Great new marketing ideas still happen, especially online.

Amazon has a website www.windowshop.com. Its a sort of virtual bookstore shop window. But with the capabilities of the web utilized to the max.

If you zoom in on an album cover, you hear an excerpt. If you zoom in on a book cover, you see and hear an excerpt from the text.

Like a shop window, they change it once a week. And of course, you can just click and add it to your Amazon shopping cart.

Brilliant!

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 09:06 AM | Permalink

There's an easy and free way to get started blogging.

That is with Blogger, another one of Google's fine and free services.

If you create a blog on their hosting platform, Blogspot, it doesn't cost a thing, and they make it really easy to get started.

Later, you can host a blog elsewhere or add it to your website, even use different blogging software, and do it in such a way you don't lose your existing posts, nor lose any links to your blog.

It's a great way to get your feet wet in the world of blogging.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 01:28 PM | Permalink

Believe it or not, the FIRST question to answer in deciding whether to do a blog is:

Am I going to have fun doing this?

There's a very simple reason for that. If it isn't fun, you aren't going to do that. We seen this clearly over the years. It is just one of those things. It doesn't matter how good an idea it is, it just isn't going to happen otherwise.

Part of that is making sure it is easy to do. And that means don't start out with overly ambitious goals.

You want to get into the habit of regular blogging, the emphasis being on regular - not on any certain frequency. Whether you do one post a week, a day, or multiple postings over the course of the day, don't try and force it, but start out easy so you keep doing it.

You can always work up into more frequent and more sophisticated posts (with attachments, pictures, links, etc.) as you get more into it.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 10:18 AM | Permalink

I first noticed the emerging phenomenon of blogging about 5 years ago. I predicted it would become a huge medium of communication, and I was right.

These days, most people have the idea blogging is a good thing. But not everyone knows how to get started, what are the pitfalls, or even WHY you should.

Actually we might start out by telling you what a blog is, just in case:

Blog is short for "weblog." It is an online journal. The development of blogging software, most notably by Blogger, is what made this a practical, anyone-can-do-it activity.

Blogging software lets you type in a post, or blog, possibly add links to other websites, quote from other websites, add pictures, files, even sound bites or video, and put it up on your blog.... all just as easily as emailing.

You can get started blogging for free, and in minutes. But should you? And for what purpose?

Stay tuned.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 10:18 AM | Permalink

Everyone wants great search engine rankings for their website.

It has become the Holy Grail of marketing. Put up a website, get high Google rankings, get a lot of visitors to your website - get rich.

Now the first thing to know about this is it can be done. There are a lot of people who HAVE gotten rich off the Internet.

The second thing to know is that it isn't necesarily a realistic goal. Depending on what you are selling, there could be a lot of smart people investing a lot of money into getting high rankings for the same search terms you would like to appear under.

Can you AFFORD to compete with them?

You'd best answer this question before you count on Internet Marketing to replace your lost 401K.

Again, a lot of times the answer is yes. But a lot of times it is no. If you are attempting to sell a local product or service, the answer is almost always yes. Someone looking for a Dentist is not looking for someone 1000 miles away. So you are competing against a lot fewer websites.

There's another question: What will getting those high rankings accomplish? Sometimes all you're getting is a big piece of a very small pie.

So how do you answer these questions? I'll talk more about that soon.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 09:39 AM | Permalink

If you watch or read The News you know that:

We are all going to die.

It is the end of the world as we know it.

We are already deep in a recession.

We are about to enter another Great Depression.

It is hopeless if (McCain)(Obama) is elected (you pick 'em).

Well, since it is All Black, you might as well enjoy a last fling and try doing some real marketing.

Actually, on survey of our clients, NOT ONE of them is noticing any serious adverse effects from the current economic scene.

We have heard comments that because the unemployment rate is up, it is easier to find, hire and retain qualified competent employees at a reasaonable wage. Some have noticed a bit of a slowdown.

So what do you do when faced with a slowdown?

YOU MARKET.

SO, if you looking for some unsolicited, gratuitous advice:

1. Review all your marketing efforts to weed out what is effective from what isn't.

2. Shift budget away from what isn't working or fix it.

3. Take the money you are saving on personnel and increase your overall marketing budget.

4. Or rob the piggy bank or max out your credit cards to increase your marketing effort.

5. BE ALERT FOR OPPORTUNITIES!

You know, of course, that some people became wealthy during the great depression? So even if that is what is going on here (and it almost certainly isn't), there's no reason to despair. Unless, that is, you'd rather be able to tell your grandchildren some day how your life was ruined by the (Republican)(Democrat) politicians (you pick) and that's why they don't get no Christmas present this year.

You're welcome.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 03:41 PM | Permalink