Has Google Put A End To Digg?

By Matthew Hunt | August 18, 2008

Has Chris Lang discovered the missing link to Google developing their own social bookmarking platform?

Chris claims it wasn’t his prediction that this would come true, it was the visionary Scoblizer , but Mr. Lang has certainly done his due diligence when it comes to the subject matter of Digg & Google and this ongoing social bookmarketing war of who will bring this type of social organization "mainstream" all those "non-IM’ers and non-bloggers" out there.

Would it really be any surprise to see Google do it…?! :)

Because Google Reader (GR) now allows you to add a friends list, sharing, bookmarking, and blog recommendations, Chris believes this is Google’s version of Digg. To get a better idea of what GR can do go visit Chris Lang’s shared items page in Google Reader .

Chris writes,

"Your blog and your Google profile will be ranked by…

The PR, number of subscribers and the rate at which individual posts are shared in the blogs you are reading.

How much you click the feeds, how many items you read, how long you spend on the feed and what items you share.

How many friends you have, how many mutual friends you have and their Google Reader participation.

How many of your friends have your feed in Google Reader, the power of the other feeds in their Reader, how often they read your feed and how often they share it.

How many friends your friends have and their habits within Google Reader that are listed above.

This is the Google version of Digg voting and it cannot be skewed by voting and gaming the algo like Digg can." to read the full post click here .

It really is amazing to be on this ride of discovery with Chris Lang, to be one of the early adopters of watching & participating in Google adding their own social to search. I highly recommend you continue to follow Chris’s discoveries and tests on this subject matter because it could potentially mean a ton of new traffic to your web properties if used correctly. What everyone seems to like so far about this new technology is the fact that is is harder to SPAM, manipulate, and it may just finally assassinate the famous Digg Mafia .

Who knows this may be the final nail in the coffin for Digg …?

Love to hear what you think…? How do you think this will effect online social media landscape…?

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Topics: Other, Social Marketing | No Comments »

Hitler Uses Twitter!

By Matthew Hunt | August 18, 2008

This is very funny if you use Twitter!

Hitler is very P.O.’ed because he wants to tweet about his dog dying, but can’t because Twitter is always down.

Best quote in twitter spoof: "I have 2,000 followers who need to know every minute detail of my life! How else am I supposed to convey my sadness to so many people simultaneously? "

What was your favorite quote from this spoof! Anyone know any other great twitter spoofs?

Topics: Funny, Twitter, Video | No Comments »

Where Our Future Shoppers Will Find Info On Your Business

By Matthew Hunt | August 15, 2008

In this recent article posted by emarketer.com they show where our present to future shoppers are finding their information on our products and services we sell.

"The companies surveyed 10-to-14-year-olds and found that 83% went online for an hour or more every day. Many children were also shopping online. Four out of 10 responding young consumers said they used search to learn about products or services after seeing ads. Many said they used search engines to find places to buy, check prices or start researching purchases from scratch. "

What does this tell you about your business…?

It should scream that your main marketing efforts need to be online. If you are currently not online and have no idea where to start, then I recommend that you may want to start with the FREE 30 Day Challenge offered by Ed Dale . It has a focus of helping newbies build their first business online, but it can directly relate and be very useful for small business owners.

Here’s another off the cuff tip:

Mobile Marketing will be huge - the younger generation can’t live without their cell phones!

Tell us, what are you doing with your business to market tweens…? Are your products and services easily found online…? Have you tested any ‘text marketing’ or any mobile marketing…? Share with us your experiences.

Topics: Small Business, Social Marketing | No Comments »

Are the 2008 Olympics Killing Your Business?

By Matthew Hunt | August 13, 2008

2008 Olympic Logo

I was out yesterday purchasing new glasses for myself and my wife and I noticed that the shopping centers where very quite. I asked the owner of the Optician Store,Have you been busy today? " and she replied, "No. It’s very quite ever since the Olympics. "

Has your business been quite since 2008-08-08?

What can you do to keep people coming into your business during the Olympics…?

I have created a list of 9 Promotions that could potentially help you ride off the BUZZ of the 2008 Olympics to help drive traffic to your businesses.

  1. If you have a restaurant or bar, rent those BIG screen TV’s and hold specific Olympic parties for your favorite events.
  2. Hold a contest. If ‘such, such athlete’ wins a medal, then you give away something of value to the first customer that comes in and mentions that athlete’s name and medal that they won.
  3. For every Gold Medal your country wins you drop the price by 5-10%.
  4. Create special Olympic themed dishes or drinks.
  5. Offer FREE Delivery during the Olympics.
  6. Donate a percentage of all sales during the Olympics to go towards under privileged athletes.
  7. Give away $5-$20 gift cards to any purchases made during the Olympics.
  8. Get behind your local Olympic Athlete and add decorations and banners to your location cheering them on.
  9. If you are a Beauty Salon offer a special "Waxing" in the spirit of Olympic ’speed and aerodynamics’ like swimmers or cyclists.

It’s not too late!

Jump on the bang wagon and get involved in the spirit of the Olympics!

Tell us what promotions you are using and what promotions you have seen out there that have been great marketing ideas…?

Topics: Marketing, Other | No Comments »

Turn Negatives into Positives

By Matthew Hunt | August 11, 2008

Everybody seems to be excited (if not a little worn out) by the ongoing drama of the U.S. presidential election these days, especially the historic campaign of Barack Obama. What can the political maneuvers of politicians teach the small business owner trying to find effective marketing strategies?

Well, to state the obvious, political campaigns, especially in America, are mammoth marketing exercises in and of themselves. But what interests me, especially about Obama, is how skillfully he can manipulate negative perceptions about himself and turn them into positives.

Take one example. In Obama’s memoirs, he candidly admits to being a bit of a wayward youth, even experimenting with drugs. One of the chief (and rather depressing) tactics of political strategists is to dredge up all sorts of negative information about an opponent’s past and use it against him. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had to deal with allegations of drug use in their younger days, and both took a bit of a hit for it, at least in the press. By admitting and explaining this potentially toxic dirt from his past, Obama neutralized it and removed its power over him. He also appeared, by being honest about something negative, to be willing to tell the truth. For voters, that’s a rare commodity!

Your customers can be just as cynical as voters. If your website is full of nothing but glowing commentary, visitors might be suspicious of your integrity. Why not come clean and admit a flaw-and then "spin" it into something positive. Your prices are higher than a competitor? Make that an actual selling point by explaining that the price is higher because the quality of the product is higher. The lesson is: don’t shy away from real or perceived flaws-make them work for you!

Topics: Marketing | No Comments »

What Gordon Ramsey Can Teach You About Your Business!

By Matthew Hunt | August 9, 2008

I’m a big fan of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey . The foul-mouthed British firebrand is a household name in North America because of his nerve-wracking TV show Hell’s Kitchen , in which young chefs compete for a job running one of his restaurants. But it’s his other show, the more low-key Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares , which has got me thinking about the kinds of lessons he can teach the small business owner.

On Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsey visits failing restaurants in desperate need of re-direction and even re-invention. He analyses the menu, watches the front-of-house and kitchen staff in action, critiques the décor and learns about the local people (potential customers) and the other restaurants (competition) in the area. Almost always, the restaurant owners whose business he is trying to save are totally resistant to the changes he suggests—until they see how well the changes work.

Typically, there is a disconnect between what the owner wants his or her restaurant to be and what the marketplace wants. Over and over, we see the sad story of someone who opened their “dream restaurant,” crafting it to suit their interests and tastes, but meeting indifference from the fickle public. They’ve invested huge sums of money and energy in what ultimately turns out to be a vanity project.

As a gifted chef, Ramsey is an artist—but he is also a businessman who realizes that even creative enterprises have to be responsive to their market. Restaurants, like plays, need an “audience.” And unlike a play, a restaurant doesn’t have the option of being “ahead of its time” and being appreciated 100 years from now by a more receptive public. If your food is so “ahead of its time” that people won’t eat it, it’s going into the garbage!

The most striking aspect of Kitchen Nightmares usually occurs near the end. Stubborn owners change their tune when they sees scores of happy customers coming and going for the first time in years. It is humbling for them to realize their idea, their original “dream,” wasn’t really a good one. But success, and the experience of creating customer satisfaction, seems to more than compensate!

The point is this. You must test your idea by learning what your customers want. You must learn very carefully what your target market, whether it is the neighbourhood you set up shop in or the industry you wish to compete in, is looking for—especially if no one else is providing it.

And above all else, don’t be afraid to ask for help! There’s no shame in deferring to a second opinion, especially from an expert with a proven track record. Chef Ramsey has run several massively successful restaurants over the decades. The only thing more shocking than his swearing is how so many of his clients on Kitchen Nightmares let their pride and ego get in the way of accepting his smart, clear-eyed advice.

Take a moment and be honest with yourself and ask yourself: “What am I being stubborn about in my business…that is only serving my ego and not focused on serving what my customers want and need…? ” It’s tough to be honest with yourself, but essential in today’s competitive marketplace. If you are having a difficult time, go out there and find the “Gordon Ramsey ” of your industry and pay them to kick you in your butt!

Topics: Small Business | 1 Comment »

Are Your FAQ’s Dynamic & Search Engine Optimized?

By Matthew Hunt | August 7, 2008

Have you thought about your Frequently Asked Questions lately? This page is generally considered a static part of the administrative section of a website, something that was set up when the site was created and left on its own thereafter. But it’s time to look at your FAQ page as a dynamic, changing facet of your site that can play a key role not only in helping satisfy potential customers, but also improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Use FAQs for SEO.

Think about it. What is a search engine query but a question—asked in keywords. By using your FAQ page as a repository for valuable long-tail keywords , you are increasing the potential traffic to your site. This requires you to, as always, think hard about what your customers are looking for—and how they’re looking for it. Make sure your product names and services are incorporated into the FAQs and construct your questions with an eye to visitors’ search habits.

Use FAQs as customer outreach.

Think of your FAQ page as the virtual equivalent of a knowledgeable, attentive and enthusiastic salesperson, and develop your questions accordingly. Never lose sight of the need for your site to make the customer feel appreciated, and to feel confident in the quality of your product and the legitimacy of your business.

You may have a stockpile of real questions customers have asked you about your product. Answer these in your FAQs and your future customers have spent less time and effort querying and researching. The less trouble a customer has to take, the less likely they will lose interest and move onto something without all the hassle.

Create your own FAQs that anticipate a customer’s confusion and concerns. Make sure your self-constructed FAQs sound realistic, and write them in a voice a typical customer would use.

And remember, the more a customer’s questions and concerns are answered on the FAQ page, the less phone and e-mail queries you’ll get!

Use FAQs to sell your product.

Your sales pitch doesn’t have to be confined to the sales copy. Like I said, your FAQ page is your “virtual salesperson,” and can play the role as an enthusiastic cheerleader for your product. Every customer has reservations before buying, so anticipate these potential stumbling blocks and help chip through the customer’s wall of doubt and uncertainty. Use your FAQs to reduce your customer’s need or desire to comparison shop elsewhere.

One last thing: keep updating your FAQs as customer feedback increases and you learn more about their issues. Remember, the FAQ page needs to be dynamic and adaptable to your changing and growing customer base.

Topics: Web Design | No Comments »

Domain Names - Do They Matter?

By Matthew Hunt | August 5, 2008

Your domain name is like your online storefront. It’s the first thing people see when they reach you, and you need to make the most of it. As the old business cliché goes, it’s all about “location, location, location!” If your location on the internet (that is, your domain name) is obscure and hard to find, your future customers are likely going to find someone else first. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing a domain name.

 

Topics: Web Design | No Comments »

What Blogging Platform Should A Small Business Owner Use?

By Matthew Hunt | August 3, 2008

So you’re ready to jump in and finally set up a blog for your business. How to choose among the range of popular blogging systems? Many will opt for Blogger, TypePad or Blog Harbor, but I would heartily recommend WordPress. Here’s why.

With WordPress, you simply download the free software to create your blog, buy your own domain name and rent your own server space. The installation and set-up process is quite simple. But more importantly, it provides you ownership over your blog. Instead of running your blog through a system like Blogger, where you are subject to their terms and conditions, you have control over your own work. The last thing you want is to have your hard work eliminated from Blogger’s servers because they mistakenly thought your blog was a “spam blog,” created just to generate traffic for other sites rather than to contribute meaningful content.

WordPress also uses Open Source software, which allows participants with programming knowledge to look at the software code and make additions and improvements. This creates a system which constantly adds new enhancements, giving you more options for how you want to set up and style your blog.

It may cost more upfront than the other platforms, but the peace of mind you get with ownership, and the quality and ease of use, makes choosing WordPress worth it.

Topics: Blogging | No Comments »

The Psychology of Line-ups

By Matthew Hunt | August 1, 2008

Have you ever been to a Ribfest ? These traveling barbecue shows have their origins in the American south, but you can find them all over Ontario during the summer weekends. Barbecue teams set up huge rigs equipped with giant smokers that can cook 200 racks of ribs at a time. Once the ribs are finished smoking, they are ready to eat, but before they reach the customer they hit the grill to have the succulent sauce, sweet and tangy or hot and spicy, cooked into them.

Now, before you get too hungry and break for lunch, I do have a point! A friend of mine worked for a rib crew a few summers ago. While the different rib teams travel together and have a friendly camaraderie, at the end of the day they are competing against each other. If customers come to the park and see 10 different rigs lined up, all with colorful banners and trophies on display, how do they choose which ribs to try?

My friend found the makeshift marketing techniques they used intriguing. Some would send people out into the crowd with free samples of pulled pork and sauce. Most would hire pretty girls to run the cash counter or the grill (it sounds sexist, but it worked). The most fascinating technique? They would control the line-ups.

Image of people lining up

If the line started to thin out, griller’s and servers would actually slow down to make sure they didn’t lose it. “Losing the line” was one of the worst things that could happen. It may sound counter-intuitive, but having a long line-up would actually contribute positively to a customer’s purchasing decision. Along with word of mouth from other attendees and positive experiences at previous years’ ribfests, line-ups were a major way customers assessed the quality of the product. There must be something wrong with a team that has no customers waiting, right?

Never forget that you can market yourself by controlling the supply of your product to stimulate demand. You just have to do it properly. The rib crews would never let the line-ups get too out of hand; they would speed up as much as necessary to keep the line moving. You never want to alienate or irritate your customers!

How can you apply the line-up effect in your business? Let us know below in the comments have you ever applied this strategy before…? Did it work? What were your results? Did people just want your products and services even more…?

Topics: Marketing | 3 Comments »

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