June 2007
Monthly Archive
Doing research? – Can U TXT the LBRY?
MattE 30 Jun 2007 | : SMS, consumer engagement
One of the hundreds of web page summaries that arrive in my email in box each day courtesy of Google alerts was one about a US university that is allowing people to text in information requests.
We (Southeastern Louisiana University) talk these days about going where the users are. What the librarians at SELU noted was the prevalence of students using text messaging to communicate with each other. Could the library have a place there? Should the library try? One thing is for sure, the experience is useful to consider as we look for more ways to reach our users and their information needs.
Of course it is not only libraries that can use SMS as an additional access mechanism – any organisation that needs to answer questions or distribute information to an audience that either is one the move or not regularly accessing email can use it.
SMS drives club membership renewals
The use of SMS reminders has helped a Melbourne club drive membership renewals.
In a market space that is crowded with traditional communication methods, the Craigieburn Sports Club approached PlusOne when they decided to try SMS as a way of reaching members.
A simple personalised message was sent to members and some ex-members on the club’s membership database. Within minutes people in the club at the time were renewing their memberships and within days a flood of people, including some who had let their memberships expire.
The tally of the final figures will not be known till the end of the month but the fact they are getting renewals happening in a timely fashion is a great outcome.
Is there a glass ceiling to online conversion rates?
MattE 19 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, Web
Internet marketing is a numbers game – and most website owners/managers hold up visitor numbers as the Holy Grail of measurement. But are they right?
Its it a very easy measurement to assess on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Driving traffic forms a significant part of any e-marketer’s role and a steady increase in visitors keeps the boss of your back.
But is this the most important metric?
For any online e-business site that makes sales of goods or services visitors are great, but the business will only survive with cash flow and cash flow does not happen without sales.
Paid Content Providers Try Free Trials – eMarketer
eMarketer magazine has an interesting article about how pay-for access sites (online content providers) are working out that by providing free stuff, they can convert more visitors to their paid-for content.
Their article says:
What makes some paid content sites better than others at turning free trial users into subscribers?
Can a giveaway increase sales?
MattE 13 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, Web, consumer engagement
So I’m going to steal an idea. Well, slingshot off it hopefully.
This concept was initiated (I don’t dare say invented) by Hugh at Gapingvoid for a wine client of his and well, I thought I might give it a go. I thought it was a reasonable example of innovative marketing. What he did was to give away a few cases of wine (single bottles) to people who would write about the wine. Bloggers and such with the intention of creating a ripple in the blogosphere. Pretty cool I thought.
To background a little, one of the things I do is run a site that coordinates a number of caricature artists who do custom caricatures based on your supplied photos. We are going OK, but time to ramp things up a little!
So here I am, about to give away some caricatures in order to make more sales. Uh?
Mobile Marketing Comes of Age
MattE 10 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, SMS, consumer engagement
The Mobile Marketing in the News blog has this interesting report from the Mobile Marketing Forum in the USA. In some ways use of mobile in the USA is behind Australia but in other ways it is ahead. Considering Australia (and most of the world) had a several year head start on the US with use of SMS even by the public let alone marketers (due to a large part on non-cross carrier compatibility issues – most of which have been overcome) it has not taken US marketers long to really make use of this medium. By comparison, Australian marketers are standing still, despite our several year head start with cross carrier compatibility.
So heads up everyone – even basis SMS still provides HUGE opportunities for branding, consumer engagement and yes even branding.
Data charges by telcos are another cause for concern… Continue Reading »
Delays for ‘Do Not Call’ register – unacceptable
MattE 08 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, Media
All I can say is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. We have had some comments on our previous post anout the Do Not Call Register frm people who continue to get calls. I have heard from some who registered on the first day the Register opened who have received calls.
Lets get politicians and charities baned as well.
It is unclear about overseas call centres calling on behalf of Australian companies – if they are included.
Innovative Marketing – TV shows
MattE 06 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, Media
Getting people to watch TV shows that go into a second or third (or Yawn 6th ) series is a challenge for TV show producers.
Format driven, they offer little in the way of innovation and therefore suffer a drop-off in viewers. Of course new developments in the format can be introduced, but the challenge remains to get people to watch it in the first place.
So what are some great ideas out there that break through the fog? Tale it to the streets of course…
Take Star One’s promotion of the third season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge: people wearing bandages move around the city with slogans warning of dire consequences for old jokes. There is even a ‘laughter diagnostic’ van with the motto ‘Laugh please’.
Toyota adopts targeted marketing approach
MattE 04 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, SMS
Toyota is adopting an innovative marketing strategy for the first time to drive its 2007 Corolla sales in India.
Moving away from the broad-spectrum approach of TV and print advertising, Toyota is looking at marketing the product through Internet marketing, direct mailers and an SMS campaign to target a focused target audience.
Toyota will set up a micro-website (www.corollalimited.com) to attract focused target segments.
The company will use extensive advertising across over 20 prominent websites to drive traffic to the microsite. A back end operation has also been setup to ensure that the enquiries coming through the Internet are linked to relevant dealerships to close the sales.
A competition we are running at Caricatureking.com
MattE 03 Jun 2007 | : Marketing, Web, consumer engagement
I thought some readers may be interested in entering our free competition at caricatureking.com.
Its nothing hard, just amswer a simple question and other basic details to go in the running to win an amazing custom drawn digital caricature of you or a friend.
We have six caricature artists on site who offer a range of interesting art styles. We want to see who like whom best and why!
