Click fraud is up

According to Click Forensics reports, click fraud for 4Q 2008 is up to 17.1%, up from 16.6% during that same quarter in 2007.

From MarketingVox.com:

According to CEO Tom Cuthbert, three components contributed to the rise: more dollars filtering into pay-per-click (PPC); increased competition in the click firm industry; and rises in cybercrime and botnet activity resulting from the poor economy.

The average click fraud rate for PPC ads across major sites like AdSense and Yahoo Publisher Network hit 28.2%, down from 28.3% in 4Q07.

31.4% of all click fraud traffic came from botnets, up from 2007's 22% and 28% from 3Q08. And in the month of December, the highest percentages of click fraud originating from outside the US included Canada (7.4%), Germany (3%) and China (2.3%).

Cuthbert also pointed to the resurgence of click farms.

"Google, Yahoo and others are doing what they can to protect advertisers, but this is an arms race," he stated somberly. "We're at the early stages of identifying these issues, and unfortunately it will only get worse."

Top 10 Super Bowl ads of all time

I'm not going to get into the whole list here, but I'll post some highlights from MSNBC.com's Top 10 Super Bowl ads of all time.

This is a Bud Light ad that incorporates a horse fart. What's funnier than that?

The complete list is here.

AdRants, AdFreak and AgencySpy to hose Twitter Super Bowl party

Three advertising sites, AdRants, AdFreak and AgencySpy are getting together for a Twitter Super Bowl party.

Add #superads09 to any Tweet and they will display it. So you can offer all of your genius comments on the Super Bowl ads.

Easy buddy, it's just Twitter

Ever see a Twitter meltdown? I would imagine this is a good example of what one would look like, click the picture to enlarge:

What's your Twinfluence?

This is a neat site to check your Twitter stats and see how influential you are. I was better than I thought, but I'm no Guy Kawasaki.

Side benefit to blog PR

This is a write up for Successfool.com. I'm big on PR through the bloggers and here I talk about a side benefit:

I talked before about why the bloggers are so important in media today. They are certainly a great outlet to get your word out.

So, getting the name of you, your product, service, blog, company, etc onto blogs is important for obvious reasons. You are getting exposure to new people and may even be getting traffic to your website. Both of those things are great.

But, reaching out to the bloggers has another excellent side benefit. Every time a blogger mentions you and puts a link to your website/blog in there, it’s a bit of light Search Engine Optimization. I’m not claiming to be an SEO expert, but I know that part of some SEO campaigns includes link-building. Google likes to see people sending links to your site.

Are a few blog hits going to catapult you to #1 in Google search engines. I really doubt it. But, you should always be thinking big picture and how to maximize your website.

So, keep this in mind when you are thinking about your PR campaign. Getting on television is awesome. A mention on the radio? Great! A two-paragraph quote in the Chicago Tribune is phenomenal. But, don’t forget about those bloggers. They can help in more ways than one.

New blog post at Successfool.com

I started writing for a website called Successfool.com, which talks about internet business and how you can grow yours. In this post, I talk about why bloggers are important for you and your business. I'll be talking about the best way to reach them shortly.

Here is the current post.

Not all marketing tips are gold

Beware of marketing "tips" that you read online. Entrepreneur.com has some great stories and advice, but this article is not one of them.

Kim T. Gordon offers up these four tips on how to advertise when money is tight. Let's take a look:

1. Advertise where prospects look first.
Where will your customers look when they've decided to buy what you sell? A vast majority of Americans research purchases on the internet before buying online or in a brick-and-mortar store. Placing advertising on search engines may be an important part of your scaled down campaign. Other search media include trade and industrial directories, both online and in print, newspaper circulars, classified ads, and shopper sections of specialty magazines. By advertising where prospective customers look, you'll shorten your sales cycle and lower your cost per sale.

My take: Uh duh. You should be doing this anyway, regardless of the economy.


2. Use media that touch prospects often.
Even when your customers aren't in search mode, they still interact with other important media. Discover which media touch your best prospects throughout the day. Do they read a particular newspaper? Which TV and radio programs do they enjoy and at what times of the day? If you're targeting B2B prospects, zero in on the industry publications they rely on for information. Both business and consumer prospects have favorite websites they frequent. Armed with this vital information, you can strategically place ads in media you know play central roles in their daily lives.

My take: Isn't this a general rule of advertising? Place ads where your customers will see them? How is this a tip?


3. Put your ads in context.
Not all media that touch your prospects will be smart advertising choices. The issue of appropriate context is critical when making this evaluation. Choose media that reach your prospects when they're in the right frame of mind to be receptive to your message. For example, your best prospects may dine out frequently and be exposed to the ads inside the restroom stalls of popular restaurants. But the location of this media may be an inappropriate context for advertising your type of business. It all depends on when and how you want your customers to think of your business. Pare down your campaign to the media that put your message in the right context, and your response rates will climb.

My take: Not the worst advice. Certainly better than the first two.

4. Advertise for maximum memorability.
The very best use of limited advertising dollars is to spend your money where your campaign can be a standout. That requires sufficient ad size and frequency. With the abundance of clutter in all major media, it can be challenging to stand out with small-size, fractional-page ads. Larger ads will give you more bang for your buck because they're more likely to be seen and remembered. Rather than run small-space ads in many publications or websites, reduce your media choices to those in which you can afford to buy larger ads and advertise frequently. Narrow your broadcast selections to fewer radio stations or TV programs, and advertise to your core audience with frequency so your message is sure to penetrate. By the time the marketplace rebounds, you'll be in a solid position to expand your campaign once again.

My take: You should always be thinking this way.

10 Twitter tips

Ben Barden has ten excellent Twitter tips on his blog. I highly recommend following Ben. You can do so @BenBarden.

From his post:

10 ways to climb to new heights with Twitter
Climbing to new heights

Following on from last week’s tips for getting started with Twitter, today I’m going to look at 10 ways for making the most out of Twitter. Follow these tips, and you may find yourself climbing to new heights - either with more followers, a boost to your online profile, or just the increased enjoyment of engaging with such a great community.

1. Use TweetDeck or Twhirl.

If you want to follow more people and use Twitter in the most effective way possible, tweeting on the Twitter website just doesn’t cut it. I’m not a mobile user (although this may change later in the year - I’ll keep you posted!) so I recommend using a desktop application.

My personal choice is TweetDeck, although Twhirl is good too. Here are some things I like about TweetDeck:

* Replies and Direct Messages appear alongside the tweets from the people I’m following. No need to go to another screen.
* A scrollbar provides easy access to tweets that don’t fit on the page.
* When you’ve finished reading the tweets on your screen, just click “Clear all tweets” in each column. This is absolutely great for the times when I step away from my desk and intend to come back to Twitter, but can’t sit and watch it at that precise moment. (Making a cup of tea at 4pm is a good example!)
* It’s easy to shorten your URLs before you send your tweet, rather than afterwards. The Twitter website can shorten your links, but the long version of the link still contributes to the 140 character limit, which isn’t much good. You could use a third-party site to do it, but you’d have to shorten the link first, then paste it into your tweet - a bit long-winded.

If you download TweetDeck, there are a couple of settings I’d recommend changing after installation. Click on the little spanner icon in the top right corner of TweetDeck to open the options dialog.

* On the General tab, untick “Play notification sound”. (Does anyone leave this on?)
* On the Colors/Font tab, change the primary and secondary background colours to white. Change the primary and secondary text colours to black. And change the input area background colour to light blue - or whatever you like. The main reason is because I find the black background very hard on the eyes - but you may think differently. Feel free to try a different colour scheme!

2. Tweet regularly, but not constantly.

In my previous post, I said you should tweet selectively. While I stand by this comment, I think you should try to tweet fairly regularly, too. Don’t tweet all the time, but don’t forget to tweet every now and again.

It’s like going for weeks without writing a new blog post. Reappearing occasionally but not putting in a regular appearance, even for a short time, can lead to people forgetting about you.

To maintain an online presence, you need to be present!

3. Don’t follow everyone.

It may seem like a good idea to go to a popular user’s profile and follow everyone on their list - but it’s not. Adding loads of people in one go can make it all too easy to forget who you added.

If you add people slowly but surely, you can make time to get to know the new people on your list. Also, don’t follow someone just because they follow you - check out their profile first.

If you’re not finding new people, you could set aside some time to look for new followers. Look for Twitter usernames on the blogs of people whose writing you enjoy, and try following them. You may find other people through them, too.

4. Ask questions.

Asking questions can break the ice with people who you might not have chatted with yet. It can also introduce you to new people. And it can get you some great answers!

Why not ask questions and use the answers in a blog post? Don’t forget to link to the people who answered the question. This can help your readers to find new friends too.

5. Answer other people’s questions.

Watch out for questions that you could answer. Don’t answer every question, but do answer the ones that interest you. Again, this can link you to new people.

6. Retweet the good stuff.

Some comments or links are worth passing around, so why not retweet them? On TweetDeck this is as simple as hovering over the person’s picture and clicking the bottom-left icon. It will look like this:

RT @Tojosan: Good morning. Can’t stay and play. Off to work. Have a blessed day. Chat later. Me.

On the Twitter website, you can just cut and paste the tweet and put “RT” at the start, but TweetDeck makes it much easier.

7. Click on profile links.

Twitter isn’t only about what goes on within the community, it can lead you to other sites, too. If you find someone you like, don’t just follow them - visit their site. If you like their blog - subscribe to it, comment on it, and let the author know you visited by replying to them in a tweet.

It’s all very well interacting on Twitter, but if you don’t look outside Twitter from time to time, you’re missing out.

8. Share other people’s posts.

It’s not just about retweeting - some people may not have linked to a post on Twitter, and others may not even use Twitter. A good way to show your support for a site you enjoy is to link to it from Twitter. It may even push those people to join Twitter if they’re not already members.

Of course, don’t go link-crazy - share what you think is worth sharing. The higher the quality you give to your followers, the more likely they are to read your tweets and click your links.

9. Exchange feedback.

Want to improve your blog? Need some feedback on your design? Got a coding issue? Why not ask on Twitter? In return, offer to help the people who help you. Twitter isn’t only for chat, you can get help, too.

10. Observe.

Perhaps the most vital tip of all is to stop tweeting from time to time, and just watch how others interact. Listen to what they have to say. Learn how different people interact. Watch how other people promote their sites, and read the resulting conversations.

We all have our own thoughts and views, and we all use Twitter in slightly different ways. The key is to find the way that works for you. Tips may help you, but you have to decide what you want to get out of Twitter before you can really use it to your advantage.

Celebs on Twitter

Yes, I am all about Twitter right now. Check out celebs using Twitter.

Careful what you write on Twitter/Facebook

Interesting story posted by Peter Shankman on his blog. Apparently, a major exec at Ketchum made some unflattering comments about Memphis the day he was to present to FedEx employees in that city. Here is Shankman's post:

This particular Twitter posting came back to bite the agency person from Ketchum (New York office) who made some unflattering remarks about Memphis this morning before he presented on digital media to the worldwide communications group at FedEx (150+) people. Not only did an employee find it, they were totally offended by it and responded to the agency person. The kicker is that they copied the FedEx Coporate Vice President, Vice President, Directors and all management of FedEx’s communication department AND the chain of command at Ketchum. Mr. Andrews, the Ketchum presenter, did not take into account that many FedExers are native Memphians and are feircely defensive of their city and their company.

Mr. Andrews,

If I interpret your post correctly, these are your comments about Memphis a few hours after arriving in the global headquarters city of one of your key and lucrative clients, and the home of arguably one of the most important entrepreneurs in the history of business, FedEx founder Fred Smith.

Many of my peers and I feel this is inappropriate. We do not know the total millions of dollars FedEx Corporation pays Ketchum annually for the valuable and important work your company does for us around the globe. We are confident however, it is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry. A hazard of social networking is people will read what you write.

Not knowing exactly what prompted your comments, I will admit the area around our airport is a bit of an eyesore, not without crime, prostitution, commercial decay, and a few potholes. But there is a major political, community, religious, and business effort underway, that includes FedEx, to transform that area. We’re hopeful that over time, our city will have a better “face” to present to visitors.

James, everyone participating in today’s event, including those in the auditorium with you this morning, just received their first paycheck of 2009 containing a 5% pay cut… which we wholeheartedly support because it continued the tradition established by Mr. Smith of doing whatever it takes to protect jobs.

Considering that we just entered the second year of a U.S. recession, and we are experiencing significant business loss due to the global economic downturn, many of my peers and I question the expense of paying Ketchum to produce the video open for today’s event; work that could have been achieved by internal, award-winning professionals with decades of experience in television production.

Additionally Mr. Andrews, with all due respect, to continue the context of your post; true confession: many of my peers and I don’t see much relevance between your presentation this morning and the work we do in Employee Communications.

10 Pro Athletes who Twitter

Coedmagazine.com lists 10 pro athletes that are on Twitter. So, if you are on Twitter and would like to follow them, just click here.

They are:

-Shaun White
-Michael Phelps
-Kerry Rhodes
-Eli Manning (does he slur and lisp in his Tweets?)
-Jerry Rice
-Natalie Gulbis (mmmmm)
-Mike Vallely
-Shaq
-Jerry Rice
-Andy Murray
-Lance Armstrong

10 Twitter tips

10 Twitter tips from Twitip.com. These are tips to help you use Twitter as a more effective marketing tool. Some of these are pretty damn obvious though, but you may find it useful:

1 - First and foremost, you need to know the difference between posting often and spamming. You do not want to spam Twitter. Instead, you are going to want to post meaningful, relevant and readable content that your subscribers are going to look forward to. Spamming is the ultimate mistake that many twitter marketers end up making early on in their marketing endeavors. Twitter is a social network, not a medium for spamming, and if you overwhelm your readers with spam, no one will stop by anymore. It may be tempting to spam, but you will never benefit from it, so do not waste your time.

2 - Know what you intend to promote when you start posting on Twitter. This is absolutely paramount when it comes to understanding how to get the most out of twitter marketing in order to drive business to your website or your door. If you know your product well, and you understand what it is going to take to market it, then you are already a step ahead of everyone else, and this is a really good place for you to be.

3 - It is vital that you know what kind of information you need to put out there, both when you’re writing your own Tweets and when you are responding to the messages of others. When you have a planned out routine for how you will communicate with other businesses online, you will be more successful with Twitter and those who you communicate with on the service.

4 - One of the greatest boosts to your Twitter marketing endeavor will be to learn how to communicate effectively on Twitter. You can use twitter as a medium for conversation, but only if you know how to communicate effectively with those who are reading your Twitter feed.

5 - In order to get the most out of your Twitter marketing endeavor, it is vital that you learn how to participate in the community, communicating properly in the process. Twitter is largely a community based social networking site, so while you may be blogging on the site for your own business purposes, you will not get anywhere unless you are willing to participate in the conversation, communicating with other businesses, consumers and other individuals as well to get the word out about your business and to share something of yourself with the rest of the community.

6 - Make the most out of your account. Create a profile page with a picture and some information about your company. This allows the people who are reading your Twitter feed to get to know you better, which is what social networking sites like Twitter are really all about. The more your readers are able to get to know you, the more likely they will return time and time again to see what you are writing about.

7 - Have a plan going in, if you want to get the most out of your Twitter endeavor. Do some research and get to know what Twitter is really all about before you start posting on your own. Devise a basic outline for posting, and once you have a good solid plan you can get started. The better planned out your endeavor is, the more you will be able to benefit from marketing your business, product or service through Twitter.

8 - Avoid over promoting your product. While you can and should post about your product or service in your twitter posts, do not make this the sole focus of your Twitter account. Post all kinds of relevant information about your company, your products, the industry and anything else that is relevant, rather than overwhelming your readers with posts on a single topic. If you’re selling a product and using Twitter to accomplish it, your readers will expect some marketing and product promotion, but you must take absolute care not to overwhelm them with it if you want your readers to continue following your Twitter feed.

9 - Facilitate conversation! Nobody said Twitter had to be all about sharing information; you can also facilitate conversation by asking questions. Take polls, ask thoughtful questions and come up with other unique ways to get your readers to respond to you in order to better market yourself on Twitter. Conversation is an important part of marketing your company through Twitter, so get your readers talking by asking smart questions in search of smart answers.

10 - Follow relevant Twitter feeds. When you “follow” a new Twitter feed, the owner of that feed is notified. By notifying Twitter feed authors that you’re reading them, you are cluing them in to your existence, which will build traffic for your own marketing campaign as well.

Worst Marketing Ideas ever

Entrepreneur.com also lists some of the worst marketing campaigns ever.

Worst campaign to trigger a bomb scare: Aqua Teen Hunger Force In January 2007, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.'s promotion of its TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which featured small electronic light boards with one of the series' characters, triggered a bomb scare in Boston.

Worst use of body parts in marketing: Logo tattoos In the 1990s, California eatery Casa Sanchez offered free lunch for life to anyone who got a tattoo of their logo. Nervous about how quickly people were getting inked, the eatery limited the offer to the first 50 people.

Worst sponsorship idea: Bidding for baby naming rights The dotcom era ushered in a (thankfully small) rash of people trying to sell off their children's names for extra dough. Poor little Widget Smith.

Worst campaign character: The Quiznos creatures Superimposed over a Quiznos sub shop were two disturbing, singing rat-like creatures. Fortunately, the shop got wise and ditched them after public outcry. But it's an image that stays with you. Go ahead, look them up on YouTube--but don't say we didn't warn you.

Worst plague-like sweep of viral marketing: Starbucks' viral marketing fiasco A free-coffee coupon sent by baristas with no restrictions circulated the internet, causing an overwhelming rate of renewal. Ultimately the coffee purveyor stopped honoring the coupon, causing a mini controversy.

Best Marketing Ideas ever

Entrepreneur.com lists some of the best marketing ideas/stunts ever. This is a great read and has some good lessons that you can follow when you are working on your own marketing.

Best making the best of a bad image: Las Vegas' "What Happens Here, Stays Here" campaign
After a failed attempt to promote itself as a family destination, Las Vegas finally embraced its Sin City image with its "What happens here, stays here" advertising campaign, launched in 2003. It's still going strong: 2007 marked the city's fourth consecutive year of busting tourism records. "It resonated because it's what people already believe," says Laura Ries, president of marketing strategy firm Ries & Ries.
Lesson: Try to turn negatives into positives.

Best product placement: Reese's Pieces in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Some marketing missteps make you kick yourself. Take Mars Inc.'s failure to take the opportunity to include M&Ms in E.T. After Mars passed, director Steven Spielberg went to Hershey's, which took the offer. It paid off. Time magazine reported in 1982 that Reese's Pieces sales rose 65 percent in the months after the movie's release. Even though the movie never mentioned the name of the product, showing the distinctive orange package was enough, and the placement enjoyed heavy promotional support from the manufacturer.
Lesson: Placing your product in the right media vehicle can boost sales.

Best video ad: Get a Mac
Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, which launched in 2006, puts the hip, easygoing Mac against the hapless, problem-prone PC. "The message of these ads is clear," says communications professor Stephen Marshall, author of Television Advertising That Works. "Every one of them says, ‘Don't be this guy.' You don't want to be the PC." The TV ads also appeared online, and the company released a series of web-only ads to capitalize on consumer interest in the characters. People got the message--Mac's market share grew by 42 percent.
Lesson: Create engaging characters in your online video to help grow an audience that's receptive to your brand.

Best contest: Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
Launched in 1916, this homage to gluttony plasters the Nathan's name across international media each year. Brothers George and Richard Shea launched the International Federation of Competitive Eating in 1997. The IFOCE organizes and runs more than 80 eating contests throughout the U.S. and abroad, spurring a subculture of competitive eating celebrities who receive international media attention.
Lesson: Don't be afraid to be outrageous if it suits your brand.

Best use of YouTube: Blendtec's "Will It Blend?"
Blendtec, a maker of high-end blenders, created a series of online videos that depict founder Tom Dickson using his durable machine to smash everything from small electronics to sneakers to credit cards. The videos are on Blendtec's site as well as YouTube, where, through viral marketing, some have been viewed more than 5.5 million times. It shows people are interested--and it saves money, since Blendtec didn't pay for all that band-width. Says Ann Handley, chief content officer of marketing information resource MarketingProfs.com, "They created a campaign that really builds brand awareness."
Lesson: Use various tools to spread the word about how your brand is different.

Best slogan: "got Milk?"
What better success benchmark than having your slogan work its way into the national lexicon? It's even better when it includes your product name, says Mitzi Crall, author of 100 Smartest Marketing Ideas Ever. The simplicity of the slogan lends itself to a wide variety of advertising interpretations, ranging from humorous

TV ads to the celebrity-driven milk mustache print series. "The images of glamour and fame contrasted with the hominess of a milk mustache make the versatile tagline a hit," says Crall. A year after the campaign launched in California, the state saw an increase in milk sales for the first time in more than 10 years.
Lesson: Look for slogans that have the potential for longevity.

Best jingle: NBC jingle
If you can name that brand in three notes, it must be the NBC jingle. Of course, repetition over the years has reinforced the brand, but there's more to it. "It's called mnemonics, or sonic branding," says Marshall. "By adding sound to its brand identity, it adds another way for customers to experience the brand. It especially makes sense because it's a broadcast medium."
Lesson: Look for ways to add additional sensory branding elements when relevant.

Best use of social networking to target tweens and teens: High School Musical
After the success of the made-for-TV movies High School Musical and High School Musical 2, Disney teamed up with MySpace in what TV Guide called the social network's largest campaign. The promotion included a contest where fans showed school spirit by completing tasks such as uploading videos, changing profile skins and texting votes for their school.
Lesson: Find the media your audience uses and go there.

Best celebrity spokesman: William Shatner as The Priceline Negotiator
When William Shatner first started touting Priceline.com's cut-rate service in 1997, no one thought the relationship--or the company, for that matter--would last more than a decade. But through a savvy reinvention of itself, Priceline thrived with the campy James Bond-gone-wrong Shatner as its public persona. That long-term element is part of the relationship's success, says Ries. "You get the feeling that he's very much in tune with the brand and the company. That kind of longevity and dedication can be [very] effective."
Lesson: A little fun can go a long way.

Best logo: Nike Swoosh
There are a number of rumors about exactly how much Nike paid Portland State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson for the Swoosh in the early '70s (actually $35), but it's been the brand's mark since it was introduced on Nike footwear at the 1972 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials. The reason it works? It's an "empty vessel," says Ries. "It's so simple and visible at a distance. Another logo might have been well-known but wouldn't have done the brand as much good if it had been more complicated." Because the Swoosh has no innate meaning attached to it, Nike can use it to build any image it desires.
Lesson: Sometimes too many bells and whistles can make your logo less effective.

Best use of outdoor advertising: The Goodyear Blimp
Is there anyone who doesn't recognize the blimp when it passes by? "The Goodyear Blimp is its own kind of magic," says Crall. "If we see it float by when we're going about our daily lives, we run to get our spouses and children to ‘come see.' We're receptive to the brand message."
Lesson: Be unexpected in how and where you communicate with your customers.

Best use of promotional items: Livestrong wristbands
After the news broke in 1996 that champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong had cancer, he founded his Lance Armstrong Foundation the following year. Working with Nike, the foundation developed a yellow silicon wristband stamped with the Livestrong mantra to sell as a fundraiser. According to lancewins.com, more than 45 million have been sold so far. The bracelets became an immediately identifiable symbol of Armstrong, who often wore the yellow leaders jersey while cycling to seven Tour de France victories.
Lesson: Have a signature look, whether it's a giveaway or simply in how you present your brand, so people recognize you immediately.

Happy New Year, FMG!

We enjoy wishing our own company things like "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Thanksgiving," so why would the new year be any different? So...

Happy New Year, FMG!