The 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing Blog

Facts About The Digital Boomer May 2, 2011 – 4:34 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Generalizations are often made about the baby boomers.  They are fearful of technology. They do not have the energy or memory skills to successfully navigate the blurry technological advancement of our time.  Parents just don’t understand has been a running phrase etched in our skulls.    

This piece from Direct Marketing News, however, tells us a different story.  This generation makes up 26% of the current population according to the U.S. Census Bureau for a total of 79 million Americans.  They also hold several of the most powerful positions in our global marketplace. Some luminaries include Paul Allen and the President among others, who manage 50% of the country’s discretionary spending.  They feel that the interactive marketing community is ignoring them, and want retribution.

As the writer Anthony Franco asks us, how do we engage this demographic who have such depth of influence? Everything must be kept simple.  Your online advertising campaigns must carry a simple message with clear direction of your business objectives. Your blog or email newsletter can alert your key customers of news updates. Daily tips can be released by the real-time channel, depending on response rates.  Social media portals like Twitter and video sharing sites work great when the message correlates with the product.  Your blog should also have a link that goes straight to customer service for troubleshooting. A labyrinthe website with useless landing pages can really hurt your impression with this demographic. Then the sales do not flow into your business.

Baby boomers will spend time reviewing your site if they know that assistance is available. Web developers must design applications to match behavioral patterns of their customer.  Links with partnerships are always good if your website does not have the answer.

Like any marketer, being prescient is the key to optimizing strategy.  A good website rich in keywords does not hurt either.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Email Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing Agencies, Mobile Applications, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business, Social Media Marketing, web development | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, new york interactive marketing agency, online advertising agency nyc, small business agency new york

Volkswagen and LinkedIn Drive With Der Passat April 27, 2011 – 3:29 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

LinkedIn has gained traction with recruiters and industry professionals who want a more mature social media experience. In fact, the Dutch have really embraced the B2B web portal, with a growth of 70% in visitor traffic from last year. The company has also filed documents with the SEC to enter the public marketplace.

The company has also integrated several web applications into its platform to reach across channels.  Marketers are catching on, and Volkswagen recently teamed up with them to promote its new Passat in those same Netherlands.  ViralBlog goes into greater depth to show the ingenuity of this new campaign, paralleling the depth of the Passat’s features with the depths of LinkedIn’s user experience.  The campaign is titled “LinkedUIt” and spurs competition between users in your network tree.  At the moment, I’m unclear if they will develop a campaign in the States.  If no such opportunity exists, then web developers ought to create one.  LinkedIn savants may frown upon the integration of games, especially with branding sponsorship into the architecture, but business is competition and competition is job #1.   It’s a fun, lively game that gets conversation rolling between connections. Here is a video demonstration.

Volkswagen Linkeduit – Concept from Fethi Uluak on Vimeo.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Small Business, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, linkedin marketing, linkedin news, social media marketing agency

Social Media And The Good Cause, by Rohini Bhaskar April 22, 2011 – 8:21 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

From retailers, restaurants and news channels, to the entertainment industry and presidential elections, social media has been one of the largest mediums of communication. With everyone having a digital avatar today, even nonprofits and charitable organizations are now employing creative ways to make an impact on society and ensure that their online presence is felt.

Following are some of the most effective social media campaigns that have been launched.

Invisible Children:

Invisible Children is a charity organization that films videos and documentaries of the plight of children affected by war in Africa and who have been forced to become child soldiers. The organization has employed Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and their own video channels extensively to reach out to the youth in America to help put an end to such a situation. Their marketing model has been – social media with some real physical action, i.e. the videos were promoted on social media sites to organize hundreds of student rallies across America. The campaign saw extreme success which got President Obama to sign a law to reduce child soldiering.

Timberland Earthkeepers Virtual Forest App:

Timberland is the designer of outdoor gear for men and women since three generations. They have created the Timberland Earthkeepers app on Facebook that encourages facebook users to plant virtual trees. The earlier version of the app was released in 2008 and was extremely successful in helping plant over 1 million trees in China, Haiti and Nepal. In the newer version, for every 5 virtual trees planted, Timberland plants one real tree and now they are committed to planting over 3000 trees in Haiti. Their social media campaign via this facebook app has been highly effective in reaching out to those who are environment conscious and want to contribute to saving the earth.

To Write Love On Her Arms:

TWLOHA is a nonprofit organization whose vision is to provide hope and help for people suffering from depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Their motto is to encourage and empathize with people, provide facts, helpline numbers and other useful information via blogs and social media platforms. Their belief is “there is hope” and “rescue is possible”.TWLOHA stepped into the world of social media through MySpace. Today they are very active on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr and are utilizing these platforms to spread their messages, and let people know about their speeches in universities and churches. Through these strong social media efforts, they have responded to more than 150,000 people from 40 countries in four years.

It is a marvel to see how these social media campaigns created by nonprofits and other organizations have been powerful in touching and changing the lives of people, our earth and our environment.  They provide a template for initiating discussion, encouraging activity and democratic independence.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, direct marketing agency nyc, rohini bhaskar, social media agency nyc

Loopt Q Spins Around In San Francisco Today, The Nation Later April 21, 2011 – 2:51 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

The Bay Area is the tech hub of our nation, as we know.  The titans like Facebook get involved with the presidential administration. Startup companies like Loopt reside in the background, innovating for the present and future.  They had a strong outreach at the SXSW Interactive Festival in March, and the emergence continues with the Q application.

Loopt is a geolocal mobile application which pulls your friend list from Facebook and posts their whereabouts in real-time. Founder Sam Altman envisioned the mobile application as a hybrid of Yelp and Foursquare’s mission statements.   This article from ReadWriteWeb has a clear example of the applications’ benefits.  You are in an unfamiliar neighborhood and looking for Mediterranean food.  You can type in a simple query about their price range, cuisine region, and get feedback updated in real-time.  You also get the location with contact data.  Loopt Q’s most intriquing feature is the answer interface.  Your results come in a simple graph form that is an aggregated index in constant regeneration.

I find the potential intriguing in that it seems to cut through the clutter of information that many mobile applications provide on a static level. Foursquare has an option to leave tips about destinations, but I don’t feel that feature is very popular. Users tend to simply check in, make a benign statement, and enjoy their experience. Loopt differentiates by engaging the opinion of a user which instantly provides value to others.  

Sharon Howell, the manager of corporate communications for Loopt, has this update for all users, “One note on the information above. Qs will live within the existing Loopt app — so no need to search for a new application. If you download the latest Loopt today, you’ll get a notification when the new release (complete with our new Qs feature) comes out.”
Here’s a video discussing the virtues.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Small Business, Social Media Marketing | 1 Comment »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, Mobile Applications, mobile marketing agency nyc, new york interactive marketing agency, online advertising news, social media marketing new york

Avinash Kausik Answers Your Questions on Web Analytics April 13, 2011 – 3:00 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Avinash Kausik has developed a cult following in the embryonic, mysterious world of website analytics.  He writes on his personal blog about the difference between web reporting and web analysis. Some of the snapshots are displays of nominal web figures that can be pushed into an Excel sheet and coded to personal preferences. Another snapshot gives keener insight that will help configure custom reports. Secondly, the analysis will mention the proper methodology needed to improve business ROI. Kausik argues that these demonstrative recommendations are key to the differentiation. As we’ve said in the space, solid analytics with an optimized toolkit will bring the best out of your CRM integrations.

Casual users looking to understand this growing marketing pillar would do well to watch this episode with sidekick Nick Mihailovski.  The duo host their webisodes online at Google Analytics, a trusted source of internet metrics for Blueliner Marketing. The video is lengthy, so block some time out to give it your undivided attention.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Marketing, Small Business, Website Analytics | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, web analytics, web analytics agency india, web analytics agency new york

Text Fundraising For Philanthropy Smarties April 13, 2011 – 10:15 am				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Larger philanthropical organizations have utilized mobile marketing to solicit donors from a wide reach of demographics. The outreach has been evident for disaster relief efforts in Haiti and Japan.  Millennials prefer to contribute online, at a clip of 58% in this article.  As I wrote yesterday, their preference for human connection is evident.  Look at the statistics for text donations, released by a survey of Millennial Donors conducted by several firms.  6% of millennials donated by text. The article also states that 85% must trust the organization’s mission and leadership before committing to the cause.

I bring up millennials again because fundraising through text messages has been a fruitful strategy. Some experiences have not been the greatest, but that is the nature of business. Millennials have the dedication to make a diversified impact when attuned and their economic potential is vast.

As a former fundraiser, the objective is to lead those new donors along a path of sustained giving. The goal is achieved through fundamental exercises of engagement coupled with response to feedback.  Like any strategy, text messaging is a tool, but the entire box must be used.

In this video from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Network For Good COO Katya Andresen offers her advice on building an effective online campaign. Speaking of fundraisers, click on the Red Cross Japan tent to donate. The people were victims of yet more earthquakes over the past week.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Small Business, Social Media Marketing, Video Sharing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, chronicle of philanthropy, digital marketing agency nyc, nonprofit news, online marketing strategy, philanthropy fundraising strategy

Weekly Blueliner Newsminer: April Fool’s Edition April 1, 2011 – 6:02 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

We’re here with another edition of the Weekly Blueliner Newsminer. Let us begin.

1.  Google Labs Launches Page Slowdown

You wondered why it took so long. Google is finally launching a tool that can only be used on a propietary level.  The page slowdown will present an analytics report that offers irrelevant data to your user experience.  Envious of Apple dictating proprietary standards, Google decided to set policy of their own to undifferentiate themselves. Consumers now have the flexibility to buy whatever they want without fear of harrasment.

2.  Portable PC Is 60 Years Old Today

The first portable computer was designed in Oakland on this day today. Dubbed the Ozwaldo 3 after its creator, Miguel Ozwaldo, the portable PC was obsolete from the beginning.  It had a plethora of web applications for word proccessing. A digital calculator also helped you take even longer to balance your checkbook.  Despite all these features, carrying around your computer was already in vogue.  Handheld calculators had enough memory storage capability to hold critical programs. Who knew?

3.  iPad 2 Will Be Carried In 7-Eleven Stores Starting May 1

Apple called a surprise press conference this morning to announce that starting on May 1, the innovative tablet will be carried in 7-Eleven stores nationwide starting at $247.50.   Apple management was worried that Verizon’s portfolio of both Android and Apple consumer products will cut shared profit margins. Rather than wait for two quarters to pass, Apple struck a deal with the fast service chain.  The first 2,000 iPad buyers will receive a free $50 gift card for Slurpees.  iPads will not be available at 7-Eleven stores with gasoline service nor in Wyoming, Alaska, or Hawaii.  When reached for comment, a Verizon spokesman declined.

4. Bronx Zoo Cobra Is In The Catskills

The city had one eye looking to the side when breaking news stated that an Egyptian cobra escaped the Bronx Zoo this week.  He became an instant star. He slithered through venerable social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.  His handle @BronxZoosCobra gained nearly 229, 000 followers in two days. The guy even made a real connection with Ryan Seacrest. Until he realized that Seacrest does not shut up.  After a few days of alleyways, he crawled north to the Catskill Mountains. Supposedly, he has a squeeze who threatened him with a vicious tongue.

5.  Acer Calls Bluff To Board of Directors; Franci Gains A Raise

After people realized that they were a longtime producer of inferior desktop personal computers, the Acer Board of Directors changed their mind. CEO Gianfranco Lanci will actually receive a raise and capital to engineer a portfolio of consumer products that can challenge in the flooded mobile marketplace.  Their strong relationships with chip producers like Qualcomm should assist with this new strategy.  Acer executives will also raise prices to fair market value.  This would annoy some loyal customers, but will convince new customers of the line quality, spurring long term profit margin growth.  Once that pipe dream is achieved, Acer will fill for Chapter 11 by 2013.

That’s the Blue news comedy this week. Stay warm this evening.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business, Social Media Marketing, Video Sharing, web development, Website Design | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, new york interactive marketing agency, web marketing agency new york, weekly blueliner newsminer

Weekly Blueliner Newsminer March 25, 2011 – 4:44 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

We begin another edition of the Weekly Blueliner Newsminer right now….

1.  AT&T Makes A Bid To Purchase T-Mobile

I’ve spoken in the blog about this deal on Monday. Everyone else in the city has thoughts about it too. I summed up the deal in layman’s terms with a friend yesterday evening.  It’s like buying a BMW 300 series from 1995.  Your friends will be impressed when they hear about it in conversation. They aren’t privy, however, to the amount of maintenance and upgrades required for the car to run at a supreme level.  T-Mobile was a subsidiary of Deutsch Telkom, based in Germany.  They have had popular campaigns, especially with the NBA. I have never subscribed to their service. I would be on the island of Mauritius permanently if I heard the number of times from former customers about the carrier’s network issues.  AT&T must make significant changes to the combined network if the federal government gives the deal approval a year from now.  Otherwise, Verizon will make the mobile technology sector a monopoly in no time.

2.  Color Launches; Working Quickly on Second Version

The photo-sharing application Color was released this week to lots of fanfare. Founded by Lala creator Bill Nguyen, Color’s product differentiation aims to build communities between members who are taking photographs in a certain setting. For example, you are at tonight’s Queens of the Stone Age concert in New York.  Other users in Terminal Five can see photos you have snapped of the band on your profile.  After I type that sentence, a writer from the Washington Post states an inherent application flaw.  Those users may not be your friends. They could be intruders to your privacy.  In the headline piece, Color programmers are judiciously at work on improving encryption.  The application is available for the Android and iPhone. Users, leave comments about your experiences thus far.

3.  Chip Makers Return To Work In Japan

Since the Fukishima disaster came to our newswires, people have donated their support to those victimized in Japan.  For technology professionals, we wondered about Japan’s key industry. Japan’s consumer technology sector remains a stalwart for the nation and world.  The shipment of raw materials and product distribution is starting to gain stability and return to normal.  These moments clarify the importance of energy as a means to drive innovation.  Normalcy cannot come soon enough for the factories and people.

4. Postal Regulatory Commission Debates Financial Value of Five-Day Delivery Service

I find this piece interesting from Direct Marketing News for sentimental reasons.  We have known for years that our methods of communication have changed with the advent of technology.  First Class mail used to be a primary source of revenue for the Postal Service Commission. Civilians no longer write hand-written notes. They are also not paying as many bills with paper. Postage fees are needed to transport documentation, as we know.  Some businesses which employ direct mail are not renewing their postage contracts.  Now, the commission has a huge gap of $6 billion to fill before the end of its fiscal year in October 2011. Retiree health pension payments have also been a factor.

A proposal to cut service to a five-day schedule parallel to the workweek is reportedly overestimating savings by $14B.  Those savings would bear fruit three years after the system is fully integrated into operations.  Both commissions are investigating the data to find inaccuracies, but this story bears following. Auctioneer businesses like eBay dependent on the Postal Service to fill sales transactions could be adversely affected.

5. Yahoo Releases Search Direct

Yahoo, a search pioneer eclipsed by Google, is trying everything to remain relevant in the sector. This week, they released Search Direct in a beta form.  Search Direct focuses on providing answers to query as opposed to links.  The headline article states that in providing answers, Yahoo looks to secure consumers who look across multiple devices and channels in transit.  The increase in depth of content clearly opens an opportunity for brand partnerships on many levels.  Yahoo’s Developer Network blog gives you a glimpse into the construction.  If the strategy catches on, then the Sunnyvale executives will start to yodel.

That’s the Blue news this week. Enjoy the weekend.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Digital Media, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Small Business | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, digital marketing news, weekly blueliner newsminer

Weekly Blueliner Newsminer March 18, 2011 – 5:00 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

After a week away, we return with the Blueliner Newsminer.  Let us begin.

1.  The Gray Lady Charges Online

For those who are late to the proceedings, The New York Times announced a tiered subscription structure this week for different channels.  Digital news readers have the savviness to search the headline in order to access content behind a paywall. In this piece, TechCrunch reveals that The New York Times will limit Google access to five articles a day, but allow unlimited Facebook/Twitter access to paywall content. The New York Times despite its financial issues, still has a strong following with the general public. Will they pay?

2.  GroupOn Buys Your Movie Popcorn

The headline rings especially true for New York residents who shell out up to $14 (!) for a movie ticket.  For today’s premiere of Matthew McConaughey and John Leguizamo’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Groupon partnered with Lions Gate to offer a $6 premiere ticket.  As the source article mentions, it opens up a new vacuum for theatre companies losing patrons to home entertainment. GroupOn also has primarily offered deals for restaurants and wellness centers.  It will be interesting to see whether the success of this campaign affects partnerships in those core sectors.

3.  YouTube Launches Channel for Victims to Communicate

I found this strategy not only full of ingenuity, but possibly transformative on an industry level.  According to the source piece from Mashable, YouTube has created a Missing Person Channel for victims of the earthquake in Japan.  In tandem, Google has a local page where information seekers can search for options to contribute and communicate in text form.  Truly masterful.

4.  Patent Trolling: Admen’s Kryptonite

I found this article interesting because the case could affect the behavior of agencies who wish to grow themselves on the digital front with product descriptions and video installations.  Patents, as we know them, are generally seen as a measure to innovate and channel proper energy into a mission. Some smaller companies, like Geotag, offer no products or services. In the article, they are accused of buying patents at a small price, then using their rights to sue agencies for copyright infringement.  For example, Zales was accused of creating a store locator application too close to Geotag’s code structure.  Digital legislation is currently in the wild west in terms of copyright protection. Your next code key stroke could lead to the court room.

5.  #SXSW Saturation

Those of us in marketing know that South By’s Interactive Showcase is growing bigger by the days.  Startups small and gigantic descend onto Austin with musicians from all genres taped by filmmakers.  The headline piece laments the saturation of social media content in getting the best out of your visit.  In the same vein, he chronicles the startups on the rise.  Group messaging services like Beluga and GroupMe have been popular, according to the piece, with Facebook recently acquiring Beluga. The acquisition will integrate data mined from your personal profile and content specifications. Basically, Beluga is a newborn of Facebook on the mobile platform with more opportunity for network segmentation.  GroupMe, on the same level. The segmentation of social media is becoming so fine that someone is going to make a phone call from the booth.

That’s the Blue News for now.  Have a lovely weekend.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business, Social Media Marketing, Video Sharing, web development | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, new york interactive marketing agency, weekly blueliner newsminer

For Jumio, Cash is Poor March 18, 2011 – 3:00 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Jumio is building steam in Silicon Valley.  Currently, in the startup stage, the firm received a $6 million dollar investment from Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.  Jumio professes to be a company that will render cash irrelevant through a service of online payments for minor transactions.  The website has little to present other than an introductory video about the service and its revolutionary proclamations.  Time will tell if the service catches on in a growing marketplace of online payment systems with multiple channels.  Mobile marketers want to bring a digital wallet to the forefront despite customer concerns about security encryption.  If Jumio gains credibility with prominent investors like Saverin, they could burn cash for good.

Jumio The End of Cash from Jumio Inc. on Vimeo.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, eCommerce, Small Business | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, ecommerce news, facebook news, jumio, web marketing new york