Liars Liars….marketing pants on fire!!!

There was a an article today in Daily Mail about lying. It says that everyone tells an average of 4 little lies a day or 88,000 over a lifetime. So without further adieu, I bring you the top 10 enterprise software marketing lies overheard at recent meetings.

10. No.I really think that storyboard where that pygmy is drinking carrot juice totally represents comprehensive dynamic reduction on the server level

9. The customer is completely happy with the recent patch and will be easy to get a reference out of.

8. Version 8.0 is way better than 7.5

7. Pop up banner ads really work

6. I don’t think scrolling down 15 times on our newsletter with 37 links is too much information for people to read.

5. Dude….viral campaigns are easy..we can bust one out by the end of the week!!!

4. No one ever told me I need to create a tactical plan to run a campaign.

3. I think a great way to gain awareness is to create a community….no a discussion group….wait….how about a Community Discussion Group with a blog where we have people talk about the product? Yea..thats great…will totally build awareness man!!

2. Don’t worry we have the budget.

1. We kicked a*s on ROI on that last campaign

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The Future of the Web: What to Expect in 2008

Brian Suda over at Sitepoint has a great article on the future of the web and what we can expect in 2008. He goes on to list 10 things and I think the thing that excites me the most is #3 in which he states that Pull is dead and that Push is the new king. You will have to read all about it, but Brian gives some great insight into the future.

Here is my prediction for the web in the next 4-6 years. A microchip or tiny PC which you will be able to embed in your head which you can switch on and off via brainwaves and surf the net in your head. Basically you have the abilityy to be the internet and view things but just staring off in space. Ok, I know is sounds a bit nutty, but how cool would it be to wake up at 2 am, turn on the net in your head and see if their are any breaking news stories or check overseas markets without turning on a light or even using electricity to power anything.

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The top 10 wireless trends for 2008

***This Article was from CNN Money/Fortune and the original post can be found here*** ***It was written by Michal Lev-Ram***

A lot happened in wireless this past year, from the debut of the iPhone to Verizon Wireless’ move to open its network. But 2008 promises to be just as eventful, starting with the Federal Communication Commission’s spectrum auction in January. Here’s a look at the 10 most significant events and trends in the coming year.

1. Wireless networks will remain the domain of wireless operators: There’s been talk that the upcoming 700-MHz spectrum auction could present an opportunity for a new carrier to emerge, given that companies like Google (GOOG) and even oil giant Chevron (CVX) have registered to bid. But most analysts agree it’s unlikely anyone but the current big mobile operators will win the showdown. “AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless (VZ) will be the most aggressive bidders,” says Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin. But regardless of who wins, the wireless world will change given an FCC requirement that the 700-MHz spectrum be open to any device.

2. The first Android phones hit the market: Taiwanese phonemaker HTC has said it expects to launch the first cell phone based on Google’s Android mobile platform by midyear, and other phonemakers are expected to follow. (Android is a wireless operating standard that aims to make the mobile data experience more Internet-like.)

3. Cameraphones will get even fancier: Have you checked out Nokia’s (NOK) N95 - a picture-taking machine that comes with a five-megapixel camera and still fits in your pocket? That’s the future of multimedia phones. “For the first time, in 2007 cameraphones became the majority,” says Mark Donovan, an analyst with research firm M:Metrics. “In 2008 we’ll see the technology continue to improve.” In the United States, 61 percent of phones already have built-in cameras, and there’s a growing range of uses for them. In addition to uploading and sharing photos directly over cellular networks, people will be able to take pictures of ads to get coupons sent to them via SMS or get product information by taking a shot of a barcode.

4. Mobile ads will come to a cell phone screen near you: Sure, estimates of mobile advertising revenues have often turned out to be overblown, but that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t making headway. In 2007, many of the big players - Google, Yahoo (YHOO) and Microsoft (MSFT) - made mobile ad-related acquisitions. Expect to see the fruits of that shopping spree start to appear later in 2008. It will be a while before subscription-based models lose ground to ad-based ones, much like what happened on the Internet, but the wireless industry is slowly opening up to ads.

5. WiMax will become available: This is the year Sprint (S) will launch its Xohm mobile broadband service in select markets like Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. By end of 2008, Sprint expects to reach 100 million customers with its new ultra-fast mobile data service. While Nokia’s Internet tablet will be one of the first compatible devices available on Sprint’s new network, analysts don’t expect to see affordable WiMax-enabled phones anytime soon.

6. Openness will continue to dominate the wireless lexicon: You can thank Google for this one - ever since the Internet search giant began lobbying the FCC to open up the 700-MHz spectrum, “open” has become the latest buzzword in the cellular world. At first the big mobile operators tried to fight it, but once they realized they couldn’t beat Google they joined in. Look for holdout AT&T to become more open to the possibilities of open in 2008.

7. Nokia will become a major mobile software player: With its new chief technology officer based in the Silicon Valley, a reorganization that will make software and services one of the company’s main business groups and the upcoming launch of its Ovi web portal, expect the Finnish phonemaker to become much more than a hardware player in 2008. The company’s buying streak (it’s already snapped up startups like photo-sharing service Twango and digital mapmaker Navteq) is likely to continue.

8. Getting lost will get harder: What, you don’t have a GPS-enabled phone? Don’t worry, you will soon. That’s because the FCC’s “Enhanced 911″ rules is slowly forcing U.S. carriers to make their handsets GPS-capable. That in turn will drive more and more location-based services (think social networking and advertising) in 2008.

9. More touchscreens: The iPhone wasn’t the only touchy-feely phone to come out in 2007. There was also the HTC Touch and Verizon’s Voyager and Venus devices, which launched in time for the holiday season. But expect to see even more all-touch devices in 2008. According to ABI Research, over 100 million handsets with touchscreens will be shipped in the new year By 2012, that number is expected to reach 500 million.

10. Silicon Valley will become a wireless industry hot spot: The Valley is home to iPhone-maker Apple (AAPL), Android creator Google, Nokia’s new CTO and countless mobile startups. With the increasing focus on software and services - not just phone manufacturing - Silicon Valley will become even more prominent on the wireless map.

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New Year…New Marketing

Is 2008 going to be more of the same for you in marketing?

Is the lure of communities and new media marketing speaking to you in a special way?

Are you going to continue down the same path as you have for the last several years of rinse and repeat marketing?

As the new year has come and you begin to solidify your 08 marketing plans, try to think a little bit outside the box and talk to those folks who can bring in a fresh perspective to perhaps your stale ways. Don’t get caught in a marketing rut and don’t think for a moment that what you did in 2007 or 2006 will work again in 2008.

Branch out and fly young one….don’t be afraid.

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Viral Video Update…

Several times this year I have updated my readers on the current state/video views on my organizations corporate account on YouTube. Well, since its the last day of the year, I thought I would give you the latest numbers which are simple amazing.

In March I blogged that we had 15,000

In April I blogged that we had 21,000

In August I blogged that we had 63,000

In October I blogged that we had 85,000

In my October post, I was hopeful and excited that we would go over 100,000 by the end of the year. Well, its December 31st and we just went over 130,500 views!! This means that in 3 months we went up by 45,000 views…which in my opinion is awesome. We continue to provide fresh content and I am truly proud of our accomplishment.

Hello 300,000!!!

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10 marketing resolutions for 2008

****From the Church of the Customer Blog****

1. Vow to do more attracting than selling.
To use a high school analogy: Be the charismatic kid with a winning smile, a charming personality and a good dose of humility. Don’t be the tard who farts and throws firecrackers at cats in that desperate vein of “Look at me! Look at me!”

2. Adopt the 5th P.
If your company relies on the classic marketing model of the four P’s, add a fifth one: Participation. Build a model of how customers, partners and employees can meet, share and participate with the company or with one another.

3. Build a niche.
The future is micro-specific. It starts with people who share highly specific characteristics that defy traditional demographics. Define an ideal customer to the n’th degree, like unemployed college professors who wear corduroy sport coats (with elbow patches) and drive old Volvos.

4. Conduct a word of mouth audit.
Put every customer-facing experience up for review, from reception to the floor person, to accounts payable. Does the customer experience generate good word of mouth, or bad word of mouth? Adjust then measure again.

5. Create a social network.
Do it on Facebook, or Ning or the good ol’ analog way: a customer advisory board. Any form of social network among customers, partners or employees (current or former) is a tangible asset. Treat it as you would your grandparents (respectfully), not as you would your younger brother whom you randomly punch in the head.

6. Vow to eliminate a stupid rule.
You know what it is. Customers (or bloggers) have already told you. So eliminate it already. For extra points, give it a funeral.

7. Create a social media training program.
In 2008, expect word of mouth and customer evangelism to be accelerated by social media considerably more than it was in 2007. What people say online will reach deeper into the B2B world, too, like long-term services contracts and enterprise-wide computer systems. Understanding the basics of social media, how it works and the effects it can have on reputation and sales should be part of annual training programs.

8. Ban use of the word “consumer.”
Nothing says “I’m like Borat” more than using “consumers” to describe your customers, or end-customers. If you call the sales channel your customers, then their customers are your end-customers. To call them consumers is so Borat-like.

9. Raise the ethics bar.
Be a hero to people who still believe in ethics. Make 2008 the year you set higher standards for ethical behavior. Make the standards clear to employees, partners and vendors. Enforce them. Gaming the system is for congressmen and crooked military contractors.

10. Do what you love.
It may be trite but if you don’t love what you’re doing, how can you expect anyone else to?

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JetBrains Omea Reader vs. Sharpreader

I am an RSS junkie. I have used only 2 news readers in the past: Feedreader and Sharpreader. I have used Google reader for some other feeds/reputation monitoring purposes, but sometimes find it a bit clunky and unreliable in terms of handling lots and lots feeds. I am talking ALOT of feeds. Currently have hundreds and hundreds of feeds tracking hundreds of keywords, blogs and general news stuff. At times, I have over 30,000 items in my reader that I look through. Up until now, I have used Sharpreader and really liked it. Sharpreader did its thing and I went along my merry way.

Then last night I downloaded the personal edition of the JetBrains Omea Reader and my RSS/feed addiction has been taken to a new level. Without question, this is the best free reader on the market. Its laid out well and has a ton of features nor normally found in many readers. I especially love the “subscribe to search feed” feature. If you are in the market to switch or just want to try out a new look and feel of your seemingly boring reader you need to check out JetBrains Omea Reader….as you will not be disappointed

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Social Networking for Animals/Pets

Yep, I have seen it all. Words cannot describe this site…you only have to experience it.

Welcome to Social Networking for your pets.

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The Official 2008 Web 2.0 Buzzword Forecast

Pete Blackshaw over at ClickZ has an interesting article title The Official 2008 Web 2.0 Buzzword Forecast. I love “shamsparency”. Pete offers up a bit of humor in this article and its well worth the read.

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Psssst..LinkedIn API and New Homepage Drawing Near

Mark Over TechCrunch has a post today about how LinkedIn will be changing sometime soon. I cant wait as I do agree that sometimes that the interface is a little clunky and boring.

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The incredible accomplishment: - Web 2.0 Marketing

Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj from CIO has a good article on Web 2.0 Marketing. Its short and right to the point…which is a great thing for VP of Marketing, CMO’s and any C-Level person to understand.

Just wish company’s would dedicate more to it and embrace it as the new marketing alternative. Oh well….one can only dream

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Holiday SEO Poem

My good friends over at Webbed Marketing have this funny as heck holiday SEO poem that is a must read. It’s scary to think that my inner dork comes out and laughs at this stuff. For all you SEO nuts out there this is for you.

I will reprint some of it for you guys, but its best to go to their site and check it out for yourselves:

Twas the night before an algo change and I’m at my house
My laptop is on and I’m clicking my mouse
My title tags are crafted from keywords with care
In hopes that the Googlebot soon would be there

My keyword density was optimized to the specs
While my homepage featured rich visible text

With ma pouring link juice and me in whitehat
I’d just uploaded a new Google site map.

When out on the web there arose such a clatter
I checked my page serve time to see what was the matter

Away to my toolbar I typed on a mission
Searched on my keywords and checked my position

My site pages were slipping – it must be a new algo
Page two, three, four and five, and some further below,

When, what to my site should suddenly crawl
But an indexer, a bot, spider, a combination of them all

Rolling across the web with a new algo so hot
I knew in a moment it must be Googlebot

More rapid than eagles the SEOs they came,
And he crawled, and indexed, and called them by name;

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Social Media: Online Marketing 101 by Cord

Cord has a great post today about explaining what Social Media is all about. Glad to see he is going back to the basics as we all could use a good “101″ class again. Great stuff Cord.

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Branding For a Software Company

John at Duct Tape Marketing has a great definition of branding that I would like to share:

“Branding is the art of becoming knowable, likable and trustable”

So with this definition in mind, how can something like this statement above apply to any software company of any size? Does Microsoft or Oracle need to brand their software anymore than they already have? Some people trust and like Microsoft and Oracle and some people don’t. I think more where this applies to is company’s who have a multitude of products or services and are well known in the marketplace for some piece of software.

Branding takes alot of patience, time, money and creativity. You cant just buy a Super Bowl Commercial and expect that it will instantly brand you. (ok..maybe GoDaddy is a bit of an exception) Buying the back cover of trade magazine is a good start but for some is expensive. I feel that in todays transparent world, a great way to brand yourself is to open up the doors, knock down the walls and show the IT community that you are all about collaborating and solving the pains of their world as well as being a thought leader in your respective marketplace. You can have the best products in the world, but if you play the secracy game with the public, branding will be difficult.

Here are a few (yes a few) ways to build a good brand in software

1. Start a blog. A good blog..not a chest pounding advertisement, but one which adds value to your expertise

2. Hire an evangelist.

3. Build a wiki or a community centered around pain and have that evangelist dedicated to fostering both

4. Educate educate educate through as many new mediums as you can (podcasts, video, white boarding sessions etc….)

5. Do a super bowl commercial (kidding)

6. Do things that are fun for your audience…show them that you are real

7. Monitor your reputation online and comment and acknowledge people that talk about you and your industry.

This is just a start, but if you manage to do the above you are well on your way to branding your organization

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Online Communities - IT or Marketing?

I was speaking with a close colleague yesterday and she is faced with an interesting situation in her organization. Her organization is a medium sized software company with about 5 online communities. There is a raging debate within her organization about who should own the online communities: IT/R&D or Marketing. Marketing has a clear path for growth of the communities in that they want to make them more issue based as well less branded (yea…go figure..a marketing person who wants to brand what they do less). She would not disclose with me what the goal/future plans are of the IT organization.

There have been numerous meetings with management of both sides and no decision has come as a result. I have done some preliminary research on this subject and have my own opinion, but curious as to what you have to say. Let me know what you think.

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Archiving Email - A little Tuesday Humor

Here is a funny little stealth project that someone in my organization put together. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to post it to the Quest account on YouTube. For those of you who watch Saturday Night Live, you will understand the parody. Its all about Archiving (the) box!

Enjoy.

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Corporate Blogs Suck - Part 2

If I had a ton of money, I would go out and purchase this T-Shirt and send it to all of the Corporate Blogs I find that truly blow chunks.

Hmmmm…anyone want to sponsor me in this endeavor?

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