The Tendo View » First Person

4 common content development mistakes

Linda Leung — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:16:25 +0000

I came across a useful post on the Content Marketing Institute blog entitled “The 5 Types of Content That Grab Attention.” The author, Carl Friesen, lists five content types that he believes are great at engaging people’s attention, providing audiences with useful information and helping businesses promote their brand in the process. That got me thinking of the different content types I’ve developed over the years and how some content developers may go wrong in their approach to certain content. So in the spirit of Friesen, I’ve developed my own list, but mine is a list of common *mistakes* when developing content types and how to avoid them.

1. Content type: Trend pieces
Mistake: Promoting a trend that is too navel-gazing and doesn’t consider true audience need
Trend articles are a great way of getting across your company’s point of view of a changing situation in your market. But be sure to think through the trend that you’re focusing on. Is the trend truly something that is happening across your industry or is it a change that you’re hoping will happen as a result of customers using the product that you’re promoting? For example, is it truly a trend that consumers are buying 3D TVs and regularly consuming 3D content? Or is the “trend” the imagination of the 3D entertainment industry and the reality is that not many consumers are crying out for the technology? Readers appreciate authenticity and will place your brand in higher regard if your thoughts are based on fact.

2. Content type: Case studies
Mistake: Being merely a rah-rah vehicle for your company or product
Granted, you’re not going to develop a case study of a competitor’s user, nor are you going to spotlight a customer that’s using your services in a less than optimal way. But that doesn’t mean you should view your case study as a way to pat yourself on the back without considering whether the case study offers lessons learned or tips that could be useful to other current or potential customers.

If possible, consider selecting a case study in which the customer did experience stumbling blocks when implementing your technology or service—and was able to overcome them. Highlighting the stumbling blocks doesn’t put your company in a bad light; rather it adds some realism to the case study and demonstrates that it’s possible to overcome obstacles. We all know that it’s never smooth sailing when it comes to implementing new technology or using a new product for the first time.

3. Content type: All
Mistake: Being formulaic
What types of movies have made a lasting impression on you? Formulaic Hollywood blockbusters, or indie movies with a plot that has interesting twists and turns? My guess is the latter. Likewise, content types can have more impact if you approach them in different ways.

Consider case studies. Instead of introducing Customer A, its problems, and how your technology or product helped it solve the problems, consider a different approach, such as a fly-on-the-wall report. I’ll never forget the day-in-the-life report I wrote about how vendor nCircle creates its security vulnerability testing software. I was invited to be a fly on the wall on one of its crucial days of the month. The article was an interesting way of describing how nCircle’s products work and their benefits.

Q&As are another example. They’re a frequent go-to content type because you can create them with your in-house subject matter expert via email interviews and you don’t have to worry about writing a free-form article from interview notes. You ask the questions and you publish an edited version of your questions and the interviewee’s answers. It’s straightforward. But sometimes it can be more interesting and useful to your audience if they could ask the questions…or if the interviewee was an expert from a third party, such as an industry analyst firm, an industry association, or a customer? Or perhaps have the third party ask questions of your in-house expert? That would help to create a discussion based on issues that really matter to your audience—not what you think your audience wants to hear.

4. Content type: Response to sudden industry changes
Mistake: Promoting your company without providing anything useful to your audience
In his blog, Friesen describes this content type as “the meteor”—a sudden change in your industry as opposed to a “trend” that may be slow moving. I interpret that to mean news of a major security breach at a credit card company, for example. If your business is personal security or security software, you’ll want to take the opportunity to respond to the news. A good response would be to provide useful tips on how consumers can protect their personal identity if their personal information was potentially compromised. Don’t merely use the opportunity to sell your product. That would seem disingenuous.

Have you come across any of these mistakes? How have you approached these or other content types? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

A content marketing book worth reading

Paul Costanza — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:56:21 +0000

Like many authors writing about content marketing today, Rebecca Lieb asks her readers to shift their mindset. Content marketing is a strategy, not a tactic, she says in her new book, Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher—How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. That’s a commonly heard refrain, yet there are more than a few blog posts and books (that probably should be blog posts) that don’t get too much further than that. Lieb’s book succeeds by picking up and providing details where others have left off.

She outlines compelling reasons why content marketing matters more today than at any other time, and she provides a comprehensive range of examples of how an effective, robust content marketing strategy might come to life. Both of these are important for marketers who want to move past the buzz to understand 1) why they should care and 2) what to do about it.

Why is content marketing so crucial today?
Lieb highlights the age-old publishing adage about the implied relationship—based upon an exchange of value—that takes place between content providers and their audiences. She reminds us that while the business model may have moved from one of interruption to willing participation (“the marketing of attraction”), we’re still asking for precious resources from our audience: their time and attention. Despite the tremendous opportunity that content marketing offers, if you are going to attempt to gain and hold your audience’s attention, then you need to offer content worthy of that request.

Lieb also highlights how the relationship between content marketing and search, social, and satisfied customers (i.e., those beyond the buying cycle) creates a virtuous cycle for discovery, evaluation, and trust in the buying process. The book incorporates compelling survey results from eMarketer and others to demonstrate that we’ve moved past the tipping point in how the online population consumes and interacts with content to create a real opportunity for those companies that employ content marketing tactics effectively.

The heart of the book
Lieb provides an impressive range of content marketing tactics, with explanations and recent best-in-class examples. For many of the tactics, she could’ve written a separate book to provide more specifics, but she succeeds by keeping content at the center, and showing how these tactics can work to achieve marketing goals (that said, my only nit is that it would’ve been nice to see more of a stake in the ground—and more examples—in the chapter on measurement).

Ultimately, Lieb has written a logical, comprehensive, and helpful primer covering everything from basic definitions, audience and content types, tactical content applications, and post-publication activities. It’s a great overview for marketers who want to understand what all the buzz is about and, more importantly, learn the why, what, and how of content marketing. For those of us already immersed as day-to-day practitioners, the book reminds us of the myriad ways we can expand our practice and provide a range of benefits to our own brands and clients.

Content marketing: Beyond the buzzword

Karla Spormann — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:47:27 +0000

It looks like the term “content marketing” has officially joined the marketing lexicon. In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen it gain traction as creative and PR agencies now offer it as a discrete service, the catalog of books devoted to the subject continues to grow, and Google Insights shows a definite rise in search volume for the term this year. (Click the screenshot below and look at that blue line in the graph.)

As a result of all this activity, I keep hearing these questions: “What is content marketing? Is it just another buzzword?”

My answer is, only when you’re not doing it right. Content marketing is real and effective. It is a potent strategy that addresses the seismic shift in the relationship between all companies and their customers. It acknowledges the fact that customers of all types are increasingly in control over how, where, and why they decide to interact with companies.

When executed correctly, content marketing provides a powerful vehicle for your company to attract and engage customers and prospects by delivering relevant content to your audience—through the right channels, at the right time. And that’s been Tendo’s mission statement for more than a dozen years now.

As the concept of content marketing is rapidly adopted, it’s important that marketers understand what content marketing is—or should be.

Focus on your audience

When I’m asked to explain content marketing (and sometimes when I’m not), I start by saying that it begins with a focus on understanding your audience. From there, you craft a content strategy to develop, curate, moderate, and deploy content to engage and retain your audience. It’s one of the most cost-effective, highest-ROI ways of engaging prospects and building customer loyalty. But that’s just the top line—it might be easier to think about content marketing in terms of what it is and what it isn’t.

Content marketing is: The process of creating, distributing, managing, and measuring the results of content that focuses on the needs or interests of the audience. It coordinates a range of channels (blogs, social media, your website, or company publications), formats (video, PDF, HTML), and content types (articles/posts, quizzes, tweets, white papers) to provide an integrated, multilayered experience in which the audience willingly engages.

Whether it’s part of an effort to reinforce brand value, build a customer community, nurture leads, or retain customers, the goal of content marketing is to connect with your audience through relevant content that meets an audience need—for information, shared experiences, or entertainment—while delivering measurable business results to the provider.

Content marketing is not: “Telling.” It’s not blasting a company’s marketing message across the fragmented media landscape. Content marketing delivers a rich, relevant, and contextual experience that hits a chord with your current and/or prospective customers, and therefore gets them to spend time with content that supports the value of your brand.

Enough descriptions; let’s make it real:

Straight marketing: A 30-second TV ad for a new minivan aimed at middle-class families, talking about pricing, features, financing options.
Content marketing: A branded blog that discusses the best child seats and how to install them, camping adventures made easy with a minivan, and misadventures with GPS navigation or sippy cups.

Content marketing and your media landscape

As far back as 2009, Forrester Research was talking about viewing corporate media in three categories: Owned, earned, and paid. Owned media is your website and other channels your brand controls. Paid media is the ad you place with someone else’s TV network, magazine, or website. Earned media is when someone else chooses to talk about you—the happy customer who tweets, the blogger who writes a review, the journalist who features your product. It’s when, as Forrester puts it, “the customer becomes the channel.”

These three types of media follow an engagement curve. Owned media is a website waiting for the audience to show up. You leverage paid media because your audience is already there. And earned media turns the audience from passively receiving your message to actively engaging with it.

That last category, earned media, is the prize—the spontaneous and unsolicited consumer endorsement. There are two ways to get it: The first occurs when customers have such a great experience with your product/service that they’re compelled to tweet, post, or comment about it, sharing their experience with their social network.

The second way is by investing in your owned media channel. This is where, through deep audience understanding, compelling content development, and ongoing content optimization, your customer finds a piece of content so useful, relevant, or entertaining that they repost it and they “become the channel.” Good content marketing hits that high-value, must-share response in a way that traditional marketing can rarely manage.

A good read

This is the first of (at least) two parts. The next installment will look at what you need in-house to launch an effective content marketing strategy, and what you need from the creative partners who help you do it. But in the meantime, if you’d like a copy of that Forrester report, drop me an email. We can’t post it, but I’m happy to share it with anyone who’s interested. And if you’ve got any thoughts or questions, the comments, like my inbox, are open.

The Netflix mea culpa: Did it work?

Bill Golden — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:29:46 +0000

You can learn a lot about someone by how they apologize. The same is true of CEOs trying to save face.

Case in point: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ recent letter and video to customers apologizing for how his company botched its service and pricing changes. Looking at the nearly 30,000 searing comments on Netflix’s blog, I’m not sure his mea culpa did the trick.

So how did Netflix fumble, and did Hastings’ remorseful communications achieve their objectives?

Recap
Netflix ignited a fury among customers over the summer when it announced plans to split its DVD-by-mail and streaming-movie services. The kicker was Netflix’s decision to discontinue its free movie streaming, which until that point, had been bundled with its DVD-by-mail service. This meant that a Netflix customer paying $7.99 a month for one DVD and streaming movies would soon have to pay $15.98 for the same service. Ouch.

There are two issues at play here:

Netflix’s business decision to change its service and pricing, and
How Netflix communicated (or didn’t communicate) these changes to customers

Why the fury?
Like many loyal Netflix customers, I was annoyed to learn that my service—which I’ve paid for more than a few times without ordering a DVD, by the way—would soon double because, well, I didn’t exactly know. Hence this blog post.

The problem with the price change is this: It’s tantamount to Netflix backing out on an agreement—a deal—it made with customers. Now Netflix wants to change the terms of that deal because its fiscal situation changed. I know, It’s only business and I respect that. But do you think Netflix lowered the price for all its customers who are out of work during these tough economic times? Because, you know, their fiscal conditions changed? I doubt it.

AT&T didn’t raise its monthly data charges on its existing customers (like me) when unlimited data plans became untenable. AT&T honored its agreements with existing customers. Netflix should do the same.

Now for the letter
Hastings’ communications offer some good takeaways on how NOT to apologize to customers. But he did one thing right, so let’s give credit where it’s due. Hastings came right out and admitted he screwed up. “I messed up,” he said. “I owe you an explanation.” Commendable. But from there, the letter went downhill. Here’s my critique, framed in some familiar content categories.

Communications strategy
Grade: F
It doesn’t appear that there was a strategy. Unless you consider a 151-word explanation in a press release a strategy. So in this category, Netflix fails.

Lesson learned: Have a rock-solid communications strategy before you double prices on your customers. See below for more details.

Communications execution
Grade: D
This near-failure on execution is a triumvirate: Netflix failed to anticipate the impact of its pricing and service change, overlooked the importance of communicating it well, and Hastings waited a full two months and five days before explaining it to customers. The PR battle was over before it began. If anything, this demonstrates a major ignorance of how today’s social-media driven communications cycle works. Or it was arrogance. Either way, it was bad form on Netflix’s part.

Lesson learned: Assume the very worst reaction when doubling prices on your customers. And if you have to do it, plan the smartest, most transparent and timely communications plan possible.

Voice and tone
Grade: D
Hastings’ tone leaves something to be desired. It alternates from self-pitying and apologetic to defensive, cute and didactic. In a section about the new business model, Reed writes: “There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!).” His tone suggests that he and I are buddies and I’m supposed to think, “Oh Reed, you little devil, you!” He tried to work in some customer benefits, but that didn’t work either.

Lesson learned: If you have to communicate bad news to customers, don’t wait two months. The longer you wait, the more defensive you have to be. And don’t try to diffuse the message with cute phrases or sarcasm. Be direct, honest, and to the point.

Style
Grade: D
Stylistically, Hastings’ letter was standard fair: a straightforward apology written in first-person narrative—no imagery, creative fonts, etc. Sure, it’s important to communicate the apology in an unencumbered, humble fashion. But at the same time, it seemed bare and devoid of creativity. I didn’t read a single phrase that resonated with me or made me sympathize with Netflix’s plight.

Lesson learned: Eloquently written text can make the medicine—or the message—go down a bit easier.

Companies are run by humans and humans make mistakes, so it’s understandable that Netflix “messed up” in dealing with a difficult business challenge. But the problem lies in how Netflix and its CEO communicated to customers in the aftermath. Yes, “what” you say matters a lot. But if this episode proves anything, it’s that “how” and “when” you say something means just as much.

Update: The fall-out from the recent announcement continues. On October 10, Netflix announced that it’s abandoning its plans for Qwikster, the intended spin-off of its DVD-by-mail service. Members were unhappy about the idea of two websites, so Netflix.com will remain the place to go for streaming and DVDs.

Your customers and social media: How do you handle privacy?

Linda Leung — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:34:28 +0000

There is no doubt that the Internet and social media have made public the mundane parts of our lives that our grandparents kept anonymous. We tell our online friends when we take the first sip of our morning coffee; we announce to the world that we picked up an egg salad sandwich at the deli; we share online photos of our kids dressed in their Halloween costumes. You may say that you keep tight control over the information or pictures you allow to be seen by your online friends. But the truth is, you can’t.

The open nature of social media that is both wonderful and exasperating is making almost every part of our lives easily viewable on an LCD screen. For example, as online consumers, we give our personal information to retailers so they can complete a transaction. We often let retailers keep that info to speed up subsequent transactions.

Even before social media, retailers were already building a profile of their customers. Data mining and warehousing company NCR in the 1990s discovered that beer and diaper sales would peak at certain times of the day. Dads were most likely to pick up grocery emergencies on the way home from work. Today, retailers would probably know the men’s names, the brand of toothpaste they prefer, their credit card details, and when their kids were born.

Your life in plain view

Here are a few recent examples of privacy and social media that got me thinking (and worried) about this trend:

A group of young professionals set up a website called Tubecrush.net to which London Underground train passengers could send in pictures they’ve surreptitiously taken of men they liked. Not only are pictures of the desired men on the Internet, but also the images of the strangers who happened to be seated next to them.

I recently downloaded a sports apps that uses GPS technology to show me my route and pace. I wanted to know the exact mileage of my usual running route, plus my pace. I didn’t opt for the option of linking my subscription to my email or Facebook account.

I thought it was quite innocent (as innocent as using location-tracking apps could be) until I visited the developer’s website. There I found a real-time activity feed of users using the app while running, cycling, or walking. Not only are their names, route maps (bearing in mind this is real-time tracking data), and past workouts on display, but also their pictures and profile. It was very disturbing.

How do you take care of privacy?

As marketers, you amass a lot of information on your customers—a lot more than your fellow marketers of previous generations. How do you take care of that customer information? Do you treat it with the respect that you expect of your own personal details? Here are some questions to think about:

The sports apps site I mentioned had a page of terms and conditions, but it was in the usual legalese. And it was mostly about protecting its own intellectual property (IP). Is it easy to understand your terms and conditions page? Is the page long and verbose or succinct and straightforward? Is the focus on how consumers can use your IP, or does it also adequately cover how you use their data?

How easy is it to file a complaint on your site? Are contact details easy to find on your website? Can your customers talk to a live person on the phone, quickly and easily?

As consumers, we love the convenience of sharing our information with our favorite retailers and service providers. But we also expect those companies to treat our information with respect. As a marketer, do all you can to show that you are handling your customers’ data with the sensitivity and respect that it deserves. Here are some tips:

Remind customers often how you collect their information, how you will be using it, and if you will be sharing it with others.
Don’t assume that customers will read and understand your terms and conditions, even though they have checked the box. Frequently remind and update your customers about how you’ll use their info and give them plenty of opportunities to opt out of sharing their info with you.
Write in plain English instead of hiding behind legalese. Think about using examples to help explain your terms and bring clarity to complex issues.

Small messaging failures add up

Brian McDonough — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:31:53 +0000

Amazon nearly lost an already completed sale by following it up with a free gift. How do you turn “free bonus” into “cancel”? Really bad messaging.

I ordered an inexpensive DVD from Amazon recently and received an apparent confirmation email, which told me “The following item was ordered” … “Video on Demand.” Thinking I’d somehow mistakenly ordered the “rent it on your computer” option (no wonder the price seemed so low!), I raced back to the Amazon site to cancel my order, frustrated that I’d probably have to go through a multiday hassle with customer service.

I was a click away from cancelling the order when I noticed that it did, indeed, say I’d ordered DVDs. So I went back and reread the boring text of the familiar Amazon confirmation email, and this time, not skimming, I caught the key line noting that my order included a free gift of video-on-demand access, above the highlighted section saying, incorrectly, that I’d “ordered” video on demand.

The message is there, but I nearly canceled the whole order because Amazon couldn’t be bothered to reformat its order-confirmation email in its effort to lure me to a new service. The don’t-read-me subject line: “Your Order with Amazon.” Hey, Amazon, may I suggest including the words “free gift” next time?

Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of examples of poor marketing instincts on aspects of business that might not jump out as having a marketing component. But the fact is, if it’s a message that goes to your customers, then it’s marketing. Two quick examples: Dropbox and YouSendIt, two similar file-sharing services that make my work at Tendo easier. But both services seem indifferent, at best, to the new user. YouSendIt expects you to start uploading your files with nary an explanation of how it works, and Dropbox just gives you a video (I don’t want to sit through a low-budget, cheesy how-to video) and a “download our application” button.

Be on message … everywhere

Every interaction with potential customers is marketing, and every interaction makes them like you a little more or a little less. This is why support reps are told to focus on a positive customer experience, and are so painfully ingratiating when I call about my credit balance or cell phone plan. Every message to your audience should be inviting, appealing, and useful. But plenty of marketing opportunities slip through the cracks. Places where you might be missing the marketing/satisfaction component:

Sales confirmation emails: Are they polite, maybe even upbeat? Do they include the links customers would need to view or update their order? Do they include tracking links? They should be professional, because you’re dealing with money and people’s credit data, but do they still carry through the personality and style of your overall site?
Your help/FAQ pages: Are they clear, concise, and thorough? Have they been updated recently? Have you removed as many sources of frustration (incomplete information, dead links) as possible? Do they reflect your “voice,” or do they come across as abrupt or technical?
Your “Contact Us” options: Yes, when you offer live/email support, you’re trying to encourage people to use your FAQs and forums first. But if it takes me 10 frustrating minutes to even find the button that would let me talk to the live person I know is hiding back there, you’re going to lose a customer.
Your communications management page: Make sure your “manage your subscriptions”/unsubscribe page is easy to use. And pay attention to voice; something less terse than “You have unsubscribed,” but not desperate/needy is called for. It’s like handling a breakup gracefully. Or so I imagine. Also, it’s nice to offer customers who do like you a range of communications somewhere between “never” and “constant bombardment” (hello, Neiman Marcus!).

Marketing is not something you do as a concentrated effort, as a broadcast at selected times. We all know that there’s a daily social component in the Twitter/Facebook age, but there are also simple interactions that must be “optimized” as well. Wherever your customers or potential customers interact with you, you’ve got to be on message.

Where do you see messaging failures like this—and what would you do about them?

Own your damned profanity

Brian McDonough — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:45:25 +0000

Businesses trying to reach a younger/edgier/contemporary audience often use a little shock value—we’ve been talking around the office about humor and the way that can push the envelope, for instance. Recently I saw some more extreme examples of envelope-pushing that gave me pause on two well-established marketing blogs.

The first was on Michael Fleischner’s “The Marketing Blog,” headlined: 10,000 Twitter Followers. Who Gives A &^%$#@. The headline annoyed me immediately, but it stood out all the more when I hit the next site on my rounds, Jason Falls’ “Social Media Explorer.” There in the top right corner of the page was an advertisement for Falls’ book with the title in huge type: “No Bullshit Social Media.” (A few days later, the keyword—something of a brand for Falls, I guess—showed up in the headline of a post.)

So, clearly my mother was wrong and swearing is cool.

Falls uses “Bullshit” to lend authenticity, to proclaim that he’s not, y’know, a bullshitter. He’s assuming that his brand and his audience will connect over that kind of “shockingly” straight talk. Fleischner attempts the same thing, but he flinches, he hedges—he doesn’t use actual profanity, lest his plainspoken authenticity offend my delicate sensibilities. Thus he commits the common sin of the buttoned-down businessman trying to look cool: He doesn’t commit to the role. And while most major corporations aren’t likely to be resorting to profanity to connect to their customers, they can make the same sin of awkward half-measures.

It’s not “Wheel of Fortune,” pal

Here’s the thing: We all know the dirty words and how to use them. I look at Fleischner’s headline and my brain immediately fills in the two most contextually appropriate profanities—didn’t yours? Both bloggers have gone and put a dirty word into my otherwise squeaky-clean consciousness. Rather than sparing me, Fleischner actually makes me think about it more, because there’s more than one solution. And he has traded Falls’ authentic cojones chutzpah to crap out (hey, that’s a gambling metaphor) just as he’s trying to queue up some sharp, cut-the-crap (OK, that’s not) perspectives on social media.

Replacing a “dirty word” with random symbols, or worse, blank f- – - – - – spaces, just makes you look more square than ever. Even my mom can fill in those blanks.

S#!& my boss says

The general rule that profanity has no place in marketing copy is typically an easy one to follow. But if you are making a less extreme, “nontraditional” choice, and therefore portraying yourself as a wild card who makes nontraditional choices, commit to it. If your message calls for some #&$@% swearing, then just fuckin’ swear. (I had to check our own blog’s profanity policy before writing this, and that’s pretty much a direct quote from our VP of Content. Followed immediately by, “But really, why would you?”)

The takeaway here is not to learn to swear better in your marketing communications. But if you’re going to be edgy, whether as an upstart startup grabbing some attention, or a familiar brand trying to reach a new demographic, don’t undercut your message. Don’t be the person who makes a really rude joke and follows it up with a quick, “Just kidding! Ha ha!” Either trust your audience to embrace your persona, or dial it back. Own the voice you’re using.

Otherwise you look like a jack- – -.

5 ways to avoid social media blunders

Linda Leung — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:36:55 +0000

Recent Twitter activities over at Microsoft (regarding Amy Winehouse) and Entenmann’s (regarding the company’s #notguilty blunder) are serving as a big reminder to marketers that they need to step out of their cubes once in a while and talk to real customers.

Market research and stats are all well and good, but smart marketers will tell you that talking to customers 1-1 will help you appreciate the sentiments of the moment. Customers have strong beliefs and feelings that go far beyond what they buy from you. And we need to be sensitive to that.

If you missed the news, Microsoft tweeted an apology after a tweet from its Xbox 360 PR account encouraged Amy Winehouse fans to remember the singer by downloading her album. Twitter users accused Microsoft of being “cynical” and acting with “appalling taste.”

Baked goods maker Entenmann’s tweeted “Who’s #notguilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?!” on the heels of the Casey Anthony not-guilty murder verdict. Entenmann’s soon tweeted an apology, admitting that it should have checked the trending hashtag before broadcasting its tweet.

No offense intended

These blunders reminded me of an unintended offense made by a technology print magazine I worked for many years ago. We published an illustration of the Hindu deity Shiva with four arms. Each arm was holding some sort of digital device. We received so many complaints from offended readers that to this day, I remember the anger.

The magazine’s illustrator meant no malice. Likewise, it’s hard to imagine that the original tweets from Microsoft or Entenmann’s were created with bad intent. We all get caught up in the moment. We have a huge list of tasks to get through and sometimes we make mistakes or use bad judgment. But when you’re in a position of producing content that’s consumed by the public, it pays to take a step back and do a sanity check.

Here are some quick tips for keeping your social media audience happy:

1. Go with your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, check it with someone who’s not involved with the project and see if it raises alarm bells with them.
2. Check hashtags before “hashtag surfing” (i.e., using hashtags to get a wider audience to see your tweets).
3. If you’re using a competitor’s hashtag (for example, a hashtag a competitor has created for a special event) to get your point of view across to your competitor’s audience, don’t spam. Tweet useful comments and be polite.
4. Remember the old adage, “Never talk about religion or politics in dinner conversations.” Never refer to religious or political figures/issues in your marketing content (unless you’re in those sectors).
5. Go out and meet your customers face-to-face. Find out what else they do when they’re not using your product; find out their likes and dislikes. You might be surprised.

Spelling mistakes ruin corporate websites

Linda Leung — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:27:20 +0000

A recent tweet from someone I follow caught my eye: “All my best copyediting work is done after I hit ’send.’”

I can relate. After spending what seems like hours drafting important emails, it’s Murphy’s Law that I’ll spot a typo after I’ve hit the “send” button.

Readers may be willing to overlook spelling mistakes in informal settings, such as in text messages or on personal blogs, but typos on your corporate website can damage your credibility—and affect your bottom line.

U.K. entrepreneur Charles Duncombe runs a number of travel, mobile phone and clothing websites. He told the BBC that a single spelling mistake could cut online sales in half. “You get about six seconds to capture the attention on a website,” Duncome is quoted as saying.

With consumers encouraged by security experts to be vigilant about fraudulent websites (the telltale signs being spelling mistakes), typos in Web content could turn visitors off your website for good.

Tips for error-free Web content

We recommend that businesses create original content on a regular basis to improve search ranking. We also recommend carefully reviewing your content for grammar and spelling mistakes, if you don’t already have a formal process in place. Here are some tips, plus a few common mistakes to watch out for:

1. Get another pair of eyes to review the content, especially if you’ve written it yourself. Another reviewer will likely spot something that you overlooked.

2. After you’ve written the text, step away from your screen for a few minutes and review it again later with fresh eyes.

3. Don’t rely on the spell check feature in your word processing program—it won’t take into account the context of the whole sentence. For instance, my spell checker failed to spot the typo in this sentence: “Their lived an old lady who looked after a baby.”

4. Create a style guide and/or follow an established industry style guide. Many professional writers follow either the Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Stylebook.

5. Check for common misuse of words or grammar, including:

Apostrophes
Correct: “My PC’s hard drive is making a loud whirring noise.”
Incorrect: “I own two PC’s.”

Over/more than
Correct: “The cow jumped over the moon.” (“Over” refers to spatial relationships.)
Correct: “The cow has lived on the farm for more than 12 years.” (“More than” is generally used with numerals.)
Incorrect: “The cow has lived for over 12 years.”

Insure/ensure
Correct:”Steps were taken to ensure accuracy.” (Describes a guarantee.)
Correct: “The policy insures his life.” (Relates to insurance.)

What’s your copyediting process for your website content?

One size does not fit all

Julie Jares — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:52:14 +0000

Zappos.com, the online retailer selling shoes, clothing and accessories, recently sent me an email. “One year ago you ordered silver metallic Ralph Lauren heels,” the message reminded me. “We wanted to let you know that right now, your size is still available from Zappos.com. You can order the same product again by visiting this link.”

Order the same product again? I was confused. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding last year and I bought those shoes to go with the bridesmaid’s dress. I haven’t worn them since. And even if I had, it would be tough to wear out a pair of strappy silver metallic heels in that time. I told my coworkers about this misguided marketing effort from Zappos and wondered aloud about who would ever want to buy the exact same pair of shoes.

I didn’t have to wonder long. A male coworker chimed in about a pair of Bruno Magli lace-ups that he once owned and loved. When they wore out, he wanted to get the exact same pair, but they had been discontinued. That got me thinking that the marketing effort wasn’t totally misguided, just a bit off-track.

I would, in fact, buy the same pair of shoes, and I have. I generally stick with the same brand of running shoes and replace them with the same pair, or a similar pair, when they wear out. I’ve also bought the same shoes in two different colors—casual summer sandals in black and brown.

Zappos has the right idea with its one-year reminder strategy, it just needs some finessing. Zappos marketers could focus on the types of shoes that consumers are likely to purchase more than once, or they could target customers who are more likely to purchase the same shoes based on gender, age, or other relevant criteria.

As we often preach at Tendo, it’s all about knowing your audience and their behavior. When you have that information and act on it, target marketing can be as tantalizing as a sleek pair of heels. But when executed poorly, it can rub you the wrong way.