzz around your brand (Nielsen buzz metrics) and also what sites hold the most sway in your digital ecosystem. For example the SEER tool from VML can identify what bloggers & websites hold the most influence over your particular ecosystem. While these tools give you some insight into the buzz around your brand and where to leverage your message they do not build brand.

Adopting a social media strategy in many ways means adopting a brand vision that stresses a two way dialogue with your ecosystem. The reality is most companies are used to telling and not used to conversing. To make your prospects and brand champions you must focus on building this two way dialoge..It’s expected by your ecosystem. However while its easy to get all the tools in place to build this dialogue it’s another matter entirely to ensure that your company culture is seated in a dialogue frame of mind.

Check out my blog http://marketinggimbal.typepad.com/ on it I discuss social networking and lick to many social networking resources that you find of interest.

ED

C. Edward Brice also suggests these experts on this topic:

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

Mike Bonifer

Author, Educator, CEO at GameChangers

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Professional Networking (1)... see more

The act of branding falls to human beings and the choices we make in our interactions with one another.

Here's how branding will be different in the Networked World ("with the rise of social media and user-generated content") than it has been in the past:

1) Instead of the rigid organizational structures of the Industrial Age, with their top-down dogma and scripted scenarios, we operate with the fluid nature of Networks, with their often chaotic and unpredictable scenarios. ("Network karma runs over top-down dogma, grasshopper. No one cries. Dogma is old and tired. And blind. Did not see karma coming.") This makes possible, in fact necessitates, an open dialogue with the marketplace. Our brand’s messaging, in other words, is not what we DICTATE, but what we ATTRACT. The more productive this attraction, the more potent our brand. Apple, as an example, attracts visually creative people. They do it by speaking in the meta-language of design. This defines and shapes their market and their brand. The number one concern of the stewards of a brand in the Networked World is to attract more productive than destructive energy. The difference between those two forces is the difference between profit and loss. Between ethics and immorality. Between what matters and what does not.

2) The amount of information generated by social media means that brands will get better at filtering out noise to get at meaning. Listening to the market is its art form. Old school Industrial Age brands were good at listening to each another, which meant that the game was often to ADD noise to their messaging to conceal the truth from competitors, the public, the government. In the Networked World, there’s so much noise and natural obfuscation – it’s a jungle out there! – that the tools of listening and monitoring will be of utmost importance, and transparency and clarity will be the objectives. This is where I think your own personal ‘Smagg brand' shines. In an age when what I call ‘Suggestions from the Audience’ shape and inform brands, excellent listening is where excellent branding begins.

3) Assertive protection is vital. When walls come down, the unscrupulous parasites sneak in with the well-meaning tides of people and ideas, and while listening will alert you, the protection of one’s brand in the Networked World can often require fierce action. I go back here, to my original assertion, that the actions taken by human beings independent of any particular brand of software or technology will be what ultimately guide and safeguard brands. Let me give you an example. I have a good friend with a very successful export company based in the Midwestern U. S. 25 employees. 2007 revenue, $125 million. They export over 300 industrial products under their brand name. In China, they have been getting ripped off bigtime for the past 5-10 years by a counterfeiter. The internet alerted them to the alarming scope of the rip-off. In the past year, the company’s management took the following actions: brought in outside counsel with expertise and connections in international trademark law; issued a warrant in the state of Louisiana (tough on counterfeiters!) for the counterfeiter’s arrest; alerted Interpol, and U. S. and British and law enforcement; testified before the U.S. Senate on anti-counterfeiting laws, conducted guest lectures in MBA classes on trademark piracy; got the Voice of America to begin covering the counterfeiting story; and set up a sting operation in London in which the owner of the Chinese counterfeiting operation has been jailed and is currently awaiting a British judge’s ruling on extradition to the state of his worst nightmares – good ol’ Louisiana, U.S.A. Even if that counterfeiter manages to dodge jail time, you can bet he’s going to think long and hard about ripping off my friend’s company again. Monitoring prompted action. Action changed the game.

Thanks for posing the question. Best in 2008!

Megan Carruth - MN - SEO & Internet Marketing

Online Marketing Consultant

see all my answers

(Disclaimer)
The advent of SM really does present more opportunity than it does risk. SM is now the method of choice to enhance brand image, influence traditional media coverage, gain online visibility and build relationships with a targeted audience.

That said..."How to manage online reputation, maintain and enhance brand identity with the rise of social media and user generated content":

1. First and foremost, participate.

Choose a select few, targeted SM channels (to avoid the poor image resulting from weak profiles and to guard against "social media burnout.")
These targeted channels will be topically related to your industry, genre and audience, as well as those that afford an opportunity to distribute quality content that establishes your brand as a thought leader or authoritative source.

2. Use SM to get on the SERPS (search engine results pages).

Know what content will appear in the SERP titles on various SM sites.
If you receive negative "social media press" it can be quickly counter acted by stuffing those negative search results down in the results pages by quickly gaining new positive visibility.

I.e. - If someone posts a thread in a forum, "company x sucks", (forum thread titles appear as the listing title in the SERPS) this press will probably appear on the first page for company x's name. For quick brand management control, Company x can then distribute content that gets picked up in the search engines quickly; like YouTube, forums, blogs, squidoo, etc., making sure to include the business name in pieces of content that get used as SERP titles.

3. Always use the soft sell approach. Whatever SM channel you choose, one thing remains consistent. SM users despise hard sells, or anything that even remotely smells like one.

4. Exercise consistency with tone and manner of your content and writing style. As we all know, consistency contributes to trust and over all brand strength. Align your SM participation with your brand standards.

5. USE GOOGLE ALERTS! Google offers a function that allows you to choose a word or phrase to track - any new appearances of these phrases (i.e. your company name) will be sent to your inbox. The first step in online brand management as it relates to SM is to evaluate the landscape.

As Steve Pavlina says, "ready aim fire" is always better than a "ready, fire fire fire." So true in Social Media!

Links:

posted 26 days ago | Flag answer as...

Peter Nguyen

Editor in Chief, CareerKnowledge.net (omnidigitalbrain@yahoo.com)

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Best Answers in: Career Development (16)... see more

Christian,

Thanks for the links! I appreciate the fact that your questions always contain valuable information!

As an economically sovereign individual, I do indeed seek ways to manage my reputation and "brand" online.

I do that mostly by sharing my knowledge through blogs and portals like CareerKnowledge.net.

Unlike most companies, I create a "nuclear" kind of network where I encourage my connections to resell my products and services, so that they too can make money while I expand my reach and passive income.

In other words, I use powerful concepts like "viral" and "nuclear" in order to saturate the world with my knowledge products. Only by "tasting" my solutions will people truly know what my "brand" is all about.

posted 25 days ago | Flag answer as...

Marc Rapp

Creative/New Business Development at Renaissance Creative

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Best Answers in: Advertising (1)... see more, Public Relations (1) see less

The real value of the internet(s) lies within a system developed and leveraged by the individual. The intelligent application of learned knowledge, is the name-of-the-game. Copyright is being challenged heavily as this progresses. Consequently, marketers and brands ( the oh-so dirty word–commercialism ) will not survive in this model. User-generated content is intellectual property. A user has re-interpreted their experience with a product, service or message. And in doing so, this reinterpretation becomes their ( the user's ) respective property. Doing this in a participatory fashion, they develop a rich reputation built on idiosyncratic data that will then be reinterpreted by another user or discarded based on it's lack of merit. Another community would have made this possible.

Interoperability and mobility of content is subject to copyright, which is the only reason there is not a true mobility; learning what you want, when you want it or–discovering a new product, service or idea.

Ironically, users and companies are willing to use Google docs and Microsoft live for business purposes. Google and Microsoft both stipulate that they are not responsible for lost data and that they may use this data however they see fit. Interoperability and mobility of content is the responsibility of each user respectively.
The box is full of pinholes with a transparent wall.
The Copyright has become the Right-to-Copy.

And subsequently, creativity and copyright ( in themselves ) will need to be redefined.
Teach and inform with selling as an extension.

Curt Craighead, nailed it.

posted 25 days ago | Flag answer as...

Jamil Chughtai

Search Engine Marketer

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Best Answers in: Web Development (1)

Well, that's the million dollar question, Christian —

I believe that many companies are still unaware of the effects of Internet content on their business. Many companies might believe that, especially if their business is offline, that what user-generated content online says about them may not directly affect their business; however, in this day and age, consumers are turning to the Internet to do their due diligence.

A bad review online can make or break many potential sales. I know because I have been clicks away from buying something and, if I see some negative reviews, I will quickly look for somewhere else to take my business.

posted 23 days ago | Flag answer as...

Ethan Jordan

Web, Mobile and Semiconductors

see all my answers

What I think is happening is that the marketplace is finally realizing that brand 'ownership' has actually transferred from the producers of products and services to those that actually consume them daily (about time).

The only real way to manage reputations is to launch products and services from the beginning imbued with qualities that inspire the end consumer to maintain, enhance and protect your brand identity for you. If a bad reputation attaches itself to a brand it is because the products and services impregnated within that brand are fundamentally flawed.

There is a natural conversation that is engineered into the products and services that your brand produces. Whether you're engineering with molecules or electrons you should be cognizant of that conversation before it has the opportunity to magnify itself online.

Given the social media tools currently available for consumers to propagate information one would be foolish to not pay attention to what customers are saying. Furthermore, one would be shortsighted by not creating as many opportunities as possible to get consumers talking. Any tools that can provide you with the ability to capture that information so that you can inject lessons learned into subsequent iterations are gotta haves.

Expending energy to control a customer's ability to proliferate negative brand associativity or to curb their conversation however, is the exact opposite of what should be done. That does not address the core issue of why your customers chose that particular stance.

Let the consumer talk (even encourage them to), they're going to do it anyway. Make sure you've engineered the conversations into the products and services.

posted 22 days ago | Flag answer as...

Pete "NetDoc" Murray

Owner, ScubaBoard.com & InterMedia Publications Inc.

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Change Management (1)... see more, Labor Relations (1) see less

Internet communities are often overlooked and yet are wonderful resources to expose others to your business ethics and ability to resolve customer service issues. Rather than trying to control or manage your reputation reactively, you should be incredibly PROACTIVE in your dealings with consumers.

Oceanic is a manufacturer of Scuba Equipment and realistically their reputation was not in line with the quality of their products. Divers just did not seem to trust or like their gear. After four months of actively participating on www.ScubaBoard.com, they not only repaired their reputation, but they turned it completely around. The president of Oceanic has been quite pleased indeed with their new found reputation and the increased sales it has produced. Before, if you said something bad about them or their customer service, most would agree and few would contest the statement. Make the same statement today and you will likely have a fight on your hands.

You either ignore them an lose, or embrace them and win, but communities are here to stay and people are turning to them in droves to research Avoid them at your own peril.

posted 22 days ago | Flag answer as...

Cynthia Bemis

VP Development at OCTANe

see all my answers

Cynthia Bemis suggests this expert on this topic:

Elmer Thomas

Elmer is an expert on social networking...check out his site at www.thinkingserious.com

posted 21 days ago | Flag answer as...

Jann Van Hamersveld

Systems Consultant - Allergan

see all my answers

Hi if you're interested, there was a really good article last year in Inc. magazine talking about online reputation building. This article basically pointed out that any buzz you receive online that is marginally good, gives you an opportunity to piggy back on that particular contents popularity allowing you to increase your returned relevancy rating on the search engines.

posted 21 days ago | Flag answer as...

Emmanuel Lalloz

Senior Manager, Marketing Director for Wireless Services

see all my answers

Can you give an example of company, in the B2B space, that is facing a reputation problem due to user-generated content? I can see there is a possible connection, I can also see why those "emerging vendors" are ready to jump on this opportunity and play on the fear factor in a post "Arthur Andersen" world. As one of your readers suggest below, the key is first and foremost to focus on making employees and clients proud of the organisation they work for and with.

posted 21 days ago | Flag answer as...

Marc Paxton

Product Specialist & Integrated Marketing Communications Professional

see all my answers

While any of the companies you've listed could do a good job of attempting to manage a company's brand and reputation, we all must consider something: both the brand and the reputation of a company exist in the minds of consumers. Understanding this fact helps relieve some of the pressure that companies put themselves under. They have no control over exactly what people think of them.

That being said, there is a plethora of ways in which to engage customers, and that includes B2B customers. To start out, any company can do some things that don't require the aid of a specialized agency. The road to a good reputation ALWAYS begins with improved customer service; it's the one sure-fire way to improve the way people think about a business, and it's the one part of the good reputation equation that must be there. Every other strategic improvement will relate to the specific business model, but a company that wants a good reputation in the minds of potential and current customers MUST start with customer service.

Agencies that advertise that they can “change your reputation” are guilty of puffery. No amount of dollars spent can change the way people think about you. A good reputation management agency will teach how to manage the current reputation – it’s in the consumers’ minds – and suggest ways that customers can be engaged to help to improve the relationship.

posted 21 days ago | Flag answer as...

Luigi LoPresti

Digital Media Strategist and Consultant

see all my answers

Avoid buzz-word using Marketing people and UGC in general and do something completely and utterly original. Resource the traditions and foundations of your brand culture, ie...why you got up out of bed with a passion in the beginning and build from there. I would AVOID trends, and make my own.

posted 20 days ago | Flag answer as...

Jermyn Shannon El

Founder, BLACKSONVILLE LLC and Marketing and Advertising Consultant

see all my answers

Those who grind will surely shine. Its the power of leveraging as many social networks as possible that will make your brand stand out. Search keywords "black jacksonville" on Google and Yahoo and witness the power of a brand that started on only $200 by a two man team. Web 2.0 forces us all into a world of opportunity through alternative media that gives the end-user complete power and autonomy to play the game as the Big Boys.

Links:

posted 16 days ago | Flag answer as...

Kunal Ghosh

Engagement Manager at Accord Group India (Executive Search)

see all my answers

Best Answers in: Personnel Policies (1)... see more

I think any SME owner, who is tuned in can use several online tools to keep abreast.. use online dipstick surveys to check on reputation, customer satisfaction.. to using blogs and social networking sites to check the buzz.. building custom search engines using google or any other tool is a good way to start, this gathers anything that comes up regarding your product or service across sites, social networks, bulletin boards, online groups, blogs, chat rooms etc..

posted 16 days ago | Flag answer as...

William (Bill) Smith

CEO: Ethical Brand (International)

see all my answers

I appreciate the fact that you’re looking for some insight, suggestions and or guidance on effective services and technologies, but there are no ready-made, out of the box solutions when it comes to reputation. If reputation is to be developed and or nurtured as a competitive advantage then there is no short-cut. The route cannot be driven - only walked. There is no distinction between an online reputation and a reputation. There is only one way to achieve a ‘stellar reputation’ and that is by ‘doing the right thing’. In other words, by delivering a stellar performance in relation to all of the issues that are of interest and concern to all of your stakeholders – not just those in the boardroom and who receive dividend checks - from product quality and customer service, right through to the social impact of your inputs. Attempting to manage perceptions that do not accurately reflect the stakeholder experience is a risky business and it is getting riskier by the day. External services and technologies can only help to monitor. They cannot help you protect, nurture or build a stellar reputation unless you already have one.

posted 16 days ago | Flag answer as...

David Kotowski

Marketing Director of New Development at The Worthing Companies

see all my answers

I took a more basic approach and started a lens on squidoo.com to post and gather all possible information about our company onto one site. I think this site is the brainchild of Seth Godin (author of "The Purple Cow", "The Dip") and it's neat concept when you fully exploit its powers. Right now I use it to pull articles from Google blogs (among other places) that relate to our company based on certain keywords.

The resulting lens consists of information that I have provided (company info and links to our newest development projects) along with data pulled from other external sources. It's pretty useful and it allows me to track activity related to our brand while also providing a place for me to share information that I feel best reflects our company. When something is posted that doesn't reflect our vision I can instantly start "damage control."

You can also create a lens with a custom URL based on ever.com. For example, I chose http://best.apartments.ever.com as the starting point for my page.

Tami (TJ) Grasseler

Interactive Marketing Analyst

see all my answers

Tami (TJ) Grasseler suggests this expert on this topic:

Robyn Greenspan

(Forgive me if I unintentionally flub this "Suggest an Expert". 'First time using this feature.)

Hi - perhaps I can help by referring you to a wonderful, knowledgeable resource on this topic. Her name is Robyn Greenspan, our Editor-in-Chief and the originator of "Digital Dirt".

Best of luck to all on this topic!

Clarification added 16 days ago:

Hi - perhaps I can help by referring you to a wonderful, knowledgeable resource on this topic. Her name is Robyn Greenspan, our Editor-in-Chief here at ExecuNet - and the originator of "Digital Dirt".

Best of luck to all on this topic!

www.execunet.com

posted 16 days ago | Flag answer as...

Ja War

Owner, Music Industry Connection

see all my answers

Just as customers will tell people when a companies products/services don't make the cut, customers are likely to share pleasant experiences as well. A satisfied customer is your best defense to preserving your reputation both online and off.

Constantly, interacting with customers is the best way to enhance your companies products and services. One of the products I sell to make money online are my ebooks. We are constantly thanking customers and asking them for feed back. We will often send customers additional information to help them boost their business or career.

While we don't like issuing refunds our company has made it a policy to promptly refund monies from unhappy customers. Better yet we use these opportunities to find out what we can do to improve so in the future the same are similar situation doesn't happen.

By doing these simple things you help build a solid reputation with customers. They often become stewards of your companies success. These type of customers should be rewarded, by doing so often causes them to do more in way of speaking highly about your company and its' products and services.

McDonalds Wants You To F*ck Its Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:59:00 +0000

26 Jan

Posted by andrew as Advertising

This stuff never gets old. Nothing is better than when a giant company makes an attempt to be cool with their marketing, only to do something that is completely moronic causing the very audience it is chasing to mock them. One of my favorite examples of this is a Wal-Mart commercial I saw some weeks back that contained a fake family made up of some wildly talented African American actors who were working hard to show us that not only do black people shop at Wal-Mart, but it is very cool to do so. In an attempt to gain some street cred, the Bentonville company has one of the actors use the line "Wal-Mart has everything I need. No diggity." I am not making this up. (incidentally, if anyone has this clip…PLEASE send it to me).

Clearly this is not an isolated incident as evidenced today when I headed over to Page2 on ESPN.com. I instantly was hit with a great McDonalds ad that can be seen below. Although I firmly believe that McDonalds is not advocating hot man on sandwich action, it is quite obvious that they did not do their homework on urban slang. If they had, it is likely that they would have realized "I’d Hit It" is not exactly the catch phrase to use when selling fast food.

Is There A Conflict Between Open Social Graphs And Your Privacy?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:40:00 +0000

from the what-about-your-friends? dept

Techblogger Robert Scoble has apparently been barred from Facebook for running a script from Plaxo to export his relationship information (or "social graph," as the kids say), in violation of the site's terms of service. On one read, this makes him a martyr to the cause of open social graphs. I'm a bit more ambivalent.

Intuitively, it makes sense for users to be able to make whatever use they please of information about their own social networks. But in a social network, "your" information is someone else's as well. And on a site like Facebook, much of that information will have been provided in the context of a set of individually calibrated privacy controls, by people who expected it to be used in that context by a limited audience. Exporting that information without permission, then, raises important privacy questions.

Within Facebook, users have a fair amount of control over who can access what information about them. I can choose to block particular users on Facebook, rendering myself wholly invisible to them, as though I weren't even on the network. I can decide how much of my profile information will be visible to friends, to people who live in my region, to the general Facebook membership, and to the Internet at large. I can even decide how aggressively public, so to speak, such information will be. Lots of Facebook users are happy to let friends view their relationship status, but disable those status notifications in their news feeds, to prevent everyone they know from being simultaneously blasted with the news that "Bob has gone from being in a relationship to being single." Automated data collection "liberates" information from those constraints, possibly against the wishes of the people who provided it.

It's true that a script can only sweep up information that would already have been visible to a particular user anyway. But privacy is not just a function of the publicity of your personal information, but of the searchability and aggregability of that information. Public closed-circuit surveillance cameras, for instance, typically capture the same information that a casual observer on the street is already privy to. But we recognize that being spotted by diverse random pedestrians, or even being captured on diffuse and disconnected private security cameras, is not intrusive in the same way as being captured on a citywide surveillance system that is searchable from a centralized location. By the same token, I may be unhappy with the possibility of someone forming an external public database full of data I've freely shared with more narrow communities—personal, regional, or whatever.

None of this is to deny the initial intuition that it's desirable for users' social graphs to be portable to some extent. But as with all forms of intimacy, openness and privacy complement each other: We feel free to share information about ourselves to the extent that we have some assurances about how that information will be used. So while it's one thing to argue that Facebook should enable greater openness or portability in some particular way, subject to user control, it seems like quite another to criticize them for enforcing a rule about indiscriminate automated data collection.

Julian Sanchez is an expert at the Techdirt Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Julian Sanchez and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.

Tip: Export your Firefox bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:58:00 +0000

Firefox is a great browser ‘n all, but if you’ve been looking for a way to create a manual backup of your bookmarks or - *gasp* - try a different browser on for size, exporting your ‘marks might not be the most obvious of processes (by the way: BonEcho in our screenshot is simply an Intel-optimized branch of Firefox). Sure, you can go up to the File menu to import bookmarks, but Export is nowhere to be seen… unless you open the Bookmarks Manager from the Bookmarks menu. That manager is where the File > Export command lives (Mac users: simply make sure that Manager window is front-most when checking the File menu), allowing you to save your bookmarks for backing up, sharing or porting to another browser.

F Cup Cookies: The Fat Will Go Straight to Your Boobs

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:43:00 +0000

Do you want bigger boobs, but don’t want the hassle of breast surgery? Just pig out on some F Cup cookies from Japan and your man is sure to stop dead in his tracks. That’s right, your cups can indeed runneth over with these cookies.

All you have to do is eat 2 a day apparently and you’ll have to beat guys away with a stick. Your grown children will want to suckle you! Car wrecks will be caused by your chest. You will suddenly have a modeling career.

And hopefully my phone number…

Who knows if they actually work, but if so I can see a Howard Stern endorsement in the near future as well as the male equivalent, for those guys who don’t quite measure up.

(Originally posted on poptherapy.com)

Googleicious

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:23:00 +0000

Make Your Website Irresistible to Google and drop your Cost Per Click by 90% or more

Google just announced their new Google Website Optimizer application as a Beta program. But before you jump into using it, you should know a bit more about it. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to using it.

First, you should know that the Google Website Optimizer was just announced. Using it is by invitation only, much the same way Google Analytics was introduced.

Don’t let the fact that it’s in Beta deter you. Many of Google’s current offerings are also still in Beta, including Gmail and Google Video. (And Google doesn’t seem to have the same problem that Microsoft often has with version 1.0 software.)

What I find most striking about the offering is that in their demo, Google talks about optimizing your website for ”making purchases, downloading information, or filling out interest forms.” Ever heard the term “Interest form” before? I haven’t, but I know what it means. It means Optin form. It seems that maybe Google is finally aware of what works in Internet Marketing. I’m glad to see them recognizing these techniques, even if they used the wrong word to describe it.

But you should look at what the program does, and how it works. It’s not as straightforward as you might think.

You see, there are several different kinds of testing methods. The most common of which is simple A/B testing, or Split Testing. A/B testing is when you split your traffic between nearly identical pages — except for one difference, such as the headline. (The thing you are testing is called the “factor”). Then you measure the “actions” (sign-ups or sales) to see which one is better (the different headlines would be called “options” for that factor).

With split testing, we only test one factor at a time so that we know which option is responsible for increasing the amount of actions. If you test more than one factor at a time, you need some pretty sophisticated math to figure out which option of which factor (the headline, the price, the offer, etc) actually led to the better results.

Split Testing is relatively easy to do, and it’s well known that the Headline is typically the most influential factor on the page — and therefore the best thing to test first. So, it’s not hard to decide what to test, and how to test it.

The Google Website Optimizer, though is a “Multi-Variate” testing platform. It will test several things for you all at once, and then do the math for you. Multi-Variate testing can be extremely powerful if done right, and a total waste of time if done wrong.

If done right, you’ll discover not only which factors are most important on your website, but you’ll also discover which option is best for each of your factors, and how the individual factors and options influence each other. The net result is a web page that is magically tuned to provide the best possible results, given the things you’ve tested.

But Multi-Variate Testing (MVT) is complicated. To get good results, you can’t just pick a few random things to test. You really need to think about what you’re testing, and why. And then you need to think about what options to test for each of those factors.

You’ve heard of “Garbage In, Garbage Out”, right? You really want to avoid that here.

I recently read a very good book on the subject of MVT, called Breakthrough Business Results with MVT. It’s actually not about website testing at all, but it does dive deep into the concepts of MVT in business applications, and explains how important the process of determining the correct factors and options are. I recommend it highly before running your first real MVT test.

You’ll also need to be a little handy with basic HTML so that you can install Google’s code on the page. Take a look at the code snippet on this page. Thankfully, you don’t have to understand what that code does. It should be about as easy to install as the Javascript code for Adsense.

The one thing that you really should consider, though, when making your decision about using the Google Website Optimizer is whether you want to be putting all of your eggs into the one Google basket. You’ll have your advertising there, your video hosting, your site statistics, and now your test results.

I’m not sure if that’s a good thing because of the convenience of it all, or if that’s a bad thing to be scared of.

Microsoft is having trouble because of its big-brother attitude. Lots of people think Google is heading down that same path. I’ll let you make your own determination there.

If you’re looking to apply to the Beta program for the Google Website Optimizer, here’s what to do:

Go to the Google Website Optimizer demo page. Watch a video demo of the program, see some sample reports, and then sign up for the program.

Whether you decide to use it long term or not, it’s certainly at least worth a look.

Comments?

–Mark

P.S. I’m quite partial to a flavor of MVT called the Taguchi Method, and a program called the Split Test Accelerator. Installing STA is far easier than what Google appears to be, and it actually holds your hand during the testing process, and automatically runs the winning page for you when the test is done. If you’re looking to do MVT, but aren’t comfy with Google’s offering for some reason, I encourage you to look at the Split Test Accelerator.

Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 17:40:00 +0000

by Derek Powazek,

Illustration by Kevin Cornell

We’ve all been there. The client says, “Just design it. We’ll flow the content in later.” Or the designer says, “Here’s what the page looks like. I just used gobbledygook for the text, cause that’s not my job.” Unfortunately, that’s no way to design a good experience.

It may be fashionable to say “markets are conversations” or “design is about communicating ideas,” but how can that be true if the designers aren’t working with, or actually writing, the text?

User experience isn’t just visual design

It’s time we designers stop thinking of ourselves as merely pixel people, and start thinking of ourselves as the creators of experiences. And when it comes to experience on the web, there’s no better way to create it than to write, and write well.

Let’s look at everybody’s favorite example of Doing it Right: Flickr. Ask a bunch of people what they think of their experience at Flickr and they’ll use words like “fun” and “friendly” to describe it.

Why? There’s nothing uniquely fun about black text on a white background. There’s nothing friendly about uploading and tagging, no matter how many whiz-bang AJAX tricks you use. Sure, the photographic content lends itself to a personal experience. But nobody ever talked about how much fun Ofoto was. And the community-oriented social networking features lend themselves to an emotional experience, but I think there’s something more going on here.

I say: It’s the writing. The friendliness comes from good old fashioned text. When you visit the site, it welcomes you with a random language. Hola! Salut! Shalom! When you log in, the button says “Get in there” instead of “Submit.” When you upload a photo, join a group, add a contact…all of the associated text is open, encouraging, happy, and excited. And it has a significant impact on the overall user experience.

Text is interface

This is not just marketing text (though it’s that, too). It’s interface. This is text that can’t come from the PR department—it comes from us, the designers who are responsible for the user experience. The text is as much a part of the UI as the colors, the pixels, the stuff that designers are usually concerned with. Perhaps more.

Take another example—a site I just discovered, also in the photo space. Photojojo is a labor of love created by Amit Gupta and Kara Canal. It’s a weekly newsletter, and they’ve obviously spent a lot of time crafting the writing in the newsletter. But they spent just as much time crafting the words everywhere else.

When you get to the site, the homepage says, “Congratulations. It’s your lucky day! You just found one damn fine photo newsletter.” Below the email form, the anti-spam message doesn’t say something dry like “we will not disclose your information to third parties.” It says “We solemnly swear: “No spam, not ever.” If you’re curious enough to read the About page, you’re rewarded with an entertaining story about how the two decided to start the site. No marketing BS, just two people who are really excited about what they’re doing.

Now, I’m the kinda guy who unsubscribed from every email list I was on in 1999 and never looked back. I hate email. If the site had used traditional language, I never would have signed up. But their excitement was contagious, and before I knew it, I was plunking down my address. A click on a confirmation mail and the message I get on their website? “Dude, you rule.” Damn right.

Beyond lorem ipsum

So if you’re someone who hires designers, ask them what they like to read. Talk to them about their word choice in every button, every link, every title. Give them a crack at writing your about page. It’s the designer’s job to think about your site the way a user does, and tell them what they need to hear, and when they need to hear it. A designer worth their salt will be able to do it. And if your designer says, “I’m not a writer,” it may be time to find one who is.

If you’re a designer who doesn’t think of yourself as a writer, it’s time to reconsider. Buy yourself a copy of Strunk and White, do some research online, or take a class. Design is about communication, and it takes more than pixels to communicate.

Would You Rather Own NBC Or Google?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:30:00 +0000

from the just-wondering dept | Contributed by Mike

For all the complaining about how the TV business is in trouble, NBC's president, Jeff Zucker, is apparently trying to convince the world that traditional media companies like NBC and Viacom have a better business model than Google. He's quoted as saying: "Google was built on the power of math and algorithms. NBC is built on brilliant programming. Both are compelling models, but I don't think Google's model is as powerful as Viacom [and other media companies] as the market would have you believe." This seems like an odd comparison, and ignores Google's place in the media world as well. While there is something to be said for the value of programming, it ignores why something like Google is useful. They represent two different models that aren't at all mutually exclusive. While NBC may add value by "programming" content, Google doesn't have all that overhead, and is simply organizing content for people to find. It also seems that NBC's model is a lot riskier, as its success is almost entirely dependent on how good those few "programmers" at the top are in the fickle world of entertainment. Google, on the other hand, works as more of a bottom up approach. Whatever people are interested in, they're already able to handle it. The difference is that, while NBC's media model is programmed from the top, Google's is programmed by everyone who uses it.

Geek to Live: Improve your web site with Google Analytics

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:06:00 +0000

by Gina Trapani

In my ten years of building web sites, I've tried practically every free web site stats analyzer under the sun - and none has come close to the utility, richness and depth of Google Analytics. Formerly pay-for, commercial product Urchin, Google's ~~on the road to making~~ made Analytics free for any web publisher with a Google Account. Using the data Google Analytics provides, you can make informed editorial, navigational and page design decisions to boost your site's traffic and effectiveness.

Google Analytics has tons of features that could fill a series of articles, but today I'll just point out a few of the useful ones that can help you improve your web site and find out more about your visitors.

Installation

To get set up, sign into Google Analytics with your Google Account. ~~You may have to enter your email address and wait for an invitation, but it's so worth it.~~ Analytics is open to all for free.

Once you've got your account set up, to get Google Analytics tracking your site's pageviews, drop a snippet of javascript onto your site's pages (much like Sitemeter.) This is really convenient for folks who don't have access to their web server's logs; though it does require some trickery for webmasters with a site made up of static pages. If you're a blogger, just include the Google Analytics code into all your blogging software's templates.

Slice and dice any report by date

While most stats packages only let you view information by month, year or week, with Google Analytics you can set custom start and end dates. Click on the date range button and choose your date range before viewing any report.

Click on "Apply Range" to set all the reports and charts you're currently viewing to the new date range.

Filter content by title

While that top content report comes in one form or another with most web stats packages, with Google Analytics you can filter by keywords in the page title.

For example, if I wanted to see the pageviews/unique visitor numbers for all of my feature articles, in the "Content by Title" report, I'd enter "Geek to Live" in the "Filter by" input box at the top right.

In fact, Wendy, Adam and I have a little friendly competition going using this report - "Hack Attack" versus "Technophilia" versus "Geek to Live"'s numbers in Google Analytics. (As you can see in the image above, Adam's cleaning up! For now. ;) )

Site Overlay click map

Another neat feature of Google Analytics is the "Site Overlay" report (under "Content Optimization", "Navigational Analysis." This shows you exactly where your site's visitors click with a little percentage bar that appears next to each link on your site's pages. This feature is pretty slow - and ineffective for a blogger's constantly-changing front page, but it is a nice way to see what your visitors are clicking on in the sidebar.

Web design parameters

Finally, if you're planning a site redesign and wondering what screen resolution your visitors mostly have, or if they have Flash installed, or what their favorite browser is, check out the reports under "Web design parameters" for all that invaluable information and more.

Speaking of, Lifehacker readers love Firefox!

I've only scratched the surface of what you can do with Google Analytics. For more, check out Google's own tour of Analytics features.

How are you using Google Analytics to improve your site? Got any favorite reports you run on a regular, or tales of site performance increases using pertinent data? Tell us all about it in the comments.

Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, is a total web statistics nerd. Her semi-weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Wednesday and Friday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Geek to Live feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

Are You A Weirdo?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 01:14:00 +0000

If you are reading this, then I suspect you already know the answer.

I was reading this post over at CK's blog and was struck by the way communities organize themselves organically....

Of course, the article interested me straight away as it was about Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in my view, one of the best-written series ever made) ... and the way that the Buffy Community continues strongly several years after the end of the series. (I work with a number of Buffy fans in our office and the passion still remains!)

But as CK points out, your community is a "standing army" of believers (they believe in your product, your service etc). They are passionately committed to your work or output. They will trial it, test it, provide feedback. They will even stand-by you when you over promise and under-deliver ... well most times they will. Really, your community is your safety net.

Sometimes this means that your community will be seen as a collection of weirdos (even your CEO may take this view) ... it is precisely this passion that sets them apart from the mainstream. It is this passion that makes them camp overnight to order the new Xbox360 or PlayStation console. It is this evangelistic streak in graphic designers that is harnessed so well by Apple. It is this single-mindedness that creates a market for elite racing bikes for use on suburban Sunday roads.

From the outside, a strong and active community is seen as a collection of weirdos. It's easy to see why ... dilated pupils, intense conversations, sleepless nights, spurious talk of "what-if" scenarios, compulsion, tension and even secret handshakes. Sound like anyone you know? All bloggers look into the mirror and repeat after me "One person's passionate community is another's collection of weirdos ... and that's ok".

by: Gavin Heaton | Originally posted at Marketing Profs:Daily Fix

perspicacious medley

Twitter Brand Perception Survey - WS

Band Names Rejected by the Smashing Pumpkins

Five Getting-Started Blog Questions

Social Media- Good Question

Answers (40)

Links:

Ray . Casey also suggests this expert on this topic:

Clarification added 27 days ago:

Links:

Links:

Links:

Links:

Links:

Links:

C. Edward Brice also suggests these experts on this topic:

Links:

Links:

Cynthia Bemis suggests this expert on this topic:

Links:

Links:

Tami (TJ) Grasseler suggests this expert on this topic:

Clarification added 16 days ago:

Links:

McDonalds Wants You To F*ck Its Sandwiches

Is There A Conflict Between Open Social Graphs And Your Privacy?

Tip: Export your Firefox bookmarks

F Cup Cookies: The Fat Will Go Straight to Your Boobs

Googleicious

Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!

by Derek Powazek,

User experience isn’t just visual design

Text is interface

Beyond lorem ipsum

Would You Rather Own NBC Or Google?

Geek to Live: Improve your web site with Google Analytics

Installation

Slice and dice any report by date

Top content

Filter content by title

Site Overlay click map

Web design parameters

Are You A Weirdo?