Get With the Program

Posted on October 11, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

DON’T HOTEL CHIEFS REALIZE that the one of the most endearing qualities of the Internet is its ability to provide affordable and efficient mobile solutions for modern communicators? Why are so many hotels, and especially 4 and 5 star chains charging such high rates to access the Internet? Prices for Internet access in hotels currently range between 9 and 30 US dollars. C’mon! It’s time for these rogue hoteliers to understand that Internet access should be a value-added service for their customers and not a revenue stream for themselves. Any good hotel will have access for their online sales and marketing channels, regardless of whether guests use the connection or not. An Hotel’s business is beds, not bytes.

GET WITH THE PROGRAM GUYS! And go wireless while you’re at it!

If you’re a hotelier, read about how travelers are becoming upset by this practice: NY Times: Resentment Flares Over Fees for Internet Access at Hotels (You might need to register to read NY Times full articles.)

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Newspapers Cut Out Jobs in Print

Posted on October 10, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

IF YOU STEP BACK FROM THE MADNESS for a moment, you’ll actually be able to see evolution progressing before your eyes. Seriously, this doesn’t happen too often. Normally, evolution occurs at a snail’s pace and we don’t often get the opportunity to actually see it in action. But take a look at what’s happening today, and you’ll get a good glimpse. Newspapers all over the world are letting staff with pencils behind their ears go as they reinvent themselves online.

One of the latest casualties of this medium shift is the Philadelphia Inquirer, who had to reduce it’s workforce by 15% last month. What is happening? Don’t people read newspapers anymore? Well, yes; but more and more are reading them online! And advertisers, who pay the newsroom salaries, fully comprehend the shift of their market from traditional print to online content. The Ford Motor Company estimates that 80 percent of their customers are shopping online today, many even arranging test drives over the Internet.

Because of this online shift, Ford has allocated 30 percent of its $1 Billion advertising budget to non-traditional media, with half of that going directly online. “With the explosion of broadband, it makes more sense for us to continue to increase our spend where we can find our customers,” said Linda Perry-Lube, Ford car communications manager.

David Verklin, CEO of Carat Americas, predicts that advertisers will spend 15 to 20 percent of their budgets on the Internet in the next 3 years, up from 5 to 8 percent.

This is exciting stuff! To witness evolution with your own eyes, start by reading At Newspapers, Some Clipping

*The NY Times might require registration to view full articles

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Association of National Advertisers: New Technology Tops Conference

Posted on October 10, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

THE 95TH ANNUAL conference of the Association of National Advertisers took place at the Biltmore Hotel, in Phoenix, Arizona from 6 – 9 October. More than ever before, new media technologies, email and online-related topics took center stage at the conference.

“The future isn’t coming; it’s here,” said Jerri DeVard, senior vice president for marketing and brand management at Verizon Communications. “What are you and your company doing to go beyond what you’re delivering now?” Ms. DeVard shared insights into Verizon’s new marketing mix, which was bad news for traditional advertising media channels. In the last four years, Internet spending shot up from 3 percent to 11 percent; whereas newspaper ads fell 7 percent to 18 percent and television from 33 percent to 20 percent.

With the majority of people spending more time at their computers than watching television or reading newspapers, it only makes sense that the focus shifts to advertising online and through email. For substantially less money than traditional advertising, companies can connect one-to-one with their market via email campaigns. There are just under 1 billion people using the Internet today. For online marketers, it’s like the Super Bowl, everyday!

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STUDY: Small Businesses Depend on Online Marketing

Posted on October 7, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

IN AN INTERESTING STUDY, Interland found that 96% of small and medim-sized businesses in the US use the Internet with most having high-speed connections. Of the 780 business leaders surveyed, 60% use e-mail marketing. 54% use search engine optimization, 27% use online coupons, 20% use pay-per-click advertising, 19% use blogs, 11% use podcasing and 10% use RSS feeds.

NB: Isn’t it interesting to see more using podcasts than RSS?

The attractiveness of the Internet for small business is evident in the study with 78% reporting that their business is healthier as a result, with 76% stating that their website generates leads for sales, and 82% reporting recurring monthly online revenue.

Jeffrey Stibel, CEO of Interland, said “These results demonstrate that business leaders understand the importance of the Internet, Web sites and online marketing tools and are acting on that knowledge,” “Since first introducing the Interland Small and Medium-sized Business Barometer in 2003, we have seen significant growth of businesses using online tools and offerings to attract, service and satisfy customers.”

While more and more small and medium-sized businesses are tapping in to the online market, they aren’t measuring the results consistently. To be successful with online marketing, it is essential to track your e-mail campaigns to see what’s working and what’s not working. One handy application that should be included in every e-marketers toolbox is a good e-mail tracking service, like Infacta’s GroupMetrics. With email tracking software, e-marketers will know how many people are opening their messages and what links they’re clicking on. Understanding the importance of open rates and click-through rates is essential for any businesses engaged in online marketing. Perhaps more important is understanding that these rates can be improved dramatically by measuring your campaigns regularly with email tracking services. There’s a big difference between doing something and being successful at it!

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Nobel Winner if Iran and North Korea Comply

Posted on October 7, 2005 by Tom O'Leary

CONGRATULATIONS to The International Atomic Energy Agency and its top dog, Mohamed ElBaradei for scooping this year’s Nobel Prize. The award recognized the relentless efforts of Mr. ElBaradei and the agency in limiting the spread of Atomic weapons in the world. Unfortunately, it just takes one dissident to spoil the celebration of this achievement. Great work guys!

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