Nerds should love Marketing and Advertising

Marketing and Advertising are scientific pursuits

Technologists (that means nerds) usually are afraid of marketing, advertising and sales. In fact, they normally are mentally grouped together, and avoided as much as possible. Sometimes they are not even seen as a necessary evil, but something hideous and otherworldly to be avoided at all costs!

Well, I'm a somewhat advanced nerd, but advertising and marketing are simply fascinating and all technologists would agree if they had some basic facts (let's leave sales out of it - I don't understand sales):

Marketing and advertising are extremely scientific.

It's all about the scientific method - i.e. experimentation.

That's right, it's all trial and error. You try something and see if it works. If it doesn't work, you try something else. If it works, you try to make it work better. If you can't make it work better today, maybe you can tomorrow, or maybe it stops working as well.

The experimentation never stops - it can't. What works today, e.g. advertisements, promotions, etc., might not work tomorrow. Sometimes minor changes, like minor ad word or color changes, can have big effects. It's never over - you keep experimenting and tweaking.

Book Review: "Grassroots Marketing" by Shel Horowitz

Grassroots Marketing, Getting Noticed in a Noisy World

I bought this book after hearing Shel speak in one of Dan Janal's Great Teleseminars. He came off as extremely knowledgeable, very down to earth, and hype-free. So is the book - I was not disappointed.

In my opinion, this is a "friendly" textbook on marketing ALL small businesses, consultants, etc. should read, and certainly applicable to big biz as well. It answered questions I never knew I had. There was information I could use IMMEDIATELY! For example, I went back and made minor yet significant edits to my (very few) Press Releases right away.

Let's step back for a few minutes, I know very little about marketing despite having run my own business for 15+ years. I never paid attention to marketing, sales, or much of anything but my core competencies - what I was getting paid for as a consultant. Yeah, I've been "lucky," but don't want to count on luck anymore. Besides, I've suddenly decided I'm interested in marketing - it's sooooo scientific. I'm serious - it's all trial and error, truly scientific principles and methods. But there are some basic principles I lacked, and this book taught those well.

I understood some advanced marketing issues and techniques very well, as I've been studying marketing the last few months out of interest and curiosity, but I lacked most basics. It's like understanding advanced calculus and topology, but not being able to add and subtract reliably. This book taught those basics. I should have read it 15 years ago, had it been published then! I still lack experience in most marketing areas, but now at least I have a "clue."

In my first pass I read the topics that interested me with extreme interest. For example, I have, or thought I had, zero use for "Yellow Pages" ads as just one example. I was wrong. I've read this book cover to cover a few times and keep getting more value - and actionable information. It's been on my nightstand now for months and I often read a random section before retiring at night.

If there is a downside, it's that the Internet section is somewhat out of date. That is no surprise as the Internet is evolving rapidly and the book is copyright 2000, but I still think it would be the perfect primer for the uninitiated. Hey, I'm a 25 year Internet veteran and I learned things!

I've read (and reviewed here on TheTedRap.com) quite a few great books in the past year or so. This is one of the best! You can purchase it directly from Shel's website.

I've just got Shel's latest book, Principled Profit, and it's on my reading short list. You may also want to check out Shel's Good Business blog.

Bottom line: Grassroots Marketing, highly recommended.

Google WiFi - Free Internet for the Masses?

Google- free Internet via WiFi rumored

Some truth and some rumor: Google already has a free WiFi hotspot in San Francisco's Union Square. That means free high speed Internet if you have a computer with wireless capabilities. This free Internet is supposedly sponsored or co-sponsored by a company called Feeva. Feeva is into free Internet bigtime, and Google and Feeva are collaborating. Feeva thinks access should be free, but not everything on the Internet should be. Just like air is free, but life is expensive. Do you get that? I think I do.

The rumor part: Google wants to provide free wireless access all over the place. Blanket major metropolises for a start. As they have a big financial war chest, they probably can. Why would they do that? Hmmmm. There must some long term economic reason. Maybe they want to deliver Google Ads to everyone that uses the free Internet? It's not so far fetched - supposedly Feeva has technology that allows determining a WiFi users location, so very targeted ads could be delivered ("Eat at Joes, only 50 feet down the street").

Also, Business 2.0 claims Google is building a national broadband network. This would be an awfully convenient thing to have if trying to blanket the US/World/Galaxy with Google controlled Internet, free or otherwise. It would also save on the very substantial sums (millions monthly) Google currently pays the Telcos for their Internet traffic.

Google has more, like Google Secure Access ( in Beta now), which makes WiFi more secure. Basically in encrypts WiFi data instead of letting things float around in the air in plain text (think email accounts and passwords for instance). Not just free WiFi, free secure WiFi.

If someone has to take over the (Internet) world, I guess Google isn't a bad choice. Hey Google, can we have free cellphones too?

I imagine requesting free beer would be out of the question?

Writing Is A Master Marketing Skill

This originally started as a comment to Duct Tape Marketing's Post "Writing Is A Master Marketing Skill," but their extremely un-user friendly comment system has led me to post it here!

I'm not a great writer. Not long ago I was a bad writer, despite advanced degrees, Ivy League education, and a prestigious prep school. My writing, in a word, sucked!

What's changed? I've started writing more often. I blog almost daily. I've started a newsletter, I write articles, and am working on a book. I get others to read my drafts and comment on them - as critically as possible.

It's taken a while, but my writing is infinitely better and my clients have noticed. One client recently said he looks forward to my reports now and enjoys them, instead of just reading them for factual material. One long term friend and client recently commented that "your writing doesn't suck big time anymore like almost everyone else's."

Writing is like exercise. It's painful at first but it gets better. After a while you both start enjoying it, and people notice a difference. That difference can translate to more money.

Under New Management

No, not The Ted Rap. The Ted Rap is still under no management, meaning that it's still me, Ted.

But I stopped at a store today that proudly/loudly exclaimed, "Under New Management." So did a restaurant I went to last week. They were both the same as before. My sandwich was the same as before. The coffee unchanged. The newspaper seemed no better under new management than under the old management. Service identical. The "New Management" was, in my somewhat disinterested opinion, neither important nor visible.

Why put up an "Under New Management" sign??

• Do customers care?
• Is it to lure back ex-customers who were somehow alienated by the previous management or their practices?
• Maybe people thought, "that place could be great but the management sucks?"

I don't know. But something in me says that often it's a vanity issue for the "New Management"
(there's New Management in town - take notice!!).

Sometimes I sure it's done because, well, everyone else does it.

How often does an "Under New Management" sign actually matter? Increase business? Get old customers back? I doubt often, but am admittedly no expert on the issue.

Any "Under New Management" experts out there?

Free Blogging Teleseminar with Ted on Thursday

Free Teleseminar: How Consultants, Authors, Speakers, and Small Businesses should Blog to Increase Profits

I'll be joining Dan Janal and Great Teleseminars this Thursday, 22 September 2005 at 2-3PM EDT (that's East Coast USA time) for a telephone seminar on Business Blogging. It's 100% free, and there will be some time for questions and answers as well.

You do need to register however, at http://snipurl.com/blogseminar in order to receive telephone dial in details.

Some of the things Dan and I will discuss include:

1) How would you describe a blog? What is it?
2) What's the big deal? Why is the media and everyone else all over blogging?
3) The results I've gotten.
4) What are ways blogs can help us?
5) OK, Someone starts a blog. How do you get people to read it? How do you popularize it?
6) Any rules or guidelines for successful blogs and blogging?
7) Seems like a lot of work -– any ideas for easily generating blog content?
8) Essential defensive blogging strategies ALL companies must take.
9) RSS Feeds - what they are and what they do for us?
10) What's the quickest way to start a blog.

For anyone that misses it, transcipts and audio copies will be available at http://www.prleads.com/club-blog.htm for a few drachmas.

Google Blog Search Review

Google Blog Search not the Ultimate Blog Search tool

I have mixed feelings about the new Google Blog Search!

It's very fast, and I'm hoping it will prove itself to be great at returning great relevant results. Google excels at relevant results, and that's the default for Google Blog Search! In contrast, the Technorati and Feedster search engines default to returning results by date.

Today, quite simply you need to use more than one search engine as they all return differing results. Google Blog Search for example returned one reference to my blog all the other's missed - no surprise. Also Google Blog Search doesn't return all the results other Engines do.

Google Blog Search is an RSS and Atom feed search engine. It DOES NOT search the text of blogs themselves. It is important to realize however that not all blogs have their entire posts in their RSS or Atom feeds. Some may have only post titles or partial text, which will limit what is found.

Also RSS and Atom feeds only contain relatively recent information - so don't expect Google Blog Search to find anything from months or years ago (see RSS and Atom Feeds Explained for a quick primer).

Summary: Google Blog Search is a good Blog search engine, but it will complement, not replace, my use of Technorati, Feedster, Blogdigger, and others.

UC Berkeley: Personal Data on Laptops

No Effective Security Policy at UC Berkeley?

A stolen laptop that contained personal info of almost 100,000 California university applicants and students, including social security numbers, has been recovered, reports Reuters. That data should NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ON A LAPTOP.

Many, perhaps most, organizations do a horrible job in protecting people's private information - actually ALL information!

Technology alone is no solution. The data had been allegedly encrypted on the laptop, but my 12 year old nephew probably have accessed it.

Computer/Information Security is a process. It includes:

Security Policy, Procedures, & Technologies.

Companies need a written plan and guidelines, typically called "Security Policy," which everyone should know about and follow. All Companies should have a Security Policy which describes, among other things, how different information is protected. EVERYONE should be required to read and sign this short info security policy document including the CEO, executives, etc.

Procedures are step by step directions for doing things specified by the policy. The policy might say "update anti-virus protection daily," and procedures would describe how.

There should have been Security Policy that did not allow this personal data on (easily stolen) laptops! Maybe there was, but policies also need to audit and enforce compliance to be effective.

This is NOT rocket science, and this loss of personal data is INEXCUSABLE. Yes I'm SHOUTING!! I'm mad when I see such incredible incompetence!!!!!

That said, security is never perfect! It's never absolute.OK, I've calmed down.
Like the bumper sticker says,

"Security Events Occur"

Seth Godin's free "Knock Knock" e-Book

Seth Godin on Websites that Work - "Knock Knock" e-book

"Knock Knock" click here to download

I need to read this again. It's Seth's incomplete guide to building a website that works. By works he means sells things. Is my site designed to sell things - is that even what I want? Good questions.

Yeah, I'd like it to sell speeches, consulting, and training. But people don't buy those based on a website. So the best I can do is get prospects to the next step. What's that?

Maybe reading this blog (hopefully regularly)? Perhaps signing up for my securITy newsletter if they're security dudes or dudettes or someone who needs a computer/information security knowledgeable person who's human and reasonable (some of us aren't - security people get a bad rap because of this!). Or maybe going to my keynotes page or articles page. Seth would say WAY too many choices, at least from the "home page."

But then again, he doesn't believe in home pages? I gotta read this again.

Interesting and entertaining even if you don't have a website and don't want to sell something from your non-existent website.

This is the first Seth Godin free e-book in a series of three (two released so far).
Click here for part two, "Who's There?" Yes, I'm reading them out of order!

Seth Godin: Who's There? - free e-book

Seth Godin's "Who's There?" is a free ebook available here

I’m definitely a Seth fan – he is my favorite bald celebrity, now that Telly Savalas (Kojak) is unfortunately not with us anymore. I suggest everyone get Seth’s new (free) ebook “Who’s There?” – well worth the read.

“Who’s there?” is a 45 pages of classic Seth Godin. Seth talks about Seth-Godin-type stuff, like why small is better than big (more responsive, etc), why blogs matter, and more.

And as a brief intro to his book, Seth has a unique yet valid categorization of blogs. He says there are 3 type of blogs: Cat blogs, Boss blogs, and Viral blogs

Cat blogs: These are personal idiosyncratic blogs, that probably no one will want to read unless they know the author. But then again, people watch stupid sitcoms on TV, so some Cat blogs are very popular.

A typical Cat blog post:

I didn’t want to shave this morning because I’m feeling a little depressed. It might be because my wife’s doc took her off her medication and she’s now nuts and driving me nuts too. My shrink insisted I can’t leave her until she adjusts to being off the meds or her doc has her start back up. Or maybe because I ate so much and blew my diet last weekend – which incidentally gave me HORRIBLE gas all Sat and Sun. Man I really stunk up my kids school play, but my wife’s so whacko and there was a dog in the play too that no one noticed it was me – I think. The smell even bothered me! The play sucked too, except for my son, the dog, and my son’s teacher who is just so hot the little boys would be excited if they weren’t little boys!

Although maybe amusing, do we really want to read this unless we know the author? And if we know who wrote it, even really well, do we really want such detail?? Probably not!

Boss blogs: These are blogs for people working together. Blogs can be amazing tools for communication among a team. They’re often NOT accessible via the Internet but just a corporate intranet.

A typical Boss blog post:

I have a great idea for the Gregory Peccary advertising compaign. Actually, my wife Samantha came up with it. It involves a large inflatable mascot – probably of some cute furry animal. My daughter Tabitha loves it, and she does represent our target demographic. If you remember Larry, Mr. Peccary himself said small furry animals are nice. I'd like to discuss this approach at our Monday morning meeting if we can . . .

Useless, unless you're on the team or closely associated with it (or the competition).

Viral bogs: Viral blogs are blogs that want to spread ideas. Bloggers have thoughts and opinions and use their blogs to promote their ideas. Most people think of Viral blogs when they think of blogs.

A typical Viral blog post:

I just tried an XYZ widget for the first time and must admit I’m starting to understand what all the buzz is about. XYZ users, although maybe small in number, are so amazingly loyal. This is such a great product! It simultaneously helped me lose weight, made me smarter, less bald, more attractive to the opposite sex, and shined my shoes.

More importantly, it great in the personalization category. These people really customize the user experience, and maybe with just a few more tweaks will conquer the world, or at least Starbucks. This is a release 1.0 product after all . . .

“Who’s There” is the second Seth Godin e-book in a series of three, The first, “Knock Knock,” I haven’t read yet, and the third is due soon. Check out sethgodin.com for details (click on his bald head for his blog).

Hmmm, I guess all blogs are part “Cat blog” - even Seth's . . .

Phishing Scams: Survey - Crooks targeting you

Phishing– Awareness

I'’m in the midst of a Phishing Survey. I'’m interviewing ordinary people, asking them if they know what phishing is, and if the fear of phishing scams has changed their online habits at all.

Phishing: people trying get your personal details such as credit card details, account/usernames & passwords, and social security numbers through subterfuge. For example an email claiming to be from your bank asking you to reconfirm your account/password/etc -– this is ALWAYS a Phishing Scam!

Phishing is RAMPANT. I get several phishing emails a day. The people sending these are criminals trying to steal your money or identity, just burglars and bank robbers.

Basically, almost no one knows what phishing is, despite massive press about phishing (e.g., one gentleman when surveyed immediate pulled out TWO newspapers that had articles that day about phishing scams). Those that do know about phishing haven'’t changed their online habits!

Despite few people knowing what phishing was, it was clear that most people are very wary about doing business on the Internet. Reasonable levels of paranoia seem to common. Some people were clearly clueless though, thinking it was no big deal if someone got their personal info! Also, many people who claimed they had heard of phishing thought it had something to do with the band "“Phish"” -– I a’m serious!

I concentrated on surveying ordinary people, trying to get an overall picture of the awareness of phishing. I surveyed doctors, lawyers, plumbers, sandwich-makers, students, sailors, repairmen, random people on the street, even annoying telemarketers ("answer my questions first") etc. The only people excluded were people I knew worked in the Computer Field.

Check out the Anti-Phishing Workgroup for more information on Phishing. And yes, I do think it'’s a stupid name!

The survey is ongoing in the US, as well as Asia-Pacific. Results are due in Oct. and will be announced in here, in The Ted Rap Blog, as well as in the SecurITy Newsletter.

businessbloggingbook.com

I bought a new domain name yesterday! businessbloggingbook.com
It just redirects to my home page for now.

I plan to use it for my forthcoming book "Business Blogging," but with my luck the publisher will change the title on me:) Publishers have control over the title, as they probably should, as they have more experience and can conduct market research into what kind of title people will like.

Today I'm writing about "Search Engine Optimization" for blogs. The basic idea is to structure things slightly so that the search engines like them and send you traffic. It includes things like having good descriptive titles for your posts, getting other websites/blogs to link to you, etc. etc.

The number one thing for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is: (drum roll please) "Write Good Stuff!" Number two should be don't obsess over it . . .

I wonder how much most bloggers think about SEO??

The running of the tomatoes

I've heard of the Running of The Bulls, even almost went once. It's dangerous - people get gored and trampled sometimes.

I wonder if this "Running of the Tomatoes" is intended as a safe replacement? Many of the people even put on goggles before the tomatoes start flying !


I think I'd like it better if more women were involved. Picture seems like all male tomatoes

Lance Armstrong, drug testing, old urine

The Timesonline has an article on how scientists testing "old urine," vintage 1999, allegedly found Lance Armstrong used the banned substance EPO. Testing techniques have apparently improved since 1999.

Bruce Schneier has some interesting comments here from the security perspective, and I'll add mine too:

This has implications potentially beyond sports - employees are often drug tested as well. Would an employer have legal recourse if they found an employee used illegal drugs years ago? Do the have the right to even store old urine?

I always refuse on principle to give urine samples, and AM occasionally asked by clients. My principles are for sale however! On several occasions I have offered to "sell my urine" for US$5,000 per vial.

Hey, it's mine! No takers so far. BTW, my urine should test "clean," except for an abundance of caffeine which is legal as far as I know.

Hmmm, 1999, a very good year for urine I'm told.

Problogger earns over US$100K in a year

Darren Rowse, who writes problogger.net, reports making more than US$100,000 blogging in the last 12 months! Way to go dude! He used Google AdSense well as a few other advertising and affiliate programs.

I ran across his blog, which I hadn't seen in quite a while, while doing research for my forthcoming book "Business Blogging," with co-author and all around good guy Shel Holtz. Some people seem offended that a blogger is making money blogging. Certainly not me; he's making money and seems to be having fun doing it.

BTW, the focus of "Business Blogging" is not on how to make money from a blog, although we do cover that. Instead, it's on how businesses can effectively make use of blogosphere and includes monitoring blogs, using blogs to communicate with external and internal audiences, and a lot more.

I guess getting paid for blogging making you a "pro" blogger. I'll admit I earn a few coins from Google ads (emphasis on "few" AND "coins"). If I was making thousands of dollars a month from ads, I don't think that would cheapen my blog however.

Dissenting opinions or agreements?

Red Cross Needs Hams in Hurricane Area, Coast Guard too

From today's Wall Street journal:

"The Red Cross issued a request for about 500 amateur radio operators -- known as 'hams' -- for the 260 shelters it is erecting in the area. The American Radio Relay League, a national association of ham-radio operators, has been deluged with requests to find people in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for hams to help with its relief efforts."

The A-Team Reborn

Remember The "A-Team" - Mister T et al?
Convicted of a crime they didn't commit, they escaped from a military Prison and survived in the LA underground as soldiers of fortune??

I just came Across DFMM.org, "Part of The Problem since 2000"

"In 2000, a crack dot-com commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. They promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Pasadena underground. Today, still unwanted by the Internet, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the DFMM."

What would Mister T think??

While pondering this question, here's a picture of Nancy Reagan on Mister T's lap. Yes, it's real. From some charity event a few years back.

More importantly, what do you think?

New Improved DVD formats incompatible?

According to Reuters and other sources, we may have a new DVD format that holds more data soon. Unfortunately we may have TWO INCOMPATIBLE formats!

Sounds like Beta versus VHS again. Anyone remember videotape??

Now we have "Blu-ray" and "HD-DVD."

The Bozos, errr, players:
Blu-ray: Sony, Dell, HP, Apple, etc.
HD-DVD:Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, etc.

Incidently, DVDs have "been the fastest-adopted technology in consumer electronics history."

Blogger staying ahead of media??

It's tough for the media to keep up with millions of bloggers, i.e. "Citizen reporters."

Especially when many bloggers are experts on the fields they blog about and live in those fields everyday. Reporters on the other hand, often report on things they are NOT experts on or intimately involved in - and I must say in general do a GREAT job.

Steve Rubel wrote about this recently in Bloggers Stay One Step Ahead of CNET

Katrina Comm Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to help with Katrina Emergency communications as communications with many areas is sparse to non-existent.

Licensed and Equipped Ham radio operators can volunteer at Hurricane Katrina Disaster Communications Volunteer Registration & Message Traffic Database.

I'm sure there are and will be opportunities for others to help as well, with their time as well as money.

The following taken verbatim from The Daily DX, a Ham Radio newsletter:

And this was found on "The Post-Searchlight" Web site - "The age of cell phones, satellites, computers and wireless access have not eliminated the need and importance of Amateur Radio (HAM) in times of emergency. When landlines, cell towers, satellite dishes are down or destroyed, dedicated Amateur Radio folk can often provide the only communications links to isolated areas. It may be old, but it's still reliable. Makes one wonder about the decommissioning of lighthouses and visual navigation and piloting aids, as well." - Sam Griffin, Jr. Editor and Publisher