I think the new Google icons are ugly.

I heart the Google Reader, Chrome, Voice, and favorites, but the rest need some work.  Especially Google Docs.

Top Five Holiday Activities (for the techie-music-loving-video-game-playing townie)

Here's a list of fun activities to do this holiday when you're not shoveling your driveway or having "quality time" with your aunt from Detroit.

Full disclosure: I love my aunt and this is my todo list.

#1 Root your new Droid X.
#2 Change your Twitter background.
#3 Create a playlist of the top 100 tracks of 2010.
#4 Hack your Nintendo Wii (again).
#5 Make stackable beer bottles in refrigerator.

Facebook has made itself a necessity

#1 I'm like most people, I have several email accounts.  I hate nothing more than having to go to different sites or devices to check them.  That's why I have everything forwarding to my Gmail account.  Things need to be in one place for me.

#2 I'm like most people, I have Facebook.  As much as I'd love to get rid of it, it's become the default way my friends share things.  Regardless of the privacy concerns, or if Zuck isn't a good guy, "The Facebook" does a great job letting people quickly share experiences.  Its here to stay, and so is my FB profile.  Everyone is already on it and using it.  So I just have to go to one place to keep tabs on what friends went to Paris for their honeymoon or to see pictures from The Big Chill.

#3 I'm like most (some) people, I have Twitter.  Unlike most, I have to manage many accounts, so I use Hootsuite Pro (plug).  It consolidates all my accounts into one place.  This makes it easy for me to get in and get out.  As much as I love Twitter (yup, I really do), I feel a little dirty sitting in a public place with a dozen Twitter accounts in front of me.  I don't need another reason to be "that guy."

So what do #1-3 have in common?  They're all ways I consolidate.  Be it open tabs in Chrome, logins, having to register for more things, whatever.  If someone recommends a new service that I should check daily or weekly, I'm hesitant because I already am pretty full.  You can only hard core follow a few shows on television without loosing productivity.  This is why I haven't gotten into The Office yet.  Haven't had a time when I need a new show.  The above examples are all ways that I try and keep my life simple and hesitate to sign up for something new.

Facebook is winning because of this.  Take Apple's total bomb of a music social network, Ping.  Stevie and Zuck couldn't play nice so there was no Facebook integration.  I believe this is the main reason Ping has yet to catch on.  People want to follow another social network about as much as they want to create another email account.  If Facebook had been integrated into Ping, I would have used it.  I was a huge fan of Lala before Apple bought it.  Lala integrated well into FB, made it easy for me to share tracks I dug or was listening to.

Netflix is taking the opposite path of Ping.  They are currently looking to hire a "Facebook integration engineer."  I know what you're thinking, I choose the wrong major as well.  Netflix knows that if they can appear to more people by allowing people share movie recommendations on FB.  There is also speculation that the already brilliant Netflix recommendation algorithm may begin including data from FB user profiles.

Netflix didn't try and create their own social network.  They just waived the white flag and teamed up with the badest guy on the block.  Apple tried to keep it real and do their own thing.  But sometimes, as Dave Chappelle taught us, keeping it real can go wrong.

I don't see Net Neutrality happening, unless...

Ars Technica has a great summary of recent FCC announcements.  Here's the problem...

Netflix's business plan is to use cable companies' bandwidth to distribute content.  Most of these companies are in direct competition, providing their own on demand content.  Now with mergers like the likely/soon to happy Comcast NBC Universial merger, cable companies will have greater access to content.

Unless the FCC decides to separate bandwidth providers (Comcast), content makers (NBC Universal), and content distributers (Netflix), I don't see true net neutrality happening.

I think we're still a ways off from a railroad-esque monopoly.  But that may have to happen before government regulations force bandwidth providers from also providing content.

The NHL finally gets it right, new marketing campaign

I am a sports fan.  I watch TV.  I work at a bar with over a dozen televisions.  I'm constantly plugged in to the internet on my laptop or phone.  I am an 18-35 year old male with disposable income.

This is why I find it puzzling that I never know what's going on with the NHL.  I never know when the season starts or when the All Star game is.  I live in Hockeytown and follow the Red Wings, but somehow the league doesn't reach me with promotions.

So when I was flipping through HBO and saw this promo, I was pleasantly surprised.

The NHL is preceding their annual Winter Classic with a series on HBO.  24/7 Penguins Capitals will give fans a behind the scenes look of what the teams go through leading up to one of the coolest games of the year.  Sorry, bad pun.

This is the first good marketing idea the NHL has had since, well since the Winter Classic.  It builds anticipation and gains exposure for the game.  Good to see that the NHL finally got my attention.

Google Docs now editable on iOS and Android. (Yes!)

How to absorb an insanely large amount of content, and still be productive.

I was a huge fan of Google Buzz when it came out.  The discussions between people drew me in.  I found myself wanting to also find interesting and meaningful content to share with people.  After putting dozens of new RSS feeds and blogs in my Google Reader, I linked it with my Buzz and Twitter accounts.

I woke up a few days later realizing that I was spending entirely too much time searching for content to share.  My productivity level was not where it should be.  To follow Mitchell Kapor's analogy, I stuck my face right in front of the fire hydrant and said, "ah."

Organization and discipline is the best way to avoid this.  First, get your method for reading content in order.

Get an RSS reader.  If you're on a desktop or laptop, I highly recommend Google Reader.  It's a powerful tool though not the easiest on the eyes.  Many RSS readers can sync with your Google Reader account.

If you have the means, get an iPad.  There's nothing yet comparable.  You don't realize how uncomfortable reading a lot of content on your laptop is until you sit down in your favorite chair with a cup of coffee and your iPad.  My favorite RSS app is Reeder for the iPad.  I also have the iPhone version.  Reeder is pretty, easy on the eyes, powerful, and makes it easier to sit longer and read more content.

Once you have your fav reader, organize it.  I suggest folders based on topics.  Then list them in order you most enjoy reading them.  That way you can start at the top.  If you only have five minutes, just check a few categories.

Follow interesting people on Twitter.  Twitter is a great way to find content that isn't in your normal stream of blogs and feeds.  I've used this to find many new sites that are now incorporated into my daily routine (like arstechnica.com).  So far the official Twitter app is my favorite for iPad.  Also give Flipboard a try.  It creates a sort of digital magazine out of your Twitter stream.  It's free, looks amazing, and really shows off what an iPad app can do.  Makes it easier than just following a Twitter feed.

Finally, stay disciplined.  Schedule a couple times a day to check your Twitter and Feeds.  Share only what is very interesting.  Some days it may be three things.  Others, none.  It's better to share high quality content.  People will actually read your shares.  Don't cry wolf with your content.

I like to sit twice a day for thirty minutes.  It helps me find meaningful things and keeps up to date on what's going on.  I then put down the iPad and tell myself, "It's OK if you miss some things."

I was able to minimize the stream from the hydrant.  Only take little sips from a concentrated flow of content.  Good luck doing the same.

How I broke into the tech and marketing scene

flickr.com/photos/noyesa/

My company, Wire Nectar, has been a great success so far.  Myself and my four business partners started back in June of 2010.  We have a great roster of clients including University of Michigan.  Each week we are offered more opportunities.  Following up on these, and making the most of them, has taught me some valuable lessons and helped to give our "little company" a great outlook for the future.

Here's how I did it.

Find someone to point you in the right direction.  Like visiting a new city, you need a few pointers on where to start.  The best place for lunch.  A great park to see.  In this case, a few networking events to go to.  Or a few people to talk to.  It helps if this person has established business relationships with people in town.  That way you can "name-drop" them.  Not in order to sound arrogant, but to let the person know how you ended up emailing them or meeting them at an event.  It makes you less of stranger and gives you a small ice-breaker.

"More often than not you get the farthest from where you least expect."

Have some questions to ask.  When going to an event or meeting someone, do your research.  See if they have a company, website, or Twitter.  You can often find out where they went to school, how long they've been in town, what they enjoy doing outside of work.  From this information ask some questions.

"I heard your company has a great story.  What is it?"

"Saw you ran a marathon last week from your Twitter account.  What was your time?"

People like talking about themselves but not general questions like "what do you do?"  Engage them.

Have something to say.  This is the most difficult part.  It helps if you have a story or something you're working on.  Before our company was ready to be shared with the public, I often talked about pursing my Marketing and Accounting degrees or studying for Google certifications.  If you have free lance jobs you're working on, mention those.

Take a socratic method when speaking with someone.  You can learn something from everyone, especially if they are in a similar industry.  Most people will give you some advice or ask for a card.  Give them one.  Show them your site/blog.

Follow up on everything.  I asked a friend of mine if he had any insight into starting a company.  He began to tell me about when he lived off of $2,500 a year and was a starving poet.  "You have to wake up in the morning and want to hear 'no.'"

Now I didn't take his advice literally.  I did find it a way to get over a lot of fears.  Get over the fact that you're not going to get every client or a response email from every CEO.  But that's life, that's sales, that's what you have to expect when you get up in the morning.  More often than not you get the farthest from where you least expect.

So shake some hands, send some emails, up your the people you follow, keep blogging, buy someone a coffee/beer.  Oh, it doesn't hurt to live in a great town like Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Make sure to know which meta-tags Google likes, and ignores

Work Awesome has a great post on optimizing your meta description tags.  While Yahoo! used to place a high importance on meta-tag keywords, Google does not.

"The new kid on the block, Google, ignored it from day one."


Having a meta description can greatly improve your sites description on Google.  Read the full article for more great tips.

Ideas, by Don Draper

"The  best idea always wins, and you'll know it when you see it."

Pass this along, Google It Gets Better Video

Microsoft is Michael Jordan, Apple is Bo Jackson, Apple/Bo wins

This article got me thinking.  While Apple is a hardware company, they make some great operating systems.  Microsoft is a software company, that has not quite figured out the hardware game.

So Apple is Bo Jackson.  Equally able to play two different sports.

Microsoft is Michael Jordan.  He may be the greatest (or largest company), but wasn't the best baseball player.

With OS X Lion, Apple's Magic Trackpad finally makes sense

When Apple announced their Magic Trackpad, I asked myself why?  Why would you give up one of the main advantages of a desktop computer, a mouse.  Especially with Apple's new Magic Mouse.

With OS X Lion's multitude of multi-touch gesture controls, the mouse may no longer be the preferable way of navigating your shiny new OS.  After watching videos of Lion's new features like Mission Control, I'm starting to think that my Magic Mouse may be replaced by a to-be-purchased Magic Trackpad.

Gestures on a trackpad are more easily done than on a mouse.  Even with the great job Magic Mouse does.  I'm excited to try and navigate through Lion with a Magic Trackpad at the Apple store.  Here I thought my new iPad would fill my gesture needs.  You win again Steve.

How GM "Lied" about the Chevy Volt's 230mpg

Notice on the "All Electric" portion of the comparison the 98 mpg is only for the first 30 miles.  A large difference from their 230 mpg marketing blitz.

While the Volt is touted by many as a step in the right direction, and a fine car, others are saying that GM blatantly lied about it being an electric car.  Instead of the electric motor always powering the wheels, it seems the Volt is now more of an advanced hybrid.  Popular Mechanics' driving tests found that the Volt averaged just under 38 mpg in the city.  Don't throw away that company gas allowance yet.

Markstrat simulation experience - Period 2

Once again our group did very well after period 2.  We miscalculated the amount of inventory to produce but still managed to sell more than the other five groups.  For period 3 we plan to take the industry sales figures, take into account the estimated growth from our market research, and then calculate production using brand awareness and purchase intention.  This past period we only used market growth.

R&D is our big focus for this period.  We spend a large amount of our budget on new brand platforms.  We'll see the investment is worth it once the new brands go to market.

Proposed Michigan liquor changes and interesting current facts

This article from mLive.com details some of the interesting proposed changes, and current liquor laws for the state of Michigan.  Some of the points that stuck out at me:

• Proposed annual fee of $160 to serve liquor starting at 7am on Sundays, current fee is $90 to start at noon.
• Gov. Granholm apparently has concerns and wants to "review" the proposed bill.
• Sunday liquor laws date back to the 1930's repeal of Prohibition.
• Liquor sales are banned from 9pm Christmas Eve and through Christmas day.

Markstrat simulation experience - Period 1

In one of my marketing classes we're running the Markstrat marketing simulation.  So far it has been a fun and educational experience.  My group performed very well in the initial period.  We had the most growth and contribution out of the six groups in my class.  A few strategies we followed:

• Focus on demographics with high growth.
• Using the data given, we produced just over what we sold, very little left over inventory.
• Directed advertising resources and sales force to the types of stores that our best type of customers tend to shop at.

For the upcoming periods, we're going to focus on creating brands to specifically meet the needs of the demographic areas with high growth.  R&D will be a big part of this.

Facebook now offerring higher resolution photos and new pic viewer.

Facebook is trying to keep up with the Flickrs and Picasas of the world.  Starting today, users' photo uploads can be up to eight times larger resolution.  A new picture viewer is also enabled. (Facebook Blog)

You don't know what a recession is. NBER does.

The news sensationalizes things.  I get that.  Even so, I've become tired of the talking heads sarcastically referring to the National Bureau of Economic Research's recent announcement of the "end of the Great Recession."  Here's a great FAQ detailing what how the NBER defines a recession.  Some highlights:

Q: Isn't a recession a period of diminished economic activity?


A: It's more accurate to say that a recession–the way we use the word–is a period of diminishing activity rather than diminished activity. We identify a month when the economy reached a peak of activity and a later month when the economy reached a trough. The time in between is a recession, a period when economic activity is contracting. The following period is an expansion. As of September 2010, when we decided that a trough had occurred in June 2009, the economy was still weak, with lingering high unemployment, but had expanded considerably from its trough 15 months earlier.

43,000 lbs. of bananas slows down US-23

Reasons not to get up in the morning, Episode 2

• Facebook down, productivity up 1.5%
• Weezer's Blue/Pinkerton tour is coming to Columbus, OH but not Michigan (yet).
• 43,000 pounds of bananas spilled onto US-23 

Sanity or Fear?

Rally to restore sanity? Or march to keep fear alive?

Google Instant taught me how to Dougie

Reasons not to get up in the morning, Episode 1

• I no longer know what constitues a touchdown catch.
• Justin Bieber sings over a Wu-Tang track.
• Entourage is almost done sucking.
• American's want to be taught "how to dougie" more than anything else:

100 cats running around an IKEA store

I don't know if I would want credit on the "creative team" for coming up with this idea.  A British IKEA store let loose 100 cats overnight to apparently "see what would happen."

Seems like an extreme waste of time to me until around the three minute mark of the video.  The slow motion images of cats getting comfortable and exploring IKEA furnishings could be turned into an incredibly popular and heartwarming commercial.  Or you could just throw it on icanhascheezburger.com.

Analytics of the New Meadowlands Stadium

Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, has a useful toy in his new $1.6 billion stadium.  The digital research firm Roundarch developed a system to view real time analytics of everything from women's apparel sales to how full the parking lot is.

A heat-map of the stadium tells officials if concession lines are too long.  Mobile vendors can then be sent to the area to reduce lines.

"You might realize, hey, this part of the stadium has more sun in the fans' eyes, and is selling more hats." George Cubitt, Roundarch Cheif Technology Officer

If resources are running low on one side of the stadium, inventory and personal can be reallocated to keep up with demand.  There will even be an "app for it."  Versions of the command center dashboard are being developed for the iPhone and iPad.  Stadium officials will then be able to view the data from anywhere in the stadium.

My love for data and sports suggests this would be my dream job.  In the end, I cannot think of a faster way to ruin my Sunday afternoon than pouring of data instead of enjoying the game.  Fantasy football already does a pretty good job of that.

Full article at Fast Company.com

Student? How to use it to your advantage.

I relate being a student to being in the marching band at a game.  You're not going to be able to play, but you can get much closer to the game than the spectators.  Picture the game as the job or professional you're interested in engaging.  People applying for the job, or calling on the person, may have tickets, but no special access.

As a student, people are more inclined to give you information and guidance.  You can ask questions and get an answer from a professional without them feeling like they're giving knowledge to a competitor.  From my experience, people enjoy talking about themselves or their work.  Using this common personality trait can help you create and grow your personal network.

1. Find someone
Look for someone that is already working in your industry.  The more connected they are, the better.

2. Find out what they do
Follow them on Twitter, read their blog, find out what they're interested in and what they do best.

3. Ask them about what they do
This especially works with people that own their own business.  If someone is passionate about what they do, they often are more than willing to talk about it.  Engage them.

4. Keep in contact
Stay in touch with people.  Every few months, ask your contacts a question or two or engage them on Twitter/Buzz etc.

Just got access to Google's App Inventor #awesome

Currently downloading the 52.2 MB file.  Looking forward to messing around with it.

Dear Google, reorganize my inbox. -Eric

I want Google to come up with an algorithm of how relevant (or in this case, important) emails are.  This is a great example from one of the chief scientists at Bitly.

She uses a series of custom filters to prioritize her inbox.  Sorting more by priority than time.  Emailed her before?  You get bumped up.  Email her more often?  Bumped up further.  She even has it programmed to text her if she receives and email from mom.

With the increasing amount of data that we are exposed to, sorting by time may become irrelevant.

Market to your favorite client

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with a local marketing firm.  I was sitting in on a marketing meeting with a company I work for.  It was a casual meeting over coffee to help their firm understand our business and what we hoped to accomplish.  One question they asked stuck with me:

"Describe to me your favorite client."


It got me thinking, "why not market towards your favorite client?"  Obviously not the individual, but the type of person who would be your favorite client.  Chances are, if you love doing work for someone, they will enjoy working with you.  Thus creating a meaningful, lasting business relationship that is profitable to both parties.

We described our favorite client is someone that trusts us and is able to use a variety of our services.  Your business' favorite clients are developed over time.  They are repeat users, regulars, or people who come to you for one thing and eventually use all the products or services you offer.

If you had more "fav clients," work would be more profitable, rewarding, and most important, enjoyable.

My new favorite pitchman

Marcus might fill the void left by the Old Spice guy.

The Story of Bottled Water

I do my best to not buy bottled water.  I will be trying a lot harder after seeing this video.  A few reasons to watch this video (and to stop buying bottled water):

• The oil it takes to make the bottles in one year could fill-up one million cars.
• 80% of bottles end up in landfills.
• 1/2 billion bottles of water are sold each week, that's enough to circle the Earth five times.
• Bottled water costs 2,000 times more than tap water.
• Bottled water is less regulated.
• Often times bottled water is less clean than tap.
• People across the country often choose tap over bottled in taste test.

The Story of Bottled Water (YouTube)

Relevant data is the new currency

"For years, the strongest companies on the Internet were the ones with the most visitor traffic. Today, the power resides with those that have the richest data and are the savviest about using it."


Relevant data is the new currency.  Google is sitting on a potential cash cow if it figures out a way to profit from the data it collects on its users.  But how will they avoid the likely backlash from privacy advocates?  Google agonizes over privacy... (Wall Street Journal)

Google + Verizon = Evil (Maybe?)

If anyone could help me sort this out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

The "Good":  A joint policy proposal for an open internet (Google)

The "Mad":  Google just killed net neutrality (Gizmodo)

The Middle:  Google, Verizon propose open v. paid internets (Wired)

Seems like a combination or reporting on something too early (Gizmodo), politicking (Google), and sorting out the real story (Wired).  Any discussion on "splitting the internet" makes me a bit nervous, though I think its inevitable.  Resources are scarce.  When that's the case, money gets involved.

"If you don't know who you are, neither do we."

Simon Mainwaring says it himself, "There is no shortage of posts explaining how critical it is for brands to leverage social media, build a community and lead with a listening ear."  But this blog post of his is more blunt and has more substance than most.  I would follow these three keys to social media success for branding.  If branding is not your main priority, also focus on ROI.

My favorite passage:

DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE: If you don’t know who you are, neither do we. If you don’t know what your purpose is, and the values that inform it, you will never communicate in a way that is human and emotional which is critical to social media success. This need is not unique to social media. In my experience most brands struggle to articulate their purpose, what with revolving CMO’s and the daily demands of meeting profit projections. But take the time to stop. Ask those that should know who you are and why you do what you do. Then tell the people that work for you. Only then will you stop broadcasting your schitzophrenia and communicateconsistently and effectively.

Read more...

Five reasons you want to hire me.

1. I'm experienced.  I am a Google Adwords Qualified Individual specializing in reporting and analytics.  I have managed over $50,000 in pay-per-click ad spend.  My areas of expertise include Google Adwords, Google Display Network, and Google Analytics.
2. I bring new ideas.  I constantly search for new ways of thinking in order to improve my work.  I stay on top of the latest technologies and combine them with what has worked in the past.
3. I work hard.  I am used to working over 60 hours per week.  I know how to be productive and budget my time.  I do not like being bored or sitting still.  Even when I am not working, I fill my time with hobbies like music and photography.
4. I work well with others.  I have worked with teams to develop effective campaigns.  I know how important working well with and respecting others is to group productivity.
5. I know how to teach others.  I once read, "Those who know, do.  Those who understand, teach."  If everyone is on the same page and shares their knowledge and expertise, it creates better communication and productivity.  I have lead groups of over 40 people.  I have years of experience teaching others.  I emphasize the value of motivation in order to get the most out of people.

Would you like five more reasons?  Contact me at ericwortman@gmail.com.

Autism Society Iteration 3

This week: Overall success, advice for landing page creation and optimization.

United Way Iteration 3

This week:  Overall campaign improvement, impact of optimization, and advice for the fall semester.

What Google should learn from Wave

Be able to describe your products.
I drank the Kool-aid.  When Google said it would revolutionize email and collaboration, I bought into it.  It took me a few months to get a prized Wave invite.   I logged in, but had no idea what to do with it.  I gave it a few tries, read up on it, even subscribed to some waves during the following year's I/O conference.  Never found a use for it.

I kept asking people, even friends at Google, "what was Wave?"  I never could find an answer.  How could a product become popular if it was so hard to describe?  A "collaborative tool" was too broad.  Wave needed a one sentence description.  Something that you could tell your mother and she'd get the idea.  Even if she didn't understand it, or want it, she'd know that it wasn't a hot dog stand or a scooter.

After finally using Wave effectively with my business partners, I developed a rough description.

"Its kind of like a live, editable, threaded discussion that you can insert pictures, links, and widgets into" I described to my mother.

"What's a widget?" she replied.

"Don't worry about it."

So here are the questions:  Did Wave fail because it was marketed poorly?  Or was it too complicated to be marketed at all?

Twitter is not the easiest service to learn.  What are hash tags?  What's up with the @ symbol?  What is "RT"?  Who is Justin Bieber?  But a large enough group of people got through the learning curve and found it useful.  Apparently not enough people found Wave useful enough.

I'm holding onto the hope that Google is diverting resources to their "Google Me" project.  Maybe a Wave-like feature will be included.  Whatever Big G comes up with next, I just hope they can describe it.

Autism Society Week 11

This week focuses on the continued success of the "Boardmaker" adgroup and a transition plan for the fall semester.

United Way Week 11

This week focuses on the new success of the "Food" adgroup, Google Analytics data, and a transition plan for the fall semester.

Stay Creative

Calvin: You can't just turn creativity on like a faucet.  You have to be in the right mood.

Hobbes: What mood is that?

Calvin: Last-minute panic.

"The world is a better place with Kanye West on Twitter."

Pitchfork has a fun take on Kanye West's recent exploration into Twitter.  At the time of this post, Mr. West's Twitter account is roughly 48 hours old, has nearly 300,000 followers, and already created one trending topic.  The stat I find most interesting (or egotistical) is that he's following exactly zero (0) people.  Only Kanye would have 300,000 followers and an empty feed.  It's lonely at the top.

Advertising to the 14-35 demographic

Al McWilliams from Quack! Media discussing "gas" and "HJ's."

I attended Al McWilliams talk at LA2M.  He spoke about marketing to the 14-35 demographic.  I enjoyed this talk party because this demographic includes myself.  It's interesting to see how companies try to target me and my peers.

I enjoyed his specific examples.  If you're advertising razors, should you include David Beckham in an ad?  Or would your ROI be maximized better by including some guarantee?

While his company, Quack! Media, is targeting the "young and hip," they still do this by using more traditional forms of marketing (as opposed to digital).  Their website says it all: "We don't do web, ever."

Improve Web Data Analysis

My father loves quoting Yogi Berra.  One of his favorites is, "If you don't know where you're going, you may end up somewhere else."  He often started presentations to clients with this.  It speaks to the importance of having a plan.

The same lesson can be learned in reporting data.  Your client often will not have the level of expertise in looking over the data that you generate (that's why they hired you).  Presenting it to them in a simple and understandable way is key.  If you don't have a plan of analysis and presentation, who knows what your client will take away?

This article gives many good tips on how to take web data and effectively present it.

The 7 Secrets of Running a Wildly Popular Blog

A very good post on improving your blog. Personality, conversation, and likeability are key.

United Way Week 10

This week:

• Focus on optimizing "Food" adgroup.
• After gaining Analytics access, integrate it with 2-1-1 to fix "zip code backdoor."

Autism Society Week 10

This week:

• Boardmaker adgroup continues to perform well for a low volume adgroup.
• Broad match modifiers drastically improve higher volume adgroups.
• Landing page optimization begins next week.

Broad match modifier affecting original keyword

After experimenting with broad match modifiers, I noticed something strange about the performance of the traditional broad match keyword.  During the month of June, "autism symptoms" was getting a large number of clicks and had a CTR of almost 10%.  The modified broad match keyword "autism +symptoms" was added at the beginning of July.

As of today, July 23rd, the new keyword is performing extremely well.  CTR increased by 5% by using a modified broad match.  What I'm curious about is the performance of "autism symptoms" in the month of July.  Its CTR is below 1% even though it is getting some impressions.  If the impressions went down, I would still expect the CTR to remain somewhat constant.

My questions is is this a consequence of using broad match modifiers?  Is it a best practice to pause the traditional broad match equivalent of a BMM?  As you can see, I have paused the low performing keyword.

In Person Networking - Marketing Consultant

Last week I met with a local Marketing Consultant.  He is currently putting together a business plan for a startup.  It sounds very interesting and should do well in the Ann Arbor area.  I am also in the process of starting a business with a few partners.  I enjoyed sharing ideas and what we've learned.

After having a good discussion we decided to meet again with the rest of my business partners to further discuss a possible working relationship.  He liked what our company had to offer and is planning on recommending our services and or outsourcing some work.

The most helpful part of the conversation was him helping us answer objections or concerns that his clients would have.  He sees the value in our services and is convinced that we can help some of his clients.  He wanted to see how we would answer their objections.

It was good experience to address possible concerns clients would have.  We now have a very well thought out pitch and good responses to the most common objections.

Google Reporting and Analysis Advanced Exam Experience

Today I passed Google's Reporting and Analysis Advanced exam.  Having also passed the Fundamentals exam with a 92%, I feel success on these tests depends on two things:

Studying
For both exams I studied the materials provided by Google.  While helpful, it makes for a boring read.  The e-learnings spread throughout the reading material gives a good summary of the concepts that the reading is trying to convey.  Read the material for specific details and review the e-learnings for a conceptual understanding.  Both are needed when taking the exams.  Some questions test your applied knowledge while others are a test of your memory.

Experience
While I have been using Google Analytics for a good amount of time, I am more experienced with Adwords.  I have only used Analytics for one non-profit and a financial firm.  This real-world experience helped me immensely.  My almost two years working with Adwords gave me a deeper understanding.  I was able to reason through a lot of the questions that I didn't immediately know the answer for.

The Reporting and Analysis exam does cover a lot of optimization techniques that one should already know if they have taken the Fundamentals exam.  This made part of the exam a review of sorts.  The questions that related more to Analytics were tricky, more "techie," and a little more based on memorization of the reading material.

You can do it!
I feel that anyone who studies the material well can pass the exams.  To earn a higher percentage, true understanding of the material would seem to come with hands on experience.

Overall, I feel passing the exams represents a good understanding of the material.  If I was looking to fill an Analytics or Adwords position, I would feel confident hiring someone who passed the exams (slight self-promotion... email me for my resume).

Autism Society Iteration 2

United Way Iteration 2

I should be making $49,740

OkTrends is the official blog of OkCupid, the best dating site on earth. Compiling our observations and statistics from the hundreds of millions of user interactions we've logged, we use this outlet to explore the data side of the online dating world.

OkTrends is one of my favorite sites to visit.  Not because of its relation to dating site OkCupid, but because of the data they interpret and display in simple, elegant, and relevant ways.  They take data generated from over 1.5 million users to find trends.  The results tell a lot about how people interact and how they feel about themselves.

According to the above calculator, I should be making almost 50k a year.  Thought I'm not sure if this is before or after taxes.  This recent post shows the variation of the national average compared to OkCupid's of attributes users enter into their profile.  For instance, men on OkCupid are 2" taller (according to profiles).

BPGLobalPR: "Well that wasn't so hard."

Vintage Ads

Fox News has a gallery of 41 vintage ads.  Here are a few of my favorites.

It's Okay to Stare

It's Okay to Stare

Imagine stopping in the middle of a busy work day, kicking up your feet on your desk, sitting back, arms cradling the back of the head in daydream mode. Now imagine that this is one of the best things you could do in the course of a busy work day.  Continue reading...

My Current Favorite Commercials

Heineken Light - Lady Music (2010) :30 (USA)

Old Spice - Boat - (2010) :30 (USA)

Nike - 'Write the Future' - Epic (2010) 3:00

Late Show: Top 10 Signs You Purchased a Bad iPhone

On the Origin of Gravity and the Laws of Newton

A Scientist Takes on Gravity

I love this stuff...

Black holes, in effect, are holograms — like the 3-D images you see on bank cards. All the information about what has been lost inside them is encoded on their surfaces. Physicists have been wondering ever since how this “holographic principle” — that we are all maybe just shadows on a distant wall — applies to the universe and where it came from.

Continue reading...

Free year of Amazon Prime for students

Amazon is offering a year of their free, two-day shipping to anyone with a .edu email address.  Here are the details...

Why not get free shipping when you order Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics?

Play SNES games on your iPad in 4 easy steps

Think of the looks you'd get on the subway...

Android App Inventor, for better or worse

The Android App Market just got a lot "more open." With the App Inventor, non-programmers can create their own app for the Android OS.

One area that the creators of the Inventor are preaching is for education.  I've had professors that allowed their students to download custom practice quizzes.  Now, students using Android phones could download a program from your non-tech-savvy English or Chemistry teacher.

Could this have a negative impact?  I'm sure the Android App Market will have more "beer pong" and "would you rather" games with simplification of app publishing.  But if you're able to successfully sift through the useless apps, you may be able to find some highly useful tools made by non-programmers.

This is a very exciting tool that could give Android another advantage over iOS.

Success Using Modified Broad Match in Adwords

List of modified broad match keywords

My campaign for the Autism Society has access to modified broad match keywords.  After several attempts I was able to find a successful way of using them.  The "Signs and Symptoms" adgroup was getting a high amount of clicks.  I was trying to target people searching for specific signs and symptoms.  Adding the keywords "autism +signs" and "autism +symptoms" created more impressions, clicks, and a drastically higher CTR.

Search terms for modified broad match keywords

The modified broad match keywords helped show my ads to a more targeted audience.  People searching for autism that included "signs" or "symptoms" were more likely to see my ads.  The ad text is then more relevant, leading to a higher CTR.

Search terms for traditional broad match keywords

I'm continuing to use this type of keyword throughout the campaign.  It seems to work best in higher volume adgroups.  For adgroups with low clicks, traditional broad match keywords are performing better.

Ad text for Signs & Symptoms adgroup

United Way Week 8

Autism Society Week 8

Stats in Blogger

Blogger Draft now has built-in stats.  You can access it from your draft.blogger.com dashboard.  After looking at stats for my blog, I was surprised to find the following:

Interesting to see that percentage of traffic from China.  The most popular post was on experimenting with broad match modifiers.  I'm still using this new beta keyword type in one of my campaigns.  I will blog more about broad match modifiers in the future.

They have a Twitter account?

"Seriously?  They have a Twitter account?"

Jif Peanut Butter
69 followers.

Tide
Recent tweet: "spilled balsamic vinegar all down my top today at lunch.  Have you ever had an embarrassing stain?  If so what was it?"

McDonald's Monopoly Game

Belle Tire

Questions to ask ourselves about social media

Yesterday, I had a very nice conversation over lunch with an acquaintance of mine.  He gave me a much appreciated new way of looking at social media.

Why buy a new building?
Your company owns a building downtown.  Your profits easily pay for all the building's expenses.  It comfortably houses all of your employees.  Has room for meetings and events.  In short, it meets all of your company's current needs.

One of your employees points out that two competing firms bought new office space on S. Media Street.  After looking into it, you find almost all companies located downtown bought space on the same street.  You see your company being left behind and do the only logical thing, buy space on S. Media Street.

Your director of operations ask you what you're going to do with this new building.  You answer, "I don't know.  We'll figure something out."

"What are we going to put in this building?" he asks.

"Lets put some interesting things on the wall that people would like to look at."

"Like what?"

"I don't know.  Maybe information about our company.  Where we just ordered lunch from.  What time we're meeting for happy hour.  Twice a year we can put up a poster of the neighborhood event we host."

"How is that going to make us money?" asks your director of operations.

"Um..." you reply.

A few months later your company develops a new product.  More people are needed.  New equipment is needed.  You now have found a more practical use for this new building.  Your accountant informs you that you could have saved a few months of expenses if you had waited to buy the new building until you actually had a use for it.

Lesson
Ask yourself, "how is starting a Twitter account going to make your company money?"  Even if you don't pay an outside firm to run your Twitter account, you're taking work time away from another employee to post tweets.  Just because everyone is Twitter doesn't mean you should be.  Figure out why you should be on Twitter and how it will help your company.

Google Advanced Exam Question

How does changing the definition of a conversion affect conversion tracking?

Social Media's Role in IS479

A few thoughts on how social media's role can improve in our class.

• Make it easier to connect with others of similar interest
• Find more people in other countries, gain a worldly view of things
• Streamline the flow of information, saturation doesn't help get your message across
• Are there other services or technologies we are not using?

My Social Media Effectiveness

I'm connected.  I follow people on Twitter and Buzz.  I read blogs.  Share articles using Google Reader.  I post my own thoughts on this blog.  But how effective am I?

I've made some good networking connections with people using different forms of social media.  But can I make more?

I think the two things I need to improve upon are TIME and VOICE.

TIME
It's easy to get stuck absorbing content all day.  Trying to find something interesting to share or comment on.  I need to streamline this process.  Make it a more efficient process.  I'm looking for ways to find better information in a shorter amount of time.

VOICE
I do not have a social media voice yet.  I comment on many different things.  I speak more jokingly with my friends.  More professional with my contacts.  What should I comment on?  What area of expertise should I focus on to be more effective?

I'm still searching for this.  Though I am getting closer.  Data and how it is collected and interpreted is something that fascinates me.  Taking information and converting it into a simple and clear message can be very powerful.  I feel I should focus on this more in the future.  In time, I can find my voice.

Autism Society Week 7

United Way Week 7

USA 1994 Team

In honor of the big "match" tomorrow at 2:30pm, here's some vintage US soccer (nice jerseys).  If you want to add a bit of 2010-feel to the video, click on the soccer ball icon.  It will add a vuvuzela audio track making you feel as if you're sitting in the middle of Soccer City!

United Way Week 6

Autism Society Week 6

Five people to connect with in-person

A short list of people to connect with in the Ann Arbor area.

Derek Mehraban, CEO Ingenex Digital Marketing

Local CEO, entrepreneur, blogger, and digital media expert.  Runs LA2M and has a lot of great contacts throughout Michigan.

Thomas McLinden, President Money Source Financial Services, Inc.

Local entrepreneur and business owner.  Tom has been in the financial sector for over 30 years and has an extensive network in the Ann Arbor area.  Money Source has been locally owned in Ann Arbor for over fifteen years.

John Rubin, Founder of Above the Treeline

Above the Treeline is located in Ann Arbor.  Their mission is to provide tools to independent book stores.  They have developed Edelweiss, the industry's first electronic catalog system.

Al McWilliams, Quack! Media
Quack! Media has worked with everyone from Lexus to the Detroit Red Wings.  They focus on branding and marketing.

Marisa Smith, President Whole Brain Group
Marisa is heavily networked in the digital/marketing/social media scene in Ann Arbor.  Great ideas on web design and social media.

Five "people" you should follow on Twitter

Google Recruiting
Job openings at Google.  Gives info on jobs around the world and often replies to questions.

A2Chamber
The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chambers recently merged.  Great way to follow local business happenings in the community.  Chamber members are heavily involved in networking.

LA2M
Tweets on local marketing events and all things LA2M.  Great for marketers in the Ann Arbor area.  I've had a lot of success meeting new contacts through LA2M and Twitter.

Marisa Smith
President of Whole Brain Group.  I first started following Marisa after she gave a talk on Social Media Integration.  Great tweets about local happenings.

Ann Arbor Skate Park
Organization focused on building a free, permanent concrete skatepark in Ann Arbor.  My skating days are long gone but as a kid, I dreamed about having access to a skate park.  This is my favorite Ann Arbor organization to support.  Tweets about local happenings, skate news, and ways to support the skate park fund.

Benchmarking Exam Question

The exam material doesn't seem to go into much detail regarding benchmarking.  When is it good to use benchmarking as opposed to changes in your own data?  I could see it being useful for a site that is less than a year old.  You don't have a lot of seasonal data to compare.  Is benchmarking still useful with a well established site?

Five blogs you should follow in Google Reader

These are the blogs that I get information, ideas, inspiration, and even a few laughs from.  Subscribe to this Google Reader bundle here.

Freakonomics
A blog started by the authors of the popular Freakonomics books.  Filled with interesting observations and a little nerdy humor.

The Big Picture
The blog's title descriptions says it all.  "Macro perspective on the capital markets, economy, technology, and digital media."  Lots of data and how things relate to the economy.

How to Change the World
Author, Guy Kawasaki's blog.  Guy has great thoughts on marketing, design, and selling.

Advertising Lab
Interesting examples of new ways to advertise.

Bits
All encompassing tech blog from the NYTimes.  A good way to stay current, and entertained, when you don't have a lot of time.

Five people you should follow on Buzz

Some of my favorite people to follow on Buzz:

Google Buzz Team  The team working on Buzz at Google.  Mountain View, CA
A great way to keep up on new Buzz features.  Find interesting people to follow by reading the comments.  Not frequently updated, but very useful.
Favorite recent post: Google I/O Talks

Kevin Gamble  Associate Director at National eXtension Initiative, NCSU.  Cary, NC
Shares great articles with insightful comments.  Soccer fan.
Favorite recent post: Local Maximum

Adewale Oshineye  London
Talented coder.  Tech guy.  Great shares including some pop culture.
Favorite recent post: Weirdest soccer match and game theory

Ilene Smith  Blogger, Podcaster, Twitter Addict.  Philadelphia, PA
Wonderful knowledge of blogging, Twitter, and social media.
Favorite recent post: Guest blogging explained

Sharon Hurley Hall  Location Independent Web Content Writer, Blogger, Ghostwriter
Great shared articles.  Always seems to find original things I have not yet seen.
Favorite recent post: Five beginner tips to make money in Adsense