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Over at mpdailyfix.com, Scott Baradell wrote a wonderful article called "Eight Telltale Signs That Your Press Release is Bullshit" For anyone thinking about writing & sending a press release, it's a must read!!
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On Tuesday the Boston Globe reported a new audio technology that "sends sound in a narrow beam, just like light, making it possible to direct messages right into consumers' ears while they shop or sit in waiting rooms."
Aieeeeee!! I don't think I want a voice whispering in my ear "Go ahead, get some fresh asperagus...it's in season!" at my local Loblaws. Or beaming "Tell your Mummy to buy you Choco-Chews" at my always agreeable daughter. Frankly, it's creepy.
It also seems like noise pollution, an invasion of my privacy, unethical, sneaky and a whole bunch of other things.
But more importantly, what do you think?
Hello fair readers!
My apologies for this week - there's a long and involved story about a lack of electricity and a sick kid who is doing a fabulous Harvey Fierstein impression.
Here are a few things that caught my eye…
David Mamet, incredibly prolific author, essayist and director (as well as the writer of one of the plays/films ever, Glengarry, Glen Ross) is directing two commercials for Ford. How very odd.
Hmmm, some possible dialogue?
Blake: "The leads are weak." The fucking leads are weak? You're weak. I've been in this business fifteen years...
Moss: What's your name?
Blake: Fuck you. That's my name.
[Moss laughs]
Blake: You know why, mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove an eighty thousand dollar BMW a mid-priced Ford. *That's* my name.
Copyranter is one of the blogs I stalk read, and earlier this week he noticed perhaps the worse liquor advertising out there..
I love his line:
Somebody at a monthly group-think meeting must have chimed in with something like: "Our fembot is hot, but can we get "gay" into a headline somehow? Everybody looks to The Gays to see what they're drinking."
Have a great weekend all!!
A veritable who's who of SEO have contributed to this list, that evaluates a whole whack of factors that contribute to a site's search ranking. Thanks SEOmoz!
I've included the score, and added a few comments about each factor.
1. Keyword Use in Title Tag (4.9)
If there is one simple task that any business or organization can do to help optimize their Web site, it is to create unique page titles for each page of the site.
2. Global Link Popularity of Site (4.5)
This refers to the overall quality and quantity of incoming links. One of the judges, Lucas Ng (aka shor), had a comment that puts it all into perspective, "Think of a web page as a town. If a city has freeways, airports, train stations, bus shelters and a port, that's a good indicator that it is an important hub. That orphaned web page with no links pointing to it? It may as well be a hidden tribe of Amazons that no one has discovered."
3. Anchor Text of Inbound Link (4.4)
This is still hugely important, but as many of the judges point out, the quality of the site providing the link is extremely important as well.
4. Link Popularity within the Site's Internal Link Structure (4.1)
This was ranked among the judges as a factor with "exceptional importance", and I cannot agree more. It is a factor that is completely within your control, so make the most of it when structuring your site.
5. Age of Site (4)
This does not refer to the original registration of the site, but rather to the first date of the indexable content. So, once your site is launched, make sure you submit it to the search engines but also start the fun job of building quality inbound links.
6. Topical Relevance of Inbound Links to Site (3.9)
This means that the subject of the page providing the link to your site must relate to the topic of the page on your site.
7. Link Popularity of Site in Topical Community (3.9)
Building links? This Top 10 search engine ranking factor reminds us to get quality links from "authority sites" - high quality links from a well-respected site with thematically related content. So, if you are building incoming links, check out professional associations or industry organizations that you belong to - do they offer links to members? If so make sure you're listed.
8. Keyword Use in Body Text (3.9)
My personal favourite, natch. Use your keyword phrase throughout the page, and make sure there are natural variations of keywords. This helps search engines determine relevancy.
9. Global Link Popularity of Linking Site (3.7)
As judge Marcus Tandler points out "the better the linking site, the better the link."
10. Topical Relationship of Linking Page (3.6)
Again, another example of keyword tunneling - how the subject matter on another site affects your site.
This was the view from my window this morning. While I groaned, my 4-year old jumped up and down, screaming: "More snow! YAY!!!"
I was going to write today about how to create incoming links, but a recent phone call reminded me of one important lesson…
Quite often I team up with strategic partner Kathryn Presner of Zoonini Web Services and together we create sites that are "people optimized." This means they are user-friendly, well-organized, well-written (if I do say so myself!), and not only is there a reason to visit, but there is a reason to come back and a reason why folks would want to link to it.
When creating a site, we start by focusing on the end-user and using this as a basis for keyword research, planning site navigation, internal linking strategy, site look & feel, content development, etc. We do this to create "destination sites" - sites that stand out, provide value, start a relationship and, ultimately IMHO, deserve to do well in the search engines. And, they do.
Unfortunately from time to time I get phone calls where the conversation begins like this: "Hi, I've got a site and I'm not getting any traffic. Can you make me #1 on Google?" When I hear that, too often the person is concerned only about positioning and doesn't care about user experience.
A #1 position is worthless if your site visitors can't find what they are looking for, the copy is incapable of selling a bucket of water to a man on fire, or the overall look & feel of the site doesn't inspire confidence and trust.
If you want incoming links, the first rule is to create a well-designed site that has a unique voice, showcases why your company is remarkable and is inherently credible. Every business owner/marketing manager needs to ask themselves one simple question:
Is my site link worthy?
Be relevant. Be timely.
In the late 70s, London was experiencing economic woes and labour unrest. The Clash penned songs like "London's Burning" and "Career Opportunities" reflecting the day's zeitgeist - a growing feeling of social and political alienation. When it comes to great copywriting, timeliness is everything. Understand the mood of the times, and frame your story in a way that mirrors how your audience feels about their reality.
Know your market. Get audience buy-in.
The emotion and pure energy of The Clash's music tapped into the audience's desire for something real. Something that made an unfettered emotional connection. Copywriting also needs to connect with that simpler, earthier stuff that reaches out to us on a very basic level - a story that we can all get behind, believe in and support. Write copy that people can relate to, and develop rapport with your readers through a shared human experience.
Don't follow the crowd.
The punk sound of the lates 70s/early 80s was urgent, raw and very garageland. The Clash took this vitality and infused their music with early Jamaican ska, dub, reggae, funk, blues, gospel, rockabilly… you name it. It was this one-of-a-kind sound that made The Clash stand out. Whatever you are writing about - experiment with its individuality. Differentiate the product or service so that your message can't possibly be confused with any other competitor.
Make it entertaining. Engage your audience.
The heart of the matter is this: The Clash wrote great songs - inescapable melodies and killer riffs played with power and precision. Songs that people wanted to hear, to sing and to be a part of. You can do the same - whether it is a tech white paper, Web site content or a press release, make sure it is engaging and compelling to your audience. Something people don't want to turn off.
Want longevity? Deliver a better message.
The Ramones and The Sex Pistols led the way, but it is The Clash who have been dubbed "the only band that mattered." Part of this stems from their songwriting skills, which, even removed from time and place, keep them in the cultural ether today. Powerful and visceral, the lyrics covered social inequities and delivered an ultimately hopeful positive message of anti-violence. It was part and parcel of The Clash experience or brand. This accessibility and diversity lent them a wider audience and makes them more relevant today than many of the anarchistic groups of the time. The lesson? Understand your audience. Tell a story to build brand.
In case you haven't heard about Twitter, it is a social network site that is generating a huge amount of buzz. Twitter asks users to answer the question "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. Perhaps more importantly, it delivers your "breaking news" updates to the folks, friends and fiends who subscribe to your updates using a variety of media - Web, IM, by SMS to mobile phones, etc. It's like the crack of blogging.
Lately, some early-adopter marketers have been using Twitter to announce sales, updated blog posts, events... you name it. Late last month, Woot, the highly popular deal-of-the-day site announced that you can add Woot as a "Twitter Friend." Others are discussing how it could be useful for business. The blog Mad Dog in the Fog sketched out how Twitter might look in the future as the platform becomes more and more monetized. But, for the most part now, it is highly entertaining...
As if the app-de-jour weren't enough, along comes Twittervision, a mash-up that allows you to watch "Twitterers" from around the world in real time.
The Explosively Talented Christopher Bird (ka-pow!) wrote a bang-on description of the rather odd campaign for Toronto called Global Capital of Style. I'm betting praying it's a satire or a student project.
I don't know what it is, but Toronto has a hard time promoting itself. The Toronto Unlimited campaign was widely panned, and even FCB's Live With Culture campaign seemed lacklustre - although it did manage to get a few people without a sense of humour riled up.
And don't get me wrong, I'm no "Toronto basher". In fact, I think I know Toronto pretty well. Although born and raised in Scarborough, I've also spent years downtown, living on Soho St. (just steps up from the Black Bull), in the Gay Village, and in a wonderfully sketchy loft on Niagara St, among other places. I've lived at both ends of The Beach, from the eastern edge at Fallingbrook, to the western edge at Woodbine. I've got friends and family scattered throughout the west side of town: Port Credit, Etobicoke, Weston, Roncesvalle and High Park.
I adore its diversity. It's a microcosm of the world. It's a fabulous city and there is much for Torontonians to be proud of. But, on the whole, the advertising leaves a lot to be desired. It never seems to express the vitality, the fun, the culture and everything else Toronto offers.
When you are designing a tourism campaign, there are two markets: the potential tourist and the local residents. Toronto needs a campaign that taps into and frames the pride that Torontonians feel about their city, and one that showcases the city to the world. David Dunne said it best: "For the advertising to work, those who live in the destination have to buy into the campaign and get behind it. It has to tell the truth both as outsiders see it and as insiders live it."
 wrote a bang-on description o…&topic=Advertising Branding Personal){kind=small}
I'm as pleased as Punch to be profiled in the AIMS Canada blog. Eden Spodek did an excellent job of editing my rather long answers. (You want content, I'll give you content!!) Here's the A.C. Riley Communications profile.
I don't have a clue who still uses Bic's Wite Out, I'm pretty content to use the backspace key myself, but kudos to the creator of this excellent -- and very funny -- print campaign. Here are a few of the ads, to see more hop on over to Adpunch.
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