marketing

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.

Ad Agencies: Stop Marketing!

Peter · June 24, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Ad Agencies: Don’t Do Any Marketing!

I saw this Adweak Tweet (scroll down) and it got me to thinkin about how much ad agency marketing is directed to prospective clients. Lots!

Man, client CMO’s / marketing departments / CEO’s must be soooo tired of incoming marketing materials from ad agencies. An endless barrage of ‘we are wonderful’, ‘we have this idea’, ‘we did this fantastic work’, ‘we won this award’, ‘we know your category’, ‘we wrote this white paper on: new ad technologies; social marketing; how to use Snapchat; demographics; your issues; your competitors and on and on.

Soooo, I kinda agree with Adweak’s sentiment. BUT…

Great Browser Tool For Writers & Content Hounds

Peter · June 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Like to Deliver Super Smart Content? Here’s A Great WordPress (Etc.) Tool.

Here is a weekly report from grammarly – my special content writing and editing friend. I love it.

grammarly automatically spell checks, corrects typos and grammar and reports weekly on my writing activity. I use it daily and automatically. It makes me a much beeetter speller and writer, blogger and human being. Now, I nevvver make any mistarkes. 🙂

Last week’s content rocked – I decided that I needed to put out some large word count missives to help Google love me long-time. As grammarly says…

9828words written

You were more active than 93% of Grammarly users.

Yeah baby, I was in the top 7%.

Here is how grammerly describes themselves:

Check your grammar right from your browser or Microsoft Office. Improve your writing in emails, documents, social media posts, messages, and more.

Here is my weekly report.

	Write a New Text →

	June 15 — June 21

	Your Weekly Writing Update

	“Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words.” —C.S. Lewis

ACTIVITY

9828words written

You were more active
than 93% of Grammarly users.

MASTERY

180mistakes made

You were more accurate
than 68% of Grammarly users.

VOCABULARY

910unique words used

Your vocabulary was more dynamic than 89% of Grammarly users.

Grammarly Premium found
152 additional advanced mistakes.

152

Upgrade to Fix Advanced Mistakes

OVERUSED WORDS

Here is the only word you overused in your writing last week.

Tip: You’ll notice a few suggested synonyms (in blue) that you can try next time to keep your writing fresh.

agency

–> Go here and say… to get the browser extension… I want my grammarly.

What Your Ad Agency Can Learn From The Army

Peter · June 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Your Ad Agency Failed. Now What?

“Oh well” should never be the last thing you say when your ad agency failed to sell in an idea, a new advertising program or are at the losing end of a pitch for a new account.

“Oh well” simply isn’t good business. Advertising agencies need to have a process for evaluating what did not work (even what worked) in order to improve its business systems — including how to pitch ideas. I suggest that agencies consider using what the U.S. military calls, the After-Action Review (AAR). Here’s a definition from the Air Force:

An after-action review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables soldiers to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get maximum benefit from every mission or task.