Author: themshow

Categories
SEO and Paid Search The Marketeer

Google Content Network

Twice now we’ve experimented with the Google Content Network and it’s been the same story both times. As soon as you activate it the clicks come pouring in, and they are mostly garbage. There are two problems with this – the economic and google juice cost (I use google juice for any stat that affects googles black box ranking that you are given when you play the game).

So many clicks get expensive quickly, our campaigns easily jump 4x in cost. More disappointing is the impact on clickthrough rates. Based on feedback from SES in Chicago I’m shooting for half a percent and when the content network is on we often drop down to one one hundredth. As soon as we switch it off it pops right back up to the .4-.5 range. I’d like to think that Google is taking this into account in the scoring, but no guarantees of that. It’s not a tough decision though, as long as the network makes the cost per lead 3 times what I’m willing to pay, it’s a no brainer.

I’d love to hear if anyone else out there has seen similar numbers.

Categories
Daily Life

Sunday Football, Editing and The M Show

So I’ve spent the entire weekend doing the final mix on a project I’ve been working on for David Scott. I’m very excited about it and looking forward to the roll out. All day editing audio and most of today getting the CDs master.

More to follow on that, but I’m off to enjoy some football, and I may still have enough in me to crank out the latest M Show. Addendum – this week’s show is terrible – if you are new to the show wait until next week…
In closing, and in fairness, I must say that this is the greatest ad ever done by a tech company.

[youtube]AIOqOxI0K_I[/youtube]

Categories
Brain Buster The Marketeer

Pandemonium

Pandemonium is a one of my favorite albums by The Time, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I know the hardcore marketing content has been light this week, my CAPOW buddies know about my Web 2.0 initiative and that’s what’s been taking up all my time. Throw a Board Meeting into the mix and this has been a very stressful week. But this is the kind of stress that begats great things (birthing pains if you will).

I don’t have the energy to write it up now, but for those interested here’s a video clip that’s part of the master plan. For those of you not in the Software Configuration Management space – AccuRev is the company I work for and the other company is our (much larger) competitor, some guys with a penchant for large azure.

[youtube]msDuQoKqysw[/youtube]

Categories
Daily Life Podcasting

What the hell is up with Canada?

Why is it that it seems there’s 10x the social media stuff coming out of people from Canada? Is there something special in the beer there? I have an interesting relationship with Canada, every year we would drive through it on our annual family vacation from Massachusetts to visit my Mom’s family in Michigan. Hitting Ontario was always a special treat.

And why does this come up now? Because along with bryper we are leading the Boston crew up to Podcamp Toronto (actually just an excuse to hang out in Toronto). I’m even making it out for Friday geek dinner! Labatt’s Blue here I come!

Lots of other stuff going on – I mentioned to some CAPOW buddies that I was working on a Web 2.0 strategy, more on that tomorrow.

Categories
Lead Generation Podcasting The Marketeer

Podcasting – Not Across the Chasm Yet?

I ran a test recently to get a feel for the acceptance of podcast versus video. Readers were given the option of a link to a video clip or a link to a podcast and they chose the video clip at a ratio of almost 10 to 1.

Until the average user understands that a video clip is one item, whereas a podcast is subscribing to a channel, the true value of them goes unrecognized. Unfortunately with limited resources, that means a lot more web videos before podcasting becomes a core part of the marketing mix.

On the other hand – it will come. Being excited about podcasting now is like being hooked on TiVo 5 years ago, you know it’s good, and you know that eventually everyone else will come along. We’ve had a new car for a half a year now and I still haven’t listened to or set the presets for the radio.

Categories
SalesForce.com The Marketeer

SalesForce.com IdeaExchange

For all Salesforce admins out there – have you checked out the IdeaExchange yet? It’s a cool combination of Digg, Wiki and Product Management tool. Users can rate what features or bugs the want to see developed in the next release of the product, and then Salesforce can brag about doing the stuff that you asked for.

Kudos for a great implementation of new technologies, but did you really expect anything less from SF.com? Bonus activity – go and vote for my “Add RSS” request, add a comment, and tell me you did and I’ll send the first 3 people a $10 iTunes gift card.
I’m finally going to be able to attend one of the local meetings here in Boston at the end of the month, they’re also showing off a new development language of some sort. I tend not to get too excited about that kind of stuff until it’s survived for a year or two.

And of course I’m already wondering how cool SF will look on the new Apple iPhone…

Categories
Productivity Buster The Marketeer

Microsoft Crayonville Connection Uncovered

You heard it here first. Last week I was trying to compile my results from my HTML vs. text email test and having some trouble with a SQL query (I have to use the Access tool, I only write SQL code as comic relief for the true developers I work with). While trolling the Microsoft help center I came across this page showing an official Microsoft phonebook. In the event that the absurd traffic that this scoop generates brings that page down, I’ve done a screen cap of the book for your convenience:

MS Phonebook As you can see they have Jaffe not once but twice! They must be using “Jo” as either a feminine disguise or reference to the Curry “Bend over b!tich” scandal.

The feminine disguise theory could also mean that Holly Holt is a cover for Shel Holtz, and I’ve been told on good authority that Wei Yu loosely translates to “C.C. Chapman“.
You heard it here first.

Disclaimer: It seems like people occasionally have trouble with this stuff, so to be clear – this is a joke. I have no idea if there is a connection or not, but since you have hit my link bait perhaps you’d be interested in some other posts if any of the categories on the right catch your attention. Or better yet, listen to The M Show! More news as it happens.

Categories
The Marketeer

Explorer Still Losing Ground

I wanted to throw this out to the crowd to see if anyone is seeing similar stats – both on my work and personal sites I see MS Explorer falling below 50% of all traffic. Very close to 50 on my B2B site, but occasionally low 40’s on my blog/podcast stuff. Firefox continues to gain ground as well as a bunch of lesser known ones.

Is there anybody out there with Explorer still over 70% as it was a year ago?

Categories
Daily Life Geek Stuff Podcasting

Dork Alert

If you need something to listen to, check out the weekly M Show there’s business news, talk and entertainment, all under 10 minutes. The latest was just posted!
The Dork Alert – On the cast I have made fun of people with lightsabres, so I was given my due and caught red handed with this one. I’ve never seen anybody I’ve admired in a photo with a Star Wars prop, so either it’s all over or hopefully I’m a trend setter. Credits to C.C. Chapman for this shot, he called it “The M Jedi”, I call it “Step away from my chocolate chip cookie”.

I’d like to publicly thank Christopher Penn for hosting a get together on Saturday night that was very cool. I took part in a ceremony with a 2,500 year old history, and got to meet Bre Pettis who does video for Make Magazine, which I’ve been a fan of since Issue 1 after having met Phil Torrone at Gnomedex. (How’s that for rockin’ the linx in the shizzow notes, fool! Damn, I’m so street!).
Plenty of cool stuff coming up this week, off we go!

Addendum – actually Darth Wall sounds pretty good…
Darth Wall

Categories
Daily Life The Marketeer

Crazy Friday

It’s been quite the week. Why is it that the 4 day ones always seem worse? Lots of cool stuff going on with a new project with David Scott. I’ve also entered The Webbys again just for kicks, so I had to spend tonight tightening down the last of the new fixtures over on TheMShow.com.

Have a good weekend, I’m off to a secret party tomorrow that doesn’t really exist, but requires pajamas.