The secret to executing a successful campaign on Twitter is to be creative.  The creativity of Twitter campaigns is starting to downplay that of Superbowl commercials.  Use the concepts that the best advertising companies in the industry use to make your Twitter campaigns worth your effort.

Prepare Your Audience for Twitter Success

With so many great idea for Twitter campaigns these days, it is essential to know how to execute your own creative idea successfully.  Before you launch your…

...continue to read "Getting Started With Social Media: Twitter Tips for Success"

After our 5 part series about optimizing your site for SEO, we got a high demand for more information about backlinking.  We acknowledge why you want to know more about it- backlinks make your site look more popular to people, and therefore also more popular to search engines.  The reason we did not include it in our series is that backlinking is a form of offsite SEO, which should be your last priority when optimizing your site for visitors,…

...continue to read "The Holistic Approach To Backlinking"

Very simply, reviews increase conversion rates.  And several studies point to the fact that, yes, even negative reviews help.

It all boils down to credibility.  Customer reviews simply have more credibility than your sales copy, so they inspire more confidence in the buyer.  And negative reviews lend credibility to the review process itself, standing as visible proof that the reviews are not edited.

Makes sense right?  Sure it does, until you find yourself staring at the (perceived) ability…

...continue to read "You Can’t Edit Your Way Out of Negative Reviews"

If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll want to check out this YouTube video of two (former) Domino’s employees:

So, do you think that might have some rather profound effects on Domino’s marketing efforts?  Think you’ll be eating at Domino’s anytime soon?

What’s interesting is that the basic principle behind this was predicted not by some far-seeing futurist working in the technology field, but by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Charles C. Krulak.

Gen. Krulak coined the term “strategic corporal” to refer to the…

...continue to read "Marketing in the age of the “strategic minimum wage worker”"

First, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch Microsoft’s response to Apple’s infamous “I’m a Mac” campaign.

Here’s the question: what do you want to bet that Apple has been just waiting – even itching – for Microsoft to release that kind of response to their “I’m a Mac” campaign?

Why do I ask that?  Because I’d bet anything that Mac’s marketing was smart enough to engage in what Mike Smock has termed The Three Move Set.  You see, when…

...continue to read "Microsoft’s Ad Vs. Apple’s Three Move Set"

Here’s a great opportunity: The oceans are dying.

Seriously, the oceans are in horrible shape, and it’s your fault. You did it, Supply, Demand, Pollution and Overfishing. And if we don’t take ownership now, our brands, our children, and our collective appetite for seafood may never forgive us.

I’m not trying to bum you out, but the next time you feel the need to impress clients or co-workers with your sushi-ordering skills, you should at least know whether you’re eating sustainable fish.…

...continue to read "“Green Marketing”? Save Some for the Fishes…"

For years I’ve been a fan of the America’s Test Kitchen chefs and their magazine, Cook’s Illustrated. I’m a bit of a foodie — and a pragmatist — so I love that they give their audience no-nonsense, real world advice on how to cook. And even though they have a hit TV show, they continue to publish their Cook’s Illustrated in black-and-white and illustrated in order to reduce costs so that they don’t need to run ads in the magazine. They’re…

...continue to read "America’s Test Kitchen Shows How to Sizzle an Email"

Joshua Porter of Bokardo.com has taken a serious look at Facebook’s new so-called “opt-in” ad model.

…Facebook is now partnering with 3rd party sites and selling your information to them for money. How does this work?

Here’s a scenario: you go to Blockbuster.com and rent a movie. A little interface element pops up and tells you that Blockbuster is sending information to your Facebook account. It gives you ten seconds to say no…and then it sends it anyway. This is called “opt-out”.…

...continue to read "Opting Out of Facebook’s Disruptive Ad Model"

Often we relate stories here on Grok about conversion missteps or persuasion challenges facing companies on- and off-line. Today, I’d like to relate a success story!

An Open Letter to Andrew Cosslett, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group:

Dear Mr. Cosslett,

As a business traveler, my needs are simple and predictable: I just want some restful sleep, power outlets numbering more than one, and an internet connection that works. Now, in the last 90 days, I’ve spent more than a third of those nights…

...continue to read "“No, but I did sleep at a Staybridge Suites last night… “"

No disrespect to Mr. Trump — and I’m talking about his public persona, not the man himself — but most people wouldn’t naturally connect “The Donald” with “Guru.”

Why is that?

After all, Trump has proven expertise in his field. He’s a bestselling author, several times over. He has an intensely personal “take” on not only his profession, but just about anything you might care to bring to his attention. He’s been a mentor to more than one “apprentice” (sorry, couldn’t resist).…

...continue to read "Is Trump a Guru? — Inspiring Online Credibility (Part 3)"