milk house thoughts

Who's at the Twitter party?

2009-05-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Don't mind the dust on the blog, I haven't used it in a while but I needed to write down some thoughts. I was due for some blog therapy.

I was on Twitter long before it became something that my Mom heard of but it was a slow start and even now I find it hard to manage and keep up. That said, the last six months have been an amazing time period.

I am not sure if it is just me, but I find the people on Twitter that I interact with are amazing. The people on it seem to be very open, honest and have a true desire to participate in open collaboration. I have had numerous awesome coffee meetings that started as a tweet and I am working to close the first collaborative deal that spawned from a Twitter discussion.

Despite the large numbers of new users, it doesn't seem that the tool is becoming diluted. I am not sure if it is an early adopter effect where people are pushing to make it successful or if the early adopters are just a slice of really great people at the front edge of a new open collaborative world but my gut tells me it is the later.

When I explain Twitter to someone who has never tried it before I always use the analogy of a cocktail party - you have a room full of people engaging in conversations except in Twitterland, there is no limit to the size of the room and anyone can join in. And similar to a cocktail party there are four basic types of people mingling around the room.

The Listeners - these are the wall flowers at the party. They are there but not contributing. They listen and watch but are not ready to engage in the conversation.

The Authors - these are the story tellers. They gather a large audience and are creating new content or providing original opinion to add the the conversation.

The Connectors - these are the ones that can walk into any room and know someone. They are always willing to help introduce you to someone and frequently do. The connectors help make it a great party by making the introductions between the great people they know.

The Filters - these are the people that act as the office grapevine - always plugged in and connected, but they sift through the conversations and repeat only the information worth sharing. In a world where more data will be produced this year than in the last 5000, these filters provide a valuable function in making the important data rise to the surface.

There is always the case of people that are a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but I find that in general, people fall into one of these four categories.

What makes this interesting to me is when you look at how you can use Twitter and other social media tools in the work place or for your clients. A key part of your planning needs to look at how you address these audiences. If you have a strategy that does not look at how to get your message to each one of these groups then your story won't make it around the cocktail party.

How should you approach this? When you are planning your strategy put a persona to each one of these groups and think through how they will receive your message and what you want them to do with it - what will they want to do with it? When you take the time to analyse your audience needs and adjust your message to suit, your results will dramatically improve.

Again, sorry for the dust on the blog... but I need to get that thought down before it fell through the cracks.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings about Twitter and the different people at the party.

Photo Credit: takomabibelot

The Laundry list of Social Media

2008-11-07T07:41:00.001-08:00

Must read blog post for those trying to figure out Web 2.0...

http://web2dotwhat.com/2008/11/06/social-media-and-community-management-resources/

Social Media in Plain english

2008-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Ever been stuck trying to explain social media in plain english... Check out this video.

For that matter if you ever need to explain anything in plain english - try these guys first http://www.commoncraft.com/about

Twitter vs. CNN

2008-11-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

It was amazing to watch the US elections. No matter which camp you wanted to win or where in the world you were, it was a historic event.

An amazing aspect of it for me was getting more interesting and relevant updates via Twitter and Facebook than listening to the journalists on CNN fill the air with fluff and show off fancy Star Wars/ Star Trek AV tricks to "beam" in people. The hologram of the Capitol was a little much...

People on the ground, in Grant park, providing updates. Real emotion. Real news. Really relevant.

In the battle to be the best in the media, isn't it all about relevance?

Web 2.0 has been touted as the traditional media killer, but until this experience, I had not wrapped my head around it.

When the networks lose their relevance, they lose their audience, their advertising revenue. They lose.

The "killer app" of web 2.0 may not be an app at all, just a shift in publishing power creating a new measuring stick for relevance.

Anthropology and Web 2.0

2008-10-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

A very facsinating and informative video about Web 2.0 and You Tube. It is a video by Mike Wesch, who is an anthropology professor at Kansas State University.

I need to watch it again to digest it all.

Presented to the Library of Congress June 23rd 2008.

Social Networks Behind the Firewall

2008-10-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

Found a good presentation about where to start with Enterprise 2.0

http://www.slideshare.net/randywoods/enterprise-20-social-networks-behind-the-firewall

Digital Native

2008-10-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

I attended a Third Tuesday event in Ottawa tonight titled - Integrating social media in your Organization? by Niall Cook, Author Enterprise 2.0. It was an interesting evening with a mix of people and backgrounds - some clients some friends. One thread that caught my attention was the concept of Digital Native. In 2009 the Digital Native enters the workforce. What is a digital native you ask - so did I - someone who has never known life without the internet. Imagine no google, no blogs, no facebook... did life exist?

Now, the concept that grabbed my attention was their impact on the workforce. The presenter implied that the digital native would be a disruptive force. Their knowledge of the digital world would impact how they worked and how others interacted with them. Interesting thought. Does their native knowledge of the online realm make them a force to be reckoned with?

At this point I am a skeptic. Yes, some will be. No doubt. But for many the switch to corporate life will not pull their digital world into the corporate one. Is it going to be that different than when previous generations entered the workforce? I guess only time will really tell the tale but at this point, my gut says that bright stars will shine regardless of the generation or technology gap.

I think experience mixed with the knowledge of technology will have in impact in five years. Once the new grads are integrated into the workforce and understand the new dynamics of the office culture then we will start to see some real shift in how things are done.

NAC Orchestra launches electronic newsletter - Technology and support provided by Ottawa-based Prospectics

2007-03-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

March 21, 2007 - OTTAWA – Prospectics (www.prospectics.com), an Ottawa-based provider of online customer communications and lead nurturing technologies, today announced an exclusive contract with the National Arts Centre in which Prospectics will manage the NAC Orchestra’s customer communications activities through the timely delivery and distribution of its new electronic newsletter Prestissimo.

“Organizations are under increasing pressure to be more innovative in how they communicate with their patrons and very careful about how they allocate resources and funds,” said Chris Neil, president and founding member of Prospectics. “One way to maximize resources and increase customer touch is to minimize the use of paper and to automate the instant delivery of news and information. We are very pleased with this ongoing relationship with the NAC: they have creatively embraced technology to not only manage costs, but to improve their communications with patrons.”

“The NAC Orchestra will continue to provide its subscribers with the behind-the-scenes news of the Orchestra that they are used to receiving by mail. But this tool allows us to inform them about events and news at the NAC more immediately and more frequently. The electronic newsletter will be monthly rather than three times a year, allowing us to establish stronger relationships with our patrons,” said NAC Orchestra Communications Officer Jane Morris. “Prospectics is a catalyst in reducing costs and increasing our visibility – all without having an impact on our ticket prices.”

The first issue brought this immediate feedback from subscriber Li Ming Huang: ”I’m just writing a quick note to let you know that I much prefer the e-format. It not only saves trees, but also saves costs for the NAC, and is less work for me to dispose of once I finish my reading.”

With online newsletters and upcoming event information delivered in real time, NAC patrons can choose the type of information they receive. In addition to the newsletter for Orchestra subscribers, patrons can sign up to receive house programmes in advance, and for regular ebulletins. The Prospectics tool allows patrons to customize the incoming information. They can also immediately adjust their requirements through the Prospectics platform, as the tool is customizable to suit the diverse interests of the NAC’s valued customers.

About the NAC
The NAC is the only multidisciplinary, bilingual performing arts centre in North America, and one of the largest in the world, showcasing the best in Canadian talent and presenting exceptional performers from around the world. The organization was created by an Act of Parliament to be Canada's signature in the performing arts, and launched in 1969 as one of Canada's centennial gifts to its citizens.

About Prospectics
Prospectics is an innovative, Ottawa area based start-up. The Company delivers online customer communication and lead nurturing technologies in both full service and self service, hosted environments. Prospectics serves companies across North America allowing marketing teams to maximize their impact and minimize their investment. Working in a hosted environment empowers teams to rapidly implement solutions with out the need for internal IT resources or expensive hardware. Prospectics fuels growth and improves ROI for companies in the Internet age.

For more information please contact:
Chris Neil
chris@prospectics.com
(613) 220-0033
www.prospectics.com

content content content

2006-10-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

I think the next step to approach after you have determined your goals is to look at your content.

Take inventory of what you have that lines up with your goals. What can be repurposed? What can be leveraged from other campaigns, like a tradeshow?

Once you have your inventory, you can look how to map it to your goals. From that you can see where you have gaps and make a plan to fill them.

I think it is a good idea to have several emails in the pipe rather than pulling the trigger on the first one and then looking at what to do next.

Think about creating an editorial calendar to map out your content.

With these pieces in place you are well on your way to creating a successful campaign.

new email feed added

2006-10-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

don't have an rss feeder?

don't want to keep checking this site to see if i have made an update?

now you can sign-up to receive this blog by email.

the form is on the right - just drop in your email address.

the service is called FeedBlitz.

what is FeedBlitz you ask?

FeedBlitz is a service that monitors blogs, RSS feeds and Web URLs to provide greater reach for feed publishers. FeedBlitz takes all the headache out of converting feed and blog updates into email digests, delivered daily to subscribers' inboxes. FeedBlitz manages subscriptions, circulation tracking, testing, and is compatible with all major blogging platforms and services such as Blogger, Typepad and FeedBurner.

FeedBlitz also enables end users to monitor any feed or blog, anonymously if they wish, regardless of whether the publisher of that feed is using FeedBlitz. FeedBlitz therefore provides a simple way for users to receive updates from their trusted sources using a familiar and ubiquitous medium - email.

email best practices??

2006-10-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

a common question - what are the best practices for email marketing?

sadly, that is too broad of a question to answer in a short blog post and, i think, not the real question that is being asked...

i think the question is really, "i don't know where to begin - what should i do?"

to this, i do have an answer.

the first thing to do is to set your goals and objectives. it may sound too corporate, but if you don't know why you are sending emails, then how will you know if you are doing it well?

so, go ahead, ask yourself "why am i sending out emails?"

not always easy to answer.

now that you have that question answered. try the test question "does my audience care?"

if the answer is no, then you should re-think you goal. if the audience does not care about your goal then they will not help you to achieve it.

your goal needs to be win-win. if you are stumped on this one, try asking "how will email do this?" to your goal.

example:

Goal = Drive Revenue ( test: audience does not care )

how will email drive revenue?

answer: by letting prospects know about our latest products ( test: audience still does not care )

how?

answer: by compiling best practices, tips and case studies to help the customer maximize their return on investment using our product (test: now this has something in it for the audience )

eureka!! an objective that has meaning for you and your audience.

this process can take time and can require testing with some key clients, but this is the first step to implementing a successful email program.

What is email marketing?

2006-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone understands what email is but not everyone knows what I mean when I say email marketing. Picture the blank look of a relative when I respond to the standard "what does your company do?"

After a little explaining, they have an ah ha moment and say "oh you mean spam!"

So close...

Email marketing is about using email to deliver newsletters, promotions, news and other messages to people who have asked to receive them.

Email marketing builds on the experiences of traditional direct mail but it adds two major factors.

First, permission. Email marketing without permission is spam. Simple and clear. This simple fact has changed the rules of marketing forever. The consumer is in control of the relationship.

Second, technology. Instant delivery. Instant response. Customized message to every recipient. Everything is measured in realtime.

So what is email marketing?

Using technology to deliver information in a timely, cost effective and measurable manner. It is paperless. It is targeted and it effective.

the trouble with email...

2006-09-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

email is a phenomenal tool. it allows for low cost one-to-one communication with contacts. it is timely. it is measurable. it is nearly universal in its usage. but it comes at a cost...

beyond the concerns about spam and widespread abuse, the basics of marketing need to be considered when doing any campaign.

just because you can send emails for pennies does not mean that you should just fire off anything you like.

what is this rant about? good marketing.

my focus is mainly in the B2B space, but i do have some b2c clients in the retail fashion industry.

here is the problem - if you send an email that is so artistic that you can't create a text version of it, what is the message of the email really about?

when creating an email campaign always start with a goal. since email is measurable - make sure the goal is too.

think of the audience - whats in it for them? what is the offer? it is so easy for someone not to read your email, make sure that you give them a good reason to.

ask yourself - is this email about me or the recipient? if there is nothing in it for the recipient - why are you sending it to them? they won't care about it any more than you would like to hear about their summer trip with the kids to see aunt whatsherface.

getting to the point... a low cost of delivery for a campaign does not mean that you should sacrifice good planning and marketing rules that have been proven for decades.

the attention span of someone reading your email is less than 5 seconds - they won't stick around to try and figure out whats in it for them.

tell them whats in it for them in the subject line.
make the offer relevant to them
make it timely
set a measurable goal up front ( you cant improve if you don't measure it )
and last, but no least - TEST IT!!

email testing

2006-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

why don't people test their emails?

i don't just mean testing for accuracy, i mean testing different subject lines. different copy. different creative. even different tone.

the studies are out there - if you test you will improve your results.

yet, still a resistance to test.

we have a feature that allows for ab testing in our software. it is covered in every training session, yet no one uses it.

i think the story is different when the emails are a primary revenue source but for many clients they choose not to test.

they use the copy/creative that has been approved internally and don't find out what their audience prefers.

is it too little time? not enough training or awareness? they just don't care?

i have not got this one nailed down yet but i think it is about what they are measured on.

if your neck is on the line to get the email out on time and with no mistakes then where is your focus going to be.

i think this is an educational effort to the next level of management.

the metric should be about results. it could be registrations or downloads but it needs to be tangible.

i think the the missing piece is a well thought out strategy on email.

email is easy to setup and send so nearly anyone can do it. it can become fragmented within larger organizations.

think about why you are talking to your customers and what you expect them to do.

try testing something in your next campaign. subject line, from name, copy or creative it does not matter - just try testing something.

i think people will be surprised by their results.

the milk house...

2006-08-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

i had to share. this is the milk house. my office away from the office.

i write here.

i code here.

this is my thinking place.

Email Metrics - Outcomes

2006-08-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

I recently commented on the Marketing Sherpa blog about email open rate metrics. I mentioned a feature that we have in our email marketing software called outcomes.

Whereas your open rate is not an accurate number, your click rate should be but to get more analysis from the success of your campaign you want to know more than a link was clicked on.

That is where we use outcomes. As an example, if you were promoting a webcast and directing people to a sign-up page it would be nice to know not just how many people you sent to that page from your email but how many actually registered. Using outcomes you can track when that recipient hits the confirmation page. It is an awesome way to show ROI for your email efforts.

here is the official word from the user manual...

Outcomes

inMailBox allows you to track pre-defined user actions that might be outside of the
focus of your campaign message, anywhere on the target website.

You simply place a snippet of HTML code on the page(s) you wish to monitor and if a user eventually arrives on this page (from your inMailBox campaign), the system will capture the event and add it to the information in Report Manager.

- Once an Outcome is defined, it will be tracked in all subsequent campaigns.
- If creating custom code, make sure you first give the Outcome a unique name.
- Copy and paste the code into the target webpage – just under the body tag.

Email Open Rate Metrics

2006-08-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am always asked about this and there is always a swirl of confusion.

Email open rates are not an exact measure.

I just read a very good summary of the problem on the Marketing Sherpa blog.

The Annoying Imprecision of Email Open Rate Metrics

There is some good information in the comments too.

One thing i do agree with and tell clients all the time is that your open rate should be looked at over time. You can see trends and pick up problems there.

RSS vs. Email: Are they really in competition?

2006-08-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

i have seen alot about the subjet. many have predicted that RSS will kill email because it is a pull technology and it can get around the deliverability issues. so far email is safe.

will that change?

when you look at RSS, it is about one to many communication - it is syndication. it does that well.

when you look at email, it can be used as a one to many broadcast tool however it is best as a one to one medium. the power of email lies in its ability to form conversations. RSS can't do that.

i think in the new world of marketing - building conversations, one to one relationships, dialog, trust, that is where the consumer is taking us. the broadcast model has it place and i am not ruling it out, but to reach the saavy, the weary online consumer, you have to go one to one.

so, will RSS kill email? i don't think so.

will it carve out its own niche and be another tool, that when used effectively is killer? yes.

how do I get more traffic to my blog?

2006-08-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

I must be the most common second question of a new blogger. "How do I get more traffic?"

The first question is how do i setup a blog?

I found an interesting article that gives some suggestions on the site askdavetaylor.com.

newsletter sign-up form fields

2006-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

How many fields should i have on my email newsletter sign-up form?
Which fields?

Simple - you need one. Email address.

The more fields you add the higher the barrier for people to sign-up.

Think of the analogy of starting a conversation with a stranger. Do you walk up and ask for all of their personal info? if you did, do you think they would give it to you.

You start a conversation by sharing a piece of information each. "Hi, my name is Chris. What is yours?"

As the conversation progresses you trade info back and forth and build trust.

The same is true for email. It is a conversation and you need to build trust.

If you live up to your end of the deal, you can ask for more info later.

All you need to start the conversation is an email address.

milk house thoughts?

2006-08-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

ah yes. the benefit and draw back of starting a new company is the ability to work from home.

it is great because...i work from home and it sucks... because i work from home.

I bought a 70 acre 150 year old dairy farm out in the country and when things got rolling i converted the old milk house to my office.

It is a little, rustic 12x15 foot building about 250 feet away from the house.

i have high speed satellite, a firewall and wireless lan. Everything you need in a milk house.

i have spent a lot of time out here designing software, coding and everything else required to get the company running.

So that is where the name comes from...

image hosting

2006-08-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

another client question...

when we send out html emails should we host the images on our webserver or with you (the esp) ?

First, do you need to use images?

Test it out. Try a campaign with text only, formatted text and then with images. See which one has the best results. If you don't need the images to get your message out - then save them.

The answer to the question is, it depends.

Do you control your site? Can you ensure that that the images won't be moved, changed or deleted? Does your site have a fast, highbadwidth connection to the net?

If you answer yes to all of the above, then go ahead. Your place or mine it does not matter.

However, if you are not sure about the above, then host them with your ESP. It is safer.

back to basics

2006-08-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

i run a small email service provider (esp) and we offer hosted self serve or full service email marketing to clients.

somedays, you just have to step back and remember that not everyone has spent as much time working with email as you would imagine.

i am dealing with a new client now who has been having problems with their emails not getting delivered.

i started in explaining about SPF and spam filters and advanced whitelist tools - then i discovered they had not even had an opt out link in their emails.

in canada, you legally must have a simple unsubscribe method. they did not. worse, they did not know they needed one.

all that to say two things...

first, start with the basics. i assumed a level of knowledge and sophistication which did not exist.

second, the role of an esp is not only about delivering the technology but being a partner to navigate through the complexities of email marketing.

My second post

2006-07-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am not a stranger to tech or gadgets. I had to try a post from my BlackBerry.

Running a startup keeps me moving. I think this is the most reliable way to keep things up to date.

my first post

2006-07-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

wow. i think i am the last guy to create a blog.

i have been in the trenches of b2b emarketing for years and now i run my own emarketing company ( www.prospectics.com ) but somehow managed to never start a blog.

i don't own a PVR either (tivo)...

more to come.