We will be covering Twitter and social networking at our annual conference eM9 Atlanta, October 28th and 28th.   The eMarketing arena is changing with new channels and keeping up is more important than ever.  

www.emarketingassociation.com/2009/Atlanta/index.html

The eMA used Twitter about  2 months ago at our annual eMarketing Conference in San Francisco.  In that context, it provided a great forum for instant updates during the conference.  However as a network, it is lacking.  According to Nielsen more than 60% of people abandon the Twitter service after just one month.  This is a strong indication that Twitter is not really up to par with other networks such as LinkedIn or Facebook, in terms of meeting user expectations.  Additionally, significant  technical problems and excruciating slow customer service contribute to a  poor user experience.

 Unlike other networks, Twitter provides the ability to follow just about anyone, although that is not reciprocal.  In short you can read other peoples tweets, but they won’t necessarily be reading yours.  Many celebrities,  use the service to broadcast trivia to a massive number of followers.  Other users, broadcast minutia on almost an hourly basis.  After spending several weeks reviewing Twitter, my take is that, for the most part, 140 characters (the Twitter limit for tweets), encourages a massive number of banal tweets, commercialization, promotion and questionable links.   Trivia dominates the tweets along with self serving promotional messages.  I have a feeling that not many people bother to read these tweets.  Additional research suggests that 10% of tweeters post 90% of tweets, a sad statistic and indication that although there is a very active and enthusiastic segment, it is small relative to the Tweeter population.  See link below for full information on that survey.

 

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/06/new_twitter_research_men_follo.html

 

Nielsen Study Information

 

http://tinyurl.com/cyr3l7

 

Conclusion: There are Twitter “addicts” who just love the site, and post (mostly trivia) regularly.  The majority of users become bored and leave the service after a short time. The future of Twitter will depend on management’s ability to enhance the user experience, monetize the site, and provide significantly better customer service to users.  At this time we have no metrics or data that indicate that this service is of much value commercially or otherwise.

 

How important is social marketing in the mix, check out my poll at the URL below and see:

polls.linkedin.com/p/38416/foodb


In this economy networking for marketers is more important than ever.  Attending or sponsoring our conference in Atlanta October 28th and 29th could be the best move you can make to move your marketing programs ahead, in spite of financial conditions.  I hope to meet you there!

Announcement from eMarketing Association Network

Our group now has over 113,000 members and is growing at an average of 500 members a day!

In the past week we have added 100 new articles and 502 new discussions.

Thanks to all for making this the largest and most active marketing group on LinkedIn.

Want to meet your fellow group members in person, check out our Atlanta eMarketing Conference at:

http://www.emarketingassociation.com/2009/Atlanta/index.html


CONNECT to more than 540,000 journalists globally.
We all need more PR, so why not check out PR Genie? This is a fantastic new concept in online public relations at:

http://tinyurl.com/o6c9q3

Free 30 day trial, great features!

Have a great day!


Cheers,
Robert
Robert Fleming
President/CEO
eMarketing Association

Please take my poll at:



polls.linkedin.com/p/38417/ssqar


Thank you.

Is Counterfeiting, Piracy or Fraud Denigrating Your Brand?

29.4% of CMO Council respondents (so far) see cybersquatting, or the illegal use of trademarks or brands in domain names online, as the most prevalent infringement on business and reputation. However, only 18% are plagued by replication of goods, fashion labels, apparel or products.

 

Where do you fall? Are you among the nearly 40% of marketers who are leaving these brand problems up to legal? Or are you one of the marketers with an eye on those who are looking to profit from your brand’s reputation?

 

The CMO Council is nearing the end of its research for the Protection From Brand Infection report, and is looking for your insights to round out our peer-led audit. You can access the survey at http://www.brandsecuritycenter.org/survey/protection/

 

The Council is closing this research within the next week, so time is of the essence. All participants will receive a free copy of the report upon publication.

 

Take part in this benchmark of how marketing is taking control and securing the trust in our brands!

 

"Maintaining your skills and advancing your skills is critical to advancing if you're employed, and getting a new job if you're unemployed," said Dean Tracy, a recruiter and career coach in San Ramon, Calif.

But how do you stay on top of your field when you've been downsized? Tracy and other career counseling experts identified three potential avenues: continuing education, professional organizations and volunteering.

Continuing education
Even for those who are not out of work, learning new skills or brushing up old ones is always beneficial. Several experts said classes that offer certifications are particularly helpful.

"What it tells the employer is, you're not sitting around wondering what to do next, you're taking the initiative," said Tracy. Those who can't attend a class should look for online training.

 

Obviously we are not operating in the best of economic times. As marketers there are some fundamental steps we should be taking:

 

1.       Don’t assume your job or business is secure, accelerate your professional development by attending conferences, taking online courses and attaining certification.  The job marketing is likely to be tighter than ever for a while, and every edge you can give yourself will count.

2.       Network, network, network.  Get on LinkedIn’s eMarketing Group (over 80,000 members), and our  own Ning network, facebook and twitter.  Keep in touch regularly with your important contacts.  Attend our annual conference to make contacts face to face, even though it may cost a bit to attend it will pay off with knowledge, contacts and processes to improve your situation.

3.       Work harder.  The present economy leaves no room for idle time.  Work on your consulting skills, a side business or polish up your website.

4.       Don’t give up.  Things go up and they go down, things will go up again.

5.       Spend money on things that can help you make money.  Purchases like conference attendance, computers, software etc., that can make you more competitive are good investments right now.

 

The uncertain economic climate will change the way we do business, now and possibly forever.  It is imperative that as marketers we develop our skills to meet the challenges of this new environment.  The conference, eMarketing 9 San Francisco, April 21 and 22 will provide you with the information, best practices, processes and techniques to prosper even in the worst economic times.  Save money, and register now at:

www.emarketingassociation.com/2009/SF/register.htm

I just got back from Atlanta and the eMarketing 8 conference.  What an incredible two days, Carol Kruse, Vice President of Global Interactive Marketing for The Coca Cola Company gave an outstanding keynote speech.  Over 30 other speakers including Chris Baggott, President of Compendium Blog ware, gave fantastic presentations.  Google wrapped up day one with a fun reception with a lot of networking and deals made.  Our next conference is in San Francisco in April 2009, don’t miss it.

We advertise on social networks.  There was quite an uproar, when facebook started to accept paid advertising.  I wonder why.

If you are on a professional network, you are usually there to sell something to someone.  Maybe it is just your resume, in case

you are fired or your company “lets you go”, or it may be a product or service.  You are selling something. You know it, I know it

so let’s stop wasting time talking about it.

The eMarketing Association is now working on a new Online Networking eCourse to add to its current line up of 4 Internet Marketing courses.  We are planning a release in January of 2009.  If you have any comments, or suggestions for this course let me know.  I will be giving away 25 courses to the people that provide useful information, research or suggestions for the course.  Current ecourses are at:

Never accept a no from a customer service representative who is not authorized to say yes.

. 

Time, by some accounts is a precise measurable arena.  However the reality is that time is very subjective.  For example, time seems to go slower for younger people, than older ones.  My theory for this is that time, as a percentage of your lifetime continually gets smaller.  Assuming a 100 year life span (big assumption), one year to a 10 year old is 10% of his or her life, where one year to a 50 year old is only 2% of their total life. 

So time online, waiting for sites to load, watching videos etc., can seem longer or shorter than real time.  Time goes by slower when we are not having fun or engaged in something we enjoy.  Waiting in line is an example.  eMarketing professionals should realize that time spent online, is often for a function or solution and is not always our first choice of activities.

Site navigation should be geared to get our target audience the information it is looking for as fast as  possible.  Online video should get to the point as quick as possible.  Pages should load quickly.  eMail should be concise and a quick read.  Don't waste your visitors time with unnecessary detail.  Provide that detail to those that want it by providing links to more substantial information.

If you want to improve your online results attend our conference in Atlanta.  See the link below.

Just got an email from HP printer service, I will paste the first part here:

Dear Customer,

 *** Please do not reply to this email.  This email is not monitored. ***

  

One of our Technical Support Specialists will be responding to your inquiry. It is our pleasure to be of service to you and thank you for choosing Hewlett-Packard, as your preferred vendor.

Imagine, HP does not want to hear from their customers, who, collectively, make their jobs and company possible.  If you are going to do emarketing successfully, you will need to have a conversation, a dialog with your customers, not a rude monologue, where you inform the "dear customer" that you don't want them to reply to you.

Internet marketing requires a little more class than telling your customers that you are not interested in them  Have you ever sent an email to a friend or relative and opened with "don't reply to me, I don't care to hear from you?"  They may not be your friends for long if you do

Interactive marketing, is well,  interactive.  A "do not reply" message is rude.

There is a great add on for Outlook called xobni (inbox spelled backwords), check it out at :

XOBNI

It is clear we live in a world of chaos.  Today's marketing environment is an ever changing challenge, to innovate, as well as keep up.  Technology has provided the tools for marketers to expand their reach with unprecedented precision and targeting.  Yet many marketers, still don't understand the power of these new tools and processes. The future will belong to those that are immersed in this wave of opportunity, who thrive on it. 

Professional development is not an option.  It is a necessity. It is your choice, get on top of the bulldozer or you will end up under it.  The eMA continues to provide those marketers, who wish to maximize their advancement with tools like outstanding conferences, online education and courses, and certifications.

eMail is now the most popular form of direct response marketing, per conducted by Direct Partners.

eMmail is used primarily by 35 percent of companies compared to 25 percent that use traditional direct mail and 21 percent that use promo packages, statement stuffers or freestanding inserts.

There are less than 10 days left to register for eMarketing 8 Atlanta at super early bird saver rates.  The $995.00 registration (one of the lowest for any event), will increase on July 10th.

Why this is important:  Keeping up your skills, professional development, and network is crucial in todays marketing envoirnment.  eM8 provides the tools, processess and contacts to ensure your success in the eMarketing Arena.

See

1. Register early - Early registration saves you money and provides you with time to develop your objectives for your conference experience. You are assured of booking a room at the conference rate, room blocks are limited and we have sold them out in the past. Airfares are usually much cheaper when you book at least 21 days in advance of flights, you will have a better selection of rates and airlines. Consider staying a few extra days to debrief and develop new plans based on the material you acquire at the event.

2. Prepare - Have a list of at least five areas you would like to improve in your ebusiness. The resources and people at the event can provide you with actionable solutions to many of the issues you face. By preparing questions in advance you are just that much closer to solutions and improvement in your marketing program. eMA conferences bring together the best of the best professional ebusiness experts, take advantage of it.

3. Bring an associate - If possible, bring along an associate or fellow employee. You will be able to exchange ideas and perceptions and often develop even more advantageous positioning for your ebusiness initiatives.

4. Be ready to network - Bring along lots of business cards, but remember that at any event, your time is limited. There will be exceptional networking opportunities at an eMA event. No huge crowds, newbie's, or non-professionals. Almost all fellow delegates will be facing many of the same problems and issues that you are. Engage in discussion opportunities that are not available at any other conference. Take full advantage of breaks, and receptions to meet new friends.

5. Accept fatigue - Traveling and attending an event can take a high energy level. Try to arrive a day or two early to rest and prepare for the event, stay a day longer to unwind and debrief yourself. eMA events provide at least a 5 day "window" for special hotel rates. So book early.

6. Plan your day - Select the sessions that are the most valuable to you and check them off on your conference agenda. Try to arrive early in the morning and take advantage of networking opportunities at registration and breakfast. Focus on the conference and try to avoid phone calls, and other distractions while you are there.

7. Share - When you get back to your office from the event be sure to share the information you've gathered with your staff and peers. The interest and enthusiasm you have will help ensure that you are perceived as an dedicated professional by your associates. Your commitment to progress will be of benefit to your company and or your clients.

8. Consult - Take advantage of the post-conference consultation offered to all delegates at eMA conferences. Many delegates have solved problems and found exceptional solutions by utilizing this service. No other conference that we know of offers this kind of post event resource.

9. eMail - Be sure to connect via email with your new contacts and friends within 2 weeks after the conference. Developing a strong contact list can be one of the most valuable benifits of your participation. Who you know can often be as important as what you know.