Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category
The Making of a Photo-Sharing App Infographic: SeeMail vs. Instagram vs. Camera+
Posted on: October 16, 2012
I have seen the future, and it is infographics… shiny, shiny, happy, rainbow-colored, icon-encrusted, seizure-inducing infographics. In an age where everything is interactive, they seem an old-school, static, ever-scrolling throwback to an earlier time.
And yet, uniquely suited to our brains. Although we are entertained by interaction, we seem unable to absorb the deluge of information the Internet provides without containment; we need, nay, we crave the order and simplicity that an infographic provides.
To make an infographic, it requires a human to sort through the cornucopia of available information and elucidate the salient points. It requires omitting that which is irrelevant in order to ensure effective communication.
I have a son who was born August 18, and the sheer number of obnoxious clicks of the shutter of my “baby tv” had me thinking about what photo apps are best suited for which tasks… and so I embarked on creating an infographic about photo-sharing apps. I use Instagram when I am out with friends, SeeMail (a company to whom I am an advisor) when taking pictures of my baby and sharing them with family and Camera+ when I was recently out trying to take a picture of the space shuttle flying over the Golden Gate Bridge. I sought to see what other need-states other people would have for using these three photo-sharing apps.
I already curate a board on Pinterest on Digital Marketing Infographics, so I decided I would crowd-source a comparison of the three photo-sharing apps I use the most and make my own infographic. I wanted “need-states of consumers when using photo-apps.” People contributed what tasks they used each of the apps for, and where each of the apps for them rated.
I expected photo-journalism, sports photography, or even the best app to take a picture of your junk would be on the list, but, alas, I completely forgot how much people enjoy taking pictures of their cats. The devolution of society is now complete… with LOLcats, for which all photo-apps should apologize for enabling.
Through this process I learned four steps to creating an effective infographic:
- Position a product with other products in the same category. This creates something for each product to “push” against in the comparison.
- Frame the discussion for what will be compared. In my case, “use-cases” for the product. But it could as easily be “features” or “time-saved” at particular tasks. The framework will usually elevate out of real world use of the product. This is what is the emotional connection of people to a product.
- Gather the data for the framework. I crowd-sourced the data, but often the data is readily available in charts of features or you can run a focus group. If a product sucks, this is where it will show up. A combination of quantitative (numbers and stats,) and qualitative (how people feel about it) is most effective.
- Present the data in a format that is visually compelling, yet simple to understand, and communicates the framework you established.
I present to you… Which Photo-Sharing App Should You Use When?
[Click on Graphic for Full Size]
When pitching business remember that we are inherently storytellers. Connecting to the emotional is imperative. We do not tolerate Powerpoint presentations, and we have inherent ADD when being sold to. Tell a story, and captivate them in the first 60 seconds.
I’ve lost count of how many pitches I have done in my career as a creative in advertising, but my track record when appealing to the emotional aspects was probably over 90%, and when saddled with an ungodly Powerpoint deck closer to 20%.
All the technology details of the “how it will be done,” can be worked out later. As long as you know you can do it, ignore talking about it. If they are interested they’ll call you back and you can explain it all later.
“If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And here I make a rule – a great and interesting story is about everyone or it will not last” – John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Tell them… no show them and have them FEEL why you are the right choice. All the other stuff is just superfluous.
Beware of ”Soft” costs; the cost of employee time and effort is often one of the most overlooked aspects of paid search marketing, and something I consistently bump up against.
I have often seen clients chasing the long tail in search, getting better yields, and throwing it all away in employee and agency costs. One client in particular showed me how they increased their efficiency by $200,000 a year. They were very proud Read the rest of this entry »
The QR Code Anti-Stupid Usage Pledge
Posted on: May 3, 2012
- A QR Code is just a link. I will not use QR Codes on webpages and in email or email signatures. I will look stupid if I do because all someone would have to do is click on them. So why would I use a QR Code? I would just make a link that someone can click on. [Exception for website with QR Code to download their mobile app]
- I will not use QR Codes in subway stations with no connectivity as no one will be able to scan them and go to a link. [Exception for cities and countries where Subway stations are wired]
- I will not put QR Codes on clothing as I do not want people to be creepers chasing around someone trying to scan their butt or their chest.
- I will not put QR Codes on anything that moves fast; cars, car license plates, trucks, towed behind planes, OR on static objects you drive quickly by; outdoor billboards on highways. This is a tragically unsafe use of QR Codes.
- I will not put QR Codes on my ads in in-flight magazines, as 30,000 feet up in the air does not have good cell reception, and honestly not enough planes have wifi to justify the usage. [Exception for Virgin America]
- I will not put QR Codes on curved surfaces like pillars, straws, or balls when they stretch around the surface. Someone cannot easily scan them, and again, I do not want to be stupid. [Exception for when the code IS actually scannable as on bottles]
- I will not design “artistic” QR Codes that cannot be scanned. If my art director, creative director, or other production artist makes an un-scannable artistic QR Code I have the full permission of the Digital Strategy Council on Foreign Relations to shoot or otherwise force my creative team to only work writing Search Copy for three months. [Most prefer being shot.]
- I will not put QR Codes on rotating billboards, digital signage, and in TV commercials for less than the full commercial length as people will not have enough time to scan them.
- I will not make QR Codes smaller than they can possibly be scanned unless I am specifically designing them to torture people.
- I will direct QR Codes ONLY to mobile friendly websites that have no Adobe Flash on them. This includes stupidly linking directly to Facebook pages. Better yet, I will make a specific mobile website for the iPhone and Android devices.
When I do not do stupid things I avoid being stupid. I hold this stupidness to be self-evident. If I do not hire a good digital strategist I deserve to not only look stupid, but be reminded of my stupidness and shame for at least three months.
I understand that it is OK to ask questions when I do not understand a new piece of technology. That is not stupid. It is good to hire a digital strategist to assist me in understanding not only how a piece of technology works, but how I could use it to help me, my brand, and my agency connect to people in meaningful ways.
How to teach a client about Pinterest… and help yourself while doing it
Posted on: February 20, 2012
Like nailing Jello to a wall, Pinterest is a bit hard to “get.” It’s fairly easy to define the concept, “scrapbooking with high viral potential,” however many people, including many of my clients, struggle to figure out if it has any worth to them.
Instead of just telling them about it, which loses some of the impact of what Pinterest actually is or can do, I decided to make a tangible example for them to see how someone like me could engage with it, and therefore spur ideation with them as to how they could use it. I have always found that “show” works better than “tell.”
For those who do not know, Pinterest is a visual curating site. If you are on the internet and see images that you just like, you can “Pin” them to a “Board” you create on Pinterest. Say you love cars, you can keep a record of car pictures you like in a place you can always go back to. And… other people can follow your love of cars that way.
For individuals the uses are easy to understand. It’s basically a place for you to keep track of stuff you like that you see online. But brands? The key here, that I continually drill into my clients heads… Read the rest of this entry »
Google Ad Sitelinks
Posted on: February 15, 2012
Not every page on your site is important. Ad Sitelinks
Think of this as multiplying your existing ads’ effectiveness; all thanks to the Ad Innovations team at Google
Ad Sitelinks offers a way for you to make your ads more useful and relevant to users searching for information on Google. While the standard text ad format can often provide enough information for users to find what they’re looking for, sometimes additional information is necessary to help provide the best response.
What if you’re a company that has multiple divisions or multiple pages, and you would like someone to be able to visit them from a single keyword? Just use the Ad Sitelinks extension and voilà, you can highlight the important pages on your site right up front.
Branded terms are often the most efficient keywords you can buy, but they are often the most clicked-on words adding to the cost, and brands often question what additional value they add. With the combination of Search Funnels and Ad Sites links, these debates should finally be laid to rest.
So what is the added benefit advertisers are seeing using Ad Sitelinks? According to Google a 30 percent increase in click-through rates when they are used. Combine that with the fact that a brand gets deeper site penetration to the pages they want to drive consumers to, and this is a no-brainer.
Maximize Facebook Ad Value
Posted on: February 7, 2012
Facebook provides a unique opportunity to connect with your customers. Get up to speed on insights designed to help you make the most of your Facebook advertising efforts.
Facebook overtook Google last year as the most trafficked site on the internet. Social media has gone beyond connecting with friends and has graduated into a full-blown, connected personal and business mode of communication. As much as pundits attempt to pit Google and Facebook against each other, it is not an either-or equation for advertisers. Rather, it’s a “yes, and…”equation. Each of the sites serves advertisers in a distinctive way. The most notable difference is that Facebook advertising can more uniquely serve all parts Read the rest of this entry »
What does Love mean to brands?
Posted on: January 31, 2012
Love. What does it mean to brands? Often people give presentations about “brand love” and cite brands like Apple, or Starbucks, or Virgin. Guess what? No other brand is Apple, or Starbucks, or Virgin. and you cannot just go out and copy those brands. If I stood in front of you and presented a case study about Apple it would demonstrate the “concept of brand Love” What it would not do however is help you. Many in the audience would silently mutter to themselves about all the failings of their brand. “OUR brand is not Apple,” you’d think to yourself “and never will be.” And I am here to tell you that you are 100% correct. Showing you case studies of brands that people Love is a waste of your time. For “Love” is only half the story.
What people don’t tend to talk about is Devotion. Devotion, not Love is Read the rest of this entry »
And yet they still cannot seem to get the performance out them they expect. That is because they do not understand what they are buying. They are missing what is the value. They think it is a new technology, and it is NOT the technology.
Yahoo buys InterClick for $280 Million
MAGY (AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft and Google) keep buying Ad-Networks, and then the ad-network doesn’t pan out. And then they buy another one, and another. All of these ad-networks have some unique technology . And they keep scratching their heads how this ad-network that was making so much money, and so profitable just doesn’t seem to perform as well after they buy it. And they actually blame themselves; they didn’t “integrate” it properly.
And they all seem to miss what they are buying. And they continue to scratch their heads, and repeat this over and over.
Why? Because they are technology companies thinking that they are buying technology… and they are not.
They are buying a sales force, one that can sell. And then that sales force leaves because they just made “bank” and do not want to work for a bunch of also-rans in company X that bought them, under sales people who do not know how to sell, which is the reason they had to buy them in the first place.
And the star sales people leave, migrate to a new Ad Network which is “suddenly” the next great technology.
Quit thinking you are buying technology at ad networks, and do an end around and scoop up top sales staff instead. Give them a sick commission with golden handcuffs. It is a hell of a lot cheaper.
But alas, they are technology companies and seem to miss the obvious. It’s the people stupid.
ranty rant signing off…
