Often, as products get more feature rich, they become more complicated.
On the other hand, software company 37signals prides itself on creating products that do less. I am a happy user of a number of their products, especially Basecamp.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The times, they are a-changing
Great quote from a panel disucussion on old school/new school techniques in building a customer base.
E-mail may be cheap, but it is becoming more irrelevant. It certainly will not go away, but as a business tool, it cannot be relied upon to get your message out.
Ain't that the truth! We have our own "filters" when we look at e-mail, especially when we wake up on Monday and find 137 pieces in our inbox from the weekend. Newsletters and offers (forget the real spam) clutter the screen, obscuring the messages you want to see. It just becomes one big noise pit. The first thing to get the axe is "anyone who is trying to get me to buy something".
Email used to be an effective means, but today, email is broken. You can’t reach people easily via email due to spam filters and overuse of the email medium. (David Teten)
E-mail may be cheap, but it is becoming more irrelevant. It certainly will not go away, but as a business tool, it cannot be relied upon to get your message out.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
bizblogs
Blogging is the hot trend these days. It might need to be part of your marketing strategy.
BL Ochman, corporate blog strategist, offers a tongue-in-cheek look at why blogging is just not worth the effort
BL Ochman, corporate blog strategist, offers a tongue-in-cheek look at why blogging is just not worth the effort
Say more with less
Ever notice how many people who talk alot have little to say? There is an adage in the Talmud that says that one should try to speak succinctly. This carries over into all forms of communication, especially in the marketing world.
Look at the contrast between the Grape-nuts billboards in the Apprentice contest. The one on the left is too complex for a billboard. I don't have to put it any differently than Bill Rancic who writes on his blog:
Every so often, a client wants us to do an ad that seems to include their entire manifesto. You are not writing a book, you are trying to get your foot into a closing door. In this generation especially, with all of the ads, e-mails and banners that vie for our attention, we tend to skip the ones that are long winded and take too much time to digest. Once your message gets tuned out, the communication is over.
Decide on your message and use clarity to express it.
Look at the contrast between the Grape-nuts billboards in the Apprentice contest. The one on the left is too complex for a billboard. I don't have to put it any differently than Bill Rancic who writes on his blog:
The graphics were another problem. You don't need to be an expert to figure out that the billboard design was too cluttered. People driving by would not be able to take it all in without getting into a major car accident.Now, I am not all that keen on the image that is being conveyed in billboard on the right. However, the way that the message is communicated is much more effective. Billboard attention spans are usually measured in eyeball-seconds and you have no time to spare. Nothing says more than an image which fully captures the mood.
Every so often, a client wants us to do an ad that seems to include their entire manifesto. You are not writing a book, you are trying to get your foot into a closing door. In this generation especially, with all of the ads, e-mails and banners that vie for our attention, we tend to skip the ones that are long winded and take too much time to digest. Once your message gets tuned out, the communication is over.
Decide on your message and use clarity to express it.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Marketing Shmarketing
I believe in simplicity....
I am not referring to simple-mindedness or lack of imagination. I am talking about breaking complexity down to its core elements. Often, we try to show our expertise in a certain area by communicating about it in a way that shows the very depth of our knowledge. We throw around fancy terms and buzzwords. However, you will see that the trend of late is to promote disambiguity. The "for Dummies" series of books certainly comes to mind.
Look at some of the most successful companies and products in this millenium. The most prominent word of this era is probably "Google". Noun, verb, adverb (?); how did this become such a household name? They certainly weren't the first search engine, they may not even be the best search engine. What they are is the most effective search engine, due for the most part to the simplicity of search that the site brings, along with its integrated tools.
The iPod revolutionized the mp3 market. Again, Apple was not the first to come out with a portable mp3 player; What they did do was be the first to do it right. It was truly breathtaking how they created the market for their product, leaving everyone else to try to catch up. The formula? Simplicity.
Marketing is not advertising, research, websites, or search rank. Marketing is simply communicating. I say "I have a product"; You respond "I am your customer". Getting to this conversation can be simple or complicated, expensive or inexpensive. There are no one-size-fits- all solutions. Many businesses today are not tapping into some of the trends and methods that have developed of late. Marketing is done with the old, bloated methods. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for media advertising, whether on TV/radio, print media, or the web. However, you cannot just rely on these outlets to increase your bottom line, especially when you are a small business or service provider. Why create a beautiful web site if it won't be given a second look by the googler? Why spend the money on a commercial when only a fraction of the audience cares about your service? The knee-jerk answer usually is "To promote awareness". There is a 2-part response to this in the new era:
1. Awareness does not equal customers
In the internet age, there are so many businesses/professionals looking for your attention. Living in Flatbush, Brooklyn, how can I not be aware of Wheels to Lease? But what made me choose to give them the time of day? A recommendation from a family member. If I shopped around at every car dealer that I am "aware" of....
Awareness is important but it is not enough to attract customers!
2. Why buy a Rolls-Royce to get you to the train station?
The internet has made it easier then ever to connect with your customers. There are a myriad of ways to communicate your message without it being too costly or finding its way into the Junk Folder. What's more is that often, your awareness growth will be cultivated by others at little cost to you.
Awareness can be promoted through simple communication
Some would refer to this as "guerilla marketing" or "viral marketing". The truth is that Elementary Marketing is all of the above and more. It is using all forms of communication to create the right blend for your business or service, based on your message, size and target niche market. It is developing a plan that focuses on the creating and fostering the connection between you and your customers.
It is that simple.
I am not referring to simple-mindedness or lack of imagination. I am talking about breaking complexity down to its core elements. Often, we try to show our expertise in a certain area by communicating about it in a way that shows the very depth of our knowledge. We throw around fancy terms and buzzwords. However, you will see that the trend of late is to promote disambiguity. The "for Dummies" series of books certainly comes to mind.
Look at some of the most successful companies and products in this millenium. The most prominent word of this era is probably "Google". Noun, verb, adverb (?); how did this become such a household name? They certainly weren't the first search engine, they may not even be the best search engine. What they are is the most effective search engine, due for the most part to the simplicity of search that the site brings, along with its integrated tools.
The iPod revolutionized the mp3 market. Again, Apple was not the first to come out with a portable mp3 player; What they did do was be the first to do it right. It was truly breathtaking how they created the market for their product, leaving everyone else to try to catch up. The formula? Simplicity.
Marketing is not advertising, research, websites, or search rank. Marketing is simply communicating. I say "I have a product"; You respond "I am your customer". Getting to this conversation can be simple or complicated, expensive or inexpensive. There are no one-size-fits- all solutions. Many businesses today are not tapping into some of the trends and methods that have developed of late. Marketing is done with the old, bloated methods. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for media advertising, whether on TV/radio, print media, or the web. However, you cannot just rely on these outlets to increase your bottom line, especially when you are a small business or service provider. Why create a beautiful web site if it won't be given a second look by the googler? Why spend the money on a commercial when only a fraction of the audience cares about your service? The knee-jerk answer usually is "To promote awareness". There is a 2-part response to this in the new era:
1. Awareness does not equal customers
In the internet age, there are so many businesses/professionals looking for your attention. Living in Flatbush, Brooklyn, how can I not be aware of Wheels to Lease? But what made me choose to give them the time of day? A recommendation from a family member. If I shopped around at every car dealer that I am "aware" of....
Awareness is important but it is not enough to attract customers!
2. Why buy a Rolls-Royce to get you to the train station?
The internet has made it easier then ever to connect with your customers. There are a myriad of ways to communicate your message without it being too costly or finding its way into the Junk Folder. What's more is that often, your awareness growth will be cultivated by others at little cost to you.
Awareness can be promoted through simple communication
Some would refer to this as "guerilla marketing" or "viral marketing". The truth is that Elementary Marketing is all of the above and more. It is using all forms of communication to create the right blend for your business or service, based on your message, size and target niche market. It is developing a plan that focuses on the creating and fostering the connection between you and your customers.
It is that simple.
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