SMS + Blogging = Twitter

The publication Business weekly this week published an article on Twitter, which made me think that I should really write or “blog” something about it:

Twitter is a social media service that is a cross between SMS text messages and Blogs. Twitter otherwise known as “microblogging”, has become hugely popular with traffic on Twitter exploding within the past couple of months. The basic concept is that you can subscribe to get short and brief commentary in the form of live alerts from other members by SMS, Instant Messenger or Email. You can also choose to follow your favorite users and get updates from (Yes basically the status feature from Facebook)

If my description doesn’t make sense here’s the basics from Wikipedia:

“Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send “updates” (or “tweets”; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via short message service (e.g. on a cell phone), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook. Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application.” >With such a large user base, businesses are now looking to use twitter as a channel to talk to customers. Media groups in the U.S. are using users of Twitter (Twitterers) to gain first minute news.

Currently I do not use twitter for personal reasons. I have tried in the past to try and drive traffic to websites through it. Although due to a lack of following this didn’t help! If you are already a well followed blogger or forum user then Twitter could benefit you though. Here’s a just three ways of how it can help you:

1) It can help to build yourself into a brand

2) Could be used to drive traffic to your website

3) Allows you to follow leaders of industries and colleagues on the go via SMS. This could work well If you or colleagues go out in the field. It will let them use it to keep one another updated with deals etc.

Read more...

, , | |

Internet World Exhibition & conference Report

I attended the Internet World Exhibition & Conference which took place last week in London, UK. It looked at all things marketing but focused only on electronic marketing. It was attended by over 100 well known internet companies including Google, Facebook, Linkedin, and EBay. It was interesting to hear that online advertising spending in the UK was 2.8 billion pounds! While in 2004 it was just 653 million pounds. I’d thought I’d share a few points I noted that interested me and that I thought may be useful to you also.


Over and over again I heard that too much digital marketing is designed and being used to stop the user from what they are trying to do. Businesses were advised to stop trying to interrupt what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.


There was a simple message that was being pushed throughout the whole event: Marketing as a service! Currently B2C use marketing as a service but B2B are slow in adopting this method. If we really know our customers and know what they want then we should be able to provide them with content and service without asking anything directly in return. In this way we engage with the audience on a pull rather then a push basis, this also helps position the brand in a positive way.


They also spoke about the poor state of the global economy and the importance of reducing expenditure, and tighten budgets for companies. They pushed that the perfect way to do this would be to increase relevant channels and decrease others. The relevant channel being the internet!

Further topics included how the search market changed incredibly in 2007, and is changing just as significantly in 2008. Google has cracked down on paid buying; some brands have been forced to reconsider their natural search strategy as they seek to remove themselves from link buying as quickly as possible. Which has resulted in many of these brands moving to explore social networks, to see if this can be used as a means to building traffic, links and brand.
Social media marketing was covered by a few papers, they focused on how some early adopters have benefited hugely while others have , heavy investments with light return and been left with empty communities. They also questioned if users of social networks, i.e. Facebook will accept adverts in there private Facebook profile space. 100,000 companies created profiles on Facebook with 24 hours of the network opening up Facebook advertising. Companies are ready, but are the users???

Usability – switching from a difficult to use website to an easy to use website has never been easier for internet users. No longer do we have to put up with slow, awkward websites. All we have to do is hit the back button and it takes us back to Google which, with its typically relevant search results, makes it simple to find an alternative website offering the same goods. Increasing the usability of any website will increase sales and conversion rates! It is a common sign that marketing managers are often “wowed” by fancy designs and that they forget that function always wins over form. So they pushed the message that “it may look good but if users can’t use it then they won’t!”

Read more...

, , , , , | |

Top 5 Most Creative Advertising!

Over the past 10 years there has been a large growth in the amount of creativity used in marketing and adverts. Every company wants to stand out from the rest and gain the attention of the public. I have put together a list of the top 5 adverts that do not just stand out but are also very creative and clever.


5. Bend over!

This yoga company advertised its yoga club by showing just how much they will bend over to help you get fit! These straws were distributed to local drink establishments, as well as containing a picture of someone doing yoga, who bends anyway you bend the straw, the company also placed the address to their website on the straw.











4. Send me a T-Shirt

FedEx created these T-shirt as a freebie to customers and they were so popular a retail chain brought the rights and started selling them!










3. Two sugars please

In New york not only is a lot of coffee drunk, but there is also a lot of advertising, and space is limited. Using New York's Steaming sewer systems this coffee company created a steaming cup of coffee that even the New Yorkers couldn't resist! But do consumers actually look at the road? Also most New Yorkers are used to the steaming from the sewers, so would this steam grab their attention??


















3. Watch this space!

This watch company used the safety handles which feature on the buses at airport that transfer you to and from the airplanes. Customers could then go on to purchase the watches via duty free on the airlines.










1. Size does matter!

Mini Copper used an illusion trick at subway/metro/tube stations across Europe, this creative campaign had the strongest effect any advert can have - it created a large amount of word of mouth publicity! I also imagine that a lot of people took photos which they share online and with friends.










Read more...

, , , | |