We built a new channel for The Consulting Bench.
Also added new videos to Anchor Advisors
If Melissa Bean had listened to e-Conversation Solutions, would she have won the election?
January 9th, 2011Melissa Bean represented the 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She lost the election in November by less than 300 votes. There was a sense that Bean did not take the competition very seriously.
In April, we did an analysis of Twitter (see below). We noted to the Bean team that the best defense is a good offense. Indeed offered Bean our video solution at a very attractive prices. No Takers.
Bean did have a YouTube channel. Less than 3000 views. Although she did post somewhat often, the channel as laid out looked like she had not done anything for 6 months before the election. Bean had a Facebook presence. Posted about once a month.
Think of all the Questions that were asked of Bean in 6 months before the election. Internet Answers could have given her a presence and insured visibility to counter the “Dump Bean” folks. Additionally, monitoring the negative comments could have helped create strategies to better position the candidate.
Likely this would have turned at least 300 voters.
In October, I talked to Bean at a press conference in Chicago. She noted that she had to spend the rest of the day at lunches, teas and house meetings. Given the workload of a member of Congress, spending a bit less time at lunches and a bit more time on line can be a win/win for public figures.
4 Tips to integrate QR codes & video into your trade show marketing
January 2nd, 2011Here are a few tips to help maximize the use of your trade show experience in 2011.
First, as electronic as we get, we still use print to share information. Think about adding a QR code to your business card. Then linking that QR code to a video or video rich web experience. When your prospect gets back to the hotel, whose card is going to get looked at first?
Also, if you are going to have brochures or advertise in a show magazine, think about integrating QR codes into the presentation. Here is an example of a QR code used by Costco in one of their magazines.
Second, if you are doing a presentation, put a QR link or video into your presentation.
Third, make a name tag that your booth visitors can scan.
Fourth, capture your show experience on video. Think about the questions and answers that come up at the show. How you create an experience that lives on after the trade show. Something that you can use as a second touch with prospects and customers, or for those who could not make it. Link that video back to a QR code you distributed at the show. Here is a clip we did with Honeywell.
When using QR codes, it is important to plan what you are linking to. Make sure your link is smartphone friendly Additionally, if you have the space, suggest to the reader ways to download readers etc.
What is a QR Code? Linking e-content & print
December 22nd, 2010I wrote this for Small Biz Chicago. Reposted here.
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What’s a QR code? How to use new 2-D barcodes to link print with the Internet
By Mark Goodman, Guest columnist
What is this 2-D Barcode? How are businesses using it to link print content with their Internet strategies?
Have you ever seen a barcode like the one shown below? In the parlance of the Internet, they are QR codes.
A QR code, which links to the e-Conversation Portfolio page.
These two dimensional representatives of data were invented by a Toyota subsidiary, wanting to better track automotive parts in the mid-1990s. As smartphones became more prevalent, they were adapted to link print to some type of URL.
You may have first seen a QR code in a magazine. I first saw one in a golf magazine in Hawaii a few months ago. Then I started to notice them in fashion and travel publications. A month later, the codes were visible in such publications as Time, National Geographic, Chicago Tribune, etc.
So, what kind of content was linked to QR codes? As it turned out, the codes were linked to a variety of media applications. A fashion line linked to a video that showed behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. A hair dryer went to a set of slides that provided more information on how the device functioned. The Chicago Tribune linked the movie review section to the film critic’s video review. The Chevy Dealers of Chicago offered a link to a dealer locator.
But print publications are not the only place for a QR code. A direct mail piece from a local hospital included a QR code linked to registration for an e-newsletter. A rental property included a QR code linking to a more information on the available apartment. A restaurant put a QR code on the door linked to reviews of the restaurant on Google. A nonprofit is featuring QR codes in its brochure as a bonus for higher level sponsorship.
What are some tips for using QR codes? Here’s a few to consider:
Think about what to link to: Videos and mobile friendly websites work best. A video allows for the viewer to take the next step in getting to know you. Plus, it does not require the viewer to do anything else other than just press “play.”
- Try out the link on your smartphone before you put it in print. Make sure that the link works well and that the experience on a small screen is reasonable. One of National Geographic‘s QR Codes linked with a very hard-to-read website. Then, when you hit the link in the middle of the site, an iPhone went to a Flash site that it could not read.
- Lastly, include a little piece explaining how to access a QR code reader.
When creating content, consider how it can be used across various media. At e-Conversation Solutions, our process focuses on the questions that your customers and prospects are asking you. Take those questions and answers and make them part of the dialogue that you have with your community. Ask a question with a QR code, then answer it in your link.
Remember that a QR code requires a smartphone. Smartphones are the fasted growing category of mobile devices, and they are catching on rapidly among business owners. Still, you won’t reach everyone. But even among those who don’t use smartphones, if nothing else, a QR code will surely start a conversation.
Special thanks to:
Ann Meyer
QR Code Series Part 2: Standards battles
October 20th, 2010
Mark Goodman
If you couldn’t already tell, we really like QR codes. They are a great way to link your print campaign to the e-content world. You can scan the code with your smartphone and it links you directly to web content.
They are a perfect way to get your print readers to a short video showcasing your expertise…. consider this one that links to one of our videos on creating an e-network:
But, these are also QR codes. They require different readers….
So, why so many?
I have been through standards battles before. When something new comes out, there are choices. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. Some choices are visible to users, such as VHS vs. Beta; or your choice in various video game players. Others are invisible, like GSM vs. CDMA.
I am not going to discuss the advantages of each QR code option. While it may be frustrating to you as a user, (you will have to download several readers to fully take advantage of the technology) have some patience. Premature selection of a standard can create a solution that may have ongoing issues. One example is WiFi.
For many years, the Motorola engineers fought the idea of people using WiFi for voice. In reality, the standard worked well for data, but not voice. But, it was the standard and became ubiquitous. Companies like (SKYPE, Vonage etc) had to figure out a way to make it work.
We will see what happens. We may evolve into a standard; a viewer may be created that will read all of the different codes or you as the user will have to continue to manage the diversity. For now, the most important task for users is to get involved. There is nothing like a robust market demand to help “make it work”.
