In the email news I received today from Advertising Age, the online publication reports that AT&T is dropping its whiny response to Verizon's "apps and maps" campaign for a more positive campaign concept. I'm not sure what "Rethink Possible" means, but at least AT&T seems to have gotten the message that spitting contests don't do much for the average consumer.
The article also says that Verizon is expected to shift gears to a more positive campaign message.
This is a good thing! Maybe the two communications giants will give us some solid reasons to buy their brands instead of acting like kids having a playground spat.
Showing posts with label integrated marketing communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label integrated marketing communication. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Funeral Services for Customer Service on Hold...
I've cancelled the funeral service for customer service in respect to our online book order problem. I got several emails from Abebooks.com and from the book seller who shipped the book. And the book arrived within 4 days. So we have no quarrel with Abebooks. I even got a comment on the blog posting from Abebooks. I can appreciate the fact that the book site and seller made things right. The book seller does need to make sure that his email response is correct from now on, though. It is a bit disconcerting when you pay for expedited shipping and get an email saying that your package is coming via Uncle Sam's pony express.
I haven't cancelled the funeral for J.C. Penney's customer service, though. It's been almost two weeks since the local store said I would get a new pair of glasses to replace my now long lost pair. I haven't heard a word since my last call to them. And I'm keeping notes on dates, times and what has been said.
You would think that a company of J.C. Penney's size would respond at least as fast as our online book buddies at Abebooks. Not so. And I guess they don't have anyone who monitors the Internet for things that are being said about the company. I'm not sure how large or small Abebooks is, but I'm sure they don't have the corporate hiring power of J.C. Penney, and yet they obviously monitor the blogs on the Internet.
Good for Abebooks.com! Bad for J.C. Penney! Perhaps I should offer them our services in public relations and customer service training.
Thanks for restoring my faith in techies, Abebooks.com (especially Scott)! Perhaps you need to offer your services to J.C. Penney, too.
I haven't cancelled the funeral for J.C. Penney's customer service, though. It's been almost two weeks since the local store said I would get a new pair of glasses to replace my now long lost pair. I haven't heard a word since my last call to them. And I'm keeping notes on dates, times and what has been said.
You would think that a company of J.C. Penney's size would respond at least as fast as our online book buddies at Abebooks. Not so. And I guess they don't have anyone who monitors the Internet for things that are being said about the company. I'm not sure how large or small Abebooks is, but I'm sure they don't have the corporate hiring power of J.C. Penney, and yet they obviously monitor the blogs on the Internet.
Good for Abebooks.com! Bad for J.C. Penney! Perhaps I should offer them our services in public relations and customer service training.
Thanks for restoring my faith in techies, Abebooks.com (especially Scott)! Perhaps you need to offer your services to J.C. Penney, too.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Customer Service Died an Unnatural Death!
No wonder my blood pressure is high. I've been caught in a customer service nightmare with several companies. Companies are not paying attention to what employees are doing to ruin reputations and chase off customers! Shame on you, marketing professionals! Customer retention is of utmost importance!
Incident number 1: J.C. Penney Optical - last year I had my eyes checked and bought new glasses at J.C. Penney Optical. This was the second time I decided to use them. The first time, I has a very good customer experience and bought glasses without pressure to pay a fortune for things I didn't want or need. This time, the buying experience was good again.
However, I paid for insurance on my lenses so that I could have them replaced if they got scratched or damage, so when that happened around the first of this year, I took them back and asked to have them either repaired or replaced. The women who were on duty were trying to deal with lots of customers. It was obvious they needed more help. I dutifully waited until I could get service. The sales person was nice, but distracted. She said she would send the glasses back to the lab and call me when the lab had an answer about what they could do.
Several weeks later, I hadn't heard anything about my glasses, so I called. The person who answered my call had no idea what I was talking about and asked me to call back when the optical department manager was in. I kept calling back. The optical department manager wasn't in each time I called. I finally got her. She said she would check on my glasses and call me back. Some time later, she called back and said the glasses should be shipped to the Mobile store within that week. I called back several times and finally was told the glasses had come in. I went to get them on a Friday. The frames weren't the same. The glasses didn't have Transition lenses. The glasses made my vision blurry. But the sales person assured me they were my glasses and that I should go home and wear them for a few days. I went home, tried again, got sick to my stomach, and took the glasses back the very next day to complain. They weren't my glasses. The girl who took them said she would leave a message with the manager. I wrote the message - explaining the mistake. Since then, I have called, gone to the store and done everything in my power to get them to either give me the right glasses or give me my money back. The last time I was in, I was told by the clerk that I had to get permission to get a refund on my glasses. She was too busy talking on the phone to someone and laughing it up to treat my problem with any concern.
My next step... I think I'll write to the CEO of J.C. Penney and complain. But first, I'll blog.
Incident number 2: Abebooks.com - I ordered a text book I needed for teaching my Marketing Management Class at Spring Hill. I ordered expedited shipping (2-4 days) and was charged about three or four dollars more for it ($7.99 to be exact). I just got notice from Abebooks and from "The Book Place" that the order had shipped, but the shipping notice said it was shipped standard mail (4 - 10 days). So I emailed them back and said I had paid for expedited shipping. I got a reply that made no sense. "We are sorry you haven't received your book yet. If..." Nothing about my payment for expedited shipping, or graciously saying they would refund the difference. That's the last time I'll shop on Abebooks.com and I'll be sure NOT to recommend the site to any students, professors, peers, friends... you get the picture.
I guess companies don't bother to explain to employees that in lean economic times, the employee's job and the future of the company may very well rest on customer satisfaction and customer retention. And the employees obviously don't give a hoot about customer satisfaction once the customer has been fleeced out of the bucks.
So we must hold a funeral for customer service. It's dead. Though I don't think it's buried yet.
March 12th - Addendum: The latest from Abebooks.com and The Book Place... I received an email saying that the notification template that was used was wrong and that my order had been shipped per my payment and request for expedited shipping. So we have closed the book on this one, I hope and I'll be expecting to get the book soon. One thing I can say about the customer service for these two providers, they do answer email quickly. And that's a good sign! Maybe customer service isn't totally dead. Maybe it can be revived.
(Imagery Marketing Consultants can produce and facilitate custom customer service training programs. Contact Imagery for help in training your employees how to retain customers through excellent service.)
Incident number 1: J.C. Penney Optical - last year I had my eyes checked and bought new glasses at J.C. Penney Optical. This was the second time I decided to use them. The first time, I has a very good customer experience and bought glasses without pressure to pay a fortune for things I didn't want or need. This time, the buying experience was good again.
However, I paid for insurance on my lenses so that I could have them replaced if they got scratched or damage, so when that happened around the first of this year, I took them back and asked to have them either repaired or replaced. The women who were on duty were trying to deal with lots of customers. It was obvious they needed more help. I dutifully waited until I could get service. The sales person was nice, but distracted. She said she would send the glasses back to the lab and call me when the lab had an answer about what they could do.
Several weeks later, I hadn't heard anything about my glasses, so I called. The person who answered my call had no idea what I was talking about and asked me to call back when the optical department manager was in. I kept calling back. The optical department manager wasn't in each time I called. I finally got her. She said she would check on my glasses and call me back. Some time later, she called back and said the glasses should be shipped to the Mobile store within that week. I called back several times and finally was told the glasses had come in. I went to get them on a Friday. The frames weren't the same. The glasses didn't have Transition lenses. The glasses made my vision blurry. But the sales person assured me they were my glasses and that I should go home and wear them for a few days. I went home, tried again, got sick to my stomach, and took the glasses back the very next day to complain. They weren't my glasses. The girl who took them said she would leave a message with the manager. I wrote the message - explaining the mistake. Since then, I have called, gone to the store and done everything in my power to get them to either give me the right glasses or give me my money back. The last time I was in, I was told by the clerk that I had to get permission to get a refund on my glasses. She was too busy talking on the phone to someone and laughing it up to treat my problem with any concern.
My next step... I think I'll write to the CEO of J.C. Penney and complain. But first, I'll blog.
Incident number 2: Abebooks.com - I ordered a text book I needed for teaching my Marketing Management Class at Spring Hill. I ordered expedited shipping (2-4 days) and was charged about three or four dollars more for it ($7.99 to be exact). I just got notice from Abebooks and from "The Book Place" that the order had shipped, but the shipping notice said it was shipped standard mail (4 - 10 days). So I emailed them back and said I had paid for expedited shipping. I got a reply that made no sense. "We are sorry you haven't received your book yet. If..." Nothing about my payment for expedited shipping, or graciously saying they would refund the difference. That's the last time I'll shop on Abebooks.com and I'll be sure NOT to recommend the site to any students, professors, peers, friends... you get the picture.
I guess companies don't bother to explain to employees that in lean economic times, the employee's job and the future of the company may very well rest on customer satisfaction and customer retention. And the employees obviously don't give a hoot about customer satisfaction once the customer has been fleeced out of the bucks.
So we must hold a funeral for customer service. It's dead. Though I don't think it's buried yet.
March 12th - Addendum: The latest from Abebooks.com and The Book Place... I received an email saying that the notification template that was used was wrong and that my order had been shipped per my payment and request for expedited shipping. So we have closed the book on this one, I hope and I'll be expecting to get the book soon. One thing I can say about the customer service for these two providers, they do answer email quickly. And that's a good sign! Maybe customer service isn't totally dead. Maybe it can be revived.
(Imagery Marketing Consultants can produce and facilitate custom customer service training programs. Contact Imagery for help in training your employees how to retain customers through excellent service.)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
AT&T and Verizon: C'mon, boys! Your playground arguments are getting on teacher's nerves!
Okay. So we have "apps and maps" and we have "maps and slaps." Can anyone tell me why we should believe either of these two companies' advertising arguments?
I looked at the two maps that Verizon uses in its advertising and had to laugh. From just looking at the coverage comparison, I really doubted the truth of the commercial! It was just a bit too far fetched to think that AT& T had that many holes in its coverage. I'm an AT&T user and I call all over the United States and get calls from all over the United States. Yes, there are areas where call strength might not be the best, but I've also talked to Verizon customers who have the same problem.
And AT&T, just because I'm your customer doesn't mean I like your pouty little comeback to Verizon's maps. Your commercials and spokesperson sound like a whiney baby. And I dislike whiney babies in business!
In fact, I don't like either company's advertising strategy! I like the "Now Network" strategy that Sprint is using. Sprint isn't talking bad about the competition. They are talking good about themselves, and throwing in a little humor to grab my attention.
I thought the objective of advertising was to tout the benefits of your product to the consumer, not give your competition face time on your dime. Especially the mean way these two companies are going at it. The commercials aren't even funny! And the differentiation of any wireless brand is questionable these days. The only difference I can see is customer service, and I'm convinced AT&T still has the best. That's the reason I'm sticking with them.
Progresso abandoned its attacks on Campbell's in favor of its current ad strategy, the "string-and-can phone inquiries" which are extremely humorous, get my attention and promote the benefits of the Progresso brand and products. I've actually started buying some Progresso soups, which is a big change since I've always been a "Campbell's soup kid."
So AT&T and Verizon, stop acting like children and tell me what's great about your product in an interesting way!
I looked at the two maps that Verizon uses in its advertising and had to laugh. From just looking at the coverage comparison, I really doubted the truth of the commercial! It was just a bit too far fetched to think that AT& T had that many holes in its coverage. I'm an AT&T user and I call all over the United States and get calls from all over the United States. Yes, there are areas where call strength might not be the best, but I've also talked to Verizon customers who have the same problem.
And AT&T, just because I'm your customer doesn't mean I like your pouty little comeback to Verizon's maps. Your commercials and spokesperson sound like a whiney baby. And I dislike whiney babies in business!
In fact, I don't like either company's advertising strategy! I like the "Now Network" strategy that Sprint is using. Sprint isn't talking bad about the competition. They are talking good about themselves, and throwing in a little humor to grab my attention.
I thought the objective of advertising was to tout the benefits of your product to the consumer, not give your competition face time on your dime. Especially the mean way these two companies are going at it. The commercials aren't even funny! And the differentiation of any wireless brand is questionable these days. The only difference I can see is customer service, and I'm convinced AT&T still has the best. That's the reason I'm sticking with them.
Progresso abandoned its attacks on Campbell's in favor of its current ad strategy, the "string-and-can phone inquiries" which are extremely humorous, get my attention and promote the benefits of the Progresso brand and products. I've actually started buying some Progresso soups, which is a big change since I've always been a "Campbell's soup kid."
So AT&T and Verizon, stop acting like children and tell me what's great about your product in an interesting way!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Guest Blogger: APRs take PR to Heroic Proportions
Our guest "Phlogger" this week is Michael Tullier, APR, director of external relations for the Auburn University College of Education.
It doesn’t take a superhero to fend off reporters and save the CEO in distress, but in today’s fast-paced world of public relations, there is a group of professionals with the demonstrated “powers” needed to be successful. Some mild-mannered, some daring – but all equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities demanded of the public relations profession – these professionals certainly don’t keep their Accredited in Public Relations identity a secret.
Professionals don’t earn their APR through exposure to the yellow sun or the bite of a radioactive spider. Each builds on book smarts and practical experience and approaches the process with different expectations. But since “deliverables” in our profession are critical, pursuing Accreditation results in power-packed benefits for professionals, employers and the profession as a whole.
Combining introspection and education. Accredited professionals have reported through surveys that the APR process is reflective, introspective and knowledge-expanding. And while we celebrate those employers who require the APR as a requisite for employment or financially reward those who achieve this milestone, a vast majority of APRs find contentment in the personal rewards Accreditation offers. Through a process that 96 percent of APRs surveyed find valuable, 96 percent would recommend to a colleague, and 93 percent feel assessed the skills needed to succeed in the profession, APRs acknowledge the credential for building confidence and credibility while expanding their knowledge content.
Gaining marketplace credibility. Accreditation is not a new concept to corporate America. Manufacturers, educational institutions, medical facilities and the like seek the integrity that comes with their industry’s or discipline’s accrediting endorsement. Should it not make sense that companies would seek the same in their hiring practices? Consider that the human resource industry itself has, not one, but two distinct accrediting levels for human resource professionals. Accredited public relations professionals demonstrate their commitment to mastering – and continuing to develop – the knowledge, skills and abilities, or KSAs, desired by today’s employers. The APR credential also helps employers clearly and effectively evaluate one’s qualifications when compared to applicants from other professions who see public relations as a chance to “try something new” or to take their career “in a new direction.”
Defining the profession. The Accreditation process benefits our profession by bringing structure and definition to it. As part of the Universal Accreditation Board’s 2003 effort to redesign the APR process, APR leaders sought a better understanding of what our profession entails and what it takes to be successful in today’s PR environment. And guess what? It didn’t reveal necessary characteristics like “being a people person.” It created clear delineations between the tactical and strategic practice levels, emphasized the professional’s counselor role, and clarified that public relations doesn’t “just happen” – it is a deliberate, ethically based executive function with measurable results.
Accreditation in Public Relations has prepared – and continues to prepare – professionals to lead by example in our industry and in our associations. Within the nine participating organizations of the Universal Accreditation Board, you’ll find within these associations’ top volunteer and paid leadership levels Accredited professionals equipped to advance the opportunities for their fellow professionals and our profession. As a result, those who have demonstrated an intricate understanding of our profession and their own professional practice are imminently qualified to see our industry into the coming decades.
I’m not suggesting that “APR” comes emblazoned on its own red-and-blue spandex outfit, part of a gadget-ridden utility belt or with powers sufficient to gain you a title role on NBC’s Heroes. What it does, however, is empower professionals in a manner each finds befitting their personal, professional and volunteer expectations. For professionals eager to distinguish themselves in today’s marketplace, Accreditation in Public Relations offers a means of garnering positive attention and that “second glance” in a way that wearing a cape to work never will.
Power up today at www.praccreditation.org.
Michael Tullier, APR, is director of external relations for the Auburn University College of Education in Auburn, Ala. An award-winning public relations professional with more than 15 years of experience as an organization’s chief public relations counsel and spokesperson, Michael achieved accreditation in 2003. Tullier served as chair of the Universal Accreditation Board in 2008 and is its current immediate past chair. During his UAB tenure, which began in 2005, he has represented both the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF).
It doesn’t take a superhero to fend off reporters and save the CEO in distress, but in today’s fast-paced world of public relations, there is a group of professionals with the demonstrated “powers” needed to be successful. Some mild-mannered, some daring – but all equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities demanded of the public relations profession – these professionals certainly don’t keep their Accredited in Public Relations identity a secret.
Professionals don’t earn their APR through exposure to the yellow sun or the bite of a radioactive spider. Each builds on book smarts and practical experience and approaches the process with different expectations. But since “deliverables” in our profession are critical, pursuing Accreditation results in power-packed benefits for professionals, employers and the profession as a whole.
Combining introspection and education. Accredited professionals have reported through surveys that the APR process is reflective, introspective and knowledge-expanding. And while we celebrate those employers who require the APR as a requisite for employment or financially reward those who achieve this milestone, a vast majority of APRs find contentment in the personal rewards Accreditation offers. Through a process that 96 percent of APRs surveyed find valuable, 96 percent would recommend to a colleague, and 93 percent feel assessed the skills needed to succeed in the profession, APRs acknowledge the credential for building confidence and credibility while expanding their knowledge content.
Gaining marketplace credibility. Accreditation is not a new concept to corporate America. Manufacturers, educational institutions, medical facilities and the like seek the integrity that comes with their industry’s or discipline’s accrediting endorsement. Should it not make sense that companies would seek the same in their hiring practices? Consider that the human resource industry itself has, not one, but two distinct accrediting levels for human resource professionals. Accredited public relations professionals demonstrate their commitment to mastering – and continuing to develop – the knowledge, skills and abilities, or KSAs, desired by today’s employers. The APR credential also helps employers clearly and effectively evaluate one’s qualifications when compared to applicants from other professions who see public relations as a chance to “try something new” or to take their career “in a new direction.”
Defining the profession. The Accreditation process benefits our profession by bringing structure and definition to it. As part of the Universal Accreditation Board’s 2003 effort to redesign the APR process, APR leaders sought a better understanding of what our profession entails and what it takes to be successful in today’s PR environment. And guess what? It didn’t reveal necessary characteristics like “being a people person.” It created clear delineations between the tactical and strategic practice levels, emphasized the professional’s counselor role, and clarified that public relations doesn’t “just happen” – it is a deliberate, ethically based executive function with measurable results.
Accreditation in Public Relations has prepared – and continues to prepare – professionals to lead by example in our industry and in our associations. Within the nine participating organizations of the Universal Accreditation Board, you’ll find within these associations’ top volunteer and paid leadership levels Accredited professionals equipped to advance the opportunities for their fellow professionals and our profession. As a result, those who have demonstrated an intricate understanding of our profession and their own professional practice are imminently qualified to see our industry into the coming decades.
I’m not suggesting that “APR” comes emblazoned on its own red-and-blue spandex outfit, part of a gadget-ridden utility belt or with powers sufficient to gain you a title role on NBC’s Heroes. What it does, however, is empower professionals in a manner each finds befitting their personal, professional and volunteer expectations. For professionals eager to distinguish themselves in today’s marketplace, Accreditation in Public Relations offers a means of garnering positive attention and that “second glance” in a way that wearing a cape to work never will.
Power up today at www.praccreditation.org.
Michael Tullier, APR, is director of external relations for the Auburn University College of Education in Auburn, Ala. An award-winning public relations professional with more than 15 years of experience as an organization’s chief public relations counsel and spokesperson, Michael achieved accreditation in 2003. Tullier served as chair of the Universal Accreditation Board in 2008 and is its current immediate past chair. During his UAB tenure, which began in 2005, he has represented both the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF).
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Guest Blogger: What is Web 2.0? Interactivity and Social Networking are taking over!
Our Guest "Phlogger" this week is Deborah Geiger, APR, of Content Fresh LLC
Are you running Web 2.0? A dramatic shift has occurred worldwide on the Internet that will impact your business whether you follow it or not.
Web sites of the last century were diverse, and one common characteristic was that content was driven by the corporation. Polished and informative brochure-style sites contained loads of information on company history, products, purchase information, and other static business information and resources. Researchers from institutions, marketing and sales divisions of corporations and information sources loaded the Internet with information and valuable content.
The new Internet, or Web 2.0, is driven by individuals.
A Wikipedia definition: "Web 2.0" refers to what is perceived as a second generation of web development and web design. It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. It has led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and web applications. Examples include social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies.
[Citation: Web 2.0. (2009, July 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:14, July 10, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Web_2.0&oldid=301344373]
While companies are still posting and adding content in scores, the change is in the fact that the majority of what people say online is no longer managed by corporations or their staff. Millions of people share information daily on social networking sites, such as Facebook (over 5 million members) and Twitter. In fact research shows that searches for social networking has FINALLY surpassed porn!
“According to Bill Tancer, Hitwise's general manager of global research, Web searches for social networking sites have finally surpassed searches for pornography.” [Source: Gina Hughes: The Techie Diva, blog, Yahoo Tech!, Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:39PM EDT]
By enabling and allowing information sharing and collaboration, the Web has become a shared “application” where the content begins with PEOPLE, not business or companies. Smart companies are joining in the conversation by adding corporate blogs, joining Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and more.
Leading edge are letting their customers post actual messages and receive feedback in real-time on their sites. It takes guts to allow your customers to post their true feelings about your products on your Web site, but the companies that do this are seen as sincere, honest and businesses where you will want to spend your money! Are you ready to give it a try?
–Deborah York Geiger, APR, owner of Content Fresh LLC, maintains a blog at www.geigerpoint.wordpress.com. With 20 years experience in marketing, public relations and business, Deborah writes about technology for business professionals. For more information, visit www.myfreshcontent.com.
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SPRF (Southern Public Relations Federation) is conducting a survey about use of social networks. If you are an SPRF member and have not taken the survey, please use the link below and take part. And if you do not belong to SPRF, please take the survey anyway. Here's a link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6V1DTiyALEIcBDa6IIdTbA_3d_3d
**************
Check out this link! http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/751819.html
It will take you to a story on the benefits of using a virtual ad agency. Imagery Marketing & Research Consultants, Inc. is a virtual agency... And we would love your business! We've got years of experience and loads of expertise. Check us out at http:www.imagerymarketing.com
Are you running Web 2.0? A dramatic shift has occurred worldwide on the Internet that will impact your business whether you follow it or not.
Web sites of the last century were diverse, and one common characteristic was that content was driven by the corporation. Polished and informative brochure-style sites contained loads of information on company history, products, purchase information, and other static business information and resources. Researchers from institutions, marketing and sales divisions of corporations and information sources loaded the Internet with information and valuable content.
The new Internet, or Web 2.0, is driven by individuals.
A Wikipedia definition: "Web 2.0" refers to what is perceived as a second generation of web development and web design. It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. It has led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and web applications. Examples include social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies.
[Citation: Web 2.0. (2009, July 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:14, July 10, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Web_2.0&oldid=301344373]
While companies are still posting and adding content in scores, the change is in the fact that the majority of what people say online is no longer managed by corporations or their staff. Millions of people share information daily on social networking sites, such as Facebook (over 5 million members) and Twitter. In fact research shows that searches for social networking has FINALLY surpassed porn!
“According to Bill Tancer, Hitwise's general manager of global research, Web searches for social networking sites have finally surpassed searches for pornography.” [Source: Gina Hughes: The Techie Diva, blog, Yahoo Tech!, Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:39PM EDT]
By enabling and allowing information sharing and collaboration, the Web has become a shared “application” where the content begins with PEOPLE, not business or companies. Smart companies are joining in the conversation by adding corporate blogs, joining Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and more.
Leading edge are letting their customers post actual messages and receive feedback in real-time on their sites. It takes guts to allow your customers to post their true feelings about your products on your Web site, but the companies that do this are seen as sincere, honest and businesses where you will want to spend your money! Are you ready to give it a try?
–Deborah York Geiger, APR, owner of Content Fresh LLC, maintains a blog at www.geigerpoint.wordpress.com. With 20 years experience in marketing, public relations and business, Deborah writes about technology for business professionals. For more information, visit www.myfreshcontent.com.
**************
SPRF (Southern Public Relations Federation) is conducting a survey about use of social networks. If you are an SPRF member and have not taken the survey, please use the link below and take part. And if you do not belong to SPRF, please take the survey anyway. Here's a link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6V1DTiyALEIcBDa6IIdTbA_3d_3d
**************
Check out this link! http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/751819.html
It will take you to a story on the benefits of using a virtual ad agency. Imagery Marketing & Research Consultants, Inc. is a virtual agency... And we would love your business! We've got years of experience and loads of expertise. Check us out at http:www.imagerymarketing.com
Friday, June 12, 2009
Search Engine Woes Part II
SEO, SEO…Don’t get me banned from Google, Mr. SEO!
On my last post, we looked at a couple of tricks that some underhanded SEO practitioners might use. And I promised you that in a future post, we would cover things that might get you banned on search engines. Well here we go...
Straight from the webcrawler's mouth, here are the ten "dirty SEO tricks" that will cause Google to ban your site:
1. Cloaking (This doesn't relate to a Romulan "bird of prey.")
2. Duplicate Content (Pretty much what it says...)
3. Have a Robot Write Your Web Site (Mr. Data isn't involved here, either.)
4. Add Keywords that Don't Relate to Your Content (What it says...)
5. Link to Bad Neighborhoods (They have those on the web? Believe it!)
6. Hide Text (Also called keyword stuffing or fontmatching.)
7. Title Stacking (Google calls this the "cousin" of keyword stuffing.)
8. Distribute Viruses, Trojans or Other Badware (Nasty, Nasty!)
9. Doorway Pages (Another sneaky redirect)
10. Automated Inquiries (Another Robot No No!)
And rather than "duplicate content" which might violate copyright (which to me is one of the BIG No Nos), I'm going to link you to the About.com page that explains the ten nasty tricks listed above. http://google.about.com/od/searchengineoptimization/tp/badseo.htm?p=1
On my last post, we looked at a couple of tricks that some underhanded SEO practitioners might use. And I promised you that in a future post, we would cover things that might get you banned on search engines. Well here we go...
Straight from the webcrawler's mouth, here are the ten "dirty SEO tricks" that will cause Google to ban your site:
1. Cloaking (This doesn't relate to a Romulan "bird of prey.")
2. Duplicate Content (Pretty much what it says...)
3. Have a Robot Write Your Web Site (Mr. Data isn't involved here, either.)
4. Add Keywords that Don't Relate to Your Content (What it says...)
5. Link to Bad Neighborhoods (They have those on the web? Believe it!)
6. Hide Text (Also called keyword stuffing or fontmatching.)
7. Title Stacking (Google calls this the "cousin" of keyword stuffing.)
8. Distribute Viruses, Trojans or Other Badware (Nasty, Nasty!)
9. Doorway Pages (Another sneaky redirect)
10. Automated Inquiries (Another Robot No No!)
And rather than "duplicate content" which might violate copyright (which to me is one of the BIG No Nos), I'm going to link you to the About.com page that explains the ten nasty tricks listed above. http://google.about.com/od/searchengineoptimization/tp/badseo.htm?p=1
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Search Engine Woes Part I
SEO, SEO… What the Heck is SEO?
According to Wikipedia:
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.
The acronym "SEO" can also refer to "search engine optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics may be incorporated into web site development and design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe web site designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize.
Another class of techniques, known as black hat SEO or Spamdexing, use methods such as link farms and keyword stuffing that degrade both the relevance of search results and the user-experience of search engines. Search engines look for sites that employ these techniques in order to remove them from their indices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
So how do I get “SEOd”?
We are constantly being emailed about optimizing our site (which we have already done, and we do for all our clients). I had one “gentleman” tell me we had to hire his firm because no one could find our site on the search engines. I asked him how he found us. Obviously, he had been on our site, since he knew we existed, had my company email address and the company phone number. He couldn’t have found us in the Yellow Pages, since we’re not there.
Watch out for these companies that contact you by email and tell you that they can produce great results for you. These spam emails are about as useful as the emails that you get on “male enhancement” pills.
Your webmaster or mistress should understand keyword optimization and build it into your site in the design and development phase. If you have hired someone to build your site, ask them if they understand SEO before the process begins. And listen carefully. If they promise you the moon and stars, be skeptical.
If you already have a site, check with your provider and ask them if they have optimized your site. Ask them how they did it. If you don’t hear anything about keywords and site structure, then you may want to investigate companies that do search engine optimizing. But be careful. There are plenty of SEOs out there that do underhanded and unethical stuff that may get your site removed from the search engine indices (as stated above).
If you think you need SEO, check with people you trust to find out who they recommend. Talk to your ISP. Talk to Internet design firms. And be wary of the “SEO” song and dance. Don’t let anyone promise to put you at the top of the Google search. Nobody can promise that you’ll end up as number one on all the search engines.
Questions to ask:
* What experience do you have in my local area? Nationally? Internationally?
* What are your most important SEO techniques?
* How long have you been doing SEO? How long has your company been in business?
* Are you putting me in paid advertising or actually optimizing my site?
* How do we communicate? Will you provide me with detailed information about how you intend to optimize my site and the reasoning behind your plan? Will you provide me with a written plan and list of keywords?
If you don't have an Internet site design and maintenance firm, check us out. http://www.imagerymarketing.com
Next time – Avoiding practices that could get you banned from the search engine indices.
According to Wikipedia:
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.
The acronym "SEO" can also refer to "search engine optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics may be incorporated into web site development and design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe web site designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize.
Another class of techniques, known as black hat SEO or Spamdexing, use methods such as link farms and keyword stuffing that degrade both the relevance of search results and the user-experience of search engines. Search engines look for sites that employ these techniques in order to remove them from their indices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
So how do I get “SEOd”?
We are constantly being emailed about optimizing our site (which we have already done, and we do for all our clients). I had one “gentleman” tell me we had to hire his firm because no one could find our site on the search engines. I asked him how he found us. Obviously, he had been on our site, since he knew we existed, had my company email address and the company phone number. He couldn’t have found us in the Yellow Pages, since we’re not there.
Watch out for these companies that contact you by email and tell you that they can produce great results for you. These spam emails are about as useful as the emails that you get on “male enhancement” pills.
Your webmaster or mistress should understand keyword optimization and build it into your site in the design and development phase. If you have hired someone to build your site, ask them if they understand SEO before the process begins. And listen carefully. If they promise you the moon and stars, be skeptical.
If you already have a site, check with your provider and ask them if they have optimized your site. Ask them how they did it. If you don’t hear anything about keywords and site structure, then you may want to investigate companies that do search engine optimizing. But be careful. There are plenty of SEOs out there that do underhanded and unethical stuff that may get your site removed from the search engine indices (as stated above).
If you think you need SEO, check with people you trust to find out who they recommend. Talk to your ISP. Talk to Internet design firms. And be wary of the “SEO” song and dance. Don’t let anyone promise to put you at the top of the Google search. Nobody can promise that you’ll end up as number one on all the search engines.
Questions to ask:
* What experience do you have in my local area? Nationally? Internationally?
* What are your most important SEO techniques?
* How long have you been doing SEO? How long has your company been in business?
* Are you putting me in paid advertising or actually optimizing my site?
* How do we communicate? Will you provide me with detailed information about how you intend to optimize my site and the reasoning behind your plan? Will you provide me with a written plan and list of keywords?
If you don't have an Internet site design and maintenance firm, check us out. http://www.imagerymarketing.com
Next time – Avoiding practices that could get you banned from the search engine indices.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Recovering From Information Burnout
I just spent about a month not updating this blog. Why? I think I’ve been suffering from information burnout!
Between RSS feeds, e-publications, social media, other blogs to follow, business and personal email (at several addresses), and updating client sites, I finally ended up with totally singed synapses. So what did I do? I backed away from every form of communication I could and only looked at the news info I had to have to keep our clients happy and unscathed by the information age.
Having bronchitis for about four weeks didn’t help, since my voice kept cracking when I answered business calls, but it probably aided my attempt to hide from the information bombardment.
Do any of you find yourselves experiencing information burnout? I’d like to know. I don’t see myself becoming a tweeter for this very reason. Perhaps this isn’t a great admission on my part, but…
Hey! We all need a vacation at times!
Between RSS feeds, e-publications, social media, other blogs to follow, business and personal email (at several addresses), and updating client sites, I finally ended up with totally singed synapses. So what did I do? I backed away from every form of communication I could and only looked at the news info I had to have to keep our clients happy and unscathed by the information age.
Having bronchitis for about four weeks didn’t help, since my voice kept cracking when I answered business calls, but it probably aided my attempt to hide from the information bombardment.
Do any of you find yourselves experiencing information burnout? I’d like to know. I don’t see myself becoming a tweeter for this very reason. Perhaps this isn’t a great admission on my part, but…
Hey! We all need a vacation at times!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
What is PR and why do we need accredited PR Professionals (instead of spin doctors and flacks)?
Several years ago, one of my classes at Spring Hill College created a campaign for Public Relations which was intended for use by the Public Relations Council of Alabama. In the advertising and promotional materials prepared for PRCA to use with Alabama businesses and organizations, the class used an excellent line to explain why businesses should hire accredited public relations practitioners. I think their sentence says it all:
"We could spend an entire day explaining what a trained public relations professional can do for your company, but we basically help your organization build and protect the relationships that count."
PR must be a conversation with those "publics" with whom we must maintain good relations. Any means to carry on that conversation should be utilized by a smart practitioner. So in a way PR is connected at the hip to marketing communications, advertising, and others, but must also maintain a distance in order to be the conscience of the corporation.
And in these days of “AIG Bonuses”, all types of corporate greed and layoffs like we haven’t seen since the eighties, our corporations need a conscience!
Check out our interview on “Virtual Agencies”:
http://www.americanentrepreneurship.com/2009/02/28/expert-q-a-%e2%80%93-virtual-marketing-agency-benefits-for-small-businesses/
"We could spend an entire day explaining what a trained public relations professional can do for your company, but we basically help your organization build and protect the relationships that count."
PR must be a conversation with those "publics" with whom we must maintain good relations. Any means to carry on that conversation should be utilized by a smart practitioner. So in a way PR is connected at the hip to marketing communications, advertising, and others, but must also maintain a distance in order to be the conscience of the corporation.
And in these days of “AIG Bonuses”, all types of corporate greed and layoffs like we haven’t seen since the eighties, our corporations need a conscience!
Check out our interview on “Virtual Agencies”:
http://www.americanentrepreneurship.com/2009/02/28/expert-q-a-%e2%80%93-virtual-marketing-agency-benefits-for-small-businesses/
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