Marketing Pilgrim Published: "Cup of Joe: Are You A Programmer? Or A Program?" plus 3 more

Cup of Joe: Are You A Programmer? Or A Program?
Apple Loosens the Reins on Digital Subscription Sales
When it Comes to Advice People Prefer Strangers Over Friends
Twitter Looks to Scale Ad Sales Through Automation

Cup of Joe: Are You A Programmer? Or A Program?

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:05 PM PDT

Have you noticed that things seem to be getting easier? With open source programs like WordPress you can easily start your own web site with a multitude of different features for hardly any money. With services like PayPal and Freshbooks you can invoice your clients through email. With social media we are finding new ways to engage with users. Even Google is making IT easier with Google Docs and Gmail.

As marketers and entrepreneurs this is all supposed to make us better, right? If you are Douglas Rushoff, then the answer is no. In Rushoff's book he tells us that the more you use, the more likely you are to be used. He says that if you aren't a programmer then you are part of the program. These are pretty strong words for a time when marketers are investing record amounts in one channel that is dominated by one corporation.

How many of our business decisions, are a result of the environment we operate in? Are we even aware that we have a choice? Are we being used? If so, what impact is it having on our businesses? Take for example ReferralKey. Here is a new start up that allows businesses to sign up and build a "referral network". Businesses can then offer rewards to others that send them referrals. I get around 95% of my business from referrals, so I think I can honestly say, that ReferalKey is the worst idea I have ever seen. Setting up a system that rewards individuals for referrals almost guarantees bad referrals and bad business, because the only incentive is a trivial short term reward. Last week I pitched a project to one of the largest retail chains in Europe. How did I get that kind of access? A referral, one built on trust and a good reputation.

Speaking of reputations, some in social media are starting to think that keeping a good reputation is a waste of time. How did we get to a point where we are so full of our selves that we somehow think that it doesn't matter what others think of us? See, that's what social media does, it fools/programs us into thinking that we as individuals have such a heighten value that we can forget about everyone else. Which is why we chase useless metrics, and waste time creating useless content.

When was the last time you thought, "I am not going to worry to much about SEO, or social media"? When was the last time you had a truly original thought about your marketing? I have given Apple a lot of grief in the past for ignoring social media, but maybe they are right, maybe they have realized that there are different ways of doing things. Which would make sense, after all, they are one of the programers, not the programmed.

Apple Loosens the Reins on Digital Subscription Sales

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Earlier this year, Apple launched a program that allowed digital magazine publishers to easily sell subscriptions through iTunes. Unfortunately, the deal came with some hefty restrictions that made it hard for small publishers to make a profit. Now, Apple has decided to relax the rules and in turn, will probably make more money than ever.

The original rule required publishers who used iPad or iPhone apps to sell their subscriptions through the app, giving Apple a 30% cut. Under the new rules, this is no longer a requirement.

Even harsher was a requirement stating that publishers who did sell through iTunes, couldn't offer a cheaper alternative anywhere else, including their own websites. The new rules allow publishers to set the price points any way they see fit.

Since digital magazine subscriptions are so new, there are no hard numbers for what works in regard to selling price and where it's sold. Under the new Apple rules, publishers will now be able to test a variety of scenarios to come up with the one that works for them.

Why did Apple change the rules? Surely not out of the goodness of their hearts. More likely, they realized that being a benevolent dictator was better for business than being a monopolizing tyrant.

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When it Comes to Advice People Prefer Strangers Over Friends

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT

We've all been told not to take candy from strangers, but advice is a whole different matter. According to a new report from Meebo, more than half the people surveyed went to someone they didn't know when looking for advice on the web.

Here are some of the stats:

53% of people said they want to get advice from someone who is knowledgeable about a topic, but whom they don't know.
More than a third of the population (38%) turn to anonymous sources for product and service recommendations.
41% of people would prefer to connect with "everyday experts" on travel information, whereas only 17% would turn to people they already know.
43% would turn to unknowns for recipes or cooking-related content, while only 22% would connect with people they know.

The concept of going to a stranger for advice isn't all that new. Before the internet, we sought outside experts to plan our vacations, sell our homes and decide on a new hairstyle. Relationship problems? Joe the bartender can help you out with that.

The good thing about asking strangers for advice is that the advice doesn't come with strings attached. If the DIY expert on the web suggests you paint your living room blue, you can feel free to paint it yellow. If you mother suggests blue, then you could be in for trouble if you go with a sunnier shade.

On the marketing side, setting yourself up as an expert is an excellent way to promote your brand. Search Twitter for questions on your topic then answer them for all the world to see. Run Q&A days on Facebook. Load your website with helpful articles that go beyond the scope of your product.

Here's your assignment for today, give out one tip on Facebook or Twitter. Something that will help the reader feel, look, or do something better. It will only take a moment and it will come back to you two-fold.

Twitter Looks to Scale Ad Sales Through Automation

Posted: 10 Jun 2011 11:03 AM PDT

Big business in the Internet space is all about scale. How a business can effectively reach scale without losing its shirt is a pretty obvious indicator of their ability to succeed moving forward. Why do you think there was so much hand wringing over the Groupon numbers recently? Scale is costing money which means they are losing money. Not good.

Well, Twitter wants to do things a little differently and it's about time. The still mythical revenue bird is getting more attention especially since Twitter and Apple are sharing a nest. So what is Twitter looking to do to pump up the revenue volume? Be just like any other Internet monolith: automate.

Mashable reports

Twitter plans to offer an automated ad-buying system for small businesses that should lead to a torrent of new advertising for the platform.

Adam Bain, Twitter's president of global revenue, says that small businesses now have to go through Twitter's sales department, which doesn't have the infrastructure to field all the requests. To meet the need, Twitter plans to roll out a turnkey ad solution "later this year," Bain tells us.

If this is truly targeted at small business it will be interesting to see just what percentage of them will respond to the self serve model. Google only expects 25% to do so (according to my sources at least) but Google also has real numbers and a long track record in place to help that along.

Twitter on the other hand is still a mostly unknown entity in the ad space. There are legitimate questions about just how many people actually use Twitter v. the number of accounts they claim to have. Advertising as a whole on Twitter is so much of a work in progress that one wonders just how much progress they have actually made.

Considering how tough it can be for Google at times to reach the SMB with its culture of online help vs. live human interaction, I would think that Twitter's road to success with the SMB will be a lot longer and much bumpier.

You get the feeling that Twitter is operating on a "if you build it they will come" attitude but I wouldn't be so sure. 200 million accounts seems like a big guest list to be sending invitations out to for advertisers but if only a small percentage of those accounts are actually using the service then that racket will be exposed 'toot sweet'.

What do you think of the real prospects for Twitter advertising? Are your customers there? Do you really even know?