We’re Moving: MarketingInProgress.com

I guess I’m all grownsed up.

I’ve moved Brett’s Blog over to a new location, MarketingInProgress.com. So, for those of you that visit regularly, I encourage you to subscribe to the posts at this location and don’t worry about those here at brettduncan.wordpress.com much longer. This also accounts for my recent lack of posting, which I offer all apologies for.

For those of you scoring at home, I’m moving from a WordPress.com blog platform to a WordPress.org platform.

I can’t say I’m over-the-top crazy about the way MarketingInProgress is currently looking, but I’m also no designer. Be patient, as I’m sure there will be many changes to the site in the coming months.

Still, here’s what you’ll get – the same great marketing rants and obversvations with a twist for small business. Just now, it will be a little bit more professional with more robust features.

So, do this –

1. Go here.
2. Hit the orange “subscribe” link.
3. Tell all your friends.
4. Tell me what you think of the blog.

In the meantime, I’ll keep this site going for about another month or so, simply copying the posts from MarketingInProgress.com here. So don’t linger – change your feed settings, etc. And, thanks for checking it out.

27 Things Companies Should NOT do with Social Media

Brett’s Blog is now at MarketingInProgress.com. Read this list of social media tips at the new site now.

I’ve just stumbled upon EverythingCU.com, and have come across this excellent list of 27 Credit Union Social Media Don’ts. Don’t worry – every point can be applied beyond Credit Unions. Read it, apply it, and critique yourself. Whatever your first two reactions are after reading it, promise you’ll do something about it. Otherwise, it’s just another fancy list.

My favorites –

Don’t think that social media is just another marketing channel to starting shouting on.

Don’t blog just because everyone else is doing it. And if you do, don’t let it languish for long periods of time.

Don’t think that social media and traditional marketing are an either/or situation. The best campaigns utilize both types where appropriate.

Yes, Please (The FireFox Tablet)

Read about the Firefox Tablet at Brett’s new site, MarketingInProgress.com.

Chris at the Raw Stylus opened my eyes to this bit of simple genius.

Introducing the Firefox tablet – read all about it at Tech Crunch.

Isn't this worth $200?

No, you can’t get it yet. That’s what makes it even more exciting. The spark has caught on, and thanks to the openness of our new culture, anyone can help fan the flame. And we’ll all be better off because of it.

What idea have you got that is sitting in some dusty corner of your brain that couldn’t use the help of a couple hundred experts?

Pen Marketing Can Be Fun

This blog has moved.

Read about the Tul Pen Marketing Campaign at MarketingInProgress.com, the best marketing blog for entrepreneurs.

Tul has launched a graphological analysis feature on their website, TUL.com. It’s worth your five minutes, I promise.

I can’t think that pens are at the top of the “most fun products to market” category, but that didn’t stop TUL from having fun anyway. And it works, at least in generating a little exposure. According to Compete.com, the site is getting 7k+ visitors a month, which ain’t too shabby for a pen.

What’s something fun-loving, even goofy, you can do with your company?

Thanks to Ron at the BusyNoggin.com for passing along the link.

Google Content Network Ads Pay Off for Murad (Case Study)

Read this post at MarketingInProgress.com (Brett’s new blog).

Get the full details of the Murad case study of the Google Content Network at MarketingInProgress.com, the best marketing blog for entrepreneurs.

Often the red-headed stepchild of pay-per-click advertising, AdWord placement in Google’s content network is often frowned upon and shied away from. Not so for skincare distributor Murad. This article from Internet Retailer details how Murad was able to increase sales by 15% via ads on Google’s content network.

The campaign’s success had lead Murad to restructure its approach to paid search, according to Katherine LaFranchise, senior director of online marketing for Murad. “”We used to think that content advertising was only useful for increasing search conversions, but we found you can achieve direct return on investment from content campaigns,” she says.

It’s interesting that only one site from the network is mentioned as being the prime generator of traffic.

What’s the smallest niche you can think of for your company? What website(s) do those people visit? Is there any way you can get involved?

My Newest Blog: VintageBrett.com

OK – for those of you bored to death with my marketing pontifications, loyal readers of this blog only because of a dedicated friendship or a love of giving me a hard time via the comments, I got ya something:

Introducing VintageBrett.com, my all-new blog that has absolutely nothing to do with marketing, and everything else to do with anything else that crosses my mind.

Start here to find out all about it, and then make your way through the few posts I’ve got up there. I’m still getting the tone and feel of the blog down, but I think it will be a rather enjoyable conversation for us all.

Google News Not So Newsworthy?

I just googled ‘news,’ expecting Google News to be the first link on the page. It wasn’t. CNN.com takes the cake.

What does that tell ya about Google? Mixed reaction?

Does Your Blog Suck?

Here’s an educational rant at Search Engine Land that provides a little food for thought. Are you guilty?

To me, this line sums up the real point: “The problem with this, of course, is that any time you do anything just for SEO purposes, you’ll almost always do it wrong.”

SEO is powerful, but providing valuable content and resources is much more powerful. Don’t let the allure of SEO suck you in to the point you suck.

26 Reasons to be a Marketing Lover

This site has moved. Read the 26 Reasons to Be a Marketing Lover at Brett’s new site.

Bill has posted his Luther-esque thesis on the doors of the blogosphere with this post on 26 reasons why I love marketing. My three favorites:

1. The best people I know are marketers
2. I understand the phrase “Having a Purple Cow who Zags in a Blue Ocean”
3. It’s better then being beat with a bag of oranges

Check out it out share your favorites.

Ads on Napkins, Becoming a Consultant, and Get $1,000 to Quit

This site has moved. Go to MarketingInProgress.com to read Ads on Napkins now.

I’m a little behind on sharing some great reading, but here are some highlights from the past couple months.

1. Finding an extra 15 hours in your week. Seems the Marketing Minute posted all the great marketing blogs out there, and the next question became “How in the world do I find time to keep up with all that?” Here are the answers. Pooping productivity is especially key.
2. Turning Points: How I Became a Consultant. Steve takes a look back at the moment he realize it was time to do it himself. The entire post is excellent and enlightening, but I believe this quote sums it up: “If I was going to fulfill my professional desires and drives, and add maximum value, I had to “create it myself,” and not vainly hope that someone else would conform their business to my ideals, or custom-create the perfect position for me.”
3. Early Retirement is a False Idol. The norm is to slave away during our “working years” so we can finally enjoy life later because we don’t have to work. However (as quoted in the post): “Why does the idea of work have to be so bad that you want to sacrifice year’s worth of prime living to get away from it forever?”
4. Focus on the Goal, Not the Mechanics. If you’re requesting the help of a designer or other creative service, don’t micro-manage the process. You obviously aren’t an authority to begin with, or you wouldn’t be asking for help. Be the champion of the end-goal, make it clear to your partners, and let them, the messengers, craft their message. As Jay Moonah is quoted in the article: “If you are working with an agency, what you need to help your agency partners understand is WHAT you want to accomplish, not HOW they should do it.”
5. Here’s $1,000 to Quit. John cites a post on the new-hire policy of Zappos, a growing online shoe retailer. They offer any new employee $1,000 to quit within the first week. Why? Read the post. It’s smart, and probably quite cost-effective.
6. Did You Know? – Brand Loyalty. Insightful quick stats on the price and profit of increased usage by repeat customers. Fascinating. For example, did you know It costs 7 times more to get a new consumer for the brand than it does to get a current consumer to make an incremental purchase?
7. Not Even Cocktail Napkins Are Safe. Advertising on napkins at bars? C’mon . . . .