Google It!

We have become a society that wants answers immediately. Any question, no matter how vague demands an immediate answer, we simply have to "Google It" and there you go, a million potential answers at your fingertips. As marketers we have to make sure that potential clients can find our product (in the first 10 listings) or we are not in the running.

But I wonder, when are we providing good information, and when are we providing to much? Sure, we want people to find us on the web, but at what point is there no substitute for human interaction? Sure, it depends on what you are selling, but for a big ticket item or service, be careful not to give away the farm on the web. It's only a part of the sales process, not the entire process.

Custom Site, Just Add Water

Someone brought a site to my attention the other day.

http://www.flashmint.com/

This is an amazing site. For less than $100 and a little time customizing, anyone can have a very professional site. This seems to be one more nail in the coffin of the traditional web. The days where a few tech folks controlled all access to web content and creation are gone. I'm wondering if the days where you need an advertising agency for the web are also disapearing.

It's important for all of us to embrace some of the more social aspects of the web and understand how we can use those to help our clients. Anybody remember when you needed a travel agent to buy a plane ticket? I don't want to get left behind.

Personlized Marketing

One of the things that has caught my attention recently has been the personlized marketing pitches. There have been some pretty clever ones lately and you might have seen them advertised. Here is a popular one that Peyton Manning (what's he not selling these days) is pushing.


You can send one from here,
http://www.priceless.com/us/personal/en/extras/peptalks/index.html


All of these are funny, but what is the real point? I can see how they work in a viral way, but can Mastercard put a real value on this campaign?


If you want to see one that is a little (actually alot) darker, visit the one that Showtime did recently.
http://www.sliceoflifetv.com/

Here We Go

Bucket's Bits is a marketing blog written by a traditional marketing person stumbling through the new internet.


I've been involved in marketing since 1989 and have witnessed some dramatic changes in my time (I remember when a fax machine was cool). I'll try to comment on new technology as it relates to the every day job of helping companies tell their story.