Marketing Logic

Changes in the Industry like no other
It can be argued that no other profession has been so affected by the internet as Real Estate. I count myself lucky to have been in the industry right when it “crossed over” into the Internet age. When I got into Real Estate the agents were the true gatekeepers of information. Every two weeks, a book of listings within your county was published, and every Realtor received one. Buyers were primarily reliant upon their agent to communicate new listings to them in a timely and efficient manner. The only other source of Real Estate information was the circular in the local newspaper, published once a week.

Enter the internet, which enabled forward-thinking brokers to start placing listings online. As early as 1996, buyers were using the internet to find homes, especially if they were relocating to new areas. The advent of the internet was amazing, as it transformed the industry in a few short years. I saw amazing results from advertising properties online, and it didn’t take much for me to make the decision to pursue a career in online marketing rather than Real Estate.

Stagnation?
Unfortunately, while the accessibility of property listings has increased, the level of knowledge and online marketing has not grown with the times. In fact, from shopping for homes the past few months, I am convinced that the learning curve for online marketing among many Realtors has stagnated. When Realtor.com came on the scene in 1997, they sold to Realtors, using ploys such as: “the average listing on Realtor.com receives “x” views.” I felt like the lone ranger trying to explain to my fellow Realtors that a lot of the sales lines were bad data improperly applied. It showed me a lot about the lack of understanding of technology in that industry. Some have only recently accepted that the Internet is here to stay.

Here is my recent experience from the past few months of searching for a home. They say that doctors are the worst patients. It may also be true that former Realtors who are now online marketing veterans may be the worst sellers or buyers.

Bad Photos – are you kidding me?
In this day and age of inexpensive, high quality digital cameras, you post low resolution photos that are pixilated and hard to see? Worse yet, you show laziness buy simply uploading everything you took a picture of?

If I had my house on the market, I would be going ballistic on my Realtor, as there are no excuses for :

• Low res, pixilated photos
• Blurry pictures
• Pictures of toilets and mirrors
• Less than 3 pictures uploaded for any listing
• Cameras held at an angle, making everything look like it’s on a slope
• pictures of beds, which I am not buying
• No pictures of the items listed in the description. If there is a workshop – take a picture!



• no labeling of photos that have been uploaded
• No interior pictures!?!?
• Snow on the ground – and it’s late May
• The same three photos – repeated 2-3 times.
• Misspelled adjectives – “Emaculate Condition!” (really?)

Each one of these things is something that can easily turn off a buyer. Not taking the extra time to take a good picture, not considering presentation, and not labeling photos will negatively affect the buyer’s decision as they shop online. Not enough information is one of the worst problems an online listing can have.

Realtors and Responsibility
Pictures are meant to present the sellers home in the best light. Can a little thought be made about the selection and the quality of pictures that are used? The responsibility of the listing Realtor is to represent the seller. This includes the responsibility of the online listing. EVERY part of that online listing should be attractive, explanatory, and sensible. Anything less is a disservice to the seller, who pays your commission. I am very surprised that more sellers do not get online to check their listings. I think more Realtors would be fired if sellers checked their listings.

Expectations
If the listing description highlights certain areas of the home, such as an in-law suite, over-sized garage, pond or other feature that can be a potential selling point – please, add a picture. There are so many homes that had excellent descriptions, but then no photos of any if the items described in the listing. The description is the first area we read, and it sets up the expectations, but then the lack of pictures is more than disappointing, it lessens the property.

When there are an almost unlimited number of pictures that can be uploaded, only loading two to three outdoor shots is inexcusable. If there is an in-ground pool, please add the picture. Someone may want to see it. If you have green or lavender bathroom toilets, you may want to go ahead and add it as well, just to keep expectations in line.

Anything less than 10 photos is a crime against the seller. For newer homes with more than 2000 square feet, 20 photos. Three or less is negligence. Negligence not only towards your seller, but to any buyer who is comparing properties.

Real Estate 2.0? When?
I am waiting for more social aspects of marketing to be implemented. While real estate was one of the earliest adopters of the internet (not without resistance) it has not grown out of a 90’s mentality of online marketing. The only things I can do are email the realtor, email the listing to a friend, or make a printable brochure. Some sites allow me to create lists of the properties I like with registration, which I liked, but I was still disappointed with the lack of flexibility in ranking, saving, excluding, and comparing properties.

I for one am waiting for the ability to add comments to listings. I would love nothing more than adding what I liked or didn’t like about homes, and I am sure that it would help to make some homes more attractive. I am also sure that the comments would also shock some sellers into reality when buyers can be directly honest about the home and the outrageous prices that some are asking for what they are offering.

Some comments I would have left:

The house photo is at a weird angle because of the mobile homes and cars on blocks in the neighbor’s yard.
This home advertises 2 full baths. The second bath is in the basement and has no walls.
The separate 3 car garage and workshop makes this house well worth the asking price.
The pool and the outdoor chimney are amazing, but the yard was too small for us.

URL Addresses
At my previous company, we went to extraordinary lengths to create search friendly URL’s in order to have the database of homes spidered by the search engines. Ultimately, each property had its own short, unique URL, based on the MLS number. We celebrated. Simply searching by using the MLS code in Google would result in the property page showing up in the rankings. Unfortunately, the client had no idea how great an accomplishment this was, nor the implications. Now, the average URL that I cut and past from real estate websites are well over 50 characters . . . Check this out (if you can):

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?cmid=1004584%2c1004586%2c1004591%2c1004601
%2c1004613%2c1004616%2c1004622%2c1004707%2c1004708&typ=1&sid=7d172c178d3044dda9d976
e2757d111a&sdir=0&sby=2&pg=6&lid=1087789449&lsn=57&srcnt=1721#Detail

These tend to break. I send these URLs by email, Instant Messaging, and SMS. My wife and I share URL’s incessantly, as it seems we change criteria every week. Sometimes, our friends help out, but rarely does anyone use the “Send to a Friend” option. Could it be that they are not visible or too cumbersome? My opinion is that people do not use these forms because the policy is not clear about using email addresses gleaned from the website. Every send to a friend form that I viewed had no clear policy or explanation of how the emails would be kept, used, or maintained.

Final Thoughts
Having been in the real estate industry and cutting my teeth on real estate websites in the 90’, it frustrated me beyond belief to see the lackluster attempts at online marketing. I would dare say that the majority of buyers are looking online before they ever contact a Realtor. How a Realtor sells a property, the pictures they use, and the description they provide, are all keys to how well they will do their job. It’s a business card. It’s an opportunity for the Realtor and their seller to shine, yet most do not seem to take the time to learn the tools or create effective presentations.

Sellers Need to Demand More
Maybe it’s the area where I live, that many Realtors seem to uncomfortable with a digital camera and creating well-crafted, marketable property descriptions. I am sure that there are Realtors out there who take the time to build an amazing online profile of the houses they list. As a seller, I would demand nothing less than a professional listing with clear, hi-res pictures that present my home in the best possible light. Anything less would be unacceptable.

A friend pointed me to a Realtor’s blog where he has created the Bad MLS Photo of the Day. I like his style, and I am sure that he will have a never-ending source of content.

Related Articles:
Are You Creating a Customer Experience?
Make your Website Content Explode
What’s the Customer’s ROI?

When it comes to blogging, I find myself on both sides of the coin. Here at SiteLogic, we heavily advocate blogging for business as a great customer service/link/traffic resource. We also know how valuable it can be to have an influential blogger talk about your company or product.

On the flip side, I am also a hobby blogger with a decent following and increasing influence in my niche.

Even if it’s positive, don’t talk about us
On my hobby blog, I frequently write about my experiences as a volunteer with a local non-profit organization. I believe wholeheartedly in what we do and the benefits of our service, and my goal in sharing my stories is to spread the word. I want people to know this service is out there for their family members or as a volunteer outlet. And I’ve had great responses from my readers.

Until the organization discovered my site and asked me to stop talking about them.

While they appreciated that I said good things about them, they were worried that they could be hurt. And they were especially concerned that, heaven forbid, I had used their organization’s name. Somehow, all that great stuff I said was going to come back and bite them.

I’ll certainly respect their wishes, but I’m disappointed that their views of the internet, blogs, and online marketing are so misinformed. Even if someone is giving you negative press, it’s a bad idea to ask them to stop. It only feeds the fire. But why get in the way of someone who talks glowingly about you?

The single PR spokesperson is out
I studied public relations in college, and one of the points the professors drilled into our heads was that an organization needs ONE spokesperson. That ONE spokesperson knows the company and its core message, and is adept at handling media and other people invested in the organization. The idea was to avoid conflicting messages that would reflect badly.

And years ago, it worked. But now, people no longer trust ONE representative advocating a unified, and perceived inauthentic, company marketing spiel.

Hail the unintended spokesperson
With the advent of the internet, everyone with a connection now has a voice. If someone loves—or hates –your product or service, they can talk about it and have lots of people listen. When they feel strongly enough to write about it, especially positively, they are staking their reputation on you. When their reviews prove trustworthy, other people start to listen.

Your customers are reading reviews and blogs and forums and making their decision to buy based on what other customers say. They aren’t making decisions based on your corporate about page or how great you say your customer service is. They are listening to online “friends,” many of whom they’ve never met but have come to trust. Sometimes these influencers are customers, sometimes they’re employees, sometimes they are just brand evangelists. They are men and women of all ages, backgrounds, careers, education, and interests. And they have a lot more to do with how you are perceived than you do.

Embrace those who want to talk about you
Countless organizations have embraced their “unintended spokespeople.” And plenty haven’t, doing themselves and their most loyal customers a great disservice.

Jared of Subway fame is a classic example of embracing an unintended spokesperson. He lost over 240 pounds eating turkey and veggie Subway sandwiches, talked about his experience, became a brand evangelist, and then was brought on as the official Subway guy. When Subway discovered him and the story he was sharing, they encouraged it wholeheartedly. Jared had a great experience with this company and talked about it before he ever appeared in a commercial, which is what makes him so trustworthy. Subway didn’t respond by saying “How dare you use the phrase Subway Diet! Our marketing director didn’t endorse that.” No, Subway went out on a limb and provided more outlets and actually paid Jared to keep talking.

If you find people blogging about how great you are, find ways to encourage them.

• Send them samples of new products, give them a free membership, offer whatever service you can that will show your appreciation (and give them reason to talk about you even more).
• Ask their opinions on your customer service, marketing campaign, whatever you think might interest them and their readers.
• Give them exclusive information, interviews, or breaking stories.
• If nothing else, at least say thank you!

These are just a few ideas of ways to appreciate your unintended spokespeople and to encourage them to keep talking. Keep in mind, though, that your focus should always be providing value to them and their readers. The positive efforts you make will spread like wildfire online and will help your bottom line more than any on or offline marketing campaign. Poor handling will spread even faster.

While the old adage “any kind of press is good press,” doesn’t necessarily ring true with the internet, good internet press is the best kind of marketing you can get. And even better, it doesn’t cost you a thing beyond being willing to give up a little control.

The New Speed of Mass Communication
The past few conferences and events that I have attended witnessed the party-crashing technology of Twitter. If you are new to Twitter and not sure what it is, or haven’t even heard about it, here is the best way to describe it: imagine seeing all of your friend’s Instant Message conversations with each other and you – and being displayed to the world. It’s a new way of communication that is transforming communications and the speed at which news, articles, happenings and events are passed.

What’s Twitter?
If you donlt know what twitter is, then I strongly suggest that you go through these resources. There are some very practical advice for using Twitter for Journalism, Marketing, PR, and Word-of-Mouth. This article is going to focus on the observations of twitter from a speaker’s perspective.
Jennifer Laycock’s Series on Twitter – One of the best for understanding the technology and the applications for “the rest of us”. From Twits to Tweeple, Why I Embraced Twitter and You Should Too

Ultimate Guide to Twitter Tools and Resources for Journalists

Lee Odden’s Guide to Twitter as a Tool for Marketing and PR

Twittering: A Speaker’s ViewPoint
As a conference speaker, I use the non-verbal communication of the crowd to determine if people are with me or not. Good amounts of my presentations are ad-lib and can go in vastly different directions depending upon how responsive the classroom or crowd is to me. Using that feedback is very valuable. In the past few presentations, people have been using Twitter via their laptop, cell phone, or iPhone. What is happening is that people are responding real-time to a speaker or presenter as a session is happening.

The Twitterbyte
My personal response is divided. While I enjoy the feedback and can go and review the “tweets” that happened during the session, it was very eye-opening to see what information gets twittered by session attendees. This made my realized that no longer can I focus simply on providing sound-bites for bloggers; I have to review my presentation to find the “twitterable” content.

Interestingly, the twitters by attendees fell into a few different categories. By order of my observation:
1. Off-handed and ad-libbed comments
2. Answers to questions posed during the session
3. Bullet points from the slides
4. Things that happened – (my Madden-style drawing stylus burned up in a session)

Speaker/Presenter Concerns
Interestingly many quotes from my presentation were put out on Twitter, but what was concerning is that the attribution I made to another author or blogger did not get published. The quote was published on twitter because I said it, but I was quoting someone else.

This happened at the Small Business Unleashed Conference this week, when I quoted Avinash Kaushik’s blog post about Analytics being 90% the person and 10% the software. What was twittered was, “Matt says analytics is 90% the person and 10% the program.” That type of attribution makes me shudder, as I quote people often, and I always try to include attribution in my PowerPoint slides or verbally. Neither the verbal nor the PowerPoint attribution didn’t make it into Twitter – maybe because of the character limitation.

I attribute as much as possible, as many times someone has said it better and simpler than I ever could. As a speaker it bothers me that many quotes and information can now be taken out of context on twitter, when they were properly attributed in the session.

Planning Twitterbytes
Now I feel the need to “Twitter-fy” my presentations and prepare for the inevitable Twittering of my sessions by planning “Twitterbytes”, along with the ‘sound bites’ for bloggers and note-takers. That means keeping more control of my ad-lib comments, knowing they could easily be twittered. Also, questions asked during a presentation get people’s attention, which makes it twitterable; and many times the person who asks the question will Twitter the answer. You may be surprised at what people latch onto and tell others. Be ready to give an answer or potential explanation for what was twittered. However, when the session is over, so are the tweets - as a speakers, you only get to see the feedback afterwards.

Other observations
One of the first ways that I saw Twitter coming of age was from the SWSX conference. During an interview of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg, Twitter came alive with people criticizing the interviewer, who was becoming the focus of the interview. The crowd turned on the interviewer and I was able to view a live status report from hundreds of “tweeters” attending the interview at SWSX.

Mack Collier provided some additional observations from SWSX. One session moderator twittered during the session asking if there was content that was not being covered in the session that attendees would like to hear. She was able to take the twitter responses and shape the questions to the presenters in order to follow the request of the crowd.

Twitterbyte
It’s the dawning of a new age, where information is condensed into the 140 character Twitterbyte and transmitted to hundreds, maybe thousands of people in seconds. And the sound bite, which was known for its stunning lack of context and depth, which transformed the video age (most recognized in the realm of politics) is now looking surprisingly detailed.

I recently came back from an extended trip to England, where my wife and I spent some time in Northern England with Mike Grehan. Mike is incredibly passionate about living in Newcastle, and should be knighted as an evangelist for Northeastern England. Visiting Mike’s pub was probably the most enjoyable experience I had. Not in the least of which was the glorious fish ‘n chips and sticky pudding. It was one of the best meals I had that week.

The people are very proud of their city and their way of life, of which I admit a profound jealousy. I think we let life get to busy for us here in America, and we typically feel out of control. We lose touch with those that live across the street, or on our block, and we long for simpler lives, but can’t find the time to make it happen.

The English pub is nothing as it is imagined in the States. Many of my observations about the pub were remarkably similar to the concept of Social Media. Of course, this could just be the nerd in me, contrasting every “real” experience with online behavior.

1. No TV’s, no juke boxes.
The typical distractions are removed. I loved that there were no barstools. As Mike explained, “in the US, I have to get my drink over some guy’s head.”

Observation: You can hear the conversation without the pounding of music or the distraction of sports on the television. It’s focused on developing a relaxed atmosphere for conversation.

2. Focus on conversation
Areas of chairs and table were scattered about, depending on what type of visit you were making (drinking, drinking+ eating, or sitting). However, I immediately noticed that there were no barstools. We got the large over-stuffed chairs next to the fire. We intended to stay for a while and have some great conversation. Later we moved to a larger table for dinner, but the conversation kept going.

Observation: There is more emphasis on leaving the bar and sitting with people. You can still get drunk if you want, but you’ll be having fun with everyone else while you do it.

3. Sense of Ownership
Mike kept saying, “my pub.” Mike’s son, Joe, explained the three priorities in life: “football, the pub, the wife. In that order.” The pub is a local meeting house and is located near your home. Everyone who lives near it calls it “their pub.” What’s interesting is we also passed by his brother’s pub and his mother’s pub. Everyone knows where THEIR pub is.

Observation: Ownership is vital to a sense of community. Unless you feel a sense of pride in what is being built and a sense of participation in the success, then you don’t have a true investment in the community.

4. Sense of Belonging
You belong because you live nearby. Everyone knows each other, and you can meet your neighbors at the pub. Because it’s the pub from your area, you care about it and want to be a part of the success.

Observation: Similar to the sense of ownership, the sense of belonging. It is a vital part of the community and everyone is welcome. Even is you choose to site near the fire and read the newspaper, you still belong. You are still part of the conversation.

5. Sense of Priority
See #3. Even though football is higher than the pub in priority, very few pubs offered televisions. I was surprised that the local football team was in a very important match that night, but they did not have it on television, there were no televisions available. I know it drove Joe nuts, but his friend kept texting him the score.

Observation: Even the priority of football in Newcastle didn’t supersede the priority of the pub. It didn’t replace the conversation of the community pub, even though it was of vital importance. There was a place to go if you wanted to watch the match, but it wasn’t being watched at the pub.

6. Sense of Community
Conversation with your friends is to be valued. If everyone knows who you are, then you are accountable. You have to be friendly. Mike pointed out the history of the pub as coming from the concept of Public Houses, where homes were opened up to the community for socializing. They grew into the pub, where the concept of community and socializing is lived out today.

Observation: If you want to get something out of the community, you have to contribute. Those that contribute the most are rewarded the most.

7. Old stuff is Cool
Sometimes, you don’t need technology. The best times are with people, and technology only keeps us unsatisfied. Taking time away to invest with people, rather than pursuing “what’s next” is very rewarding and fulfilling to one’s soul. We went to the Durham Cathedral, completed in 1096. It’s old. I haven’t felt a sense of awe like that for a very long time… I think we get so caught up in the “new” that we forget that there is still quality to be found in the “old”.

Observation: I was struck that conversation with people is what lasts. Friends that I made on forums ten years ago are still friends today. The forum helped to develop conversations both on a public and private level. Meeting people afterwards in “real life” simply cemented those friendships. You don’t build relationships like that by gaming Digg.

Related Posts:
Social Media and Reputation
Are You Creating a Customer Experience?
How to get Links without Trying

John Jantsch posed a question a few days ago, “Is networking online really that different?”

Precisely. It’s not.

Networking is the best way to grow your contacts, your business, build sales and relationships. I’ve found that the more pervasive social networking tools are online; they still reflect the primary essence of personal networking. I have met countless people online, yet when we are able to finally meet face-to-face, it changes the relationship and deepens it. There is a shared commonality at first, but then a friendship ensues.

Networking Breakfasts
I’ve been a member of many breakfast networking groups, which I’ve always enjoyed. Meeting new people and visiting with acquaintances has always been an enjoyable draw to attend those meetings. It is also something that I miss, being so digitally driven these days. Nothing can really take the place of face-to-face interaction.

Back to the point . . . . One of the networking meetings that I attended opened every week with the introduction that we “do business with those that we like, know and trust.” That is the essence of networking and building a network of people. These are also three things that can’t be faked easily. It was easy to spot the people that came to the networking meetings expecting a quick sale. They would usually attend for about 3-4 meetings, but then quietly left. The potential of quick sales was not there, only the investment of time into other people. Networking isn’t a quick fix for sales; it is an investment in getting to know other people.

Another easy spot in the networking game is the “what can you do for me?” person. They realize that they quick sale may not happen, but you can’t talk to them without feeling as though they are sizing you up all of the time. With very little genuine interest in you, the conversation focuses on them. They like to keep score, and expect much from others.

Relationship First
John makes an excellent first point of networking best practices:

It’s never about the sale, it’s always about the relationship - build first by giving

Regardless of the social media website, widget, or campaign, building relationships always proves to provide longer-lasting results. It also makes a big difference as to who invites you to join new networks, as many people hold higher levels of trust and like-ability. People are more likely to take a recommended action when you have proven yourself to be trustworthy, like-able and knowledgeable.

Investments in People
Taking the time to simply talk with people is an invaluable investment that has far-reaching results. Many times, I’ve been able to visit with a networking group that I haven’t attended in years, but still experience a warm reception. That only happens when it’s about the people and not the business.

Business has to take a back seat when building relationships. Honest conversation and care is genuinely felt by others, and it is something not commonly experienced on a daily basis. A good networking group discusses more than business, but business happens naturally.

How do we take this Online?
Well, there is the question. How do we take networking online?

1. Listen. The best advice is simply to search and listen at first. Find your market and sit back and listen to the conversation first. Don’t be “that guy” and jump into a conversation that you know nothing about. Listen first.
2. Give. Contribute something of value. advice or additional support. Your first foray into a new network should never be a pitch. Rather, it should be helpful information that benefits the group, forum, discussion, whatever.
3. Build. Build your reputation. Build your credibility. This is the time to establish yourself as a knowledgeable asset to the community. The more you contribute and help others, your estimation will increase. The help you provide will pay off down the line as an investment in your character.
4. Respond. When the time is right, someone will ask you for a direct opinion. Or, something that may arise that will provide the perfect situation for you to assert your knowledge and prove an opportunity to “sell” yourself. However, the difference now is that you are a person and not a (gasp) “marketer”.
5. Educate. Don’t sell. if you have followed the prior steps with patience, you can have the credibility to educate rather than sell, which always provides an opportunity to show yourself as an expert in your field. Educating is much more powerful than selling, and when it is done in the best interest of the community, it is welcomed.

Related Posts:
The Rules of the Conversation
How to Get Links Without Trying
3 C’s of Marketing: Content, Context, Community

There has been a proliferation of articles about using social media and how marketers see this as a vast new land of opportunity. Unfortunately, the majority of stories also feature how marketers fail miserably at establishing trust in these social media spaces, and most of that has to do with the attitude of the advertisers.

Too many times, marketer’s feel as through social media has been created for their benefit, when in reality it is a group of people with similar interests who joined into a community. A community where marketers are free to participate, but not free to overtly sell, that isn’t part of the social contract.

Users in these communities are looking for participation and contribution. And no – advertising your product and dropping links are not considered participation. Contribution is in the form of thoughts, opinions, and discussion.

Bottom line, social media networks are looking to hold hands, and not jump into bed on the first date. Marketers need to cool their jets and learn a little foreplay, otherwise, rejection is painful. To be viewed as a consumer is a little disconcerting for these contributors, and many feel just as violated, as if they were a ‘piece of meat.’

Facebook’s slap in the face
Facebook’s Beacon advertising program was the latest singles bar casualty. In promising free love for advertisers, Mark Zuckerburg forgot that romance is important. People were not using Facebook in order to give him a $15 Billion dollar valuation, they were using it to connect with friends and define themselves to the world. They didn’t want to be treated as whores for advertisers, and they spoke up vehemently. Beacon will now be a shadow of its intended purpose. All because marketers believed that consumers were there for their pleasure.

Thus, the tragic problem with marketers comes to the surface when they try social media. So many of them believe they only have to make a quick stop into the singles bar and then on to bed. However, consumers only want to hold hands.

Can We Hold Hands First?
Social Media was not created for marketing. Social Media existed before the modern internet and even preceded websites. Social Media is a creation of users for themselves to meet and connect, to think otherwise is foolish. No social media network was created for the express purpose of marketing (except for Webkinz, but that’s another story).

The image is reinforced of an overbearing bad date that cares about nothing more than getting into bed, when the consumer wants to talk and be heard. Many advertisers feign listening, some stomp off in disappointment, others are willing to become involved, maybe even commit to a long-term relationship.

But that is how marketers show themselves in many social media settings – concerned only with getting their message across. Rarely do they listening to any of the discussions or familiarize themselves with the intricacies of the social scene.

• Listen more than talk
• Be complimentary
• Don’t expect to score on the first date
• Don’t brag about your conquests
• Be willing to commit for the long-term

Related Posts:
Social Media and Reputation
The Rules of the Conversation
Social Traffic: Useless Gossip or Powerful Word of Mouth

Being intimately familiar with WebKinz World, I have been fascinated with the development of this network, mainly for the standpoint of the marketing. My familiarity? Our household is directly in the target market and I searched everywhere for a pink pony WebKinz for Christmas.

In all of the hoopla that surrounds social media marketing, the virtual world of Webkinz has quietly slipped into being the fastest growing social network online. The reason why it’s been so quiet? The target audience is 7-12 year olds. Ask most parents, and they are probably familiar with the virtual pet phenomenon, at least they will be familiar with being asked to buy the Webkinz.

In the past year, visitors to Webkinz have increased by 342% to more than six million unique visitors in November 2007 (ComScore). eMarketer estimates that 20 million children will be members of a virtual world by 2011, up from 8.2 million in 2007.

Social Network Marketing
Other social networks targeted at adults have been formed mainly out of hobbies and shared interests. Social networks are formed with the intent of gathering people; Marketing in these networks is an afterthought until the drive for a buy-out creates the need for monetization.

However, when it comes to the younger audiences, the social network and virtual worlds are created by brilliant marketers as a way to further the passion for the product. The primary purpose is marketing, which is concerning to me, as a parent and a marketer.

How Webkinz Works
Webkinz plays to the idea of an exclusive club – only those who purchase the plush toy will be granted access. In fact, it is called an “adoption” rather than a purchase. Webkinz is sort of like the old cabbage patch doll phenomenon. When you bought the doll you received a birth certificate for the doll, which initiated you into a club (so to speak).

Webkinz operates on a similar principle, but the code on the Webkinz, is also the code that allows you to adopt your pet online and have access into the virtual world. Once a child has that access, they are now responsible to care for their animal that has “come to life” in this virtual world. This caters to and develops the nurturing play of children.

Interestingly, you simply cannot wander Webkinz World, you eventually have to purchase a house and furnish it for your Webkinz pet. You do this by playing games and earning money. With the money you earn, you can buy more items for your Webkinz, such a bigger house, a pool, a bed, furniture, TV, etc.

KinzChat
Social interaction in WebKinz World is limited, thank God. When my daughter told me that she made a friend and was chatting with them online – I freaked. This is what got me into learning more about Webkinz. Chatting in Webkinz World is a series of pre-programmed statements. Children choose which statement their pet will say to the other pet, and they can choose to friend each other from there. They can also choose to share recipes, such as a waffle, strawberry, and spicy pizza combination called “mizzleberry jacks.” There is no direct one-to one interaction at this point. Children feel as though they actually have real conversations and talks about them as if they were real and these new friends are real. As a parent – I like that, but it does make me wonder about the new definition of the word “friend”.

There is an additional paid service that will allow direct chat in Webkinz World, but parents have to pay for the service and choose to permit the direct chat, called KinzChat Plus. Even in the KinsChat Plus, the chat is limited, as the words must match a restricted dictionary. This prevents addresses, phone numbers, and words from entering the conversations.

Webkinz Marketing
Every marketer (and parent) knows that a child begging for a toy is one of the most powerful persuasive tactics to sell a product. Thus, the key to successfully targeting children to be your product evangelist. They have very few filters when it comes to toys, cereals, and speaking their mind. That’s a powerful combination for a marketer who would like to get their product into a household. Webkinz has been able to grab a hold of this market and reinforce itself in the process.

The interface is very easy for children to access and understand. Preschoolers are able to use Webkinz, especially if they have older siblings that can teach them. What is most concerning; however, is the advertising that is proliferates the site. Advertisements for movies and toys are constant throughout the website, and many marketers are licking their chops for the exposure to this young audience.

Webkinz has revolutionized the offline-online interaction and measurement gap and created a safe virtual playground for children. It allows them to socialize (albeit, restricted) online and have experiences that adults have never imagined or experienced. They are growing up with a virtual world, whereas most adults have never heard of or even entered Second Life.

While most social networks are looking for ways to merge on-line and off-line marketing, WebKinz took both head-on and has developed an amazing network of plush toys, trading cards, charms, body spritz, bookmarks, lip gloss, clothing, mouse pads, backpacks and purses. All purchases come with valuable codes that provide “gifts” for your adopted pet. For any analyst, the ability to track the online-to-offline purchasing and behavior would be a dream come true.

Virtual Worlds Marketing to Children
Disney is already in full swing, creating multiple virtual worlds for young audiences. Disney’s Club Penguin attracts seven more times the traffic of Second Life (NYTimes.com). Nickelodeon is spending $100 million to develop virtual worlds targeted to children.

I am fascinated, as a marketer, of the creativity that is on display for children. Most children’s sites (PBSKids.org, Noggin.com, and NickJr.com) have offered a wide range of creative, interesting and safe websites. The draw of these games and websites has reached a new, younger generation of children that are more familiar with a computer than a TV.

As both a parent and a marketer, there is a dark side to all of this. I remember growing up and seeing commercials during Saturday morning cartoons. We watched them as the portal to see all that was new and exciting. Now, children have advertising surrounding them, but very little of the rational skills that are necessary for evaluating those messages.

Consider that social networks that adults are involved with have nowhere near the advertising that these worlds have developed for children. Adult social networks are not built for marketing, but children’s social networks are being built for that express purpose.

When Facebook’s Beacon program was found to be too invasive, privacy advocates screamed. Privacy advocates are screaming for children, but not as many want to hear their concerns. Toy companies and marketers are lining up to be part of these networks aimed at kids.

Take this how you will . . .
This is where my parental role trumps that of the marketer. It is my responsibility to raise my child, not a website’s. It is ultimately the parents that need to take an active role in knowing what your child is doing online and how it can help or hurt them. Educating children about marketing and how to evaluate marketing messages will be critical as more and more marketers see children as a “gold mine” for marketing-entertainment.

Parents need to ask themselves, who is looking out for the health, welfare and best interest of their children? While virtual worlds can be entertaining and educational, parents need to be aware of the real motivations behind these networks.

“All the stars are aligning for virtual worlds to become a mass-market form of entertainment, especially for kids . . . .”
Paul Yanover, executive vice president and managing director of Disney Online.

Related Posts:
Search Engines for Kids
The Difference Between the What and the WHY
Are You Creating a Customer Experience?

From years of troubleshooting websites for companies, I have consistently run up against the same problems. The size of the company, or the website for that matter, has very little to do with these problems, however I usually find that larger companies have these problems at unusually higher rates than smaller companies.

Each of these problems can kill your internet marketing campaign in the search engines. They have critical importance in allowing the search engines to properly download your website to their servers and then analyze all of the information in your webpage’s code. Having your website downloaded correctly to the search engines is the first step in organic search marketing, and these issues are at the foundation of the organic strategy.

Web Programming for Marketers
A better title for this might be IT for Marketers, as both groups need to work together for a successful strategy. As much as IT needs to understand the goals of the marketing campaign, marketing needs to understand the many details and constraints of the IT group.

1. Robots.txt File
This is the first place that I look for problems in a website. This is such a simple file, and usually webmasters are the primary people that deal with this file. In larger organizations, it can be years before anyone checks this file for accuracy, or even to verify that it exists.

The purpose of the robots.txt file is explained in a past article, and it is a critical file for the search engines, as they request this file before downloading the pages of your website. If they request it, there should be a file there. But be careful. One misplaced forward slash can make your site invisible in the search engines.

2. Homepage Redirects
Redirects are many times the product of a content management system. You can spot this if you’ve ever typed in the domain of a website, www.domain.com, and the page that you end up on is www.domain.com/base/index.com (or something similar), a few levels deep.

Here is what happened:
The root level page is what you requested: www.domain.com. However, a redirect forwards the user to the actual content page, which is no longer on the root level, but in a subfolder (/base/).

A redirect is like a forwarding address. When you move to a new house, you fill out a mail forwarding slip to notify the post office that you’ve moved. A redirect is the same thing. The redirect notifies the person (or search engine) who requested the page that the page is in a new location, and send them there.

There are two types of redirects, 301 and 302. A 301 redirect means that the page has moved permanently. A 302 redirect means that the move is only temporary. 301’s are the preferred method of redirecting.

A slight tangent
Sometimes, a hosting company will tell you that they cannot do a redirect on the server. They will tell you to do an on-the-page redirect. This is not a recommended method of redirecting, as the search engines do not like this type of redirect. It was once used as the primary means of fooling people into visiting adult sites in the late 90’s. I never recommend using this method, as the 301 redirect on the server is the best method to use. Anything else can bring additional problems, and are not as “clean” as the 301.
back on track . . .

If your hosting company tells you that they cannot perform a 301 redirect on the server, get another hosting company – it’s that simple.

Here’s why the homepage redirect causes problems. Most people link to the root level domain (www.domain.com.) However, if your page is not there, because it has moved to a new location, the links are all pointing to the wrong place. The search engines will see the 301 redirect and will usually assign the link value to the new page. However, the impact is not as great. The page with the content is not the page where people are linking. That lessens the value of both the content and the links.

3. Javascript Navagation
I don’t see this much, but when I do, it’s usually done by a big company with a kludgy interface. Take www.coca-cola.com for example (which uses a horrible redirect sequence as well).

The primary navigation is built with JavaScript. The Corporate Links have an actual HTML link in the script. However, none of the primary country links have an actual URL that can be followed by the search engines. If JavaScript is all script and no links, then there are no page links for the search engine to find. You can spot this by looking for the href= prefix in the script. The link to the page should follow in quotes.

If the link simply has a “#” following the URL, then that’s a sure sign of JavaScript. It’s not a page request, its script. You think you can’t understand HTML code, try looking at JavaScript. No wonder the search engines avoid it.

4. Canonical Domains
This problem leads us back to the forwarding address illustration. Let’s say you have a home, but you decide to put three, or four or maybe ten mailboxes out in front of your house. Which one will the post office deliver to? Will it be the same one every time? Or will they just pick one, use it, and ignore the rest? If so, will it be the mailbox you wanted them to use?

This is what happens when a page on a website can be seen with more than one address (URL). A classic example is Brookstone.com. The homepage is accessed at multiple URL’s:

• http://www.brookstone.com
• http://brookstone.com
• http://www.brookstone.com/world.asp?cmid=hdr_hmpg&cm_re=A_Hdr*Home*BKST

Here is a case of three mailboxes for one home (homepage). Which one is the *real* homepage?
. . . and because the navigation builds dynamically, each page can have potentially hundreds of URL combinations. But that gets really tricky to explain. Suffice it to say that it’s a BIG problem for Brookstone in the search engines.

5. Legacy Spam
This issue is not limited to big companies, but I am always surprised to see it. I’ve found too much of it on Fortune 500 company websites to dismiss it as an accident. Usually it was done by a third-party SEO company (and I use the term ‘SEO Company’ loosely). Because the website was not being spidered by Google, usually because of the four problems outlined above, a company decided to create new pages on the website in a structure that the search engines could find.

This is usually done with what we call invisible text. It’s usually white text on a white background, or other similar combinations. The link text is the same color as the background as to hide it from users, but it is followed by search engines. The links go to “doorway pages” via a simple link structure and content is provided to the search engines, which then gets published in the search results. Users either end up on that doorway page, or through detection, end up somewhere in the main site.

The rule of thumb is that if the page is intended for search engines, and not for humans, you are crossing the line, according to the search engines. I’ve had to help many companies recover from the penalty imposed on them from both Google and Yahoo when they used these types of tactics.

The best means of avoiding this is to remove the “invisible” links and fix the architecture of the website. Having the search engines find your website and spider the content naturally is the best means of getting in and staying in the search engines database. Creating doorway pages and new links is only a band-aid for a larger problem, and never a good substitute.

Hopefully, you can use this article to evaluate your own website. Here are some helpful tools to evaluate these issues:

Robots.txt
SearchStatus FireFox plug-in
Google Webmaster tools

Redirect & Header Check
Webbug
One important little detail on WebBug: Make sure you select HTTP/1.1 instead of HTTP/1.0 - most servers are set to 1.1, but WebBug defaults to the 1.0 setting.

Javascript Navigation
Browser Status Bar
Developer Toolbar for FireFox (disables JavaScript)

Invisible links
Read the code
Highlight all of the text on the page (Ctl+A)

Related Articles:
Robots.txt for the Rest of Us
The Basics of Search Engine Optimization
Search and Sushi

I am a strong advocate for customer reviews on websites, Studies have shown that they are used by many consumers and have a direct impact on people making a decision, whether it is for a book, music, restaurant, or hotel.

However, I usually come up against a typical objection: what about bad reviews?

We’ve all heard it. Business owners are horrified at the prospects of someone leaving a horrible review of their business. The helpful and positive reviews aren’t even considered because of the potential of a bad review.

Now, if your food is bad and the service is horrible, then a negative review may be justified and the problem is definitely yours as a business owner. What better way to get a pulse on the attitudes of your clientèle than by seeing their unbiased reviews?

If your service stinks, Bad reviews will be in your future.

On the other hand, we tend to think our strengths are in one area, but when listening to clients, they see our strengths very differently. For example, I worked with one business where they thought that their customer service was the reason they were successful and the main reason why people chose them. However, after surveys and customer interviews, it was because of the breadth of products and the knowledge and expertise of the salespeople. That was a shocking revelation to the company, but it helped them to know how they were actually viewed by customers rather than how they thought they were viewed.

There is no avoiding an occasional bad review, but it can also be a selling point. For example, when I go to New York City, I often read the reviews of the hotels. It is funny to see some of the reviewers complain about the size of the rooms and how small they are. This is funny, because it shows that the review was most likely written by a tourist who had never stayed in NYC. Of course the rooms are small. Any seasoned traveler will know this. If you want a large hotel room in NYC, be prepared to pay.

I was looking at staying in a historical Bed and Breakfast during one trip, one of the oldest in the city at 125 years old. One of the reviews was negative, complaining that the building and much of the furnishings were very old. Well of course!?! It’s a historic inn, with period furnishings – what else would you expect? This was a selling point to me, as I was looking for a break from the typical hotel experience.

What I am advocating is that negative reviews may also be helping to qualify your audience. The negatives can be used as selling points. Someone reviewing a movie may call it bad because of all of the violence; someone may see that review and want to see the movie all the more because of the action and violence.

The main point is that customers can miss the mark. They aren’t infallible. It’s about expectations. If someone’s expectations are misplaced, then a bad review may support the main goal of a business, and help them target someone who has the right expectations.

Related Posts:
Airline Delays and Word-of-Mouth
What’s the Customer’s ROI?
Are You Creating a Customer Experience?

I had a very interesting conversation with Charles Prescott, the VP of Global Education for the Direct Marketing Association. Charles comes from a direct mail background, whereas I am a child of the internet. We like to joke with each other about which is the better medium, but ultimately we know that there is a lot that we can learn from each other.

Direct Marketing Success
One of the things that he told me was that the most critical part of a direct mail/marketing campaign was the selection and refinement of a list. While most research is anecdotal, most accounts put the importance of list selection up to 70% of the success of a direct mail campaign (don’t quote me on this exact number, but it’s high).

However, the creative, which accounts for a smaller percentage of the success of a campaign, gets much more attention. Most of the attention comes from the owners or principles of a company, the art directors, the staff, the creatives, etc. Everyone wants to be involved in developing the right mood, the right message, and an attractive message.

Basically, getting the list together is not as glorifying as coming up with killer creative. But it is the most critical part of campaign success.

What about the web?
This applies so wonderfully to the web. I have been a part of so many projects where the design is the focal point of creating the website. Everyone is involved in color selection, graphics, fonts, and all of the “pretty stuff.” Everyone is so concerned with the design of the homepage and the impression that it makes, that they forget two very important factors:

1. Most visitors do not enter at the homepage.
2. Content is what engages the visitor and persuades them to take action.

It is a shame that so much effort is put into the design of a website, yet the content tends to be the last thing that most businesses consider when creating that new website. Content tends to get shuffled to the bottom of the pile until someone is tasked with the overwhelming job of gathering, organizing, and writing content at the last minute so that the website can go live.

In reality, it is the content that persuades people to take action. While a good presentation can help establish the credibility of a website, the content is what creates the connection and ultimately makes your case. It is the content that positions your company, creates confidence, sells your business, and persuades the visitor to take action.

Here again is the dilemma. In a study by the Stanford Persuasive Technology lab, they found that design helps to create credibility for a website, however, the particular elements of design were not the pretty pictures or the flashy graphics. It was the elements of the content, presented in context of the design: fonts, colors, typography, layout, organization. These are all elements of readability and layout! When content was designed in a consistent pattern that allowed people to easily find the information they needed - it was perceived as being more credible.

What’s Popular
Interestingly, looking at most visited sites online; Google, Amazon, Yahoo, eBay, MySpace, AOl, and Mapquest, none of these sites are known for their stellar designs. Instead they are known for their content, which is a powerful draw. These sites have valuable content, and they are used because of that. Looking at each of these sites, the content is primary and the design follows the content.

Back to the main point.
Until web managers focus on the content and the navigation of the website as the primary means of communicating their message, the design of the website will not matter. Everything has to work together, but the content is the ultimate reason for people to be on the website. The design gets the glory, but the content is the engine that drives the results.

Seth Godin recently commented in his blog that “Many websites say, “look at me.” Your goal ought to be to say, “here’s what you were looking for.”

You can only do that when the plan for the site is well-thought out. Not only the presentation of the content, but the soul of the content.

• How will you persuade visitors to take action?
• What actions are you persuading them to take?
• Is your call to action a focus of the content and the design?
• Does your design reflect these goals?

In reality, the design has to follow the message and the purpose of the site. Otherwise, the design will conflict with the primary message and distract the visitor from the stated goal. Put the time and attention where it counts, in developing a persuasive message for your site.