Men, Women Online in Almost Equal Numbers; Use Web Differently

29 Dec 2005

The proportion of women to men who go online has mostly evened out, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, but what they do when online remains different: men are more likely to look at weather and news sites, download music, and find financial information, whereas women seek health and medical info, email, and look up directions, writes Mediapost (via MediaBuyerPlanner). According to the report, titled "How Women and Men Use the Internet," 68 percent of men are internet users, as are 66 percent of women. Six years ago, those proportions were 49 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Some 52 percent of men currently use broadband at home, while only 48 percent of women do.

However, women under 30 and black women are ahead of male peers, writes the E-Commerce Times. Some 60 percent of black women are online, compared with 50 percent of black men; 86 percent of women ages 18-29 are online, compared with 80 percent of men that age.

Older women, though, trail older men: 34 percent of men age 65 and older are online, compared with 21 percent of women in that age group.

Source: http://www.marketingvox.com/

This should be a proverb.

If you have nothing to look forward to but a paycheck each week, you are wasting your time.

(Forwarded to me by "Z")

Who has time for this?

I read an article the other day in BusinessWeek about the MySpace generation (Click Here for the BW Podcast) and was blown away about how connected the kids are today. What especially got me was the fickleness of the crowd in terms of "what's in" and the half-life of basically anything.
Nobody wants to be interuppted (we knew that)

So how do we mass produce a customized world? :)

How do we mass market a GENUINE one-to-one user/client/customer experience? The key word is genuine.

I hate voice mail systems...and nothing infuriates me more than the cheerful computer voice that is guiding me through the prompts in "order to serve me better" when I'm already pissed off - only to be transferred to a bored tech rep in Delhi.

Here's our big marketing challenge. No one wants to be sold anymore (but did they ever???) - they're too clever. TV and radio are a waste of money (so they say). Print is dead (so they say) - but has anybody clicked through a banner ad lately? Anyone

There's a bit of a backlash with podcast advertising. The purists are at arms. You can't do that they say. People don't want to have to listen to advertising. So we do it for free...for now. Remember a decade a go when we first got involved with this here world wide web. No one will pay - you can't advertise! You'll just commercialize it! (...yeah...that's the point.)

So here we are chewing up bandwidth and spending our time producing, posting and downloading content to share with the billions and trying to make a buck off of it. Why? Because I built my portfolio 15 years ago thank you and my pro-bono plate is full. :)

There's a billion blogs out there and somehow you found this one! :)

SIDENOTE: I spent 47 seconds this morning deleted 73 spam emails selling me everything from viagra to geniuine faux swiss watches that would make me sexier for the ladies and the shady bastards fill it with babble to fake out the software I installed just so I wouldn't get this drek in the 1st place.

Does this work? Seriously? It would have to - just by sheer numbers but I can't imagine anyone opening up Outlook and going "Oh my god, ya know - I was thinking about buying some Cialis over the internet. Good thing this came".

So Anyway - who has time for all of this. I'm telling you - we're going to tip over and revert to one on one selling the old fashioned way. People buy people (not a typo).

Hmmmph...I desist. c-ya

ideaPeddling Podcast

I've finally gotten around to getting the ideaPeddling podcast launched after threatening to do so for the past 6 months.

If you like some of the tips you've seen in this blog, then sign up to receive ideaPeddling once a week! The RSS Feed is: http://www.aflmarketing.com/podcast/ideapeddling.xml.

iTunes users - type in "ideaPeddling" in the search bar. (I'd post the link but they haven't posted it yet".

You'll get great sales & marketing tips and tricks. I'm also looking for your input. Do you have a take? Email me your take at podshow@aflmarketing.com and I'll try to work it into the show. Try to keep it under 60 seconds. MP3 format only please.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/1db8751be64b6df0)

Getting Sweaty: Staring Dead-Eyed at the Deadline

You're crafting an important presentation on a key project. It's 6 pm. The nerves are kicking in. Your idea stream has dried up and you're staring at the blinkety-blink of your cursor against the bare white page on your monitor.

In exactly seventeen hours, ten sets of eyeballs will be boring a hole through your brain as you unveil your latest creation. And, right now you haven't a clue where to go next.

What do you do?

We all get creative block but in order to conquer it, we have to change our perspective on a problem in order to uncover our next steps.

Years ago, Sting (the musician, not the wrestler), was quoted as saying, "An album is never completed...it is simply abandoned".

There comes a point where there is simply nothing more to offer creatively.
The development and refinement of any given project is involving,
challenging and actually quite fun until you get to the "action" points near the end and the presentation that wraps it up in a nice tidy box. We love to theorize and speculate. We thrive on the "aha" moments and dread having to put it all together at the end - especially when it's our reputation on the line.

So, how do you summon up the inspiration to cross that finish line?

First, breathe. Then go take a walk, eat a banana or pull out your putter for a little office putt-putt. Do whatever you have to in order to clear your mind of your dilemma prior to kicking it back into gear again.

Now, collect your work. Make a pile and drop it on the floor - it doesn't matter if your notes get mixed up because they are just "your notes" - and technically, all a note is supposed to do is trigger a memory, right?

Pull out a sheet of paper or click on Word and create an outline as if you were starting from scratch.

By having mentally flushed your work in progress another step in the "notes" process, you'll ultimately free yourself from the constraints of your dead-end train of thought. It's kind of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle and then dumping it to start over - you'll start in a different place but you'll recognize shapes and colors so the assembly is much quicker the second time. You'll also see things you never noticed before as your mind re-analyzes data, consider new alternatives and uses your mental and physical notes to forge new ideas.

No doubt, that this "second time around" you'll gravitate towards the soul of your project and its presentation. Consequently, you will develop a sharper focus than you did the first time around.

Once you separate the core idea from the forest of data, your concept will be stronger and more convincing than ever.

Playing Cards & Twizzle Sticks

I'm a sucker for J-hooks. You know, the hooks that hold cheapie and afterthought merchandise at the checkout line.

Every trip to the store is climaxed by the quick "Z" scan of the items at the checkout counter - attempting to catalogue and process what I have and what I need.

After all, you never know when a life or death situation arises that can only be alleviated by playing cards, twizzle sticks and an eyeglass repair kit, right?

My brother suffers from the same affliction. We think we got it from our mother's side of the family or perhaps it's just a result of being bombarded by RonCo and K-Tel ads as children. So it goes. It is our burden to bear.
Alas, all of this is beside the semi-elusive point which I am getting to right now.

What products or services do you offer that sell themselves due to 1) incredible value, 2) funky, doo-dad appeal, or 3) sheer necessity. Where do you "place" them?

Winning Sales Letters

Writing the perfect sales letter can be a daunting task. Use the following recipe as a starting point.

Headline
Your headline is what counts. If it's strong and well targeted, they will keep reading. If not, it'll hit the circular file quicker than the envelope it came in.

Subheading(s)
One sentence summary of the letter.

The Hook
Deliver the hook. Don't build to it. Your first paragraph needs to appeal to your prospects and offer solutions to their needs quickly and concisely.
Body You've kept their attention to this point, now fill them in on the details of your offer. Be as informative as possible. Take care to avoid redundancy.

The Guarantee
Guarantee your offer and quell your customer's fears. After all, "No Risk" is a positive thing, right?

The Close
Present a call to action. Have them do something.

Add extra punch to your pitch with the following!

Callouts and Highlights
Used sparingly, callouts & highlighted text can bolster your message. Be careful not to overdo it or your letter will overwhelm and confuse your prospect.

Testimonials.
Testimonial statements are still the best means of communicating "trust" in a product or service especially if they are delivered by a prospect's peer.

Other Tips

• Add a more personal touch to your letters by using first class postage instead of bulk postage if possible.
• Real signature tells your prospect that they are worth your time. Scanned or script font signature says "you're one of a thousand people I'm writing".

A winning sales letter doesn't have to start from scratch. Create a file folder to house the sales letters that you find interesting and effective as inspiration. Whenever you need a bit of a boost, it'll be a drawer away.

www.aflmarketing.com
market smarter.

The Doctor, the Convenience Store Owner & the Wicked Receptionist

My doctor is a great guy.

He is a general practitioner in a family-run, private practice. His father and uncle started the business and he joined them after graduating medical school.

What makes him so special is that he is extremely thorough in his explanations as well as second-to-none in bedside manner. He greets his patients with a smile and a firm, warm, handshake. He is civil. He doesn't put on airs though his education and socio-economic status greatly surpasses that of most of his patients.

He is warm, sincere and genuine.

I've recommended him to everyone who has ever asked.

And, this is why I was so thoroughly disappointed when I called his office the other day.

I called the other day and was treated with outright contempt by the receptionist. Since the purpose of my call was not appointment-related and caused her to deviate from her mental script – her abrupt tone made it fully clear that I was wasting her precious time.

I asked if I could leave a message for him. She told me to call back later. He was busy, as was she. It still bothers me a week later.

I never bothered. I'm still not sure that I will. I felt THAT uncomfortable and I find it unlikely that I could face her without making a scene in the office.

Most of all, I can't help but wonder how much of his business has been affected by his $8-an-hour "gatekeeper". I, certainly, cannot be the only one with whom she had taken such a venomous approach, could I?

After all, I am not only a patient. I am a CUSTOMER.

Like the old Head & Shoulders commercial, you only get one chance to make a first impression...and if she were my secretary, I would have fired her on the spot - no matter how busy either of us were.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happens when customers call and find the wicked witch of the west on the other end of the line.

They hang up. They go away. They go find someone nice - even if that someone doesn't really mean it.

Why bother building your business? Why spend money on market research? Why scope out locations? Why pay top dollar for enticing creative as well as placement in effective media only to have it ruined by someone who would rather be doing something else?

All of the effort goes straight down the drain because 120 seconds of someone's time was "wasted".

So, the message of the week is to make sure that you and every person in your company answers the phone with a smile.

Yes, an actual smile. That's what I meant (don't laugh, it works!). The inflection and tone of your voice will be noticeably evident.

Your customers, vendors and even the dread tele-sellers will respond with a higher level of respect and courtesy. And if they don't, shame on them!

It's generally accepted that it costs much more to capture a new customer than retain an old one. It doesn't take that much extra effort to keep a loyal customer happy - just deliver what you promise and be nice about it.

Relationships aren't everything. I don't base my purchase decisions solely on my opinion of a sales person or my affinity towards a brand. I'm not a raving fan of my favorite car wash or of my wireless phone provider. But I do solicit businesses where I am treated well and with respect - even if I must pay a premium. Oftentimes, this is the final intangible.

My local convenience store is run by a nice foreign fellow who always calls me sir - and I always reciprocate. Strange, it's been two years and he still does it though he knows my name (as I know his).

Is he cheaper? No. Does he have a wider selection? No. But I'd rather give him my money than "the jerk" around the corner. I like making small talk with him when purchasing my Sunday paper.

At a modest twenty dollars a week, my annual spending exceeds a thousand dollars. If he were "the jerk" I'd be spending that $1,000 somewhere else. If twenty other people felt the same way, it could result in a loss of $20,000 of potential sales.

Personally, I also go out of my way NOT to shop at certain places and I'm sure you have as well.

Grace and common courtesy are increasingly growing out of vogue.

Though it is ironically fortunate for those who have the common sense to say "please" and "thank you". People like my local convenience store guy.

They stand out.

So do the rude. We never forget them either. Even years later!

Though this little story may sound like common sense, it's amazing how uncommon sense can actually be when put into practice.

Smile, be polite and make your customer feel special. Even if they're not calling to buy - they are calling for A REASON. Though it may not be important to you, it is to them!

Answer their questions and take the time to stand out. Eventually, they'll thank you through repeat business.

Thanks for reading!

Sales vs. Marketing

Think You Have a Team?

Think again.

Are your team members competitive or in-sync during meetings?

Are the two departments aware of what the other is doing? Do they provide constant feedback to each other or do they report their efforts exclusively to you?

Do you have a formal or informal liaison who serves as the link between the two?

How many different layers must one person in one department go through in order to obtain information from someone in another department?
What's at StakeYour sales and marketing staffs each have their own unique stakes and goals in your business.

In a perfect company, all departments work in tandem in order to create, produce, market and sell your product or service. The reality is that your "team" consists of individuals who are first and foremost looking after their best interests. (Don't kid yourself, because this also includes you.) The information bottlenecks, egos and politics that are prevalent in every company restrict your growth. So how do you knock them down?

By democratizing information.

I'm not suggesting that everyone in your company should have access to every scrap of information but there is no reason that sales figures and marketing objectives should not be freely distributed to all members of both staffs. We all know that information is power. By reducing the value of "secrets", you diminish the hoarding of valuable information.

Suppose your Sales Manager discovered that a marketing program for a particular territory wasn't proven effective. Instead of informing the marketing manager of his finding - he simply decided to wait until your regularly scheduled group meetings to announce his discovery.

What he also did is cost your company money by putting his own personal interests in front of the interests of the company!

Share the Wealth
Show your employees that sharing information is much more valuable than sitting on it. Instead of waiting for you to digest information and make a decision, empower them to co-act and present you with a list of "opportunities" instead of "issues" at your next meeting.

Clear and unobstructed communication in your workplace is imperative. It is what separates the leaders from the also-rans.

In Seth Godin's wonderful book, Spreading the IdeaVirus, he illustrates the importance of determining who the "sneezers" are in peer groups, thereby increasing the effective exchange of an idea or product information. By pinpointing and correctly utilizing peer leaders and communicators, a company can vastly increase the spread of their product, service or idea with less effort. The same tactics can be applied internally.

Put aside your organizational chart for a moment and determine where the real power centers in your company lie. It's not likely to be you.

These people should NOT be assigned to interdepartmental teams. Their interdepartmental functions have already organically fostered! Find them and use them because they are already communicating. Ask them if they have any ideas.

Go buy a water cooler. Buy some lawn chairs or a picnic table. Put them in places people congregate. Let them talk because you never know when the next million dollar idea is on the tip of someone's tongue.