Marketing

Just Read This: Web Design – The First 100 Years

Peter · July 27, 2015 · 1 Comment

Just Read This – Why?

More is not necessarily a good thing. New is not necessarily a good thing. Internet-scale is not necessarily a good thing. That’s my paraphrase of this extremely insightful perspective on our digital world.

Need a bit more to get you reading? From Web Design – The First 100 Years. (I find this paragraph on youth vs. age particularly interesting because I was a member of the team that did the first consumer advertising program for email in 1983 — Easylink from Western Union – yes, Western Union.)

This contempt for the past also ignores the reality of our industry, which is that we work almost exclusively with legacy technologies.

The operating system that runs the Internet is 45 years old.

The protocols for how devices talk to each other are 40 years old.

Even what we think of as the web is nearing its 25th birthday.

Some of what we use is downright ancient—flat panel displays were invented in 1964, the keyboard is 150 years old.

The processor that’s the model for modern CPUs dates from 1976.

Even email, which everyone keeps trying to reinvent, is nearing retirement age.

I cheated by calling this talk ‘Web Design: The First 100 years’ because we’re already nearly halfway there. However dismissive we are of this stuff, however much we insist that it will get swept away by a new generation of better technology, it stubbornly refuses to go. Our industry has deep roots in the past that we should celebrate and acknowledge.

And this… for a good laugh…

So because powerful people in our industry read bad scifi as children, we now confront a stupid vision of the web as gateway to robot paradise.

Here’s Ray Kurzweil, a man who honestly and sincerely believes he is never going to die. He works at Google. Presumably he stays at Google because he feels it advances his agenda.

Google works on some loopy stuff in between plastering the Internet with ads.

Read, think, slow down, enjoy… That’s one of my mantras.

21 Ad Agency Business Development Must Do’s

Peter · July 24, 2015 · Leave a Comment

What Every Ad Agency Must Do To Grow

A simple fact: You have to decide to work at business development and then do the work.

Here are 21 ad agency business development actions that will absolutely result in growth.

Have clear attainable (or even audacious) business objectives – and, while you are at it, write a business plan to get there.
Nurture an agency business development culture from the CEO on down (or, is it up?)
Craft a business development plan with clear-cut objectives and strategies.
Have an effective sales pitch based on something your agency owns or can act like it owns.
Have an action-oriented hook that generates client interest and meetings. If not, go back to number 4 and work it out.
Make business development an integral part of your agency’s daily life.
Manage business development the same way you treat a client job. Have a process.
Know who is responsible for what and have a calendar.
Make sure that everyone in the agency knows that new business is everyone’s business and that no new business growth = staff reductions and possibly, I am afraid to say this, no new foosball table.
Have a list of the top clients you want and create a compelling sales pitch. I stress: compelling.
Design a sales-oriented agency website for that client who is only going to give you 8 seconds to make an impression. Your goal is getting them to contact you.
Use the website to deliver some human chemistry vibes. Please use video to bring your agency to life. A brief video.
Have a short list of the top clients you want, create personas and build a compelling sales pitch just for them. I stress: compelling. Put yourself in their shoes. They want to succeed at their jobs too.
Stay in touch on a reasonably regular basis via email (gently) or some other form of direct marketing.
Use social media correctly. That means having an objectives-driven LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, Facebook etc. strategy and the will to keep at it. Kill the program if you can’t keep it up. Dated blog posts are worse than no blog posts. I don’t even want to discuss having an empty aging Twitter account.
Consider concentrating on (and owning) a specific client category or becoming a media or technology or creative specialist. Pick one.
Learn to pitch like Steve Jobs (you already know this.)
Learn to negotiate like Steve Jobs. Most agencies have no clue how to negotiate.
Take this offer and contact me. I’ve been there and done it.
Buy my book.
Get a good night’s sleep.

The Real Power Of Video

Peter · July 21, 2015 · 1 Comment

The Power of The Advertising Agency Video

Putting a video on your website will increase your odds of selling your advertising agency’s services. I’d like to think that most agencies get this. But, not all do. Here are some compelling stats to help you make sure that you use the power of video on your website.

59% of senior executives prefer video over text. (Source: Brainshark)
The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video. (Source: Mist Media)Of the 80% of internet users who watched a video ad, 46% took some sort of action after viewing the ad. (Source: Video Brewery)
About 46% of people say they’d be more likely to seek out information about a product or service after seeing it in an online video. (Source: Eloqua)
Zappos has reported that placing a video on a sales page increases sales impact from 6% to 30%.

Surprising? I didn’t think so. So… how do advertising agencies use video on their websites to help sell the agency?

Four Ways Advertising Agencies Use Video As A Sales Tool

An Advertising, PR, Marketing, SEO, Design & Sales Listicle

Peter · July 9, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Advertising, Marketing, Design Tool Freak Listicle Lovers Unite

I am starting to see lots of lists (OK, listicles) of tools for marketers and advertising folks. I love these lists because a real human being has curated the list so I don’t have to spend hours Googling the marketing world. Curation is a good thing. Lists are a good thing. I like humans more than algorythms.

Here Are Three Favorite Marketing Tools Lists

Um, yes, this list itself is a mini-list.

MAQTOOB

As of today, MAQTOOB lists 1,482 tools that cover 112 categories. Here’s what they say:

We want to help you with one single thing. Being your own boss and having control of your own time and money. That’s it. You will find here the best available tools to start and grow your business. If not, let us know what’s missing, or help other entrepreneurs by sharing your feedback…So we can all make a difference.

How about 43 website builders? 79 design resources? 7 ways to make infographics?

Freebie Supply

Ali Mese is one of the smarter self-marketers out there. His looong list that covers: Business, Marketing, Design & Code, Productivity and Learn is made for you Ms. marketer / advertising person / designer and on. Here’s what he says:

I’m a freelance marketer and blogger.

Storytelling, entrepreneurship, and wandering pretty much summarize the things I am passionate about. Recently, I moved from Rome to amazing Singapore to explore Asian countries and learn more about their incredible cultures.

And…

Growth Supply is… my base for things like my newsletter and where I plan to place my side projects such as Freebie Supply.

Razorsocial

Ian Cleary’s Razorsocial is my go-to list of digital tools. His list covers 15 marketing categories. It is very list-like but also includes his words of wisdom (read the blog). The website and tutorials are oriented towards online marketers. He keeps the lists up to date and, if you follow him like I do, you will look smarter than the ad guy down the street. And, isn’t that a positive bene? What he says:

Are you struggling finding the time to be effective with social media and online marketing?

Finding it difficult to find the best online marketing tools and the best process to deliver results?

We are here to help you achieve better results and become more productive with online marketing using the best tools and technology.

We are not the strategy people, we are the tools and technology people.

Even more tools, especially ones that I think will work for advertising professionals are right here. Yes, you can use these to spy on Droga5.