Videos Don’t Have to Go Viral
Another from the Everyday Marketing Advice archives:
This article in the New York Times gives helpful and practical tips for creating watchable, informative videos that may or may not get rapidly shared. But the hope of going viral is kind of like the hope of winning the lottery — no matter how strategically you play the numbers it’s probably not going to happen.
That doesn’t mean businesses shouldn’t have videos — in particular YouTube videos — as part of their marketing mix. Of far more practical value is the opportunity to get a stronger presence in the search engines. A video, strategically targeted to search terms that reflect what you do, can: (more…)
On Message Saturation
As Hurricane Hermine was preparing to strike the Florida Panhandle last month, here in Northeast Florida I was deluged by a torrent of another kind — wall-to-wall “storm coverage” by both local and national news outlets.
Now although the storm did create some serious havoc along its direct path, we along the fringes were subject to breathless speculation about wind speeds, rainfall levels, storm path possibilities — all widely varying and as it turns put completely wrong. On top of that you had local politicians posturing to be somber and leader-like, intoning on how prepared they were and why we should take this threat seriously.
Your Grandma’s AOL
This was originally posted on my Everyday Marketing Advice blog. Think AOL was hopelessly square? Think again if you use Facebook.
What am I: An internet property that organizes and filters Web content for its users. A place where people can keep in contact and share things with family and friends. A service you can find like-minded people with similar interests in groups. And it includes a messaging application where you can instantly chat with anyone with whom you chose to connect.
Of course I’m describing Facebook, right? Wrong. I’m talking about AOL. Yes your grandma’s AOL.
It’s not that much of a secret that the idea of a “behind the fence” or “gated” internet community was first manifested by that old dinosaur AOL, and is what in part inspired Mark Zuckerberg to do the same. It’s also apparent that the old AOL “away” message is the antecedent of the Facebook status update.