Getting in Bed with Gadgets [INFOGRAPHIC]

Twitter Arms Up with the Cost of Business

Changes are coming to Twitter.

Idealists hoped the day would never come--that the network with over 500 millions users wouldn't follow in the tracks of Facebook by ever hampering the openness that makes it great. They were wrong.

Posted Thursday, August 16 it was announced there are changes coming to Twitter. Nothing earthshaking to the average consumer, but for developers it could be a doozy.

Previously, in the current v1.0 of the Twitter API, developers are allowed access without authentication. The good: this allows open market access to the public's information resulting in potential innovation for startups and small businesses. The bad: this results in companies taking advantage with spamming and overuse (and for Twitter--not much opportunity for control and eventual making money).

The new changes, among other things, would require developers to:
-Request Twitter certification for applications
-Adhere to display guidelines so Twitter experience remains constant
-Work with Twitter directly if their application involves more than 1 million users

While these changes will probably not result in a massive difference to consumers, it does mark a milestone in the life of Twitter that the world of social media is all too familiar with. The growth of social networks is a circular one--capitalizing on a great idea with an open community, turning at exclusive privatization and ending in eventual collapse due to mistrust from neglect of personal information.

However, this is in no way shape or form the end for Twitter. Nor does it make what they are doing inherently wrong. They are a business (that currently makes null compared to their Facebook cousin) and for a business like Twitter to grow to keep up with their users, they need to make money. And when you have over 500 million and growing, you need more than your personal savings. The fact that it has taken this long to begin this type of restriction is admirable enough, but that doesn't mean I won't be on the lookout for the next step in the process.

Why Buying a Pool Table Doesn't Make Your Company Progressive

A few months ago I toured an agency that claimed to be a fast-paced and progressive. Offering an old service but reinvented online, it was growing fast and on the hunt for new talent. From the job description it seemed promising with values of forward-thinking and innovation. The company was full of young professionals I knew personally to be passionate about everything they did. When I arrived I was surprised to find a warehouse in a suburban cornfield. Inside, I was greeted coldly by a woman in an immense lobby with a ceiling fifteen meters tall. During the interview I discovered the position paid about the same as bank position I had held while at college, but the hours longer and the work even more monotonous. And to finish his card-carrying soliloquy, my interviewer dropped this cherry on top.

"And we have a pool table."

Upon further digging I realized all "original" content created by the agency was really regurgitated from the same sites in a list format, simply capitalizing on keyword SEO to rake in web hits. There was little to no voice in any of the articles and all followed the same rigid formatting.

Needless to say I didn't pursue the position.

While these shortsighted SEO tactics aren't unusual (read The Death of SEO) for any ad copy position, the massive gap in perception between how the company saw themselves and what they actually were baffled me. As marketers we're supposed to understand cognitive dissonance, not submit ourselves to it. I imagine the CEO scanning the front cover of the Harvard Business Review, seeing a photo of Google's office slides and thinking, "That's the ticket! Let's buy a pool table."

Being forward-thinking, creative or progressive has nothing to do with what toy you incorporate into your workplace. It acts as a statement sure, but at end of the day it's about process. Is your work environment open, passionate and encouraging of new ideas--not a manufacturing line of quota?

Numbers are important, anyone who has worked in retail knows that, but what separates a great marketer or business is the value put on innovation and eccentricity. By playing just by the numbers you play someone else's game, by incorporating creativity there are no limits to the number of ways you can win.

But enough of the bashing. Here are a few companies progressive enough for their names.

Uber
In two years this San Fran taxi startup has swept across the United States and into western Europe. Streamlining the industry with a smartphone application, this business prides itself on superb customer service and possessing more personality than a clown car. When confronted with conflicting laws in Washington D.C., Uber launched a social media campaign so successful that it resulted in their service being exempted from current taxi laws regarding minimum fares. Also during National Ice Cream Month they launched a campaign in seven major cities where users could summon an ice cream truck on demand. Talk about Uber delicious.

Haberman Modern Storytellers
Don't let my previous agency bashing confuse you, there are many small agencies doing amazing things. One of them is Haberman in Minneapolis, MN. Started by Fred Haberman and Sarah Bell (whose story will win you over if this small post doesn't), this agency promotes an emphasis on passion over reason. While that may not convince the bean-counters, it did convince enough Firefox users to donate the money for a full-page ad in the The New York Times for the free, open source browser in just 17 hours. Hundreds of millions of media impressions and 18 months later, Firefox is up 10 percent market share.

Red Bull
They may be large with annual sales of over four billion cans sold in more than 160 countries a year, but it's not without good reason. Red Bull's fun persona and eternal slogan has spurred the loyalty of key markets in the United States, Germany, Turkey, Japan, France and Scandinavia. Some events include Red Bull Crashed Ice, Red Bull Flugtag, Red Bull X-Fighters, Red Bull Road Rage and winning both the constructors' and drivers' Formula 1 championships.

Also in 2004, Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz helped start a charity to help fun spinal cord named Wings for Life. Oh, and if you're looking for their version of a pool table the London office incorporates ping pong meeting rooms, floating staircases, modern bar/cafe and a giant carbon slide (pictured at left).

Google
Alright, so no surprise here, but if we're talking progressive workplaces we have to at least talk about it. Setting aside the brilliant people passionate about a product changing the face of the world, Google invests in its work environment that goes being making a statement.

Decompression capsules, slides, private cabin areas, professional masseurs, a library and drawing boards that cover entire walls has made Google a legend in workplace environments. Reinventing their webpage logo everyday to remain fun and relevant their attitude and innovation has kept them above the curve in just about every market they enter.

All this led up to a paramount decision in 2010 when Google shocked the world by choosing not to censure its search results in China--the undoubtedly biggest potential money-market. Citing their reasons as not wanting to become an accessory to repression they took an immense risk which so far, has only empowered their following.

Think of other companies worth mentioning? I'd love to hear comments.

Blogging Is Like Sex: Never Fake It [INFOGRAPHIC]

Chinese Social Media: What You Need to Know

More often than not, the place with the greatest potential to learn is where you'd least expect it. And with a field like social media that thrives on freedom of speech, there is no place more apt for study than China.

Not nearly as well-documented as Twitter or Facebook due to China's closed-door policy, Chinese social networks may very well hold the future of social media due to their significant size and sheer consuming power. The difficult part however is the differences in content-sharing.

Strength in Numbers
According to The Realtime Report as of April 6, 2012 just between China's top three social networks (Tencent's Qzone, Sina Weibo and Renren) there are over 970 million profiles--that's over three times the population of the United States. And these profiles are more active than any other country.

According to a survey from McKinsey & Company, 91 percent of Chinese correspondents said they visited a social media site in the last sixth months, a question that only resulted in 67 percent in the United States and 30 percent in Japan.

Content Sharing
Due to government censorship, the Chinese people hold a significant distrust of large institutions. Instead, word-of-mouth and in turn social media, have taken the lead as public authority. But since even social media are monitored in China--and topics such as politics or world events are kept at bay--consumer gossip and viral media run rampant.

In a study from HP Labs in Palo Alto, California this difference is compared between China's Sina Weibo and Twitter. They found trends exclusively follow media content surrounding jokes, images and videos while Twitter revolves more around world events and news stories.

This could prove beneficial for social media platforms but difficult for advertisers. It would not be outlandish to suspect new more underhanded methods of advertising to be on the horizon as advertisers try to distance themselves from their institutional persona. Needless to say the platforms will want to pander to these deep-pockets as well but if it is similiar to what we are beginning to see from Facebook we know public opinion can shift quick if privacy expectations are not met.

Fortunately there is one constant that crosses all social media studies--the desire to connect. From China's enthusiasm for online dating to their high mobile population, they echo the same emphasis on connectedness and outreach found in every wired country. The only question is how and when that potential goes worldwide.

The Networks to Watch
Mashable lists the top five Chinese social networks to watch.
1. Sina Weibo
This microblog platform houses more than 22% of the online Chinese population and is a major driver in social discourse and consumer activity.
2. Renren
A profile network more similar to Facebook, it began like its American cousin thriving with students and is now branching out to over 147 million users.
3. Tencent
Built on the QQ Instant Messaging service, this platform uses multiple platforms to house the largest Chinese community in terms of sheer registered users. Responsible for Qzone where over 500 million users write blogs and share pictures and music.
4. Douban
A bit more high brow for those inclined to review movies, music and books, Douban's strengths lie in their open format allowing 80% of all site content to be available for non-registered users and their high volume of 80 million registered users per month.
5. Wechat
More than 69% of the Chinese population accesses the Internet from a mobile device. That makes this voice and text app with constantly growing features a platform to watch in the war for Chinese mobile.

The Value of Apple [INFOGRAPHIC]

Amazing infographic by Statista about the value of Apple in the marketplace.

What It Means to Have Klout

"What is your Klout score?" This could very likely be an interview question asked by your next potential employer. While the San Francisco start-up that measures social media influence has been heavily criticized by public personas such as President Barack Obama to American author John Scalzi, it is becoming a new qualification for those working in marketing and social media.

What is Klout?

Klout is a application built to measure a person's influence across all social media platforms. Currently including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare, YouTube, Instagram, Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, Last.fm and Flickr, it compiles all posts, comments and shares into an algorithm that gives you a score from 1 to 100. And if you work in social media, you better hope you land somewhere toward the top.

In an article from Wired, they tell the story of Sam Florella--a fifteen-year consultant who had worked with major brands such as AOL, Ford and Kraft. During his interview at a large Toronto marketing agency they requested his Klout score. He admitted he didn't know what that even was. So, they pulled up the website and discovered across his social networks he had a Klout score of 34. The interview didn't last long after that.

Klout is also being used by retailers. According that same article from Wired, the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas had clerks look up customer's Klout scores upon check in last summer and high scorers received instant upgrades. After the so called "Klout experiment" the Palms went from being 17th-largest in social networking among Las Vegas casinos to third on Facebook and one of the highest among Klout users.

And this is just the beginning. In February, Salesforce.com introduced a service to monitor client Klout scores. A service that undoubtedly could result in quicker and more personal attention to those with higher social media presence.

Criticisms
As mentioned before, Klout is not without its critics. Not only for the method of breaking down complex online networks into one simple number but also for its societal effect. By quantifying these interactions many consider it a devaluation of human interaction. British author Charles Stross in his blog calls Klout "the Internet equivelant of herpes." Another author, this time American John Scalzi, considers Klout to be "socially evil."

While quantifying someone's influence may seem a bit barbaric, it is the business of measurable social media. And this business pays. In many ways Klout is merely identifying people we already knew to exist--opinion leaders--and the easier to find them, the easier to use them (or become them). So quit tweaking with your resume and open a browser. It's time to check your Klout score.

The Benefits of Bilinguals in Advertising

Curious as to what other professionals had to say about the importance of learning another language, I asked this question to a pool of copywriters and social media marketers:

"As a copywriter, how important is it to you to learn another language? And if you do know another language, do you often market it to potential employers?"

Here are their responses.

Alex, copywriter in Miami, United States
In my experience, learning a second language taught me a lot about the first, and gave me a lot of access to information that's not available otherwise. Also, there is several types of copywriting work that involve translation or transcreation (which is what I do on a daily basis). Nowadays, it's very common to create sites, web campaigns and content for more than one market, or language, and specially for freelancers.

So, depending on your clients, it would be a really good added value to have more than one language in your portfolio of services.

Nick, independent editing professional in London, United Kingdom
I speak fluent French, would never attempt to write copy in French, but I have frequently been asked to take a translated piece, look at the original French and put the English version into better 'copy', which often means finding a way of saying something that accurately reflects the original writers intention but which cannot be literally translated.

Jill, copywriter in Sydney, Australia
I have a degree in French, then a career in marketing before specialising in copywriting. Studying another language gives you much greater insight into how your own language is constructed. I would never try to write copy in French but would love the opportunity to create English copy from a French text. Travel overseas also broadens your perspective on life which is always handy as a copywriter.

Sean, copywriter in London, United Kingdom
I wouldn't say it is essential but it certainly is beneficial and can reap many rewards, not to mention quality of life personally. Like other answers have said, learning Italian taught me a lot about how English everyday mannerisms in London had gotten in the way of communicating a clear, direct message. Learning a second, third or fourth language had a very odd way of increasing your appreciation for your mother-tongue!

The Death of SEO and the Rise of Quality Content

While an important component of any marketing campaign, Search Engine Optimization has long felt like catching bees with honey.

As the initial step in a growth cycle it makes sense that search engines assumed keywords linked to relevant content. Unfortunately this idea has become saturated with advertisers using black-hat techniques to cloak their lack of content with repetitive phrasing and blatant link schemes. In the past Google has taken a hole-patching approach with updates called Panda to down-rank websites that downgraded user experience. If this doesn't sound innovative enough to be Google, you'd be correct because it turns out they were just buying time.

The Google Penguin Release

With the Google Penguin release announced in April 2012, the concept of SEO as becoming obsolete was confirmed. Search engines are getting smarter and their algorithms more complex. Keywords will no doubt remain an important asset but the Penguin release marks an important shift in perspective marketers from cheating the system to producing quality content.
So how does this new algorithm work? In Forbes, Ken Krogue puts it best.

"Google used to think if you linked to someone on the Internet they must have valuable content. Now Google seems to believe that if you promote content with social media it is more indicative of relevant content and less likely to be faked."

While this may simply lead may SEO specialists to become social media strategists it shifts new importance on social media platforms. And with social media platforms users are given more opportunity to filter and react to marketing strategies. So what is a marketer to do? Engage with quality content.

Content is King and the Metrics of Engagement

You may be able to fake content but you can't fake shares (at least not easily). Twitter and Facebook may have their fair share of fake accounts but like Google, their digital czars are getting better and better at zapping them out of existence.

And to get shared you have to be relevant, or at least interesting. In the same article by Krogue in Forbes he gives an excellent list of "14 Approaches for Generating Real Content."

1) Research important questions.
2) List good/bad examples.
3) Passionately tell a story.
4) Highlight recent trends.
5) Survey best practices.
6) Compile prove tips.
7) Point out a problem.
8) Recognize who.
9) List what.
10) Warn when.
11) Show where.
12) Debate why.
13) Demonstrate how.
14) State the so what.

In conclusion, the death of gaming the system has been marked. So choose your writers carefully, it's time to get real.

Why Social Media Isn't a Waste of Time

Selling Yourself on Social [INFOGRAPHIC]

The Future of Social Media and Getting Hired

Since the invention of social media profiles reputation has been a concern. While in college, all I heard from the previous generation of teachers, parents and administrators was, "be careful what you post or it will keep you from a job" and in some fields, "avoid it at all costs." For the February 2011 issue of Metro Magazine I even wrote about how your social media profile could incriminate you in court. We are taught discretion is the key to our success.

This is not true.

Discretion is just one step, and if it is the the key to anything it is the key to mediocrity.

To make an impact in a world as interconnected as ours, you need to stand up to speak. Generation Y has listened enough to the warnings of Generation X. They advise us as best they can but they are not fluent in instantaneous or permanent communication. Only a unique voice with something interesting to say can guarantee you success.

It is true, everyone should think about what they post before they post it. But this fear-mongering over every photo and comment posted is an oversimplification that omits the obvious fact that in the future there is going to be ass-loads of information on everyone. Employers are going to need a backhoe, not a  hand rake, to dig through potential employee's personal history.

An affluent person on social media probably has a profile on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Amazon, Spotify, CouchSurfer and if they're single perhaps a couple dating sites. The Internet is interwoven into our day-to-days lives and to show what that life is, is to make us human.

And that is who employers want to hire--a real human being--at least the ones worth working for. Only a micromanaging naysayer cares what you do on weekends (within reason). Be upstanding and be yourself. That should be your greatest selling point, not the fear of your employer figuring out who you are. Social media is the place where you can prove yourself, not discredit yourself, so blog, tweet and post away! And ditch the naysayers for whatever progressive employer has the brains to hire you.

(Please note: Politics being the obvious exception--they were doomed from the start.)

The Coffee Facts

Great infographic advocating coffee simply by giving facts.

REVIEW: DAMN GOOD ADVICE (for people with talent!) by George Louis

What if advertising books were written like an ad? Behold, George Louis' new book Damn Good Advice (for people with talent!).

It is written and illustrated like any talented ad person should--bold design, active language and fresh perspective. Lois uses excellent real world examples as well as powerful quotes from Lincoln, Picasso and of course, George Lois.

Which is the only hurdle while reading this book. There are very few people with as much ego as Lois. A fact he would neither deny or see a reason to justify. Almost all examples come back to the author. But as Lois would no doubt put it, winning is winning. Even if sometimes it is at the cost of threatening to throw yourself out a window (see #46. If all else fails, threaten to commit suicide).

But in all seriousness, once acclimated to Lois's hyperbolized ego, this book is a powerhouse of inspiration for any young professional entering the field of advertising. Funny, smart and sometimes so egotistical it makes you wince, Damn Good Advice is exactly that--a kick in the pants for any Mad Man (or woman) talented enough to read.

Why Everyone Is All About Instagram

Recently purchased by Facebook for $1 billion, Instagram has blown the fuck up. And it's only going to get bigger.

Popular for its easy-to-use filters that make any amateur photographer's shot look hip/nostalgic/whatever, Instagram capitalizes on a simpler and more mobile model of Pinterest. Incredibly app friendly, it might just provide the boost in mobile-legitimacy Facebook is so desperately lacking.

Replacing their heavily criticized Facebook Camera, Instagram not only brings a better set of photo filters but a huge following of trend setters that have been swapping shots of their cappuccinos across the world for over a year.

Now paired with the company's $100 billion and rising net worth, there's no doubt we can expect a bigger following, more photoshopping tools and more Instagram use in social media marketing.

A great example of how businesses can use Instagram in social media strategy is Spyhouse Coffee in Minneapolis. Staging a competition through Instagram, they've set up a panel of judges (assumably baristas) to choose a winner each week from submitted shots of their stores. Each week there's a different theme; submitters simply follow these three guidelines.

1) Submitters must follow @Spyhousecoffee.
2) Each submitter can only submit one image each week per theme.
3) Entries must be public and submitters must be local.

Simple content paired with open-submission design. It's brilliant. And it's practically free. Welcome Instagrammers, to the future (now available in more than just sepia tone).

The Rise of Mobile

According to Forrester Research, between 2008 and 2011 the number of adults that accessed the Internet from PCs daily rose from 54 percent to 62 percent. During that same amount of time the percentage of daily mobile Internet users rose from 4 to 26 percent. There is no denying mobile is the way of the future.

But what does it mean? And how does that affect marketing?

Right now, formatting websites and apps to fit mobile devices has become the lucrative business for all tech savvy personnel. With writing code becoming more and more obsolete with the rise of easy-to-build websites with software and websites like WordPress, Weebly or whatever, smart designers and back-end developers are led to enter a more fertile frontier.

On top of that, social media sites are going to change. Many pundits are declaring the move to mobile as the death of Facebook. Why? Facebook cannot offer the same advertising, branding or games that it can on its PC version. They are struggling to evolve where new social media can innovate anew.

And social media isn't even the big picture. ALL ad driven websites face future limitations on mobile. If current predictions are true, and the general public begins to use mobile as their main source of Internet access (the same way people replaced their home phones with cellphones in the '00s), restrictive data plans will begin to displace online advertising. And with restrictions on the majority of online users, where will advertisers turn? Television? Podcast? A new, better ad friendly form of social media? Only time will tell.

But not to worry, not all is daunting. With the rise of mobile comes a complete rise of client information. If mobile networks fully capitalize on information gathering and sell it to businesses/marketers, they could make the once unprecedented niche marketing of Facebook look like a block phone at a Steve Job's iPhone Fair. The potential for geomarketing would be enormous and through studying potential customer's behavior patterns, mobile could turn out to be best thing to ever happen to marketing.

Why Ad People Are Not Normal [INFOGRAPHIC]

Hilarious infographic from Co.Create on the different social media perspectives between an ad person and a "normal" person.

Three Social Costs Worth Your Money

While social media may be free, there are a few expenses worth splurging on to improve the exposure or image of your business.

1. Purchase a worthwhile tool. Yes, there are many free tools such as Hoot Suite and Timely that can schedule your posts and add multiple accounts, but that isn't what you're paying for. If you're looking to understand where your followers are coming from and what their typical user behavior is, you need analytics--a feature many free tools do not include. Also there are powerful search options in tools such as Tweet Adder in which a business can locate users by location, profile description or keywords. This tool can also compile and export lists of potential followers, stagger your following of them and unfollow those your don't follow you back.

2. Advertise on social media sites. Target marketing has never been so easy. With social media profiles containing such in-depth information about their users and their user base reaching into the billions, advertising on social media sites should be a no brainer.

3. Hire a specialist. If you want to get serious about your business's social media marketing, committing to a specialist is the next step. Just because social media is free, do not be mistaken that anyone can do it or that is isn't important. It's a rapidly growing market and your commitment to that growth may determine the growth of your company. Hiring a specialist not only guarantees present social media will remain updated and customers outside of your doors will remain engaged, but also future unforeseen trends will be followed and your company's image will correspond with those changes.

Geo-Targeting, It's More than Foursquare

Geo-targeting isn't just about Foursquare. It isn't just about kitschy bargains, loyalty rewards or even becoming mayor of your local coffee shop. The big picture lies within tailoring marketing strategies on a national and international scale.

Just by knowing where someone lives, marketers can predict weather, culture, holidays, nationality, and ultimately, behavior effecting those consumers. Imagine going to Macy's website and before you can even shop, a pop-up says "It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Our store location three blocks from you has these three coats for sale." Or imagine you're a retailer located in different states and have different prices for each state. Now, those prices can change depending on the IP location. Seems simple right? Not exactly.

While it may be easy to obtain IP addresses and develop needs for this asset, to actually make it feasible is another matter. Right now, geo-targeting only identifies a site visitor's true location no more than 85% of the time (according to Geoffrey Hueter, chief technology officer at Certona Corp.). Also, geo-targeting is not the answer to everything. It should still be combined with other information companies have on their consumers to produce the most tailored results.

All-in-all, while geo-marketing isn't perfected, it is undeniably a tool for the future and retailers and marketers alike would be wise to watch its development.

How to Use Pinterest to Drive Web Traffic [INFOGRAPHIC]

Pinterest is quickly coming into its own as a social media tool to stay. Here is a really basic infographic from The Social Marketer on how to use its potential for hits (just forgive them on their misspelling of consistency).

IP Reputation and Spam Words: Why They Do or Don't Matter

For a long time, spam words have been included as a major factor in email marketing. Words such as "increase" or "free" along with all caps have been avoided at all costs. Now it turns out they may be passé as IPSs are using IP addresses are indicators of spam predictors.

Why IPs? Unlike most methods of avoiding spam filters, IP addresses cannot be forged or manipulated as easily as changing out a word on a subject line. An IP address works as a fingerprint, only it contains all your history, not just offenses. A good IP not only guarantees a better chance at delivery, but also increases speed of distribution.

How can I control it? IP addresses are measured by how many of your emails are rejected, how quickly you resend, how many people respond or report you as spam, etc. This is all measured over differing time periods as indicators of predicted performance.

The takeaway? All this translates to maintaining your database. Clean out bad emails and don't abuse your email lists. A few bad attempts won't ruin your IP, but a finger should be kept on the pulse of your reputation and the content your distributing.

Minneapolis 13th Best City for Social Media Jobs [INFOGRAPHIC]

According to City Pages this month, Minneapolis is the 13th best city in the US for social media jobs, second only in the Midwest to Chicago. Check out the infographic below to see other listed cities.

Truth About Email [INFOGRAPHIC]

Email is the workhorse of social networks. While not as trendy as Facebook or Twitter, nothing is as common currency in internet marketing as email marketing. Here are some great tips from Mashable debunking common perceptions of email tendency.

Infographic by Mashable

QR Codes: Are They Feasible?

Last week a client told our marketing agency they wanted a QR code on the front of a promotional packet to divvy out to potential business partners. They wanted it big, across the front cover, so that it even out-shadowed their name. We were hesitant, but said sure and asked where they would like it to lead.

QR Tipping: Photo by Cream Global

"What do you mean lead?" they asked. "It goes somewhere?"

The misunderstanding above is just one example of how the QR code is way ahead of its tipping point of being feasible. The simple truth is the majority of people don't fully understand them. Most people recognize it as a symbol of the future--a scrambled barcode that if stamped on their company, equates to being cutting edge and tech-savvy. What they don't understand is how still in most cases, it makes more sense to list a website or possible even a phone number.

For a QR code to be successful, a marketer has to understand that people are accessing it from mobile devices and therefore, the website the code is being linked to must be mobile-friendly. By failing to understand this, marketers could send their client's customers to a faulty webpage with crappy formatting and barely legible links and text.

It should also be warned that a large number of the general population do not understand how to use QR codes. Many phones need an app to take advantage of them, and when used takes them to the app and then the webpage, hardly making it any more convenient than punching in a website.

Another point to consider is what exactly is the point of using a QR code. If a client wants to use it as a flashy demonstration of technology, fine, but they should not depend on their potential customer's knowledge of aptitude in technology to know their company's contact information.

None of this is to say that QR codes are useless. Unlike the barcode that just carries information in horizontal patterns, QR codes carry vast amounts of information through multiple directions. It is important to remember they were first invented in manufacturing for purposes not too different from barcodes and while their use is expanding, so is the website and mobile technology to catch up with it. It is no doubt that the tipping point of QR feasibility is fast approaching. It's just not here yet.

Engage, Engage, Engage: How to Build Facebook Clout

Everyone wants to use Facebook to build their company's influence, but how do you build a network of followers that are invested enough to interact with your company on a day-to-day basis? Traditional marketing would say sell, sell, sell but in an digital world where people have to choose to follow or like a company in order to be solicited by it, a company needs to have something more.

Direct potential followers. No one is going to stumble upon your Facebook page by themselves. Link websites, newsletters, emails and any digital material with the Like This feature or Facebook web address.

Produce engaging content. Think for your audience. What's in it for them? Know what's interesting and don't get caught up in what you or your company think is interesting. Incorporate callouts from your audience for advice, feedback or stories. Have personality, pay attention to peak posting hours and post multiple times a day.

Provide incentive. Promotions are excellent tools in building a following. Have a contest, survey or drawing from those who follow you. Offer to donate a dollar for every follower to a particular charity. While usually not sustainable to do consistently, fishing with a tangible incentive should be the hook that leads potential followers on a line of quality content.

Network online and off. Let the boundaries between online and off merge. If you hold events or do business with other companies, interact with them on Facebook. Like their page, write on their wall, cross-pollenate between audiences.

Stay consistent, post often and maintain a non-sales persona that allows third party posters to advocate on your behalf. In the end, the natural personality of your company will develop as well as a database of well-informed advocates.

[INFOGRAPHIC] Psychology of Color

Infographics have never been bigger. They're beautiful, branded and as sharable as a box of Mike and Ikes.

Check out this one on the Psychology of Color by NowSourcing.

[VIDEO] FYO on Brand Recognition

Awesome video from LADDesign about a five-year-old's aptitude for brand recognition.

Online Videos and Personality

In a time when internet videos pervade the Internet like pimples on a preteens face, its hard to know what works and what's worthwhile. Recently KISSmetrics came out with a great article on "How to Create Your Own Promo Video for Under $100." The article does a great job outlining how to produce a quality explainer video for any business--simplicity and brevity being key.

1. Write script. Like all marketing material, content is king, make sure your script is engaging, articulate and includes a call to action. Also don't forget to pay attention to SEO with titles and other keywords.
2. Record voiceover. Use a quality USB microphone (between $100-150) in an echo-free space.
3. Create visuals. Beforehand, the storyboard should be planned out visually. If you don't have the talent for someone to create a video in Illustrator or Flash, don't forget about screen captures, live video, doodles on a scanner and stock images/videos that can be purchased online.
4. Edit video. Possible software to work with include Adobe After Effects, iMovie, ScreenFlow, Powerpoint and Carntasia.
5. Add music and SFX. Only use music with a proper license for unrestricted web use. Royalty-free tracks range from $15-30 and includes sites such as Premium Beat, Audio Jungle and IB Audio.
6. Publish. Export in high definition whenever possible (MPE-4 format). As mentioned before, pay attention to SEO when writing title, tags and description.

While it's a great launch point for any small business, especially one without a marketing firm, an explainer video runs the risk of being a bit formulaic and it should be noted as not the only option. The point of any marketing video, like in any form of advertising, is to show what you have that your competition doesn't. Sometimes that can be as simple as personality. Checkout how simple this concept can be from Indeed Brewing Company, a new beer brewing company in Northeast Minneapolis.


Introducing Indeed Brewing Company from Indeed Brewing Company on Vimeo.