In trying to setup a multi-attribution model, I need to select a view-thru window for display ads. How do I determine how long a view should be considered before no longer giving it credit? Similarly, if a visitor comes to the site via a click, how long do I give the marketing source that drove the click credit? How do I setup a test to determine what the view window and click windows should be when trying to attribute success to various marketing channels?

By default Google Adwords is set to a 30 day click window, how do I determine if I should us a different window, or if 30 days is the proper time-frame for attribution. Should the window for a click be different for a Google PPC search vs. a display click? Is there a good way to determine what the view and click windows should be for various channels when trying to determine an attribution model?

I made this mock website for McCarters Bar & Grill. A great local bar that is lacking a web presence. I went over to the bar today and mentioned the site to the owners. It would be great if they would like to use it!

With the huge increase in the influence of the internet on marketing, the way marketers target their customers is rapidly changing. As a marketing student, it was often taught that the terminology and wording with which we target customers can have a significant impact on branding. Has the internet changed the importance of a carefully structured message? Or, has that carefully structured message simply changed to become one that is structured around internet marketing instead of brand image and traditional marketing tactics?

It is clear that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a large role in marketing. One main component to SEO is doing proper keyword research and then optimizing the content based on select keywords with a high potential return on investment. This process often results in long tail terms with a great likelihood of top rankings for the effort put forth in optimization and link building.

What happens however, when the keywords you need to target go against tradition and go against brand image? Do you change your messaging strategy as a whole to adapt to the new keywords? Do you create new content and optimize that content online for the newly discovered keywords, leaving your traditional marketing alone to help maintain brand image?

How important is it that you optimize your site for the right keyword? Well, the answer likely depends on your industry and the various keywords you are targeting.

Using one of Googles Keyword tools I did a few queries comparing some traditional terms you would likely use in a campaign vs terms that have higher search volume and may go against your messaging strategy.

Cheap Shoes Vs. Discount Shoes

When comparing the keyword cheap shoes and discount shoes, it is clear that there are significantly more searches for cheap shoes with a relatively equal level of competition for the term. Which keywords would you use on your website?

Let’s take a look at another example.

Used Cars Vs. Preowned Cars

Car Dealerships across the country have transitioned their “used car lot” to a preowned, or even certified preowned lot. Clearly, people are still looking for used cars. When designing a website for a car dealership, should your page listing used cars be optimized for “used cars” or should it be optimized for “preowned cars.” If you answered used cars, would you then go and make your marketing message consistent and adjust all of your campaigns to reflect this “used car” messaging? Does the type of car you are selling change your messaging?

How about Cheap Cars?

As a car dealer or manufacturer do you want to optimize your site for the term “cheap cars”? How does optimizing for the words “cheap cars” impact your overall brand image? A Google search for cheap cars results in an Acura sponsored link, as well as Google noting “brands for cheap cars: Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan.”

Would you want your brand listed? Is an Acura really a cheap car? How does Acura targeting the keyword “cheap cars” impact the perception of their brand?
Are the 550,000 monthly searches for the term cheap cars worth optimizing for? Or would ranking first for the word “cheap cars” lower your overall brand image?

At this point you start to get into the economics of the issue. Will I sell enough cars as a result of the exposure to compensate for the reduced brand image?

Lets Step away from Brand Value

What about something such as TV vs Television? You are an electronics store looking to sell more televisions. Do you optimize your messaging for TV or for Television? Do you use different messaging online vs in store vs print vs radio?

Search volume would indicate that term to optimize for is TV. However, is someone who is going to type out the full word television more likely to buy? If they commit to typing out the word television, are they more likely to spend more? Will you sell more TVs as a result of people coming to your website/store or will you sell more televisions?

Study the Effect of the Internet on Messaging Strategy

I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of comparisons that can be made. Have the major brands of the world done these studies? Are marketers making educated decisions when they decide to craft their messaging strategy?

I would love to work on a study to really identify the value in messaging of cheap vs discount, or TV vs Television. Grad Students, please use this idea, make it your thesis, and share the results. If I could go back to school right now and work with a company large enough to create statistically significant data to back a study like the one I have proposed, I would love to do it.

Has a study like this been done? If so please share the results!

Here is a letter I wrote to a Local PR Firm in response to a Craigslist Ad they have posted for an unpaid intern

Kelli,

I am thoroughly disappointed to find a PR firm looking to hire an Intern with a list of qualifications and responsibilities that should otherwise merit an entry level salary of at LEAST $20 per hour. As an Internet Marketer I value my craft. Being proficient in website design, email marketing, user interface design, print media creation, SEO, landing page optimization, and analytics are all aspects of my career. To find a firm that sees these skills as something they need yet assign no monetary compensation for the person executing them makes me sick.

There is clearly incredible value successfully executing all of the tactics you have listed as part of the internship responsibilities, yet you appear to see the internal value of the team member who wishes to execute these tactics at nothing? That not only devalues your firm, but the industry as a whole.

In addition to lack of respect for the industry and your interns / employees, please review the legality of the issue. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-02000&file=1171-1205 . Specifically 1194, 1197 and 1197.1

I am confident your peers share a similar disgust with unpaid internships.

As you can tell, I am very much against unpaid internships. If an employer is going to benefit from my work, I deserve compensation.
Don’t be taken advantage of.  Your skills are of value, if they don’t pay their interns who are doing their work for them, what makes you think that a job at the firm is going to provide adequate compensation after the internship is over.

Let me reiterate, if someone can get you to work for nothing for 3 months, even with some training provided, how much are you worth at the end of those 3 months? Nothing + 3 months experience??

Not compensating employees for their work is wrong and needs to end.

EDIT: Please see: http://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FLSANA/2004/2004_05_17_05FLSA_NA_internship.htm

There are hundreds of thousands of free online services, finding the right ones and using them effectively is a great way to reduce marketing and operating costs.

I am going to start by sharing one of my favorite free services. Google Apps.

What is Google Apps?

Simply put, Google Apps is the Google suite that many of you currently use (gmail, google docs, ect.) on your domain name.  Those of you familiar with the google suite of products will love Google Apps. Everything you are used to using now will work just like you are used to using it.

If Google Apps is just like Gmail why use it?

The biggest benefit to using Google Docs over Gmail is the ability to use your own domain name. The professionalism of having your email address at your domain name is a significant advantage to having your email address at someone elses domain. What does this mean? If you are a Gmail user, your email address is along the lines of username@gmail.com. If you are a Google Apps user, your email address would be more like username@domain.com.

Example:

Gmail: electricmice123@gmail.com

Google Apps: Justin123@electricmice.com

Other Benefits of Google Apps.

Google Apps integrate with the Microsoft Outlook software. So, if you are used to using outlook, you can continue to use it with Google apps as well. Syncing your email, calendar, and tasks with Google apps is another one of the many great features.

Groups. With Google Apps, you can setup groups to help email certain members within your domain. Want to email just the accounting department? you can easily setup the email group accounting@yourdomain.com and any member of the accounting group will then receive the email.

Inter-Domain Sharing. want to share your calendar, contacts, documents, ect within your company or organization? Google Makes it easy to do just that with Google apps.

If Google Apps is so great, why is it free?

The catch with Google Apps is that it is limited to 50 users before they begin to charge you. For most small businesses, this is more than enough users to maintain the free account forever.

Interested in setting up Google Apps?

I can walk you through the process, teach you how to setup the service yourself, show you some of the many features, and kick start your Google Apps experience. Or, I can setup the whole thing for you. Please Contact me if you have any Google Apps Questions. I am more than happy to help.