Month: March 2019

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Monday Mash-Up Weekly Story

Weekly Story – Garbage Data

In a recent Monday Mash-Up, I shared a blog post I’d written about misleading statistics.

It struck a nerve with several readers. Margaret is one of those readers who told me the story of her run-in with garbage data.

Margaret works as a fundraiser at a nonprofit. Margaret often wonders how best to reach older donors and prospects. Some older folks say they prefer print newsletters and other “traditional” communications. 

That’s bad news for digital communication vendors who want nonprofits to use their tools for fundraising. 

Margaret received an email from one such company that trumpeted big news: “Use of Digital Technology No Barrier for Older Donors.” 

This news came from a study the company commissioned that revealed, “93 percent of matures (age 73+) said they are comfortable using digital devices.” 

In its email to Margaret and other prospects, the company insisted, “Using one or more digital channels to reach donors should be a part of your planned giving marketing program.” 

Margaret was skeptical. In her experience, many “matures” were comfortable with digital services, but not 93 percent!

“I have tried to train a few 80-year-olds on digital services,” she told me. 

So Margaret dug deeper and discovered that the survey was conducted by a consulting firm called NMI. 

Margaret told me NMI conducts its Healthy Aging Trends survey online. I visited their website and confirmed that NMI collects this data “via online research methodology.” 

So let me get this straight…

A consulting firm contacts elderly people via online channels. Those elderly people are online and able to respond to an online survey. And the researchers ask, “Are you comfortable online?”

I’m surprised only 93 percent said, “Yes.” Makes me wonder what’s up with the seven percent who are responding to online surveys but aren’t comfortable with digital services. 

So…after we get to the fine print and assess this survey, should we assume that 93 percent of ALL “matures” are comfortable with digital services? No way. 

Do we have any idea what percentage of ALL “matures” (not just the ones responding to online surveys) are comfortable with digital services? Nope! 

So what valid conclusions can we reach from this information? None, really. 

That’s the working definition of garbage data. Purposely misleading at worst. Meaningless at best. 

As Margaret told me, “For their next trick, I bet they will go to Disney World and ask people there whether or note they like Disney World.”  

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. Wondering how to improve your marketing content so it resonates with your audience and doesn’t fall flat? We can help you do that — without dirty tricks or garbage data. Email me at tom@marketvolt.com to learn how we help businesses tune up their sales stories and marketing content. For no charge and no strings attached, I’ll review a marketing piece or the front page of your website and offer some suggestions. 

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

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Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup 2019.03.25

Monday, March 18, 2019
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Recommended Accessory
A Safer Set of Headphones

I recently purchased a pair of Zpods bone conduction headphones (on sale now for $50), and I love them. These headphones do not have buds that you place in your ears. They have small pads that lay in front of your ear. You hear not by sound waves entering your ear canal. Rather, sound is conducted through the bones on which the sound pads lay. 

Why is this better? Since you’re not blocking your ear canal with buds, you can hear what’s happening around you. Did you hear about that guy who survived a mountain lion attack while jogging in Colorado? He said he wouldn’t have survived if he hadn’t heard a sound behind him and turned to face the lion before it pounced.

With these headphones, you can hear traffic around you while walking or riding a bike. (I don’t recommend wearing any headphones while riding a bike near traffic, but if you’re gonna do it, you might as well be safer.) 

The sound quality is surprisingly good. The headphones wrap comfortably around the ears and hold steady even when exercising.

Recommended Reading
Customer Service Matters

Here’s a short-but-sweet article with tips from customer service expert Shep Hyken: How to Use Customer Service as a Marketing Opportunity. Excellent, common-sense tips.

Reading and Reflecting On…
Artist Rejects “Just Shut Up and Sing”

How do you feel about celebrities who post their opinions about politics and other issues online? I follow several musical artists who air their opinions on social media. Some are well-spoken. Some less so. I agree with some. I disagree with others. I’m always struck by the hatred such posts ignite. Trolls who disagree with the opinions go crazy, telling artists to “shut up and sing,” suggesting that artists’ have no right and no authority to express their opinions on anything by music. 

One of my favorite artists Hayes Carll wrote a beautiful, thought-provoking essay that explores whether he should just shut up or speak his mind. 

A Little History
Nike Launches an Advertising Revolution

Thirty-two years ago this week, Nike rocked the advertising world with a television spot that featured the Beatles “Revolution” as its soundtrack. It was among the first (and, at that point, most prominent of) ads with an original rock recording. Prior to that, ads were filled with original jingles or cover versions of familiar tunes. 

Debate about the ad was fierce.

Music fans debated whether artists were “selling out” if they allowed their work to be featured in ads.

No one accused The Beatles of selling out because this wasn’t their call. Michael Jackson owned the publishing rights to The Beatles catalog, and he (and Capitol Records) cut the deal with Nike.  

But as other artists hopped aboard the advertising train, the debate continued to rage. 

Today, original music in advertisements is common. But many fans and critics still accuse artists of selling out if they cash in. 

What do you think? Shoot me an email (tom@marketvolt.com) to share your opinion.  


I like this quote…


“It is easy enough to praise men for the courage of their convictions. I wish I could teach the sad young of this mealy generation the courage of their confusions.” 

– John Ciardi, poet

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom

Categories
Weekly Story

Weekly Story – Sidewalk Cigs

As I entered a quick shop yesterday, I noticed a guy walking out who looked down on his luck.

He stopped by the door and pulled from his shirt pocket a half-smoked, crooked cigarette butt. He bent it back into shape, lit up and took a long drag.

When I walked out of the store, that cigarette was burned down to the filter. The guy took one last drag then tossed the butt on the ground beside him — not a spec of precious tobacco wasted.

Made me think of a song by Mary Gauthier, about a guy named Steam Train Maury — “The Last of the Hobo Kings.”

A streetwise vagabond, Maury jumped more than 10,000 trains and rode more than one million miles, the song tells us.

And this: “He could tell how his nation was doing by the length of a sidewalk cigarette butt.”

I love that line. I love that image. I love the idea that we can glean wisdom from the things around us — as long as we open our eyes and pay attention.

That’s true for hobos. It’s true for business people.

Our businesses are full of small things that tell big stories.

Business consultants call these “leading indicators.”

I prefer to call them “sidewalk cigarette butts.”

In my business, we have a lot of sidewalk cigarette butts that we monitor — support call volume; open, click and opt-out rates for emails we send; percentages of new clients who attend our training sessions…and so on.

We look at the cigarette butt and we ask, “What does that tell us?”

For example, we noticed that fewer of our new clients were attending our free training sessions for our email marketing software. We also noticed that a large percentage of the clients who don’t renew our services were ones who never attended training.

So we began to measure training attendance as a cigarette butt. The larger that number, the healthier our customer satisfaction and the greater our customer retention.

Because we measure that cigarette butt, we develop new strategies and tactics to increase training attendance and improve retention.

Your business has sidewalk cigarette butts, too. What are they? What do they tell you? Open your eyes and pay attention, and you’ll glean great wisdom to help your business.

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. Wondering how to improve your marketing content so it resonates with your audience and doesn’t fall flat? We can help you do that — without dirty tricks. Email me at tom@marketvolt.com to learn how we help businesses tune up their sales stories and marketing content. For no charge and no strings attached, I’ll review a marketing piece or the front page of your website and offer some suggestions. 

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

Categories
Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup 2019.03.18

Monday, March 18, 2019
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Recommended Reading
What Will You Do Next Time Social Media Hiccups?

Facebook and Instagram broke last week. In case you missed it… the sites were either down or malfunctioning for several hours last Wednesday. A minor inconvenience for some. A major business headache for others. 

Lots has been written since. Here’s one article I thought was especially on target: Last Week’s Facebook Outage Proves Why Email Marketing Is Still So Valuable 

Marketing Tips
Lessons from Lightbulb Shopping

I love this article about the author’s visit to Home Depot to buy light bulbs. It’s a great lesson about how businesses overemphasize features, not benefits, when selling.  

Health and Well Tips
Five Minutes to Wellness with Dan Fazio

Dan Fazio is a physician who focuses on helping individuals identify threats to their health and make the changes necessary to overcome those challenges. He and I are among 27 experts in a community called e4e (experts4entrepreneurs). The e4e website is loaded with useful videos to help business people grow more quickly, run more productively and live the lives they deserve. 

Several of the videos feature Dan’s “Five Minutes to Wellness” tips. I learn something every time Dan dispenses wisdom.

Recommended Listening
Sally Jaye Nails It With This Song About Unconditional Love

If you’re a parent, if your kid has ever been suffering or been in crisis, you know the feeling… You just want your kid to be alright. It’s all that matters.

Sally Jaye’s “All I Ask For” captures this feeling beautifully. It’s a sad story. But it’s a beautiful testament to a parent’s undying, unconditional love.  


I like this quote…


“Our worst misfortunes never happen, and most miseries lie in anticipation.” 

– Honore De Balzac, novelist

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom

Categories
Weekly Story

Weekly Story – Car Wash Story

A few months ago, I asked my 21-year-old daughter to help me lug trash from the three barrels next to our house to the dumpster in the alley.

She was home from college for a couple of weeks, and I thought she could pitch in.

She shot me one of those looks that said, “Dad, I’m on vacation. I’m a student, not a trash hauler.”

I considered fighting back, flexing my parental muscle, showing her who’s boss, but, instead…

I smiled and said, “I’ll take care of this first barrel. You can handle the other two.”

Her expression softened, and she said, “OK. I’ll get it done after lunch.”

And she did get it done.

I thought of my trash-hauling daughter this week when I read about a fascinating study that puts this story in perspective.

A car wash that wanted to encourage repeat business launched a loyalty program. The carwash gave customers a “loyalty card” which was stamped and dated following each purchase.

The business tested two cards: The first card required eight stamps, with none pre-stamped. The second card required 10 stamps, but two spots were already stamped when customers received it.

The two cards required exactly the same commitment from customers: Pay for eight car washes to get the ninth one for free.

But the cards generated different results…

After six months, 19 percent of customers who received the first card (eight stamps, no head-start) had redeemed the free car wash. Thirty-four percent of the those with the second card (10 stamps, with the two-stamp head-start).

What gives?

Human beings are more motivated when they perceive that they’re making progress or have a head start. This study reflects that. Countless other studies support that.

And the closer we humans get to a goal, the more motivated we become. In the car wash study, customers waited less time between visits (about a half day less on average) with every car wash that was purchased.

This has big implications for anyone trying to motivate others — parents asking kids to clean their room or take out the trash; teachers encouraging students; sales people closing the sale; supervisors inspiring employees.

Have you leveraged this concept at home or your business? If so, how? I’d love to hear from you. If not, can you imagine ways that you might? If you’d like to brainstorm, I’d be happy to discuss it with you. Shoot me an email, and I’ll schedule a call with you.

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. Wondering how to improve your marketing content so it resonates with your audience and doesn’t fall flat? We can help you do that — without dirty tricks. Email me at tom@marketvolt.com to learn how we help businesses tune up their sales stories and marketing content. For no charge and no strings attached, I’ll review a marketing piece or the front page of your website and offer some suggestions. 

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

Categories
Monday Mash-Up

Mash-up 3-11 Final

Monday, March 11, 2019
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Recommended Reading
Story-Telling Master Teaches How It’s Done

Story-telling matters. Whether you’re a marketer promoting a business, a sales person making a pitch, a teacher inspiring students, a parent motivating children or just one of the gang trying to entertain friends, you’ll be better if you can construct and deliver a good story. 

That’s why I recommend this book: “Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need.” Written by Margo Leitman — a comedian, winner of multiple Moth storytelling competitions, and founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade storytelling program — this book is both entertaining and practical. It’s a how-to guide for becoming a better story-teller. 

Giving it a Try
Search Engine Promises Not to Track You 

I’ve been kicking the tires on a search engine called DuckDuckGo. Their promise: We don’t store your personal information. Ever.

The question I have: Will the search results be as helpful as Google’s or Bing’s?

With growing concerns about privacy, a tracking-free search engine could fill a niche. 

I’ll keep you posted on whether I like DuckDuckGo. 

More Recommended Reading
BMW Driving Business with Content Marketing

Here’s an interesting article about BMW and how the car maker has shifted its website strategy to emphasize content marketing. It’s a great case-study about the power of using informative, entertaining relevant content to engage an audience.


From the MarketVolt Blog
Garbage Data Driving Me Crazy

I recently saw an info-graphic that said email is “the rock-solid, time-and-customer-tested, marketing-approved way to keep your customers coming back for more.”

I believe in email, but this info-graphic was loaded with so much garbage it made my head spin. 

In the latest post on the MarketVolt blog, we sort through the garbage and issue this warning: Beware of misleading stats.  

Quotable 
What’s in a Name? 

Civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy was born on this day in 1926. He said this: 

“It’s not the name they call you; it’s the name you answer to.”

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom

Categories
Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup 2019.03.11

Monday, March 4, 2019
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Twitter delete replies 
https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/twitters-hide-reply-feature-adds-more-control-over-the-conversations-on-your-posts

Email stats stupidity https://marketvolt.com/2019/03/beware-of-misleading-stats/



BMW doing content: https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/bmw-redesigned-its-website-for-content

https://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/5-myths-about-online-marketing-that-need-to-be-busted-02176543

Recommended Reading
Story-Telling Master Teaches How It’s Done

Story-telling matters. Whether you’re a marketer promoting a business, a sales person making a pitch, a teacher inspiring students, a parent motivating children or just one of the gang trying to entertain friends, you’ll be better if you can construct and deliver a good story. 

That’s why I recommend this book: “Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need.” Written by Margo Leitman — a comedian, winner of multiple Moth storytelling competitions, and founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade storytelling program — this book is both entertaining and practical. It’s a how-to guide for becoming a better story-teller. 

Giving it a Try
Search Engine Promises Not to Track You 

I’ve been kicking the tires on a search engine called DuckDuckGo. Their promise: We don’t store your personal information. Ever.

The question I have: Will the search results be as helpful as Google’s or Bing’s?

With growing concerns about privacy, a tracking-free search engine could fill a niche. 

I’ll keep you posted on whether I like DuckDuckGo. 

From the MarketVolt Blog
Stupid, Conflicting Stats Are Driving Me Crazy

I recently saw an info-graphic that claimed to prove why email is “rock-solid, time-and-customer-tested, marketing-approved way to keep your customers coming back for more.” I believe in email, but the stats in the info-graphic are confusing garbage. 

In the latest post on the MarketVolt blog, we issue this warning: Beware of misleading stats.  

Recommended Reading
Three Human Traits that Haven’t Changed for the Last 10,000 Years

Sure, we all have different target markets. But we’re all marketing to humans. I enjoyed this article that opens with an interesting point, “By placing too much emphasis on what’s next, companies risk overlooking and undervaluing the things that remain constant.”


The Only Thing We Have to Fear…


On this day in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first first inaugural address. Here’s the transcript and audio recording. Delivered at the height of The Great Depression, this was the speech in which FDR delivered this famous sentence:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom

Categories
Weekly Story

Weekly Story – Podcasting Roundabout (citing Adam K)

My pal Adam Kreitman sent me (and everyone else on his list) a great email today that compared the current frenzy over podcasting to the California Gold Rush.

Here’s some of what Adam wrote: “There were a few lucky folks who struck it rich mining for gold. However, the people who really made money during the Gold Rush were the ones selling stuff – tools, clothes, food – that supported the miners. Same thing is happening in podcasting right now. There are plenty o’ producers, editors, software folks, etc. making money off of podcasting. But not so many podcasters are.”

That is some big truth, Adam.

The thing that prompted Adam’s email was a meeting he and I recently attended. A bunch of business people were talking about podcasting. Lots of big ideas were flying around the room about how to help some people make their podcasts more popular.

The podcasters were pondering whether to invest in social media or email marketing or paid search or other channels…

…which was all for the purpose of growing their podcast audience…

…which seemed to be for the purpose of growing their business.

From where I was sitting, it seemed kind of roundabout.

So I suggested a more direct path to business growth: Maybe you could use social media or email marketing or paid search or other channels to drive people directly to your business. Maybe you can skip that podcasting step.

That’s when one of the podcasters admitted his truth. He podcasts because he likes to podcast. It’s fun. He meets interesting people. He learns a lot.

Those are valid reasons to podcast, and I told him so.

But that’s different than podcasting to grow your business.

I’m not here to tell you not to launch a podcast.

I’m here to encourage you simply to know why you launch a podcast.

For some, podcasting may be a fun adventure on the side (amen to that).

For some, podcasting may be a viable strategy to grow a business (one person at that meeting seemed to be on that track).

But if you’re doing it to grow your business, remember: Podcasting ain’t easy. And it’s far from certain.

If you’re spending a bunch of time and money on tools and tactics just to implement a podcast intended to grow your business, maybe you can find a less roundabout path to growth.

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. Wondering how to improve your marketing content so it resonates with your audience and doesn’t fall flat? We can help you do that — without dirty tricks. Email me at tom@marketvolt.com to learn how we help businesses tune up their sales stories and marketing content. For no charge and no strings attached, I’ll review a marketing piece or the front page of your website and offer some suggestions. 

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

Categories
Monday Mash-Up

Monday Mashup 2019.03.04

Monday, March 4, 2019
MarketVolt’s Monday Mash-Up

Good for a Laugh
“Marketoonist” Gently Mocks AND Teaches Marketers

I recently discovered the cartoons of Tom Fishburne, a.k.a the “Marketoonist.” He makes fun of marketers — sort of how the comic strip Dilbert makes fun of office life. In so doing, the Marketoonist also reveals some underlying truths and lessons about marketing. Good, funny stuff.  

New Business Model
Hulu Introduces Innovative New Advertising Format

Those of us in marketing and communications are constantly wondering how best to reach our target market. For businesses that have traditionally advertised on television, digital video recorders pose a challenge (consumers fast-forward through commercials). Some consumers opt-out from traditional 30- or 60-second broadcast ads altogether by subscribing to services (such as Hulu or Netflix) that don’t interrupt the show with advertisements. 

Hulu recently began to experiment with a new advertising model — display ads that appear on the screen only when the viewer pauses the broadcast. Such ads don’t interrupt the broadcast because it’s the viewer, not the advertiser, who has decided to pause the show. 

This is an interesting model — something that may become widespread in the future. Here’s an interesting article about Hulu’s experiment.     

Website Tip
Make Your Site Secure — Even if You Don’t Conduct E-Commerce

For websites that collect credit card information, a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate has long been an essential add-on. SSL encrypts information submitted through a website so hackers can’t easily steal it. 

But now, SSL is a must-have add-on for all sites — for several reasons. Search engines like your site less (give it lower ranking) if it’s not secure. And web browsers alert visitors when your site is not secure. For example, Chrome now puts a red “caution” icon and “Not Secure” in the address bar of sites that don’t have SSL. 

Think visitors don’t care? Guess again. Here’s an article that reveals how many people have a “bad reaction” when they see the “not secure” warning. 

Recommended Reading
Three Human Traits that Haven’t Changed for the Last 10,000 Years

Sure, we all have different target markets. But we’re all marketing to humans. I enjoyed this article that opens with an interesting point, “By placing too much emphasis on what’s next, companies risk overlooking and undervaluing the things that remain constant.”


The Only Thing We Have to Fear…


On this day in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first first inaugural address. Here’s the transcript and audio recording. Delivered at the height of The Great Depression, this was the speech in which FDR delivered this famous sentence:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Any reading, listening, quoting, resourcing that you think we should share? Send us a tip.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend.

Tom