Don't Fear The Forward

Cloud Wisdom Campaign

mmajers — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:11 +0000

Microsoft rolled out an interesting campaign starring Tad to focus on virtual services aka cloud services. Tad is the head salesman for VMLimited, but his wardrobe and thinking is from the 1970s. I think this campaign is a creative way to stroll down memory lane, but at the same time drive home the point of what technology is available now.

http://www.vm-limited.com/

Cool Concept for a Homepage

mmajers — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:49:17 +0000

Cleveland Independents exists to promote dining in independently owned restaurants and to serve the interests of the independent restaurateur. The website’s most popular area is where you can buy discount gift certificates to Northeast Ohio’s most popular restaurants. However, what I like best is how the website’s homepage graphically guides users to main sections.

The homepage navigation is divided up into four simple sections: restaurants, events, about us and shops. After you click each main category, you are then transported to an interior section with subcategories. This design is old school, but it works well with the character of the site. The homepage reminds of a friendly Walmart greeter welcoming you to the website and directing you were to go.

http://www.clevelandindependents.com

True Value’s Good Example of Social Media

mmajers — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:14:29 +0000

Looking for a way to boast social media in ahigh traffic spot at your establishment? Create a sign that lists your website, social media sites and put it on your door. Use this example of a True Value Hardware store as a good example of what to do!

Taco Bell’s QR Code Error

mmajers — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:05:07 +0000

Last week, I raced to Taco Bell to try their Loco Taco. A taco made from a Doritos shell. I enjoyed the taco, but not the experience after I scanned the QR Code on the wrapper.

When I took out my phone to scan the QR Code, I landed on a page that was obviously a 401 error page. Most error pages are instructional or helpful, but not this page. The page portrayed an image of a man drunk on the floor that said “You Didn’t Get Served”. Was this the right experience to see after eating a taco? perhaps since it was loco? Taco Bell and the mobile company it teamed-up with had this scan up for almost an entire week after I originally scanned it.

If you are deciding to use a QR code in your marketing mix, the lesson here is make sure it works. Test, test and test as much as you can. I sent an email to the company, but did not get a response.

New Mobile App Tool Improves Your SEO

mmajers — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:14:32 +0000

In the beginning, search engine optimization focused solely on indexing of your website. Now your website, social media and mobile apps are just as important when calculating your organic search listings. Now from the convenience of your mobile device, you can monitor your app’s search engine rankings. You can also keep an eye on your competitor’s app activity too. App Store Optimization is the new SEO tool. Thanks to CIA Mike for the tip.

Do you know how your mobile app is impacting your organic search engine rankings?
Tech Crunch App Store Optimization Story

Tell Subway: Good Example of Consumer Feedback

mmajers — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:27:09 +0000

Subway is now approaching McDonalds as the number one fast food restaurant in America. In 2011, Subway surpassed Burger King and moved into second among popular fast food chains. Could Subway’s rise to the top be centered on the fact they are listening to consumers better?

On every purchase, Subway gives you a receipt with the opportunity to rate your experience; in return, you get a free cookie. How does your company get consumer feedback? How are you treating your customers? Can you learn a lesson from Subway? How often are you asking your customers what they think? Don’t be afraid to ask.

http://tellsubway.com

Tim Tebow is the Mobile Revolution

mmajers — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:27:58 +0000

Now that the NFL Super Bowl has concluded, I wanted to look back at the Tim Tebow phenomenon. Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Tebow’s unorthodox style of play and extreme faith made him the talk of the town. Opposing teams simply either underestimated his tenacity or simply where beat because he scrambled and made something happen on the field. Generally, Tim’s antics occurred in the fading moments of the game when the defense was caught sleeping.

I started thinking that the mobile revolution has things in common with Tebow. Tim Tebow represents a different style of quarterback because he rushes more than he throws. His style of quarterbacking does not generally dictate sitting back in the pocket and throwing a rifle shot out to a deep wide-receiver. Below are some similarities I see between the mobile revolution and the quaterback revolution Time Tebow brought to the NFL in 2011.

Mobile Revolution (aka your Smart Phone) and Tim Tebow are:
Agile
Flexible
Different style of play for marketers/defense
Marketers/Defense not sure how to react
Getting beat not adjusting

Are you adjusting for mobile marketing in your game plan?

How Do Your Customers Really Feel?

mmajers — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:11:38 +0000

Do you know how your customers feel? When was the last time you sent them a survey? a thank you? How connected are you with the people you serve? If you think your customers are happy, perhaps they are putting on a false smile? I urge you today to send our a survey and get in touch with what your consumers are saying.

I am speaking @MarketingSherpa Email Summit 2012

mmajers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:58:51 +0000

I will be speaking at the Marketing Sherpa Email Summit 2012 on how to Jump Start Your Team with Social Media. Below is the synopsis of the session.

Social media governance and engagement is still a mystery to the business sector. Can your company survive without taking your social media presence to the next level? The Cleveland Institute of Art has implemented the third stage of social media engagement with fervor by incorporating a team dynamic. You need to determine first where your level of social media engagement is, and then implement policies and a triage plan.

The social media Swiss Army Knife can be sliced and diced many ways, but how are your utilizing its tools? Just like restaurants display the MasterCard, Discover and Visa symbols, does your business accept Facebook and Twitter? Email loves social media and your business needs to give love to get love. Are you using your ESPs ability to connect your emails to social media? Do your emails strengthen your social media efforts? Learn tips you can take back to your company and make an immediate impact with your social media integration.

http://www.meclabs.com/training/marketing-summit/email-summit-2012/agenda

Are You Improving Your Online Shopping Experience?

mmajers — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:55:50 +0000

This last holiday season showed significant increases across the board for most retailers (stats below). In my experience, simple tweaks in your ecommerce application can lead to dramatic sales increases.

For example, one year I added a help icon when hovered would display text why this question is being asked. The question was a traditionally indexed as high drop-off, but after adding the help icon consumer confidence was improved moving them through the cart. What type of optimization are your doing for your ecommerce solutions?