Mobile Advertising Part I: Texting

by Fred on October 19, 2010

Hi everyone,

As you might all say to Fred Weiner, the marketing planner you have listened to for a while, “I do not want to be bothered my clients or new ones with text messages”.

Now keep in mind this is what we said about email, direct mail, newsletters and all the other marketing tools that have worked for our businesses. What I see is the constant shifting through the years of what works and what starts to lag in effectiveness as times change. These are simply called changing advertising Trends.

So at least look at the numbers that back up why you should text and then we can go through how to use it in a tasteful manner, just like an online banner, Facebook ad or direct mail piece.

There are 52,083 Text message per second. Yes that stat is every second.
There are 4.1 Billion Phones worldwide.
86% of Americans own a phone.
90% of emails are never read. I threw that in to remind everyone that email is considered spam to a high degree these days.
80+% of text messages are opened within 1 hour of receiving it.
How am I doing here for stats? I wish I did the study, but I didn’t. A company names Swigg did and spend millions doing it. More about them later.
Last year there were 1.56 Trillion text messages sent in America alone.
68.7% of Americans are frequent text users.
Lastly, text message has tripled in the last 3 years.

Ok, good guy Fred Weiner gave you got all the stats about texting; are you sold on the idea that maybe you need to incorporate that into your marketing plan? Believe me it does not matter if you are a doctor or a Mortgage Banker, you need to jump on the bandwagon.

Today I want to introduce the idea to you and then in the next posting I will start talking about strategy.

Take a look at this video that reinforces my stats. Please think about this subject a little, with an open mind and send me some comments. This is new frontier marketing for most of us.

Until next time,

Fred Weiner

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Marketing Business Tip #4-SEO & Maps!

by Fred on August 26, 2010

in Uncategorized

It is good to be back talking to you after a long summer techno break.

So many things have happened online and off that it is hard to pick one thing to speak about.

As promised this Etouch broken into two parts.

Part #1 Being something that can help you tomorrow in your business.

Google Places (Maps)SEO tips and Avoid Identity for Optimization

Part#2 Will be some Techno information that will help the advance people and those that want to learn more about the Internet.

Some of Part#2 Highlights first:

SEO Header and Footer keywords beating the Meta tags in importance!! We have Google changing all search, Google TV, Pay per Performance Networks, Group buying on Facebook or TrialPay. Blogger versus Google Sites, YouTube only allowing better Video’s having better rank?? That is just,”User Easy”, material.

Part #1

It may seem boring but Maps was in Maps then Google Business.

Now it is controlled by Google Place. Oh Boy, what does this mean, you can get back your map, like the old days to position A Or B. Maybe, but it will take more work and cost you.

It is not like lifting weights harder, but it will take time and they are making you pay to be special. Yes they developed something called Tags. You may have heard about it. You need a owner verified account (simple to get) and $25 per month.

Oh, I forgot you must have giveaways things or coupons; the list goes on. Just go to Google Place.com and they will walk you through it.

The nice part is if you have a good niche you really stick out with the yellow arrows or identifiers. That is one reason they charge you. First you have better position again means 6% more clicks. Then the Tag gives you an additional 6% more clicks.

Places is a another name for a Google Page or mini-site. You put everything here, web links, blog links, video’s, review etc. That is why you need the tag it will work faster than filling up places with content until it busts or tells you that you are 100% complete.

Ok Fred so how does this effect me tomorrow. I put someone in it and he got 975 additional clicks that month. NOT BAD. Divide that by 30 days and he got 3 or so new clicks the next day, ok the next few days. That extrapolated into an unbelievable ROI.

Call or contact me on the contact sheet on the website for guidance or help.

Press here to get to the contact area. A little talk on the phone or email will get you through this. If you need more help I can help implement it for or with you.

These Etouchs get long so for the Identity Seo Optimization and Theft identity registration information just please go to my website engagetheory.com and go to the blog and you will see it Friday.

The techno information will be there also.

Tags you may know of already, but Places is evolving so lets act as a big group and

discus this openly. I am going to try and set up an open forum next month. So we can all communicate on apps, optimization and general marketing.

Talk soon, go to the site for the other info on Friday.

Cheers,

Fred

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Social Networking is dead?

by Fred on June 28, 2011

in Blogs, Uncategorized, eTouches

Social Networking is dead?

Prince, or the performer known as Prince said so. The online tabloids are saying so.

Do I believe it? I think people’s habits have changed.

People just have other priorities and the social fever is gone. Like in Dentistry or business everyone is looking for that instrument that solves all the problems of a procedure. I used to have a room full of those solution tools.

The same holds true for Social Networking and prior to that Video’s, as being the latest fad. But I have found Mobile Marketing, as I have talked about for months, as a real engager of people and solid list builder. Take a look at LocalMobileEngine.com; They have a free trial and no credit cards are needed.

Truth be told, what we really want in online marketing is an integrator of tools that will make everything work together and engage more than 150 people. We can only have 150 people we can keep in touch with consistently and personally on social networks. Not much for all the money and time we spend.

Ok, so why are your social lists made of 15k people or followers, not worth $1.50 per month? If you do not engage the person in a conversation and get to know them then social networking can be a waste and you may be paying someone to much money to implement it or you are spending to much time doing it.

Let’s keep track of our goals.

1. Sell more cases to patients or clients in a tough economy.

2. Attract new people and contact information to funnel them to get them to your office.

So if it is Implants, Botox, Lanap or a Car dealer, you all have high ticket items that you want to sell and use other perks or incentives to get them to do so. The latest marketing technique that finally has statistically significant results to help you today is Mobile Marketing; Text, QR codes, Coupons, and a scheduled autoresponders series.

Your follow-up over a year on potential clients, lead, increases by 400% if you just do what I have been and continue to write about. You may have text reminder’s already through your computer for your patients or clients and this software is not what we are talking about.

I want to create a “Lead Generator” in my business. Ok, you do a mail coupon, quarterly newsletter, ad or sponsor a team etc. Nothing compares to Texting, and interacting with a person. Take a look at some marketing examples that LocalMobileEngine shows. I have found Clint Steiner, who Like Brian Spaeth many of you used in the past, is an expert at Mobile Marketing. He is Level 2 and works with an aggregator, which means his services are more complete and less expensive for you to use.

Remember Social Networking at $2k or more per month to maintain. This starts at $97 per month and he will do a mobile website for our group for free! Bottom line start a Free Trial at LocalMobileEngine.com . There are no credit cards needed. I will be going through the details of the whole system in each posting you read. Talk Thursday, Ciao! Fred:)

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Tip#5 How to Get 100 Good Backlinks & Google Page 1!

by Fred on September 2, 2010

in Uncategorized

I came across several websites that do a couple of things for you.

I was concerned that I had already changed my credit card account 3 times in a year because of identity capture or being falsified.

So I did my research and came across some sites I found from Mashable. And if you do not know him by now, he is one if not the top leaders of Social Media.

What I found was a number of websites that did a few things besides say they were going to protect my name.

Essentially they were going to give me backlinks by putting me almost everywhere, but not at once to avoid Google logarithms. That way I did not jeopardize being accused of spamming.

There are 100’s of sites that can host your profile, but prevent automated sign-up processes, you need to manually create one profile at a time.

KnowEm is a site that will search over 400 popular social networks and over 40 domain names to instantly check if your name is being used and that is free!! Then if you of course they will charge you to secure your brand across the social web and then….

KnowEm will Grab your name and secure your brand before someone else does.

But there are differences in how these companies keep you up to date as new social sites emerge, as only one feature

These 7 Services will save your name on the internet, give you backlinks, protect you by regeristing when new social media plateforms are started.

1. Knowem

2. ud.com

3. namechecklist

4. claim.io

5. TM.biz

6. namechk

7. Domainr

__________________________

How does this help you with getting new patients tomorrow?

__________________________

More good backlinks higher Google ratings.

__________________________

On the Engage blog are stats and links to the actual analytics that will show you the 1283 Hits a client got from:

__________________________

Google Places and we are monitoring the Tags we talked about last week for you.

__________________________

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“Why I Went Back To Starbucks. Did I Really Help Them Last Time?”

by Fred on July 8, 2010

in Uncategorized

Starbucks is really a great company just like I said in my previous article.

After I wrote an article saying I would not go back to Starbucks because of the non-free Wifi, paying $5 for a card and getting $2 off a drink at the time, both the CEO and Frank Buzzo contacted me. I was astounded by the fact these people, high on Starbucks executive ladder took the time to answer me, a commoner.

Well we all know what happened within 2 weeks of my email with them; big announcements about Free Wifi coming July 1st. I got so many emails about what I helped change. I would have loved to believe all of them.

Yes I would like to believe that I had something to do about making that happen. I felt like I did. I even gave it 5 minutes from my Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame we all get in a lifetime. Of course Andy did not include child birth and my son took more than 15 minutes.

OK, Free WiFi, it is time to go back to my favorite coffee establishment. Of course I am now an expert on how to help Starbucks. So I am looking at things much differently. I am even feeling taller as I walk in the door.

But Did I Really Help Starbucks Last Time?

Most people know I am an online marketing director and was director of an offline advertising company back in the day. So wherever I go I look at things from a marketing standpoint. I love the subject of marketing and always will.

So I am back in Starbucks awaiting my fantastic new experience. Now it is time to sign on for my “FREE WIFI”! No more $5 Starbucks card check ins to get free WiFi. So I went to add a new network connection and nothing says Starbucks? HMMMM.

When I go to Panera Bread or Charlie’s Italian Castle they say both those names on the sign in for free WiFi.

Now I see many networks but no Starbucks? The first one says att as a network.. But what is att? So I connect to that network, then open Chrome and there is a Starbucks page. Luckily I knew the relationship and guessed the network correctly.

My point is Starbucks execs seem like really great engagers and care about their customers, but levels below them someone is missing the details or they do not exist.

Most in the ad world know one of the major motivations for businesses to offer Free Wifi is to get a customer’s name and email and give them some offer. Starbucks now has no more sign on and no product offers on a sign in page.

So is Free the idea and Starbucks does not need to increase its list of clients to contact and get return business?

I am in Starbucks and I got my Ice Coffee, which is great there, and I get a stamp for $2.00 off something on my receipt. I could not read because it smeared on my receipt. Then I notice a receipt on the floor and I wanted to pick it up but felt guilty someone would come back looking for it…….

Then I said am I crazy, I am picking up receipts on floor for coffee products?

So time went buy and now at 12 noon there was only one seat, which I luckily got, and there were laptops everywhere, so different than before. This was great Starbucks, you really filled the seats at noon. That is really a great feat.

I was at Starbucks to meet some potential clients. They were late so I went to get another Ice Coffee. A nice women was there and got it for me and handed me my receipt. Guess what happened, she forgot my stamp. Now feeling like a 4 year old, I looked at her and almost cried and asked for my free stamp. She said how sorry she was, bla, bla, bla….

Would it have made more sense to put a special offer coupon with a unique number at the entry of the att sign in, or could she have given me a unique number? Well the last idea already lead to human error, so forget that. Of course all this unique number stuff takes computer coding and a lot of money. But Starbucks has $120 million to spend on a truly brilliant newspaper, TV ad campaign to attract new customers.

So is the strategic marketing plan to get people into a store and keep spending money doing that? No email offers for new visitors. No follow-up? Or are new customers one shot wonders?

Ok some icing on the marketing cake. I go to show new potential clients how smart I am about what is happening with online advertising and how great Starbucks is leading the way with validating Foursquare and guess what happens.

I am in Lincolnshire Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, there is no Starbucks listed on Foursquare. I went through the listing twice. The stores around it were listed. They looked at me I looked at them. Well maybe they changed their telephone number, or are not registered ????…..

Just as an addition, I tried it at another Starbucks the next day and got the same thing, no listing.

This is not a bash of Starbucks. This is to help any way I can. My wife is a shareholder and I have to watch her interests. My wife is essentially a Starbucks partner.

WHO monitors their Facebook Fan Page? A team, a person?

Is there an online philosophical statement that Starbucks implements that says do not pay attention to the companies complete Fan page?

Starbucks Fan Page monitors missed the pornography ads for starters at this LINK and this LINK. You can go to a picture the 4th one from the left in your picture area and you have a girl advertising pornography. How did I know to go there. I have used Facebook, Twitter and others for a number of years, you develop an idea what looks like porn.

Is the answer you cannot catch everything or whoever is in charge is not training or having people screen the information consistently? Or is no one or some one not paying attention?

Lastly, there are two sections on the Fan Page under Discussions and Notes.
The notes section has not been updated since January 9th 2009 and is a confrontation about whether or not Starbucks supports the war and does not send coffee. They apparently support the war, but, as I understand it, the kids don’t qualify for coffee??

That is their philanthropic area and it is not updated since 2009.

Lastly, the discussion section about Starbucks issues updated in January 2010 slams the Starbucks Gold Card. Whatever that is.

In the last two sections no one is watching or updating some sensitive material and it looks like no one who is monitoring this area cares about those issues. OK so who cares, about pornography, war issues and bad criticism with no rebuttal or elimination?

Just ask what your favorite Ice Cream is? People look beyond the polls section of a fan page. Although the polls help you tell what your customers want. The other stuff they don’t want and the image can become we don’t care! Just buy coffee.

Unofficially I am working for Starbucks. Just working for small beans:)

Thank you Starbucks for allowing people to speak up and talk to you. You are truly a Great American Institution and I would not shout out like this if I did not care about your company.

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“Why I Won’t Go To Starbucks”

by Fred on May 25, 2010

in Uncategorized

I think it is great that Starbucks has given credibility to the Foursquare Game on Facebook.

They are making offers for great Starbucks products if you, “Shout out”, you are at Starbucks at that moment.

What a great day for online marketing as a real source of getting clients now to your business. This of course encouraging other companies to advertise online using Foursquare.

However, you make free or discounted offers to consumers but charge for WiFI??

Let us put aside the fact that you can have your own online service through many vendors who supply this service. But why increase spending for consumers when most people and businesses are making Free WiFi a standard in business operation.

I did very small research project and in the last two weeks have gone into Starbucks and a competitor at 12 noon. When I got to Starbucks I was about to order and was told that WiFi was $5 on a Starbucks card? There were 5 people in the store and not a computer to be seen. I left because Free WiFi is very common and thought I would check this out.

The competitor down the street had free WiFi was packed, hard to get a seat and there were a lot of computers. They had no offers of free or discounts for using FourSquare.

So why give a free item or discounted one and charge $5 for WiFi? Am I,or someone in the marketing department missing this. Starbucks truly great idea, I am not sure been thought out by Starbucks or many consumers. But then again the Starbucks I went to were almost empty at 12 noon.

For a company that cut back everything to save themselves and even jobs, is this really missed something in their offer to the consumer?

Are consumers even paying attention?

Personally, I want this to work for Starbucks and business all over the country. Helping out economy is really the main goal here.

Thank you Starbucks for making it possible for open constructive discussion to occur.

Fred Weiner

www.engagetheory.com

I think it is great that Starbucks has given credibility to the Foursquare Game on Facebook.

They are making offers for great Starbucks products if you, “Shout out”, you are at Starbucks at that moment.

What a great day for online marketing techniques becoming as a real source of getting clients, “now”, to your business. Emerging technology emerged. This of course has encouraged many other companies to advertise online using Foursquare.

However, you make free or discounted offers to consumers but charge for WiFI??

The competitor down the street had free WiFi was packed, hard to get a seat and there were a lot of computers. They had no offers of free or discounts for using FourSquare.

So why give a free item or discounted one and charge $5 for WiFi? Am I,or someone in the marketing department missing this. Starbucks truly great idea, I am not sure has been thought out by Starbucks or many consumers. But then again the Starbucks I went to were almost empty at 12 noon.

For a company that cut back everything to save themselves and even jobs, is this really missed something in their offer to the consumer?

Are consumers even paying attention?

Personally, I want this to work for Starbucks and business all over the country. Helping out economy is really the main goal here.

Thank you Starbucks for making it possible for open constructive discussion to occur.

Fred Weiner

www.engagetheory.com

P.S. I believe Burger King will have WiFi next week or so, and I think they have great coffee drinks! :)

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Free WiFi brings me new Customers? Part 1

by FredMay 9, 2010 Uncategorized

Their has been questions about how to get new clients, patients and customers in a short time using social media.
The reality is there are at least 10 methods to do so.
The next series of eTouchs is about the methods to do so.
Some of the methods may seem silly or you feel they will not work. [...]

2 comments Read the full article →