Mobile Advertising is Ready for Prime Time Marketing

It seems the third screen is ready for prime-time advertising. The mobile market is increasing and becoming more sophisticated. Tom Burgess from Third Screen Media, one of the first ad networks specializing in mobile advertising, talks of mobile marketing and behavioral targeting with Behavioral Insider.

According to Mr. Burgess, is is estimated that there are:

• 160+ million cellphones with Internet capabilities in circulation today
• 20+ million people surf the Internet from their phones regularly
• 5 million Americans who own video-enabled handsets

Burgess also states that the mobile advertising market consists of at least four channels:

• the mobile web
• video broadcast and video on demand
• downloadable Java applets and games
• text messaging

What data will advertisers be collecting on cell phone users?

• basic demographics
• number of impressions
• click-through and traffic data
• actual usage behaviors

According to Mr. Burgess:

We may be at the threshold of a collaborative breakthrough based on enlightened self-interest. Carriers want more relevant content. In order to pay for that content, providers need more relevant advertising, and in order to justify that, advertisers need an optimally targetable platform to advertise in.

It is a brave new Internet for all of us. Free is good and engagement is the name of the game. To read a related post, please visit Advertising for Success blog and read Engagement and free premium content via Ultramercials.

Tags: mobile advertising, prime time advertising, Third Screen Media, Behaviorial Insider

Cool Blog of the Week: Ramblings and Rhetoric

The Cool Blog of the Week is Ramblings and Rhetoric. This is a great blog with a unique template. Mike Marinaro has at least two other blogs in addition to Ramblings and Rhetoric. Please visit all three if you have time.

Currently, Mike is trying to assess his audience and his reach. Every blogger has to do this periodically to remain fresh. I am too chicken to do it myself, so I will help Mike Marinaro with his... LOL

((((( Contest Time )))))
for 100 Blog Explosion Credits

To qualify, follow these directions.

On his blog, Ramblings and Rhetoric, Mike asks 5 specific questions about his blog.

• visit Ramblings and Rhetoric and answer his five specific questions about his blog
• leave your BE user name on that same comment
• learn the name of just two of Mike's other blogs

Return here to CoolAdzine and leave a comment on this post, including:

• the name of two of Mike's blogs (other than Ramblings and Rhetoric)
• your BE user name

One lucky reader who follows the directions on both sites will win 100 free BE credits. You have until Friday, June 2 at midnight to enter. Good luck!

Tags: Ramblings and Rhetoric Blog, Cool Blog of the Week, win BE credits, contest

Win Millions with Da Vinci Code

UK train operator Eurostar launched a multilingual online treasure hunt this month surrounding The Da Vinci Code. Players can join the game at JoinTheQuest.com.

The game features 15 unique puzzles set in destinations across London and Paris and pits players from the U.K., France, Belgium, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand against one another.

Players can win prizes such as Sony PSP consoles, Sony PS2 consoles and Da Vinci Code games.

The grand prize winner receives:

• free travel accommodations on Eurostar (for 2) for the rest of your life
  
• deluxe accommodation at the Ritz Hotel, Paris and Claridge's Hotel, London for five years
• 180,000 euros to spend in London and Paris
• more...

Supported by a TV and online campaign, Level 1 and 2 of the Quest launched May 3, Level 3 on May 19 and the Grand Prize Puzzle launches on May 25. The Quest concludes on May 30.

Eurostar, The Quest, win travel, game

Opt-Out Email Provides Opportunity for Marketers

When someone leaves our mailing list, we always wonder why. Perhaps we send another email to confirm the opt-out or ask the subscriber to share why they are leaving. There is more you can do.

Silverpop, a leading provider of permission-based email marketing solutions conducted a multi-phase retail email study, and the results uncover tactics for maintaining list growth.

Silverpop found that 12 percent of companies give customers the chance to change their email preferences in addition to simply opting-out.

We should remind recipients of the value of being on our list and some customers will stay. This process may also uncover useful information while leaving a lasting positive impression of your company.

We have all received an email that has no opt-out mechanism, makes us opt out of several different programs by entering our email address, and then tells us it will take 7-10 days to take effect. Not exactly professional, is it?

You should try to get as much information as you can before the customer is gone for good,” Nussey said. “Were they receiving too many email messages? Are they no longer interested in your product or service? Was the content not relevant enough? You can even provide an empty text box on the Web site in which they can add their own feedback.

The full report of Phase III includes data on the number of days companies took to remove a name from the list, the pros and cons of various opt-out methods, and shows examples of how some retailers say goodbye.

Download the report here for free.

Tags: eMail Marketing, opt out email, Silverpop, eMail list

Brave New Web is Awaiting You

According to eMarketer, the Internet experience may be split into discrete categories and time spent on each activity can be tracked.

These discrete categories are: Commerce, Communication, Content and Search. As popular as search is, more Internet users spend time on content and communication sites than on search sites. Content and communication activities are simply more engaging than search activity. Beyond engagement is Web 2.0, where Internet users choose their own content, share and tag their content (blogs, websites, images, recipes) for easy reference by others.

According to O'Reilly, network effects from user contributions are the key to market dominance in the Web 2.0 era. O'Reilly points to the examples of Wikipedia, del.icio.us and Flickr, where Internet users write or tag content so that others may find it. He also states that most successful internet entreprenuers do not advertise their products; instead, their success is driven by viral marketing, also known as WOM (word of mouth) marketing.

You could make the case that if a site or product relies on advertising to get the word out, it isn't Web 2.0. This may be the frontier of a brave new web of advertising and marketing.

How do you take advantage of this brave new web? There are many paths in Web2.0. Here are a few: Blogging and syndication, tagging with Technorati, del.icio.us or your own tags, writing and submitting useful articles, joining online communities like Gather.com, and applying for publisher status on Blogburst.com.

Tags: Internet, advertising, web2.0, Wikipedia, Flickr, Technorati, Gather, BlogBurst

Beyond Blogging Available for Download

Beyond Blogging: How the Social Web is Changing the Face of Communications was the title of a Thought Leaders Breakfast Roundtable held at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, Friday, May 19th, 2006

This was an event for professional communicators and decision makers, providing opportunity to share insights, discuss trends and lead the audience in an interactive Q&A. While most of us could not make it, you may find it interesting to download the MP3 and listen as the people who did attend discuss what was learned.

Click to download MP3.

These experts are desperately trying to understand blogging. They are trying to quantify and define blogs and blogging using old school tools and terms. They want to set up Wikis for sharing information. They talk of brandevangelists. Listen and laugh. They reminded me of someone trying to pin the tail on the donkey or hit a pinata while blindfolded. God love them, they are trying to navigate the blogosphere with their GPS units.

Keynote Speaker: Ed Keller, CEO, Keller Fay Group, Co-Author, The Influentials

Moderator: Shel Holtz, ABC, Principal of Holtz

Communication+Technology Panelists:

• Andy Lark, CEO, The Lark Group
• Todd Tweedy, CEO, Boldmouth.com
• Pete Blackshaw, CMO of Nielsen BuzzMetrics (formerly Intelliseek)
• Francois Gossieaux, President, Corante
• Micah Sifry, Executive Editor, Personal Democracy Forum
• Hal Straus, Opinions Editor, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
• Debbie Weil, Author, The Corporate Blogging Book
• Yvonne DiVita, President, Windsor Media Enterprises, LLC

Tags: Beyond Blogging 2006, How the Social Web is Changing the Face of Communications, debrief, download MP3

Cool Blog of the Week: Backyardigans Fan

Cool Blog of the Week goes to Backyardigans Fan: If Pablo is a penguin, Uniqua is a ...?

Visiting this blog took me back to my time as a mother of a preschooler when I watched KidSongs videos with my child. The songs would be stuck in my mind all the next day. My coworkers would try not to stare when I walked around singing, "If you're happy and you know it..." or "I wanta Iguana.." or "Anything you can do I can do better..." These are now happy memories of a mom of a teenager.

Backyardigans Fan blog started in summer of 2005 when Jennifer decided:

I know I'm not the only parent out there who enjoys the music and humor of The Backyardigans. Neither am I the only parent searching for places to buy Backyardigans merchandise for my children. I thought I'd set up this blog, therefore, so all of us can share our thoughts and ideas on where to find the as-yet scarce merchandise.

At the same time, Jennifer set up a web site, The Backyardigans Fansite:

This page is a work in progress, fitted in around my family, job and everything else that makes up my real life... And if you see a major hole in my coverage... let me know. I'll want to know the answer, too, I'm sure!

If you are interested, read about the power of women and moms in the marketplace. Jennifer is on the vanguard of sites that cater to Moms. Stop by and see her Backyardigans Fan blog. Tell her CyberCelt sent you.

Make it a Million Moms for Darfur Day

Visit MillionVoicesForDarfur.org and send a postcard to President Bush urging further action on Darfur.

Find your elected officials and ask them to do more for the people of Darfur.

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"If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another." -- Winston Churchill.

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." --Ghandi

"For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding" -- Albert Einstein.

"Make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love...for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned." -- St. Francis of Assisi.

"Imagine all the people, living life in peace." -- John Lennon.

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind...War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." -- John F. Kennedy.

"What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?" -- Elvis Costello.

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The Differences Between Men and Women on the Internet

How Men and Women Use the Internet is a report based on surveys conducted during 2005 by Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Women are catching up to men in most measures of online life. Men like the internet for the experiences it offers, while women like it for the human connections it promotes.

Findings:

• young women are more likely to be online than young men
• women are more likely than men to use email to communicate
• men consume more online information than women
• older men are more likely to be online than older women

Men Are More Likely Than Women To:

• go online during the day
• have high-speed Internet connection at home
• listen to music on the Internet
• utilize online rating or ranking services
• use a webcam
• take an online class

Tags: differences between men and women online, online activities, Pew Internet, American Life Project

Cool Blog of the Week: Pictures From My World

Please visit the Cool Blog of the Week: Pictures From My World. Bozette has a true gift with the camera and her photographs are taken from nature as if you were there.



Want to win 25 Blog Explosion credits? Visit Pictures From My World and find Bozette's favorite subject. Send it and your BE username to: [contests at cooladz.com] with subject of Pictures by Wednesday, May 10. Winner chosen at random from correct entries.

Seven things NOT to do in SEO

Many marketers are trying to optimize their websites and blogs for search engines. In an ever-changing process, it is difficult to keep up with the acronyms and algorithms that populate the field of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

As far as what NOT to do, there are several SEO methods that search engines consider to be unethical search engine optimization techniques. You might realize some benefit using these techniques; however, your site will be eventually banned from search engines.

1. automatically generated doorway pages - This once-acceptable method of directing traffic to your website is now seen as multiple pages with same content.


2. cloaking and false redirects - Sending visitors to different pages than the search engine robots visit; putting another highly ranked site within frames on your site; hijacking visitors to legitimate sites. Cool Tip: Watch autosurfs for this trick.


3. keyword stuffing - please view this blog post on Advertising for Success about Splogging for information about blog spam.
   


4. hidden text or hidden links - Placing keywords or links in white text on white background, or black on black background.


5. duplicated content on multiple pages - Content is king, but automatically generated pages utilizing RSS feeds, PHP or JavaScript will tag your site as common.


6. misspelling of well-known web sites - For every known site, there is at least one misspelled knockoff site or the same site ending with another suffix (.net, .org, .ws). Beware of knockoff financial sites which might actually steal personal information if you try to login. Cool Tip: Do not ever follow a link in an email to a financial site.


7. unrelated and centralized link farms - What do auto parts and medical products have in common? Nothing. Your incoming links should be related to your site content.

Tags: Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Search Engine Marketing, SEM, unethical SEO techniques

Reporters Sans Borders are Casualties of War Also

Handbook for bloggers and cyber- dissidents is a free book that may be downloaded here. It is a survival manual for bloggers in other parts of the world.

Freedom of the Press Worldwide 2006 explains in more detail about the Internet Black Holes for reporters.


In 2005, 63 journalists and 5 media assistants were killed for doing their job or for having expressed an unpopular opinion, 1300+ physical assaults on reporters were recorded, and 1000+ members of the media were censored. This is an increase of 60 percent over 2004.

In countries where mainstream media does not exist or is censored, bloggers are often the only journalists to provide independent news and information. These bloggers run the risk of displeasing the government and being arrested.

On 27 February 2006, 119 journalists and 57 cyberdissidents remain imprisoned simply for providing the free world with information. Click the country name below to view the type of harrassment and terror that is being used to zip the lips of bloggers.

• Belarus
• Burma
• China
• Cuba
• Iran
• Libya
• Nepal
• North Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• Maldives
• Tunisia
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam

Sometimes we in the free world forget that freedom of speech (to blog, to protest, to vote) is not worldwide. Take a moment and think of those bloggers who have risked it all to bring us the truth.

Tags: cyber dissidents, freedom of press, Internet black holes, bloggers, imprisoned reporters, freedom of speech

Cool Blog of the Week: Two Red Paperclips

Simon started Two Red Paperclips blog after viewing One Red Paperclip, a blog detailing Kyle MacDonald's quest to start with one red paperclip and to trade up to a house. Kyle has not made yet, but he has a good start. Simon is just beginning.

Stop by Two Red Paperclips. Trade with Simon if you wish. Tell him CyberCelt sent you.