Sweetmantra: Domain Name Strategy

The Marketer, the Cabbie, and the Princesses: A Google Fairy Tale

What do a Montreal Internet marketer and a Toronto taxi cab driver have in common? They both pass the "Google me" test.

Allow me to explain.

Last fall, during his talk at the Canadian Marketing Association's Digital Marketing Conference, Mitch Joel (the Internet marketer, not the cabbie) used an unusual method to share his contact information with attendees. At the conclusion of his talk, Mitch displayed a screenshot of the Google home page and told the audience to "Google me."

I thought this was a clever, albeit cheeky, way of going about this. I mean, what if Mitch couldn't be found in Google when people went looking for him? What if he drove people to a different Mitch Joel? What if the stuff displayed about Mitch Joel, or his possible doppelganger(s), wasn't positive?

I asked Mitch about this recently, and he told me he wasn't too concerned. Nor should he be. Right now, Mitch Joel (the Internet marketer) dominates the all-important first page of results from Google.

Which is where the Toronto taxi cab driver comes in. Apparently this unusual contact strategy is catching on.

Last week, three ladies from the office and I discovered we were riding in a cab driven by the world famous "Mr. Geography", a Toronto cabbie with an encyclopedic knowledge of word geography. In between asking me and "the princesses" (which is how the cabbie referred to my colleagues) geography trivia questions, Mr. Geography received a call on his mobile phone. On the end of the line was a producer from a radio station who was interested in booking the cabbie as a guest on an upcoming show. Mr. Geography's answer to the caller's request for more information? You guessed it, "Google me."

Which of course "the princesses" and I did when we got back to the office.

Wouldn't you know it, Mohammad Collins (a.k.a. "Mr. Geography") ranks pretty well in Google. Which brings me to an important question for you:

Do you pass the "Google me" test?

In other words, what happens when someone Googles your name? Do they find you? And if they don't, what do they find?

Even if you don't have the chutzpah to invite people to Google you, some of them are going to search for your name anyway. So you might as well pay attention to the search results. If you're really clever, you will start to be pro-active about shaping those results. And that, dear reader, is a topic for another day.

Will 2007 be the Year of the Podcast?

As 2006 comes to a close, and with a little nudging from my buddy Ken Schafer over at One Degree, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on how the Internet marketing landscape might evolve in 2007.

Here's what I see when I peek into my crystal ball:

• The Internet marketing talent shortage (at the mid-to-senior level) is going to get worse, which will slow the growth of Internet marketing service companies that don't have their HR act together.
• So-called "mass media" marketing professionals are going to realize that Google is moving into their turf much faster than they realize ... if they even realize this at all.
• We're going to see a lot of movement in the podcasting space. I predict that podcasting will start to emerge from relative obscurity and begin to appear on the corporate radar screens as a potentially viable option.
• I expect several large media companies will try to acquire the leading independent podcast directories (like Podcast Pickle).
• Finally, if I were a large software company based in Redmond, Washington, I would be seriously considering buying one of the more popular podcast creation software programs (and/or the company that created it).

Whatever really happens, 2007 is already shaping up to be a doozy. Bring it on!

A note to readers: This will be my last blog post of 2006. I will return, with a few surprises, in early January, 2007. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Take My Idea, Please!

I love films. Always have. Always will.

Unfortunately, I may never step foot inside a movie theatre again.

For the last few years, every single time I have gone to see a film in a theatre the overall experience has been really frustrating.

Last weekend was sadly typical. My wife and I went to see Casino Royale at our local movie theatre. We should have stayed at home. Not because of the film, which is quite good, but because of all the other crap we had to put up with.

(Be patient, there's an Internet angle to this...)

First of all, we had to contend with a bunch of people who showed up late and expected to get good seats, leading to lots of us who got there on time having to move over in our seats, ushers waving flashlights around, toes getting stepped on, etc.

Then, of course, there's the folks sitting next to us who insist on saying asinine things out loud during the course of the film. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind people thinking stupid things - that's their prerogative - I just don't want to hear those stupid things while I'm trying to watch a film. Save it for the living room, folks.

What really ruined the evening for me was the fact that the entire film was projected out of focus. Not once during the course of the film did the projectionist (yes, there was one) even bother to check the projection. Since I was sandwiched in the middle of a long row, I didn't want to have to clamber over (and disrupt) dozens of people in order to notify the theatre staff of the problem. And, quite frankly, I shouldn't have needed to do that in the first place if the projectionist and the theatre staff were doing their jobs.

I should mention that I studied filmmaking and worked in the feature film industry, so I know how hard everyone who works on a film tries to make their films look and sound as good as possible. I've also been a projectionist in a movie theatre and, to be perfectly blunt, it's not a difficult job to do well - especially now that most of the job has been automated.

After the film was over, my wife and I did what we seem to do every time. We asked to speak to the manager, and we let him know about the focus problem. The manager did what managers do every time; he apologized and gave us two movie passes to "use next time."

Two movie passes. Just like the last time we complained, and the time before that, and the time before that.

Which is where the Internet angle comes in.

There's already a gazillion Websites where consumers rate movies. What's missing is a Website where consumers rate movie theatres. Think TripAdvisor or Epinions, but for movie theatres. Theatres could be rated on their cleanliness, quality of their projection and sound system, projection quality, friendliness of staff, variety and quality of refreshments... you get the idea. Very Web 2.0 if you're into that.

I'd love to see a Website like this, (by the way, the domains rateyourtheatre.com and rateyourtheater.com are still available as I write this) and I'd be the first to contribute my ratings of the theatres I've been to. The thing is, I don't see much of a business model behind such a venture, and I've got plenty of other things keeping me busy, so I'm not going to create this Website.

But you can. Someone can. Help give a voice to those of us who still give a crap about the movie theatre experience. Before it's too late.

Take my idea, please!

(Update - December 6, 2006: I guess I should be flattered. It would appear that not only do the folks at TripAdvisor read my blog, but they liked my idea so much they went and registered the domain names I suggested within hours of this post being published.)

Domain Names Make Great Holiday Gifts

Struggling what to get that special someone on your holiday shopping list who seems to have everything? Well, here's a crazy suggestion: why not buy them 'TheirName.com' or 'TheirNickname.com'?

At a cost of only about $10 a year (at registrars like GoDaddy), their 'vanity' domain name could be used to configure an alternative email address, point to their current or future blog, or protect their 'brand' identity for years to come.

These vanity domain names aren't just for people, either. Consider their pets, or favourite sayings, or favourite hobbies. Hey, why not?

The only hard part is figuring out how to wrap this gift...

The Importance of Colouring Outside the Lines

I've long believed that everyone has creative abilities regardless of their job title. I've also long suspected that far too many truly creative people realize this because they've had the motivation to exercise their creative skills beaten out of them.

My wife, for example, is one of the most creative people I know, and almost everyone who meets her comments on this. Despite this, she was given a near-failing grade in junior high school art class, effectively killing her interest in pursuing a visual arts career.

I was reminded of this last week when I had the pleasure of hearing Dave Chalk deliver a very inspiring keynote address at the BC AIM DM Day event I was also a speaker at. Dave is also of the opinion that everyone is born with creative abilities, and he shared an amazing tidbit with the audience.

According to Dave, a study was conducted of 10,000 North American families with children. It was revealed that by the time a child has reached the age of 18, they have been discouraged from doing something creative (e.g., drawing, singing, dancing) an average of 150,000 times. That's one hundred and fifty thousand times, on average, per child!

On the other hand, by the time a child has reached the age of 18, they have been encouraged to do something creative a mere 35 times! Yes, just thirty-five times. That's it!

Now I don't know the specific details of the study, and I may in fact be getting the numbers slightly wrong, but what I am sure about is that we, as a society, need to do a better job of encouraging creativity in children and young adults.

The day after I heard Dave speak, I was having dinner at a restaurant with an old friend and his nine year-old daughter. While we waited for our meal to arrive, my friend's daughter began to fill in the colours in the 'colouring book' style children's paper place mat.

As she was working, I told her how much I admired the precision by which she was colouring within the lines. Recalling the numbers in the study cited by Dave, I then told her that she was welcome to colour outside the lines and, in fact, draw her own lines.

The next time you're in a similar situation, literally or figuratively, I encourage you to do the same. We don't need more creative people; we need more people to realize they are creative.

Seven Things I Learned at the 2006 Digital Marketing Conference

Last week's CMA 2006 Digital Marketing Conference was information-packed and very inspirational, and I'm not just saying that because I am a member of the Conference Committee!

While I learned a lot more than just seven things at the Conference (I took 15 pages of notes), there were a number of key points made by various speakers that really struck me:

1. The Internet marketing talent shortage is now a reality the world over. Get used to it.
2. The number one thing that is holding clients back from investing more in Internet marketing is lack of knowledge. As Steve Levy of Ipsos-Reid so succinctly put it, "clients need to be educated before they are sold."
3. Marketing in the age of the Internet is all about conversations.
4. It's not about the Web page, it's about the clicks.
5. Podcasting is in its infancy like the Web was a decade ago. Now's the time to get in.
6. It's not about people coming to the content, but content coming to the people.
7. RSS readers will become the new portals.

For an excellent summary of the presentations given at the Digital Marketing Conference, and to continue the conversation, be sure to check out the Canadian Marketing Blog.

The Interactive Gospel According to Kevin Roberts

During his keynote speech on the first day of the 2006 Canadian Marketing Association annual conference yesterday in Montreal, Saatchi & Saatchi's Kevin Roberts strung together 10 words that were music to my ears:

"Within the next five years, all advertising will be interactive."

Roberts covered a lot of ground during his talk, which was (somewhat ironically, given his apparent fondness for interactive) peppered with over a dozen TV commercials. He argued that "the power now sits with the consumer" and that marketers are playing catch up to them.

Roberts also made the case for advertising on mobile devices ... "the future is going to be on screen" ... and implored marketers to "revere the big idea" and stop focusing on the technology ... "assume it can be done."

On Websites, Roberts commented that "most of the Websites I go to look like packages," versus telling a story that will connect with people on an emotional level.

His speech came at the end of a long day for many of the attendees and was very well received, especially by the tiny contingent of interactive marketers in attendance, including yours truly.

Ten Viral Marketing Best Practices

A colleague of mine recently asked me if I had a list of viral marketing best practices. I guess I do - in my head - so it's about time I jotted them down to share with others. And before I forget.

If you're plotting the next Subservient Chicken or Liberal Leadership on eBay, here are 10 best practices to keep in mind:

1. First and foremost, think high concept: The viral 'thing,' whatever shape or form it takes, has to be highly provocative in some way. This, of course, is easier said than done, otherwise we'd all be drowning in these things. (And thank God we're not.)
2. Work backwards from the headline: Think about what the headline of the blog entry - or the subject line of the email - about your viral marketing concept would be. Hint: if it won't make a concise headline or subject line, then it probably won't make a good viral marketing concept.
3. Keep it simple: You have to hook people fast, so don't overburden your concept with too many elements or distractions. (Yes, sometimes you can be TOO clever.) Your concept should be able to work when plugged into the following fill-in-the-blank sentence, "Hey, did you hear _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____?" For instance, "Hey, did you hear that Canadian Websites now need to be licensed?"
4. Humour Sells: Nothing says viral better than a good belly laugh. If you can have people laughing in their cubicles (admittedly not an easy task, even for comedy writing experts), you are well on your way to viral fame.
5. Sex Sells: But that's way too easy and probably not appropriate for what you, sophisticated Internet marketer, are trying to promote. Leave the 'naughty hotties in a hot tub' concept for the beer company ad agencies.
6. Big Names Sell: A viral marketing concept that leverages a well-known person, place, or thing may work better because less explanation is required to understand what the concept is about, and the association with the known entity will strike a common chord with many people. Get legal advice before you use a Big Name, though. Or not, depending on your appetite for lawsuits.
7. Topicality Sells: A viral marketing concept that is 'torn from today's headlines' can have a leg up over the competition. Since everyone is already talking about the topic in the first place, the communication pump is already primed. The trick here is that it can sometimes take a while to come up with a killer concept, and by then it may no longer be a topical subject.
8. Don't Try Too Hard: If you ask, or beg, for viral pass-along status, chances are people will see right through you. A really compelling viral concept will stand on its own and people will want to share it with others without being prodded by the folks behind it.
9. Reality Sells: People are overwhelmed and usually unimpressed by what they perceive to be 'corporate' advertising; what often works best in the viral space is unvarnished content by real people, or at least made to look that way.
10. Mystery Sells: Everyone loves a good mystery, so a viral marketing concept that keeps people guessing will only contribute to the buzz factor. At some point in time, however, there must be a payoff, otherwise you'll really piss people off. Unless that's the point in the first place. Off you go.

Have fun. I'm going to watch the Honda "Cog" commercial again...

Could This Be Google's Next Killer App?

This past weekend I went on one of my rare, real world shopping expeditions. I found myself standing in the housewares department of my local large department store. And I was annoyed.

I'd gone there in search of a new humidifier and for the life of me I couldn't figure out where the store kept them. Of course no staff were anywhere to be found, and there was no store directory or useful signage in view. I was about to lose it, and then I got one of my crazy ideas.

I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great if I could simply Google this store and find out where they keep the humidifiers. You know, just whip out my hiptop, type in "humidifiers" and be guided to their exact location in the store. (Forget coupons, I just want to know where the damn things are!)

At first I dismissed my idea as Internet-centric foolishness. Of course you can't Google a bricks and mortar store.

Or can you?

I've started to mull the idea over a bit more. The leading retail stores already offer real-time inventory queries on their Websites. Handheld GPS units are available. Wireless Web devices are available. Plus there's Bluetooth.

This is doable.

What's the business model behind this? I don't know...yet. But I do know that I walked out of the department store frustrated and empty-handed because I couldn't Google the store. They lost a sale, and their brand dropped a notch in my books.

Google, are you listening?

P.S. In case you're wondering, I did end up buying a humidifier - from a store that had them on display right at the front entrance. Couldn't Google that store either, but in their case I didn't need to.

Should Video Play a Role in Your Internet Marketing Plans?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video clip worth?

I recently purchased my third Webcam - a gift for a friend - and it really got me thinking about the power of video on the Internet, both as a communication and a marketing tool.

Regardless of whether or not the video is live or pre-recorded, downloaded, streamed, or podcast, it's impossible to deny the power and impact of full-motion moving images served up online.

There's an inherent immediacy to video that static images and words usually can't capture, and I'm of the belief that video can, and usually does, engage people on a more emotional (even primal) level.

Now I'm not saying this because I used to work in film and television and want to return to that world, nor am I proposing that you run out and start adding video clips to your Website just because you can.

I do recommend, however, that you seriously evaluate what it is you are trying to communicate and ask yourself if, perhaps, video can and should be used to convey, or at least support, your message. Don't do this to be 'cool' (whatever that means these days) or because the competition is doing it, but do ask yourself if your customers would be better served by a 30-second video clip versus a 30-paragraph Web page. (This is a good question to ask, anyway, because the answer might be neither!)

Keep in mind, too, that with the high rate of broadband penetration in North America, any video elements that you incorporate into your Internet marketing plans will be accessible to the majority of surfers.

Finally, if you are going to produce video for professional use, please have it created by people who know what they are doing. One of the downsides of the invention of the camcorder is that anyone who can find the "record" button thinks they know how to produce high quality video. Now that I *am* saying because I used to work in film and television!