Archive for the ‘Random’ Category
Looking Back at 100: Top 10 Posts on the Webbiquity Blog (So Far)
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Hard to believe that this blog, officially launched just a few months ago, has already surpassed 100 posts. But here we are! Thank you for reading, and without further ado, below are the 10 most-viewed posts on this blog to date. Some of the entries are surprising, but life can be like that. These are the posts that readers have “voted” as the best by their traffic so far.
10. How to Write an Ad Agency RFP
This one surprised me. Small companies don’t bother with agency RFPs (nor should they) and even mid-sized companies use them less today than in the past. But if your company wants to use an RFP process to help in selecting a marketing agency, this post will help you craft one that meets your needs without driving the responding agencies crazy.
9. Social Media is Simpler Than You Think
A post that explains why “social media marketing is simpler than you’ve probably been led to believe. At its core, social media is not about doing new things, but about doing things you’ve always done as a business person differently.”
8. (Almost) 100 (of the) Best Social Media Marketing Blog Posts and Articles of 2009
A bookmarkable collection of some of the best thinking about social media last year, grouped into specific topic areas such as “Social Media Measurement and ROI,” “Social Media Statistics and Research” and “Social Media Marketing Strategy, Tactics and Best Practices.”
7. What is Webbiquity? How to Be Everywhere Online
The inaugural post on Webbiquity explains the concept of web presence optimization—how websites, blogs, SEM, SEO, interactive PR, content marketing, social networking, reputation management and social media can work together to make a company or individual omnipresent online for their targeted description or value statement.
6. How to Write an Effective Business Blog
A Blogging 101 type article for anyone who wants to get started blogging on the right foot, and avoid the missteps and false starts common in the blogosphere.
5. Five Big Shifts in Social Media Marketing
How social media is a reflection of and response to broader shifts in the market and culture that make it increasingly difficult (and irrelevant) to try to buy attention, but critical to earn it. For example, brands no longer control their messages—their customers do. But social media provides marketers with the tools to monitor, participate in and help shape the conversations.
4. The One Effective Use of Facebook for B2B Marketing
Given the dominance of Facebook on the social media landscape, it’s not surprising that this most is among the four most-read pieces on this blog. It’s a bit surprising however that it didn’t stir up more controversy; maybe I’m right about this?
3. Best Social Media Stats and Market Research of 2009
It’s heartening to know that as a data junky, I’m not alone. Wondering how the demographics of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook users compare? Which social networking site 80% of companies plan to use a primary recruiting tool this year? What percentage of consumers and b2b buyers read blogs? You’ll find those answers and more here.
2. How to Choose a Marketing Agency (Ad Agency)
I’m really surprised by this one. As with the how-to-write-an-RFP post noted earlier, this outlines a solid, traditional process for mid-sized companies but overkill for small firms.
Drumroll please…#1 with nearly 3X as many visits as #10 above is…
1. 11 Myths of Social Media Marketing
Social media is only for the young, it’s free, we can hire an intern to do it, and eight other myths destroyed. Well, at least some were destroyed; others sparked disagreement in the comments.
Now on the next 100 posts!
How Consultants Who Aren’t “Natural Born Sellers” Can Still Sell Successfully
Friday, June 25th, 2010Guest post from the editors of RainToday.com.
Oily. Smarmy. Phony. Mendacious. Two-Faced…
Right or wrong, these words are often associated with salespeople. They are also the first words that come to mind for many consultants (along with images of the overly aggressive, overly slick, walking sales cliché) when they are told they need to sell.
While being salesy is ill-advised for almost any sales rep, it is particularly bad for consultants.
Buyers of products often say, “I don’t like the sales rep, but I can tune her out for the next few minutes and simply evaluate her product against the competition.”
Buyers of consulting evaluate the sellers. Why? The seller is often the service provider. The relationship does not end when the sale is completed – it is just beginning. Thus, the foundation of trust set up between the buyer and seller in the sales process is of paramount importance.
There is Nothing Wrong with Selling
Quite the contrary, the act of selling, when done well, adds a significant amount of value. A well-planned sales conversation can help even sophisticated buyers make smarter decisions.
And, you can be effective without sounding like a used car salesman. You can and should sell with high integrity, and high success, and do it without snake oil tactics.
In fact, we’re going to let you in on a little secret: you can apply the same skills that make you a great consultant to help you succeed in selling—all you need to do is sharpen them to apply them effectively.
As a Consultant You Already Have Many Skills You Need to Be Great at Sales
Here are four ways you can apply consulting skills to your selling process:
1. Sell as You Serve: Many consultants who have never sold think the purpose of selling is to part someone from their money at any cost. They believe that to be successful at selling, consultants must leave their values and everyday personalities at the door and adopt a sleazy persona and voice, one that would naturally say something like, “What’s it gonna take to get you into this shiny, red, pre-owned sports car today, ma’am?”
Nothing is further from the truth. The best rainmakers bring in new clients because they are no different when they sell their services than when they deliver their services.
Great consultants create better futures for their clients that the clients didn’t know were possible.
The best rainmakers meet mutually-set expectations over and over again, building trust, relationships, and confidence. The best rainmakers are ethical at all times.
The skills that make you a great consultant can make you a great rainmaker. Sales is about helping clients and prospects find solutions that solve their problems and help them succeed.
2. Sell to Need: Great consultants are masters at uncovering clients’ goals and challenges and helping them to make the changes necessary for success.
Great rainmakers are no different. However, many consultants feel uncomfortable making connections, uncovering needs, and working closely with people they don’t yet know well. Too often the first conversations go awry when they don’t need to.
The same skills you use to get to the root of your clients’ problems and develop solutions to help them meet their goals are the ones you can use to uncover prospects’ needs and propose winning solutions. You just need to recognize what you need to do and bring these skills out at the right time and in the right way.
3. Communicate the Value: Great consultants understand the value they provide to clients. They craft compelling solutions based on their clients’ unique needs, and communicate that value to clients clearly and articulately.
Selling is no different. You must learn to lead discussions that influence direction and outcomes, and you must advocate your services and communicate your value. Just like when you advocate new ideas to your clients when you work with them, you must be persuasive, confidence inspiring, and empathetic all at the same time when you sell to them.
4. Plan for Success: It’s been said that if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there.
Great consultants have a clear process that they follow. Each project has a specific objective, timeframe, budget, and resource allocation. Rainmaking is no different. Like consulting, selling is a process, and it’s waiting for you to master it.
Make the Transition from Consultant to Rainmaker
To help you figure out what that selling process should look like and to make the transition from consultant to rainmaker, we’ve written a free 27-page report, Selling Consulting Services: Forget Everything You Know About Sales and Begin to Sell Without Selling.
This report will give you a proven process you can use to start bringing in more new business now. Plus, you’ll learn:
- • How to avoid being “salesy” (which will actually lead to more sales)
- • A proven process that will get you started bringing in more new business today
- • How to uncover the full set of your clients’ needs (most sales advice only gives you half the story)
- • Whether or not cold calling is dead
- • The best kept secret in leading successful sales conversations
Download the Selling Consulting Services free report now.
Disclosure: As a consultant whose expertise is in helping clients with online marketing, social media and SEO — not selling — I know how difficult this can be for service providers. While RainToday.com has offered to pay me a small commission for anyone who signs up for their training program, I wouldn’t have published this post if I didn’t believe that this is an excellent program for talented but sales-challenged consultants.
What’s So Funny About Social Media and Online Marketing?
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010What has 28 links and will make you laugh? This blog post! From social media cartoons and contextual advertising gone wrong to dysfunctional agency-client relationships and the best (and worst) online ads, here are some of the most amusing, creative and remarkable blog posts and videos of 2009.
Some of this content may not be suitable for most office environments, elderly relatives, children, pets, potted plants or those who simply lack any sense of humor.
Amusing, Creative and/or Just Plain Odd Blog Posts
Social Media
Top 30 Social Media Jokes, Clips and Cartoons! Episode 4 by Thoughtpick
An outstanding collection of social media-themed cartoons and videos. Mostly safe for work.
The Twitter Avatar Roast: 10 Types of Profile Images by Tremendous News
An inspired taxonomy of Twitter avatar types, from “The People Who Think We’re So Interested In Them We Need To See Their Childhood Photos” to “The Nothing-Is-More-Natural-Than-Me-Just-Kinda-Laughing-Not-Noticing-You’re-Taking-A-Picture-Of-Me Guys.”
Ten Reasons NOT to Use Social Media by Sanera People Development Company
Exhausted from trying to explain the benefits to social media to clueless executives, Alicia Arenas switches gears here and delightfully makes the case for “why you should avoid social media like the plague,” with reasons such as “Because what your customers say about you and your company is irrelevant” and “Because participating in the world’s fastest growing communication tool is not a good use of your time.”
How social media is like the seventh grade by Training Marketer
How automated social media responses make online introductions as awkward as junior high.
SEO, SEM and Web Design
You might be a redneck SEO if… by David Leonhardt’s SEO and Social Media Marketing
David Leonhardt takes on Jeff Foxworthy with his own list of 50 signs you may be a redneck SEO, including “If your other Mac is a truck, you might be a redneck SEO.”
The 100 most funny and unusual 404 error pages by Blog of Francesco Mugnai
Who says 404 error pages have to be boring? Check out this outstanding collection of amusing, creative and occasionally bizarre examples of what you may see when clicking on an outdated link or mistyping a URL.
10 unbelievably cute 404 page illustrations by Limeshot Design
If your taste in custom 404 error pages runs more toward sweet than strange, then check out this collection of plump cartoon animals and other frilly stuff.
20 Funny, Clueless, Weird, And Existential Google Keyword Searches by MediaPost Search Insider
Wondering if anyone has ever entered “where did I put my keys” into a Google search box, Rob Garner discovers an array of loopy searches, from “Why am I hot” (9,900 searches per month) to “Why am I so broke (16 searches per month – comforting to know that narcissism is so much more common than destitution, I guess) to “What is the number for 911″ (yes, these people can vote too).
Contextual Advertising Gone Wild – 20 Examples by Pedro Laboy
***** 5 Stars
As anyone involved in online advertising knows, contextual advertising attempts to match ads with the surrounding text, so that, for example, if you’re reading an article about European sports cars, you’ll see an ad from Porsche or BMW. Sometimes, however, this can go horribly wrong–as the examples in this post demonstrate. A Bank of America ad showing up next to a news story on mortgage fraud; an ad for cheap life insurance next to a story about the untimely death of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin; an ad for Kaplan University with the headline “Jobs become obsolete; talent doesn’t” next to a report about Steve Jobs taking a medical leave of absence from Apple. Ouch! Some of these will make you laugh, others will make you cringe.
How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell by The Oatmeal
Anyone involved in design will relate to this; the decline of a design from the “everything is cool…the client communicates their needs and you set expectations” stage through “minor changes” and the everyone-gets-a-say stage through the final abomination of the original, georgeous design.
Advertising & PR
The LOL Cats Take On The World Of Freelancing by Hi, I’m Grace Smith
Grace Smith imagines the LOL Cats from I Can Has Cheezeburger taking on various types of challenging clients in the world of freelancing.
The Publicity Stunt Hall Of Fame by Taylor Herring Public Relations
A collection of funny, clever and inspiring PR stunts from around the world; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll pick some trivia for the next happy hour, you’ll maybe even be inspired in these vignettes about the origins of the Tour de France and Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to the “Barbie Street,” how Liz Hurley became famous, and much more.
Six Business Lessons from the North Pole by The Communicator
Highly creative take on Santa’s marketing and business brilliance, from branding (the red suit is instantlyrecognizable) to human resources (who’s ever heard of an unhappy elf?).
Hard to Categorize
32 Absurd Action Figures by TrendHunter
A bizarre collection of action figures the world probably doesn’t really need, but some people will buy regardless, such as the cast of the “Twilight” movies, political action figures (including Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber and BHO), the Katy Perry doll, and the “Jesus Action Figure and Cleaning Kit.” Really.
Won Park – The Master of Origami Paper Folding by The Design Inspiration
“Bending, twisting, and folding, Won Park creates life-like shapes inspired by objects living and not– both in stunning detail.” An amazing collection of Origami art using $1 bills.
Review of webmarketcentral.blogspot.com by Global Business Blog Reviews
This showed up in my Google Alerts one day; a two-paragraph review of my old blog. Who knew a marketing blog could be “visually restorative” and “enchanting”? Well I thought it was funny anyway.
Funny, Clever or Otherwise Remarkable Videos
Billy Mays’ Resurrectifier Commercial – YouTube
Jimmy Kimmel explains how late pitchman Billy Mays is able to keep selling products even after his untimely passing. Tasteless, but funny.
Why Print isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time… by Junta42
Remarkably creative spoof commercial for “The UK’s best handheld for 40 years” – the Sun newspaper.
The Vendor Client relationship – in real world situations by Erin Blaskie
If you’ve ever worked in a marketing agency, you’ll find this video hilariously familiar. In you work on the client side, hopefully you won’t and you can just laugh at the inconsideration of others.
Top 5 Media Industry Parody Videos – a Little Too Close for Comfort? by iMedia Connection
***** 5 Stars
Matthew DiPietro collects some of the funniest agency-related videos of last year. The language gets a bit rough in spots though, so wear your headphones or earbuds if watching at work.
Resco Packer-Viking Week – YouTube
Mail fulfillment house Resco created this video to some publicity in the Minnesota-Wisconsin region by capitalizing on the passionate Vikings-Packers rivalry-which was intensified last year by the defection of Packers legend Brett Favre signing on with Minnesota. But this destined-to-be-a-classic video really speaks to the primal emotions of fandom anywhere, in any sport. And it’s very funny.
Meet The Fune, Microsoft’s New Smart Phone (It’s Really Hot) by TechCrunch
“It’s a phone that runs Windows Vista, and it connects to the Internet through America Online.” Get a sneak peek at Microsoft’s answer to the Android and iPhone.
VerticalResponse – Nuthin’ But an App Thang – YouTube
An email service provider rap video. `Nuff said.
Comic Relief – The Process by Web Marketing Therapy
What stop signs would look like if they were designed by clients and advertising agencies. It’s not pretty, but it is funny.
14 hilariously effective online campaigns by iMedia Connection
From rapping preppies and a disturbing Australian Flash Dance take-off to John McCain and Paris Hilton, Jim Nichols reviews a slew of the most entertaining viral video ads of last year.
Evian Roller Babies international version – YouTube
The gold standard of viral videos. With almost 24 million views, yeah, chances are you’ve seen this, but it’s still absolutely amazing.
Top 10 Shockingly Bad Tech Ads by Listverse
Some are more tragic than funny, but these can be the results when bad video happens to good people. The vintage clips at the end promoting Windows 1.0 and Windows 386 are priceless.
2009 The Year in Social Media by The Group News Blog
A nine-minute wrapup of the social media “highlights” of 2009.
Best Random but Interesting Posts, Articles and Resources of 2009
Thursday, May 20th, 2010There’s no magic to linking to a YouTube video, but want to know how to link to a specific point, by minute and second, in a video? How can you make the most of those last few minutes before delivering an online presentation? What exactly is “Web 3.0?” Beyond standard content like case studies and white papers, what other information formats work best for b2b lead generation and nurturing? You may think of multitasking as easy or difficult—but is it unethical? Where can you find the best online tools for competitive intelligence?
Discover the answers to these questions and many more here in the best miscellaneous marketing articles, lists and blog posts of the past year.
A Top 25 List of Social Media, Web 2.0 & Marketing ‘Best-Of-Lists!’ by Futurelab
Gary Hayes muses about the value of “top” lists, and the motivations of those who create them, then provides his own semi-scientific list of the best best-of lists from sources like Ad Age, Junta 42, Evan Carmichael and Mashable.
The top 24 facts for selling more in B2B by LEADSExplorer
A collection of two dozen observations, insights and pearls of wisdom for b2b sales success, such as “It is not the increased efforts for getting more contacts, but the effort of getting the best contacts that will increase your sales,” and “Having a lot of contacts, telephone calls, email exchanges and meetings with potential customers is not the best approach. It is better to have a real conversation, being able to question and to listen to your potential customer using the previously gathered information.”
Link to a specific part of a YouTube video by Matt Cutts
A short but helpful post on how to deep link to a specific point in any YouTube video by minute and second.
A Big List of Sites That Teach You How To Do Stuff by ReadWriteWeb
Josh Catone offers his list of “a large number of very helpful sites that teach you how to do things.” These do-it-yourself sites provide online instruction in everything from arts & crafts and cooking to technology and woodworking.
Webinar Marketing Tip – Use Those Precious Last Few Minutes Before The Webinar by Nurture
A helpful reminder about the importance of reminders. For webinar presenters, sending periodic follow-up messages throughout the weeks and even minutes leading up to the webinar is critical for maximizing attendance.
25 Free Social Media Marketing & SEO Ebooks, White Papers + Other Downloads by SEOptimise
***** 5 Stars
Tad Chef supplies an outstanding list of ebooks and white papers related to social media in general, blogging, social media marketing and SEO.
Web 3.0 Concepts Explained in Plain English (Presentations) by Digital Inspiration
Amit Agarwal showcases six online presentations explaining the distinctions between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.
100+ Alternative Search Engines You Should Know by Hongkiat
Google may be fine for regular web searches, and even for some more specific purposes like image or blog search, but in this impressive list of special-purpose search engines you’ll find sources for targeted searches for PDFs and eBooks, product catalogs, books, comics, music, sound effects and more.
Need Content? 20 Formats to Consider by Savvy B2B Marketing
***** 5 Stars
B2B companies often use white papers, webinars, case studies and newsletters to promote their products and services, but Michele Linn provides a fantastic list of additional content formats to consider, including specialized glossaries, research reports, buying guides, articles, video and interactive applications.
Your guide to creating an eye-popping agency website by iMedia Connection
Though Lisa Schiavello’s advice here is ostensibly focused on website design for agencies, most of the recommendations (e.g. use white papers and case studies, incorporate social media, and analyze traffic data) are broadly applicable to a wide variety of firms.
SpotMixer and Google Pair to Offer Self-Serve Online Video Ads by ClickZ
Fred Aun explains how SpotMixer‘s do-it-yourself online video ad technology can now be used to make videos that can run over the Google Content Network or on YouTube, making video advertising affordable for small businesses.
The Ethics of Multitasking by Bloomberg Businessweek
Reporting that “a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that people who fired off e-mails while talking on the phone and watching YouTube videos did each activity less well than those who focused on one thing at a time,” Bruce Weinstein makes the case that multitasking is not only unproductive and stress-inducing, but unethical as well.
The 3 Most Common Mistakes of Web Presentations by iMedia Connection
Zack Grossbart advices presenters to avoid these mistakes when presenting online. He warns that your audience “will multi-task and you can’t stop them,” but supplies tips on how to “burst” your content to “pull people back into your presentation and make them pay attention.”
Ultimate List of Top 29 Tools for Competitive Intelligence by Lakeshore Branding
***** 5 Stars
Chris Campbell provides an outstanding list of tools for gathering insights and information about your competition, including SpyFu (finds competitors’ AdWords keywords), Compete PRO Search Analytics (see what keywords drive traffic to a given site) and Google Trends for Websites (traffic data and geographic visitation patterns of your competitors–pretty cool, though it works only for relatively large, high-traffic sites).
Best of 2008: Amusing, Creative and Just Plain Odd
Monday, January 4th, 2010Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang running an ad agency. How Internet marketing is like a ruptured disc. Bizarre yet real images on the web. Ads that never should have seen the light of an LCD screen.
What do all of these things have in common? They’re all here in the final best of funny, creative and just plain strange blog posts from the past year. So put on your headphones, make sure the boss isn’t nearby, and check these out.
The Peanuts gang strives dysfunctionally to design an agency holiday greeting card in this clever and outrageous spoof. Contains some off-color language and sexual references, so be careful watching this at work, but it’s very funny.
10 Ways Internet Marketing Is Like a Ruptured Disc by Conversation Marketing
Serial best-of contributor Ian Lurie explains, in his imitable fashion, the similarities between Internet marketing and his own unfortunate back injury, such as “if you ignore it, you’ll pee your pants in public, or something equally embarrassing” and “everyone thinks they have the solution, but very few do.” In another noteworthy post, Ian presciently warns readers about 11 Internet Marketing Trends To Ignore in 2009, such as “Vertical Search. I hate to kick that dead dog again, but it sucked in 2007, it sucked in 2008, and it’ll continue to suck wind in 2009.”
15 MORE Images You Won’t Believe Aren’t Photoshopped by Cracked.com
Joe Russo presents an amazing collection of unlikely but real images: giant bunnies, phallic icebergs, unfortunate translation errors, a trailer house skyscraper and more. Some of the images and language are a tad risqué, so be careful with this one at work.
Seven Things That Reality Could Borrow From The Internet by SEOmoz
Jane Copland lists several ways she’d like the offline world to be more like the online, such as automatic redirection of phone numbers, a mechanism to simplify street addresses, and “Unplugging and re-plugging-in anything that doesn’t work properly should immediately result in it working again.” In another notable post from SEOmoz, Rebecca Kelley catalogs 10 Different Types of Clients that may be recognizable to experienced SEO consultants, such as the Jessie Spano client (for Saved by the Bell fans): “A Jessie Spano Client is someone who initially is ‘so excited’ to work with you but ultimately gets overwhelmed by all the changes that you recommend and has a massive freakout from the stress of having to do a complete site overhaul.”
The Freakiest Ads of 2008, Final 4 by AdFreak
Exploding heads, zombie dads, shrinking heads, growing noses, pet slugs—you’ll find them all (if you really want to) in Tim Nudd’s collection of the most bizarre ads from last year.
Stupid marketing copy mistakes by iMedia Connection
Christopher Richards provides an amusing tour of common mistakes made when ad copy strays, under categories such as “sloppy copy” and “beyond cliché.” Example: “Another ad brags about a car that takes you ‘beyond your destination.’ Why would anyone want that? Surely it’s something of a problem. What do you have to do? Catch the bus back?”
The Steven Wright Guide to Content Marketing by Copyblogger
Brian Clark uses a series of one-liners from the inimitable comedian Steven Wright to illustrate his thesis that copy matters when writing blog posts, white papers, web copy or anything else you hope will be read and acted upon. Example: “’The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.’ Content marketing within the realm of social media is extremely powerful, but it does have a downside. Any time people are involved, there’s room for ugliness and stupidity.”
Top 21 Signs You Need a Break From SEO (2008 version) by Small Business Search Marketing
The prolific Matt McGee offers his annual list of signs you may be spending too much time in the SEO world, such as “While telling your son about your favorite childhood books, you wax poetic about the ‘Wikipedia Brown’ series. You never correct yourself. He doesn’t, either.” Geek humor at its best.
Poking Fun at Web 2.0 Naming Conventions: Pot Calling Kettle Black by The Officially Official Blog of Searchles
The folks at social bookmarking site Searchles have some fun with web 2.0 naming style, such as dropped e’s (Socializr, Yappd) and “give me an X” (Blinkx, Fixya).
Don McMillan’s classic instructional how-not-to video. If you haven’t seen it&mash;extremely funny. If you have, watch it again anyway. It’s still funny.
Geeks + alcohol + rap = something you just have to see. It defies my powers of description.
True geek humor. This site is a collection of real help desk tickets compiled over time by a technician who had the misfortune to work with an IT minion identified here only as “George.” So who is George? “George is, quite simply, the worst helpdesk technician ever. His grasp on the written word is shakier than a canoe full of epileptics. His knowledge of computers is thinner than a Vegas dancer’s chiffon underpants. He is, by all standards of intelligence, a rock. While we worked together, George was responsible for turning out some of the most mangled, garbled, and just plain screwed up help desk tickets ever before seen by mortal man.”
