Marketing Category

I’m constantly going on about stock photos and why they should be avoided as much as possible. Fair Trade Photographer has written a great post which illustrates the point perfectly. From it:

Companies need to think more carefully about the images they use. I suspect many businesses are unaware that the photos their designer has sold them are spread a-dime-a-dozen across the web. There is a good reason that microstock’s original catchphrase was “the designer’s dirty little secret”.

Well worth a read.

I’ve been on a bit of a de-cluttering spree recently. One of the areas I de-cluttered was my skincare and make-up. I then did some research and went and bought a whole lot of new items suitable for my (more mature) skin. Pretty much everything was ordered online and in one of the parcels I was given a gift of an eye shadow. During the checkout I was able to select from 3 colours so I picked as best I could.

All my products have arrived and I really love them all. Yes I know I’m a trite anal but I do appreciate good packaging and lovely products. In fact my husband laughs at me because I often keep product boxes. Anyway the eye shadow arrived and it’s a good brand and a nice product. But I don’t wear that colour. Ever. So it sits there. And I constantly move it as it’s in my way and I can see it’s becoming clutter. Sure it was nice of the company to give me a free gift but truly I don’t value it. It’s become a weight around my neck (ok perhaps that’s a bit dramatic but you get what I mean).

So I’ve made the decision to turf it. And it’s made me wonder how much we really do value free. After the initial excitement has worn off do we still perceive the product or service the same way? I suspect not.

I’ve blogged before about how important it is to use professional photographs on your website. In fact I can’t emphasise enough how strongly I feel about this. That said the photographs must accurately reflect what you are selling. If your products are crappy then perhaps you should do something about them instead of just putting gorgeous photos online.

Unfortunately I’m talking about this from experience. I recently bought something for my son online. The product photographs looked great so I ordered with confidence only to be bitterly disappointed when the package arrived. They had obviously used a professional photographer, which was great, but the product was nothing like the photographs.

Having your products or service photographed professionally is the best way to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward but whatever you do take a step back and make sure what you’re selling is as good as what we’re seeing.

I clicked on an AdWord this morning only to be taken to a 404 error page. I wonder how much the business paid for that click?? One of the beauties of Google AdWords is the fact that you can control your campaign so minutely. Got enough business for the day? Pause your campaigns. Need more enquiries or sales? Increase your budget. So if your website is being re-designed or is coming soon for heavens sake pause your AdWords campaign so you’re not paying for nothing.

Here are some more common AdWords mistakes that really shouldn’t happen:

• The landing page has nothing to do with the ad I clicked on.
• The item being advertised is out of stock.
• The business doesn’t deliver to my location.
• There’s no reference to the special promoted in the ad.

As I often say the key to your online success is to test, test and test again. Don’t just put it up there and forget about it. Monitor and track your campaigns and make adjustments as circumstances require.

There are many ways to promote your products online, engage with your audience and collect information about them. A fantastic example is the How Do You Like Your Vegemite promotion currently being run in Australia.

Vegemite, if you don’t already know, is an Aussie institution that no one outside of Australia seems to get. It’s a concentrated yeast extract that Australians can’t get enough of. Eating it is almost a religious experience.

As we all seem to eat it differently, Kraft have run with that by creating the first ever Vegemite Census, and asking people how they eat their Vegemite. They collect profile information and offer participants the chance to subscribe to forums to discuss Vegemite.

I love it! And I am a cynical old marketer. The thing is Aussies are passionate about their Vegemite and Kraft have turned this into a great way to engage with their customers and collect data about them.

Are you doing all you can to engage with your customers? Perhaps it’s time to think outside the box and look at ways of encouraging your customers to participate in a conversation with you.