I see myself as a problem solver, but even more so a puzzle solver. By this I mean putting together pieces that others may not even see as a part of a puzzle. Or other times there isn’t a puzzle to be solved and I still try to force the pieces together. That was sort of the theme for today, determining what is a puzzle and what is not? This to me sounds a lot more productive than calling everything a problem.

Let me start with an example. One of my best friends put a message on my Facebook profile pleading with me to stop blogging. He is doesn’t see the point of posting insights up on a page and I think he still views it as an online “diary”. That is ok, blogging isn’t for everyone. However, as I read his comments busting on me, it dawned on me this is a great way to come up with a clear explaination that I can present to people who don’t see the value of blogging and are quick to dismiss it. So, I am going to start sending him different points of views about how blogging is a great way to connect with customers, as well as friends and family. After, all he posted on my Facebook profile so is already on board with Social Media. Do I dare tell him his Facebook profile is essentially a blog about him? Nah, he is a smart guy he will figure it out.

Puzzle One of the day created, solution imagined, all that is left is the execution. (Bryon, you are going to love this, cheers).

Second example or puzzle of the day, my brother and I had a great conversation about the new ways people are deciding to advertises when budgets get tight and a majority of companies are turning to digital media. We came to the conclusion that there are some fundemental shifts that are going on in our industry, however the rules still apply even if the mediums change. In a nutshell, is a great image produced with oil paint any less appealing to the viewer then if it was printed on a color laser printer? To your traditionalists, yes, to a consumer, no. Here is the thing though, conversations like this are where the lines of a puzzle needing to be solved and a lot of pieces available that sound like they might be good together cross. Can you come up with one solution to this? No, there are too many variables included.

And that brings me to my point of this post, it is important to keep an open mind to all new innovations, trends and tools at your disposal, but make sure someone else’s ideas don’t become extra pieces in the puzzle you are trying to solve. Identify early if there is a puzzle to be solved and use your experience to determine this, then use everything you can to best solve the puzzle for you.

Mashable announced their Open Web Winners today, and the article mentions some of the numbers they had participate this year.

Over 100 Blog Partners have helped make this the biggest Open Web Awards to date with 50,000 total nominations, 80,000 total votes in the first round, and 90,000 votes in the final round. Our blog partners come from 25 countries and are written in 10 different languages.

I used Mashable as an example here not only because it is an informative site, but because it too has become a buzz word. Websites in the coming months needs to be re-evaluated and developed as mashed-up sites. By mashed-up, I mean put together using 3rd party social media outlets as features (widgets) along side the core site content for the company or product the site is promoting.

This is kind of a no brain-er for anyone who has been in the online world for more than a year, but what is going to be interesting is how are the social media networks going to survive offering free services? As more and more large traffic sites start relying on these free outlets, like Twitter and Facebook as their main source of customer service, who pays the hosting bills for all of this traffic?

What are the options that are available that can generate revenue for these companies, and still keep an audience that is used to free and fun? First thing that comes to mind is Advertising, but there are a number of catches to this. With the simple nature of social media networks and social widgets, the two way conversation is the key and what company would want to possibly promote other companies and products on their websites or while talking to their customers. That would be like sitting at a Chili’s and having Applebee’s sponsor all of the TV’s in the bar. (Trust me I have seen this happen).

OK, what if the social networks charge extra to have advertising free services for business users? Simple you couldn’t because there is no way to tell who is a customer and who is a business. Or are they both now?

To end my ramblings this morning, I wanted to put this thought out there. As the next few month unfold, with the world economy in a slump and more and more people are unemployed, how will social media survive? It exists because it is free, it’s popularity will continue to grow, but as the saying goes, there is not such thing as a free lunch.

A Day in the Life of Spam

I got up this morning, much the same was as I always do, to the radio, but today instead of music I heard a commercial stating “Cash for seniors in this new option”. Wow, I thought, the economy must be really bad if people are now offering cash for seniors. I guess it is tough out there, all the career jobs are filled up and the standard response now is I saw your resume…please complete your application. Application? What happened to your resume should speak for itself, I haven’t filled out an application for a job since college. All I really want to do is create a way to Watch TV from around the world on your computer. Too bad that isn’t an option for a career. Maybe I will just Call Companies Direct and set up an Interview. I could do that all night long because I would be able to Type in the dark with: New illuminated Logitech Keyboard.

Suddenly I realized that if I did that I would never leave the house and everyone would be calling me saying, “Rid your Colon of weight and toxins”. Plus, the voice in my head was saying that, I would no longer enjoy my Second Chance to Enjoy Ebony Magazine purchased on your behalf.

I wish I knew all of the Hollywood Secrets to only working a few months out of the year or how to earn Cash from home? If you’re a senior homeowner Damn It! Another commercial telling me about seniors and cash. That is just wrong. Is anyone else Sick of the Recession Yet? Earn Thousands,Cash for seniors is a reality now I had to get out of the house, this seniors thing was out of control.

So I headed down to the coffee shop to see what the intellectuals were up to. I bought a cup of coffee at 7 Eleven and received a President Obama Gold Inaugural dollar as change. I was so happy because I knew how I could Make money on ebay and google with it. Why don’t they give these dollars as a scenario for seniors stops mortgage payments. That is a great idea,Barack Obama Inaugural Dollar. Uncle Sam could give you up to $25,000 open to see how. What a great Scenario for seniors stops mortgage payments. On top of that I started to wonder Why government auctions make sense for your budget.

This is crazy too, I have too much Hope for seniors and cash solution. I must have drunk too much coffee. I told myself that I should really be focused on how to Prevent foreclosure and protect your investment. Yet all I could think of was the quick cash I could get from building a home for seniors and cash solution.

I tried to forget about it, besides I didn’t know any seniors. If I had a cell phone at this point I would have started to Call companies direct and schedule job interviews. Instead I finally got to the coffee shop with my 7 Eleven coffee and was met by a woman who was super excited about how she got” LIFE:100 Events that shook our world-limited time offer and how she ordered her coffee with Acai Berry Supreme #1 Super Food.

I sat down in the corner of the shop to hide the fact that I bought 7 Eleven Coffee for a fraction of the price. My cheap coffee almost came out of my nose when I started laughing at another woman who was trying to Stay warm with the blanket with sleeves. Smart idea, she must have gotten one of those online graduate degrees from top colleges.

Just then a man sat down next to me because he noticed my cheap coffee. He said what if there were a lender designed for you? “Excuse me”, I said. The man responded, did you know you could get Cash for seniors turns for the good. I didn’t know what language this guy was speaking but once again I was reminded there is a good market for seniors.

The man introduced himself as Jack and he was in the business of Direct Lending looking for Commercial RE loans. However, business was slow for Jack and next he asked me “what about Gold Jewelry?Unwanted Jewelry?Get Cash Now”? Sorry I told him, I Don’t consolidate…completely eliminate your debt.However, I followed up by saying I was interested in cash for seniors turns for the good. But how would it work if I didn’t know any seniors? Jack gave some great advice,“Sign up for eharmony today for a free profile and find a window company now.”

I knew Jack knew what he was talking about, but to do these tasks I need to find a Sale on Select PC’s tonight only. The quicker I get started the quicker I could start making Cash for seniors turns for the good. While I was walking to the store that sole PC’s, I wondered why seniors we in such a demand, was it After warranty expired, engine broke?

My mind was spinning and telling me I needed to Enjoy Psychology today purchased on your behalf. The Government can help you get started today! Apply for a Federal Grant. That’s it, a Federal Grant. That way I could get a newsletter Update from Colorado Technical University. Everything was coming together, but was I only Looking to eliminate high cable bills?

Enough, I knew I needed to focus. I needed to look past the sign that read One-click access to schools awarding credit for military service. I have never been in the military, that ad didn’t apply to me.

What was I going to do? too many thoughts. 62, own a home? Stop paying mortgage now
entrepreneurs, Government Money is Available. AHHHH! I needed to Find out more how you could save and get out of debt. I have been told you must Find an online degree program that fits your goals!” If I could do that I could Find out how you could take control of your debt and how to get Cash for seniors turns for the good.

Cash for seniors, You will never find these deals at the dollar store. I finally got to the computer store and I had a great idea, Get 250 business cards, I could give them out to any seniors that I meet, then they could call me when they are ready to be sold for cash.

At the store there was a very attractive woman and she asked me, ”Would you like to Test and Keep a Hi Definition TV?” Wow, she must get paid a lot for what she does I thought. I bet with a job like that you could Discover how good it feels to wake up every morning knowing you won your car and you would have enough money to keep Looking for foreclosures. Could you imagine no Debt problems? You’ve got options with a job like hers.

Just then over the loud speakers in the store they said, “Congress gives seniors go ahead cash from house.” Holy cow, Congress is supplying the cash for seniors, this is my lucky day. I need to purchase my business cards and head over to the retirement home, there is a River of opt-in data.

I got to the retirement home and I caught up with the janitor who I knew from high school. The plan was why not Let your friends do the networking for you? After I bribed the janitor with some of the cash for all the seniors I ducked in to a room and saw a man with The world’s most comfortable jaw supporter he looked happy. However the janitor stopped me in my tracks and I said, Low on funds, you could get up to 1500USD and you can always find a Credit card matching search engine. He agreed and I was on my way again, dreaming of how to Enjoy Yachts International purchased on your behalf.

At this point I couldn’t believe that Congress gives seniors go ahead cash from house. This was a lot easier that coming up with a way to Call Companies and schedule interviews. I couldn’t wait to get earn all this cash, I remembered a sign I saw on the walk over, it said Cash in on Lenovo Employee Pricing til Monday. I had no idea what Lenovo was but if they had employees they were up on me. I hope Lenovo is the makers of that Incredible New Electric Pet Nail Trimmer. If I had one of those I could Get a career in public health

I walked out of the retirement home after getting lost and decided the best thing a high roller like my self could do is Treat yourself to a GPS Navigator. As I was walking around the corner I ran into a nurse for the retirement home and I couldn’t help but ask if she had heard Congress gives seniors go ahead cash from house and that with seniors After Warranty expired, engine broke

She responded by asking me if this was how I planned to Turn your debts into wealth and never worry about money again? Why don’t you Get matched with quality online schools and earn money? She told me that is what her family did. “We buy houses fast” she said.

She then asked me, “Who do you match with eharmony could help you know?” Actually I told her, I match with the girl at the computer store who asks “Would you like to test and keep a hi definition tv”. Good for you the nurse said, “now don’t forget that Congress gives seniors go ahead cash from house and go take that girl a Low carb oreo flavored shakes and atkins bars-on us.

Wow, I said, how do you have so much money, you are just a nurse. Oh she said, “I Get a government grant that comes from your tax dollars and study Benefit information for Military Members.

By this time had no idea what the nurse was talking about. The only thought I had was about the Incredible New Electric Pet Nail trimmer. Frustrated I tried to focus, Financial Success can be yours start today I thought. You could graduate online in 1.5 years and You could get matched with a trusted student load relief partner.

Enough of that nonsense today was the day to Get your piece of history today by selling seniors. This was my only way to Stop Living paycheck to Paycheck.

______________________________
I think I just created Mad Libs for SPAM Subject Lines.

The article hit on the idea that there is a lot of time wasted on groups coming up with worthless slogans and that slogans are no longer a valuable asset to a brand. I think that we have become so used to cleaver slogans that we look right past them. Marketers have realized this for awhile now and pushed another phenomenon that I am not sure what to call. It is the use of versions, sequals, types, 2.0, and other descriptors. If you aren’t following what I am describing, just watch cable television for about 10 minutes. CSI:Miami, CSI NY, CSI Torrington, Wyoming.

When I started in the Internet marketing world, it was all the craze to start naming the versions of your websites in the same manner that software developers have been doing all along, and thus was born Web 2.0. Wait a minute is Web 2.0 really a new form of slogan? It has the properties of a slogan in that it is creative, following the trend of the products it is associated with. Yet, it doesn’t describe what Web 2.0 is or how it can be used. Since Web 2.0 has been used so loosely as a buzz word, I think Web 2.0 really has become a new form of brand slogans.

Ok, so now we have an example of a slogan and a descriptor that really doesn’t fit and this is my point and what I think all marketers need to start thinking about. No longer can you put together just another cleaver slogan that is catchy and will stick with people. Now, with all of the worthless wording that is being thrown at customers, a brand name can still benefit from a slogan being associated with it, but that slogan needs to create buzz itself or at least thought.

Here is an example, if I decided to start using this as my brand and slogan, “JakeLudens.com Part of Web 3.2″, the audience that I have for my blog would be intrigued and wondering how I became part of Web 3.2, when most have only heard of Web 2.0. This would be much more beneficial than if I started using, “JakeLudens.com Purpose. Profit. Perfection.” Most of you would just look right over this and view my blog as just another WordPress Blog.

So is the slogan dead? Does it need to be killed? No it isn’t dead, but the old way of using slogans needs to be killed and no more time needs to be spent thinking up cleaver slogans, time needs to be spent making slogans that make brands cut through competitive marketing efforts and tell audiences who the brand is and what it can do for them. We now have a market place where customers are very conscience of how they spend their money and the customer’s needs taking over the focus of the customer’s need to be cool.

Now this sounds like a common sense thing for any online marketing person. The landscape of online marketing moves way to fast and things that worked even 6 months ago are now out of date. But how is the time frame of a new technology measure? If I just learn about a technology that has been out for 2 years, is it out of date for me? If I am going to use this technology in a way that it could have been 2 years ago, is it still not worth exploring. So I decided to dig into my memory banks of the last seven years being in online advertising and share some of my experiences.  Who knows maybe I can set in motion a retro marketing movement for everyone.

Thinking back, when I got my first job in affiliate marketing I worked for a company that had been in the primarily based in promoting adult content online. I was offered a job to help start what they were calling a “main stream” side of their business. This business was to promote software that could be down loaded and clear off a users browser and download history. Hide your tracks from your spouse was really all the software did, however I was fresh out of college, broke and had been unemployed for a few months, so I took the job. This really kicked off my career, because I was in the cutting edge beginnings of the major affiliate marketing networks that we see now.

The first technology that we put together was a exit pop up window that was next to impossible to close without actually shutting down your computer. I know you remember that one. Not something that was complex to program, or really end user friendly, but it was perfect for promoting software that could help cover your tracks. The average computer user, after surfing for material they probably shouldn’t have been, now would get the scare of their lives when a window couldn’t be closed. The window would bounce right back with every time it was closed. The goal with this scare tactic was to get the end user to click on the add as a last resort to try and get the window to close. Trust me even after the customer purchased the software, the window promoting it wasn’t going anywhere.

The question is, is this still a valid technology or approach for online marketing?

The technology is out of date and windows has made upgrades that prevent this practice from going on. I am sure they are some of you great developers out there that will take me up on the challenge to recreated this. However, it is not worth the time.

The approach on the other hand of scaring end users with things they don’t understand in order to make an affiliate commission, if you ask me it is a perfect time to take this approach to your marketing. Especially if you are promoting a service that you can present as must have or else. With the economic scare that we are all in right now, it might be a great time to look into promoting financial tips e books, people are looking for anything that will provide a feel good thought. Did someone just steal your identity?

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Except of course the “Got Milk?” regurgitation that has swept the world.

Got Bail? Seriously?

Being back in Wyoming really changes your perspective on current advertising and I started thinking while I was back there that advertising has lost one very important thing and that is being direct and to the point on what the advertisement is for. Let me explain. One of the best things about advertising is the imagery that it creates in your mind. However there is definitely a place for advertising that doesn’t leave anything up to the imagination, it tells it like it is. Best place to see what I am talking about is take a drive to any small western town. You see old, faded signs that say Food, Gas, Eat at Joe’s, OK maybe not the last one, but you get my point. I saw this a lot on our trip to Idaho earlier this summer as well driving through some of the small towns of Nevada.

What would happen if advertising went back to the way it used to be and all we had were signs that were direct and to the point. What if Best Buy’s signs all the sudden just said “Electronics”, or Applebee’s just said “Food”? I think an interesting thing would happen to our current society. I think what would happen is the neighborhood diner would make a come back, you would go down to the Johnson’s Diner, not the Chili’s. I think you would go to Gibson’s Electronics, not Best Buy. I think this is one thing that large corporate advertising has taken away from our society, along with franchises. What if your menu still looked like this?

I was thinking about this most of the weekend and the thought really went 180 degrees on me while I was on the flight home. We have become a cookie cutter shop society and elaborate as the advertising has become for the large chain’s of stores, I think we really haven’t gone away from a sign saying “Food” or “Gas”, we just now see it as Domino’s and 7-11. And there you have it the true power and evil of branding.

Today’s winner: A-One Satellite Network

It costs 42 cents here in the United States to send a standard envelope, combine that with the cost of a self adhesive labels and top it off with a self adhesive envelope you are looking at what I can guess as close to a 50 cent per piece mailing and that is without what is inside. Lets take a look…. Wow it is a great pre-printed brochure displaying all of the channels Direct TV offers. Direct TV spent a lot producing millions of these for all of their affiliates nationwide.  All of these channels this looks like a great deal, where do I sign up?  Where is the number I call or the website I go to? And what is this large blank white area taking up the back of the brochure?

Ok, time to let the cat out of the bag, A-One Satellite Network, I applaud your innovation to save money by using your label on the front of the envelop you sent me, however after digging it out of my garbage can I realized that your entire cost of mailing this to me went straight to the trash.  Why are you wasting your advertising budget paying people to throw away an envelope?

Suggestion: When you become an affiliate of anyone’s selling any product, make sure you can get paid for your efforts. Companies with affiliate programs make it as easy as possible for you to make money from them, use the designated area on the already supplied creative to allow customers to call you and give you money.