What matters most in 2008? Well, it’s both new and old technology and some fundamental marketing that we often forget when we’re busy. Here are 5 ideas to help plan your year.

1. Widgets
If you haven’t jumped on the widget bandwagon, get going. Widgets are a great way to distribute coupons/discounts, blogs, product data, and anything customers or prospects might want to know. You can get them free on Widgetbox and dozens of other places. Or, you could get creative and design something fun that might go viral. The Web today is more about others distributing your information and message and widgets are a great way to get that done.
2. Mobile
Google’s Android should be out in the spring, and along with spectrum that isn’t controlled by the major cellular carriers, I believe it will have a huge impact on what marketers can do on cellphones. Take a look at how your Web-based marketing activities can be remade and run on cellphones, or think up new ideas that make cellphones a key part of your marketing. After several years of hearing this is the year of mobile, 2008 might actually be it.
3. Facebook Business Pages
It’s clear Facebook has taken the lead in defining the evolution of social networking. You an set up a business page. You can create your own applications for others to download. There are groups you can define based on something important aspect in your industry. If you’re willing to pour some energy into developing relationships and building community online, Facebook is a cost-effective way to disseminate your ideas and get people to interact.
4. Value
Before you kick off that next program or product determine what the one core value is to customers. How will you surprise or delight them? What are you giving them that they don’t already have? Too often we opt for more programs and products that don’t stand out rather than focusing on the one thing we can do really well.
5. Interaction
This is the age of engage. If you haven’t found the time to blog or wiki, get started. Add profile pages, comments and tags to your Web site. Get your customers, prospects, and employees talking, interacting, and collaborating. Show me more »

With numbers quoted as high as 50 million registered users on Facebook, and 100 million users on MySpace, it’s difficult to ignore social networking. But lots of people are still scratching their heads trying to figure out what this means for their business (or personal goals). Facebook has really grown up this last year, and there is a lot people can do to promote themselves and their interests.

1. Open a Facebook Page for Business. The options support small business, local business, individuals (artists, consultants), and products/brands, and so on. The business page allows you to focus and have an agenda while developing friends in a more natural tone (but of course, not unprofessional). Post on the page regularly and respond to friend’s posts quickly to keep the conversation going.

2. Use Facebook Beacon. This feature allows your friends’ comments (or other actions) on your site to link back to their Facebook page news feed with a link back to your site. The value of Facebook is that if you have 100 friends, and those friends have 100 friends, and those friends have 100 friends, your subject showing up on their news feeds can really spread your ideas.

3. Use Video. You can easily install and use the video application (free) on Facebook. That way you can post video to your page or in email. Video is engaging, and it can also be more personal giving others insight into you and your business.

4. Start a Facebook Group. Look for an idea or even a problem people who are interested in your business would relate to. Pick a very specific subject so people have a reason to join over another group that might sound similar.

5. Poll Your Friends to Get to Know Them Better. Facebook also offers a polling function. You can make this a regular part of your activities on your page and let everyone see the results. Or you can run short polls every few months to learn more about your audience and what they’re up to.

6. Create Your Own App. You can use Facebook Platform to create your own application. The goal is to attract more people and get them to interact with your product or your ideas.

Grow your connections. Ask people to join whether or not they are already on Facebook. Promote your Facebook page or group on your blog, business cards, email signature and anywhere else you can think.

There’s more, but I’ll save that for another blog. Doing all of this would be a great start! Show me more »

The trend towards traditional advertising growth may soon come to an end. The major consumer marketers who spend the big bucks on TV, print, and outdoor advertising and sponsorships are figuring out that their money is better spent creating relationships.

Nike, Coca-Cola, P&G, Anheuser Busch, Disney, and others are setting up their own social sites, virtual reality sites, WebTV and events, and they’re spending few dollars on traditional ads.

According to this New York Times article, “Nike executives say that much of the company’s future advertising spending will take the form of services for consumers, like workout advice, online communities and local sports competitions.”

But there’s more to it. Nike has really hit on something with Nike+ — a small sensor that tracks running information and posts it to your iPod or the Nike+ website. This little product (which apparently Nike doesn’t profit or make much a profit from) offers a service that keeps customers coming back to Nike over and over and over again. And of course that’s its purpose.

The reality is that TV ads are losing their ability to create trends or define what’s cool. There’s too much conversation and interaction on the Web and across blogs and social sites — and this is where the next great thing is being marketed.

What are your customers passionate about and how can you tap into that passion, and keep them coming back? Show me more »

What are the stickiest sites on the Web? Games.

FullTiltPoker.com: 1.4M users; 23.5 hours per session
PokerStars.com: 1.6M users; 18 hours per session
Electronic Arts Online: 10M users; 9 hours per session
FanFiction.net: 1M users; 7 hours per session

Wouldn’t it be great if people interacted with your brand at the same level?

Basics:

1. Getting into the game is free. Free account, free software. (No barriers to entry)
2. Create groups. Alerted when your friends are playing. Chat while playing. (Social)
3. Real money (cash), contest (competition), or free (don’t win or lose anything real).
4. Subject people really want to talk about, comment on (creativity, and self-expression).

Beyond basics: avatars playing in virtual worlds are a common element across the winning sites.

Online games solve the bridge problem my grandmother had. When a player passes (not uncommon at the retirement home), it can be impossible to find someone to take their place. (Because everyone already has their group of 4.) Or if you move, how do you join a new group? Playing bridge online broadens the spectrum of players and friends. If you’re wondering what bridge is, look here. By the way, she was a huge fiction fan, and would have loved fanfiction.net.

The tops sites are social, fun, and you can win something. You can express yourself (show off your gaming skills), yet belong to a group (develop relationships). And your avatar can represent you as you would like to be seen (maybe not how you really are).

Even if your audience is just 1000 people, you want them to stick around. Employ the basic principles that attract people and keep them clicking. Show me more »

Much has been written about the Apple store and its genius bar. The concept is superb, but you never really know how it will work out in person. All too often companies are willing to let customers down on service. It is generally a huge surprise when a company delights.

So I brought my iPhone into the Apple store. I couldn’t get email to work correctly. To my surprise, I could have set up an appointment with a tech at the genius bar before I left home. That would have meant no wait at all. When I arrived the store was busy (it was Saturday). One of the techs told me to go to one of the dozens of laptops at the front of the store and set up an appointment then come back to the genius bar or shop, and he would be able to get to me in 20-30 minutes. Not only do they call out your name when its your turn, there’s a huge computer display at the front indicating your turn in line — so no worrying you will get skipped over. Show me more »

Over a year ago, a few Microsoft employees produced this parody. It’s a great video and says more in 3 minutes than most 300-page marketing books. The video focuses on packaging, but it is a clear analogy of how different companies approach their target customers, markets, and marketing. It’s all a matter of choice. Microsoft seems to miss the point that most of its users are actually non-technical and would like easier choices and spectacular software interfaces.

Enjoy.

(from Rohit Bhargava)

By the way, I always like to see a corporate culture that allows employees to expression their frustrations creatively.
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e-Rewards gives consumers a financial reward or gift coupon (from one of the sponsoring companies) if they fill out surveys rating companies and their products. How do you reward your customers when they take the time to give you input, fill out a survey, or beta test your product? Show me more »

As reported by Marketing Charts:

More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices when deciding what to buy. American workers in increasing numbers say they want their employers to support a social cause or issue, according to the 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey. Show me more »

Not every marketer should jump into virtual worlds right away. It’s definitely something to learn about and track. For now, it’s okay to let the big brands spend big bucks and work out the kinks.

The downside, of course, is that big brands are likely to make the most obvious mistake - taking a conventional approach to a new platform. And it’s what they are doing. Show me more »

Dell tried it years ago and pulled out. Sony seems to be flailing. But Apple’s stores have been sailing. What is Apple doing right? And what is everyone else doing wrong? Most retail experience is just plain bland, boring. Whether it’s Best Buy, Macy’s or even Nordstroms, the customer engagement is lacking. These are retail kings. How could they get it so wrong? Show me more »