Technology Marketing by Tatum MarketingJust another WordPress weblog

If you haven’t subscribed to the new Clicks ‘n Conversions blog yet here’s a sample of what you’ve recently missed. Even if you have subscribed to the Clicks ‘n Conversions blog, maybe you missed one or two of these.

Where to start a program to increase your website visitor-to-customer ratio.

Will pay-per-click advertising will work for you?

New disclosure policies for marketers and bloggers – what they mean to you.

The secret to marketing measurements that drive action.

How to make big improvements in your marketing in 2010.

Three critical reasons to keep your mailing list clean

Are you getting enough website traffic?

If you’re one of the few who haven’t subscribed, it’s easy to do. Just go to the Clicks ‘n Conversions blog and click on the RSS icon at the top right.

See you there.

Last week I wrote that you needn’t worry about signing up for the RSS feed at our new blog on Clicks ‘n Conversions. I’d been told all subscriptions would be automatically moved from Tatum Marketing to Clicks ‘n Conversions.

Seems I was wrong and you DO need to sign up. Please go to the Clicks ‘n Conversions blog now and get signed up so you don’t miss anything!

Susan

Week of November 2

Most online advertising is performance-based.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), in the first half of 2009, 58% of all internet advertising dollars was spent on performance-based advertising – search plus other pay-per-click buys. Non-performance based advertising (ie, display ads) tends to be brand or image type advertising. Although the percentage spent on search advertising is steadily growing, brand advertising still claims a surprising (to us) 42% of the dollars. For more info, read the IAB Ad Revenue Report.

Google introduces comparison ads.

This week Google began testing Adwords Comparison Ads which lets users quickly and easily compare multiple offers – right there on the Google Search page. Currently these ads are showing only to a small number of U.S.  users and the test is limited to select advertisers in the mortgage/refinance sector. But that will certainly change.

8% of internet users count for 85% of display ad clicks.

The number of people clicking on display ads seems to be plunging. comScore recently released research showing that in March 2009 only 16% of internet users clicked on display ads. This was down from 32% in July 2007. The study also found that 8% of all internet users count for 85% of clicks on display ads. Put your ad dollars into search.

Senior IT managers concerned about SaaS security

A new study from NCC Group has found that 45% of IT managers and directors at large firms are worried that SaaS suppliers are not doing enough to protect their data. 41% of managers at mid-sized firms and 31% of managers at small firms share the same concern. Are you doing enough to remove this worry for your customers? Read more about the SaaS Study.

Today I’d like to continue a discussion I started in my last blog post: “Marketing to the Human Psyche.”

To recap, neural scientists have discovered a link between social needs and survival, a link which could trigger prospects to react to our marketing efforts as if we were a rabid dog.

I know what you’re thinking: “The software we sell isn’t going to harm anyone’s social status. If anything, it will elevate their status when higher-ups in their organization see how much money, time, and/or resources our software saves them.”

That might be true, but before prospects buy your software, they need to buy your story, and logic won’t work if they perceive you as a threat.

There are some techniques –- i.e. qualities –- that a recent strategy+business article suggests can be used to keep the threat response in check. One such quality is certainty. As human beings we crave it, and when we don’t get it, the uncertainty registers as a gap in our brain, causing us to pause until the conflict is resolved.

As marketers, we need to understand that any conflict we create in the prospect’s mind will either slow down the sales process, or stop it altogether. To keep the momentum up, create the perception of certainty. Here are six tactics that will make prospects feel more certain about you and your product.

Certainty-Building Tactic #1: Case Studies

We always knew that case studies can sell, but maybe now we understand a little better why they work: Prospects that relate to the people in our stories gain a sense of familiarity about our product.

Since no two people are identical, however, we need to have a portfolio of case studies that address the industries, geographical regions, organizations, and types of people we serve.

IT folks working in a Windows shop will relate to stories about other Windows-centric IT folks working in similar-sized organizations, government workers will relate to case studies that highlight other government workers, and so forth.

Certainty-Building Tactic #2: Analogies and comparisons

If you’re selling a bleeding-edge product, try to create a sense of familiarity by comparing yourself to a product or concept that was once unfamiliar, too.

Remember when we feared online banking? Nowadays, we don’t give it a second thought. If you can relate your product to something else that once conjured up similar feelings of uneasiness, you’ll help prospects “see” that your product isn’t as far-fetched as one might think.

Certainty-Building Tactic #3: Slower, more manageable steps

Nobody wants to have their name associated with a failed project, especially these days when budgets and job security weigh heavily on our minds. Marketers that sell large-scale, enterprise solutions can create a sense of certainty by helping prospects visualize a path to success.

Here again, case studies work because you can tell stories about how other clients achieved success by breaking down a large project into manageable chunks that fed off incremental successes.

Another way to accomplish this is to develop product offerings that let people buy only what they need right now, while at the same time showing them how your product will grow with them. In effect, people don’t want to buy a super-sized meal when all they need is a mid-afternoon snack.

Certainty-Building Tactic #4: Your own skin

Put some of your own skin in the game by finding ways to show prospects that you believe in your own product.

Money-back guarantees, technical support, and training are just a few good faith efforts that will make them feel more certain about their decision to go with you and your product.

Certainty-Building Tactic #5: Communities

While case studies are great, you can’t ask questions, and there’s always the suspicion that the story glosses over less-desirable bits.

Marketers can eliminate doubts by building into their website a means by which readers can send an e-mail or chat with the people in your stories.

Of course, this requires a bigger investment on your case study participants’ part, so if that seems unreasonable, set up an online community where prospects can freely discuss you and your product with existing customers.

Certainty-Building Tactic #6: An online sandbox

Remember how you felt when you installed Microsoft Office 2007? Despite the fact that I had been using Word for 20 odd years(!?), Word 2007, I found, was extremely unfamiliar and frustrating.

Let’s not follow Microsoft’s lead. Many software companies already offer free trials, but even then, people have to take the time to install the software; a task which can quickly become a roadblock to the sale.

If your software supports it, why not create a sandbox online where people can play with your product? The sandbox environment can be an extremely powerful tactic because 1) it makes it incredibly easy for prospects to demo your product to other people in their organization, and 2) it gives you unique insight into how customers actually use your product.

Stay tuned for my next blog post on November 17th, where I’ll cover the second psychological quality that will keep the rabid dog response at bay.

Sue Anderson-Lenz
Marketing Lure, Inc.

There’s a right way, and an extremely wrong way, to tell your customers about a new release of software.

The right way greases the upgrade wheels, clearly describing the added value customers will gain, while at the same time reinforcing their decision to trust you to deliver them a high-quality product.

The wrong way seriously undermines your credibility. At best, you’ll have a support issue as customers refuse to take a risk by upgrading, but if the release announcement is really bad, customers might start to question whether your product is worth paying for.

If this sounds elementary, it is, but I’m rehashing basic release announcement rules because I’ve seen some very scary release notes go out from well-intending, extremely ambitious software entrepreneurs as recently as yesterday.

Development delays slowed this company’s release plans, so when they finally had a product that could go out as promised, they rushed the release announcement and made what I believe are 6 serious errors in the process.

It was too late for me to stop them (I saw the release note at the very same moment their customers did), but what I can do is stop other entrepreneurs like them from making these same mistakes.

Before you hit the “send” key on your next release announcement, here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts to avoid doing harm to your good name.

Release Announcement Rule #1: DO always test your links.

Customers are busy people, so asking them to upgrade once is already an intrusion on their time. Asking them twice –- first with a link that doesn’t work, then later with a link that does –- shows you didn’t thoroughly test before sending your message, and if you didn’t test something as simple as a link, they’ll begin to wonder if you really tested your software.

Release Announcement Rule #2: DON’T rely on friends or Microsoft to catch your spelling errors.

Microsoft’s spell checker won’t catch silly yet oh-so-embarrassing mistakes like “rear” instead “rare,” and friends, frankly, don’t have enough skin in the game to make sure your work is flawless.

The mind can trick our eyes into seeing what we want to see, but our ears never lie. As a copywriter I personally learned this valuable lesson a long time ago, which is why I swear by TextAloud, a $30 dollar software that reads your text back to you.

But don’t just take my word for it. If you still think you can rely on someone else to catch your mistakes, I dare you to try TextAloud free for 15 days. Run something you’ve written by a friend, and then run the same piece through TextAloud. If you’re like me, you’ll never go back to proofreading the old fashioned way.

Release Announcement Rule #3: DON’T have your development team write the release note.

Lest you’ll end up with a message that sounds more like a development status report to management. Most developers live in a techie silo with little outside contact, so most don’t know how to explain bug fixes and enhancements from the customers’ perspective, and most don’t know how to deliver less-than-ideal messages without scaring the crap out of people. I know, because long ago I used to be a developer.

To clearly articulate value, give the job of writing the release note to someone in your organization who understands your customers and the value they derive from your product.

Release Announcement Rule #4: DO sell new value before diving into what wasn’t fixed.

This rule is a carry on to what I said about not scaring the crap out of people. If you ask a developer to write the release note, they’ll probably try to put a positive spin on the release by describing it as “more robust and bug free.”

Okay, but if all you’re selling is less bugs, I’m not buying.

I recommend you structure your release to first emphasize new capabilities. Second, move into major bugs that were fixed, but don’t go into bug-fix minutia. Finally (and only if you must), spell out what you didn’t fix.

Release Announcement Rule #5: DO take your T-I-M-E!

A rush job makes you look sloppy, and sloppy translates to all areas of your business — including your code.

The release announcement is the first impression you’ll leave with your customers, so make sure it’s a good one by taking your time to do it right.

Release Announcement Rule #6: DON’T inconvenience your customers with extra work.

In today’s software-mature world, I believe upgrades should happen auto-magically without any intervention by customers, especially when it’s a minor release from say, 3.0 to 3.1.

When you ask customers to uninstall your existing product before installing the new version, you’re basically telling them a) your time is more important than their time, and/or b) your software is so complicated and/or spread out that it’s hard to clean up via scripts.

Not only does the uninstall take more time on their part, there’s a greater likelihood of errors (which translates into more support costs), and the mere request could unnerve them as they silently wonder:

* Will I lose work I created with the prior version?

* Will the uninstall and re-install trash my computer?

You’ll eliminate all risks, doubts, and friction if you take the time to create an install process that handles the upgrade, including removing old software components.

Follow these 6 rules whenever you create a product announcement, and you’ll  leave your customers with a warm and fuzzy feeling about you, and your software.

Sue Anderson
Marketing Lure, Inc.

The Washington Post made national news last night, and sadly, this time it wasn’t because of their outstanding journalism. Their integrity was called into question because of a marketing flyer distributed last week.

Publisher and CEO Katharine Weymouth addressed the issue directly through a “Letter to Our Readers” published on Sunday July 5th. In it, Weymouth apologized for the new venture which she said went off track, and she apologized for any cause they may have given their readers to doubt the Post’s independence and integrity.

Weymouth went on to say the flier was not approved by her or her newsroom editors, and it did not accurately reflect what they had in mind. The suggestion that the Post would hold and participate in an off-the-record dinner with journalists and power brokers paid for by a sponsor, she says, was wrong.

I don’t doubt that, but I couldn’t help but feel her explanation (e.g. the flier wasn’t approved) was somewhat of a cop out. Sure, marketing has always been perceived as living in an ivory tower, but here’s a case where a fellow writer may have hurt the integrity of the paper.

Is it possible that writers on the marketing side of the house don’t fully understand and appreciate the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity? Maybe, but I believe we all have a responsibility to bear when it comes to accurately representing our companies.

So what really went wrong, and what can we marketers learn from their mistake?

Whatever their reasons, it appears the Post lost sight of the core values that made them what they are today. Moreover, the marketers at the Post forgot the power they wield when they serve as the “public voice.”

The truth is, one marketing mistake that undermines our company’s credibility can be catastrophic. I suspect Weymouth understands this, which is why she swiftly nipped the issue in the bud with her open letter. Will it be enough? Only time will tell, but my guess is they will recover from this incident because their long-standing history of integrity far outweighs this one incident.

So what about us B2B marketers who don’t work for powerhouses? We must be far more careful in our messaging.

To serve our companies well, we must first understand the core values that distinguish us from the competition. Second, we must never waver or allow our marketing enthusiasm to erode the principles that made us great. Third, if we’re living in an ivory tower, it’s time we get out and start engaging with the people who create the wonderful products we market.

Yes, we all have a responsibility to bear when it comes to accurately representing our companies. I propose marketing be the catalyst for change.

Sue Anderson
Marketing Lure, Inc.

Getting people to respond to online and offline promotional campaigns can be an exercise in frustration. With prospects constantly bombarded with marketing material, it’s tough to craft a unique message that captures attention and nudges prospects off the fence.

Effective messages are clearly written from the reader’s perspective, but there are a few proven techniques one can employ to help boost response.

Here are  a handful of techniques I personally use to keep the reader engaged and focused on what I want them to do. I’ll cover the first three tips this week. The remaining tips will be covered in upcoming blog entries.

How to Invoke Response Tip #1: Keep it conversational friendly.
This is a hard one for many people because it seems they’re afraid to loosen the reins on their corporate image.

In no way am I suggesting that you let go of common sense, but it wouldn’t hurt to undo the first button on your white shirt.

Try to establish a rapport with your reader with a personal message from you to them. Start with a personalized salutation (Dear <firstname>), use lots of “you” in the body, and finish with electronic signature.

If you’re unsure whether this will work for your audience, use an A/B test to measure results.

How to Invoke Response Tip #2: Draw parallels to your readers’ peers.
Like group counseling, sometimes it helps to know you’re not the only one with a particular problem or need.

When you shine the spotlight on the reader’s peers, it makes them stop and think whether they have the same problem and don’t even realize it.

Here are just a few ways to get your reader to reflect:

• “when I speak with business owners like yourself, they tell me…”
• “80% admit…”
• “ISVs like you secretly wish”

But please, don’t go crazy sprinkling this technique throughout your copy. One mention in the introductory portion of your message is all that’s necessary.

How to Invoke Response Tip #3: Don’t preach.
People don’t respond well to unsolicited advice. Promotional copy that sounds like you’re preaching, or telling them what they should do, is a huge turn-off.

Instead, lead them towards the answer by focusing on their immediate pains, talk about the long-term repercussions of status quo, oroffer up alternate points of view.

All three help your readers draw their own conclusions and drive them to want to take action.

Sue Anderson
Marketing Lure, Inc.

All of us at Tatum Marketing wish all of you – and yours – a safe, happy and prosperous 2009.

See you next year.

Cheers!

Susan, Andy, Mona, Karen, Jary and Eric

About a year and a half ago (in April 2007) I wrote an article called “Having trouble reaching your marketing objectives? Borrow from the “Simple-ology” Approach”. I’d been experimenting with an online productivity tool called Simple-ology. Its basic premise is that in order to become more successful you must:

• Clearly define your target
• Focus all of your attention and energy on hitting that target and
• Keep trying until you hit the target.

Simple as it seems (and simplicity is part of its beauty), this is very good path to follow with marketing.

In the article mentioned above, I talked about defining your target. Much of that article is still relevant and it’s essential to making marketing more productive and efficient.

I’m repeating it here with updates to allow for our current economic challenges.

If I thought about it hard enough, I could probably come up with a product or service that is naturally limited to a narrow, well-defined target market. But, I’ve yet to run across anything like that. All of our clients’ products and anything else that comes to mind could be sold to any number of market groups.

Separating the entire world of potential prospects into related segments is important because it lets you understand and address very specifically the pain or opportunity and the challenges your prospects face.

When prospects are carefully organized into closely related groups, you can develop and communicate messages that are truly relevant to those prospects. You can speak their language. You can much more quickly build a relationship of trust.

I’m not suggesting that you limit the number of markets you target (unless, of course, one or more of them are in an especially hard-hit industry). In a down economy it’s often necessary to expand the number of markets you sell to.

But I AM suggesting that you don’t have to deal with them all at once. You will be much more effective – and less overwhelmed – if you deal with them one at a time.

You can slice and dice your potential target markets in a number of ways – by industry, by size of company, by job function, by event (such as merger & acquisitions, real estate purchase, hiring activity), by whatever groups your prospects associate themselves with relative to your product. The more tightly you define the market(s), the better.

By way of an example, let’s say you sell legal software. You could sell to law firms or in-house corporate departments. Each has its own needs. You could sell to pharmaceutical companies, manufacturing firms, utilities, financial services and so forth. Each believes its industry is unique (some more strongly than others). You could sell to US companies only or you could sell to companies in other countries. Each country is likely to have its own legal needs. Do you see how this works?

If you attempt to appeal to everybody, you’ll end up with a very abstract or muddy message. And instead of being a hero to the people whose problems you solve, you’ll just be another solution that “sounds kind of interesting, but we’re not really sure how that relates to us”.

And that’s not all. Even within a well-defined target market, you will need to further segment your prospects depending on the role the individual plays in the buying process. In a complex sale you are dealing with a variety of “buyers” and each has their own agenda.

Let’s go back to the legal software example. To get your product accepted and purchased by a new customer, you’re going to have to deal with the people who actually use the product (lawyers, legal administrators, etc.), the people who service the product (the IT group), and depending upon the cost of the product, the people who set the budget and approve the expenditure (CFO, CEO).

Each of these “buyers” is looking for something different. The legal admin wants something that is easy to use and eliminates much of the administrative burden. The IT folks want something that won’t interfere with other systems and require a lot of servicing. The CFO wants to know about a measurable return on investment. Can you see why a single message can’t effectively communicate with all of these?

So, if Mark Joyner, the simple-ology guru, were to talk about marketing, I’m quite sure he’d tell you to start with a well-defined target market. And he’d be right.

Technorati Tags: marketing, efficiency, effectiveness, productivity

I’m just about to finish a fantastic book that should be read by everyone who ever has to persuade anyone to do anything. At least it should be mandatory reading for marketers and sales people.

The book is titled Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive.  It’s incredibly easy to read – each of the “50 proven ways” is its own 2 or 3 page chapter. And I’m telling you this stuff works. I know. I’ve tried it successfully on some of you.

Here are two that I tested immediately:

• Let people know that even a little goes a long way. Ever tried to get much-needed information from a prospect who is too busy to respond to your messages?  Try acknowledging that you’re both busy and that even a short phone call would help.
• Want to make prospects believe more of the positive claims you make? Cop to a minor negative one.

These tactics may not be earth shattering, but they work so who cares.

You’ll have to read the book to get the other 48. It’s worth it.