kathylisiewicz
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Posts by kathylisiewicz
What Happens When You Get Hit by a Bus?
0At my first job, I developed what I call my Hit By a Bus theory of vacation. I asked myself, what would happen if I got hit by a bus? The answer was pretty clear:
- My project would get completed.
- The company would stay in business.
- The world would keep turning.
And I’ll come back from vacation.
Bob Prol has a post on this topic, reminding readers that vacation time is not a gift. It’s part of how your employer pays you. If you don’t take your vacation time, you’re actually getting paid less per year. Don’t get paid less, particularly when you do it to yourself.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of this blog. Let’s celebrate by making sure we all have vacation plans.
And don’t get hit by a bus. No one wins that one. Not even the bus.
The Best Time to . . .
0Mashable has an article about the best times to post on Twitter and Facebook. The answer for Twitter: Monday between 1 and 3 p.m., east coast time. For Facebook: Any weekday between 1 and 4, but particularly on Wednesdays at 3.
Which is great, unless everyone does it at once. Then it’s pretty much the worst time, because you’ll just get lost in the noise. As Matt McGee points out, “there’s no magical time to publish.”
As he explains, you need to take a look at when your audience is online–what gets the greatest response? When did you post it, and when did people respond? Keep the quality of your content high, and be open to the unexpected. That makes a lot more sense than assuming that there’s one answer for everyone.
Besides, don’t those days and times sound like you’re James T. Kirk setting up a game of Fizbin?
Make the Most of Pinterest
0This infographic from Edelman Digital really sums things up nicely. Take a look–is there more you can do to increase your effectiveness?
Social Check-Up
0
The Consumerist points out that 13 million people have left the default Facebook privacy settings in place. Don’t be one of them.
Karlyn Borysenko of HoneyB Social Media & Digital Communications writes about deciding if Pinterest is a good fit for your brand. She makes a point that I think a lot of people forget: it’s okay to try something and then stop if it doesn’t work. If your core audience isn’t on a particular channel, it’s okay to stop using it. But if they are, well, aren’t you glad you tried? Keep on keepin’ on.
Mashable reports that 49% of marketers have not made social media part of their larger strategies. Don’t be one of them, either.
Photo by jfcherry, via Flickr.
Advertising and Emotion
0Ads are often accused of being manipulative–and they can be. But sometimes their use of emotion is appropriate and effective. Remember when this aired?
As Long As Your Money’s Green . . .
0
. . . does it matter how many X chromosomes you have?
Pinterest is a hot topic, and one of the most newsworthy points is that 97 percent of Pinterest’s Facebook fans are women. So it’s easy for some people to dismiss it.
But Pinterest drives huge amounts of traffic to other sites, and that ultimately means sales. Who buys things? Women. In fact, girltalk points out that women make or influence 85 percent of all purchasing decisions, including over 50 percent of cars, home improvement items, electronics, and other “guy” products.
At the same time, girltalk reports, “91% of women say that advertisers don’t understand them.”
So if women make up just over half the population, and the majority of purchases, what does that say about how good a job advertisers are doing at reaching them?
My advice: Get to know us. Look at who women are, and what they want, and what they do. And don’t dismiss those things because “they’re women.” If you want money, you’re going to have to ask us. Nicely. Because we’re the ones who decide how it gets spent. And as Michael Brito points out, we know how to share information. Make sure we have good information to share about you.
Photo by 401k, via Flickr.
Sunday Morning Advertising: The Not-Quite-a-Winner Edition
0Okay, Huggies. Your revised campaign is better than the original, which featured dads ignoring their babies to watch the football game–apparently willing to let those children wallow in filth rather than paying attention to when a diaper might need changing.
But when you planned the new spots, did anyone say, “Why are five dads leaving the same house to wander aimlessly around the mall with their babies?”
Two dads, sure. But how many people live in that house? Or are they supposed to have carpooled? No way they fit five adults and five infant car seats into one vehicle.
I don’t expect every commercial to think through every bit of continuity. But I do think that I shouldn’t watch it and start thinking, “How is this scenario supposed to work?”
Keep it simple. Don’t distract viewers from your message.
Know Your Audience
0If you’ve ever driven past North Hollywood Park, you’ve seen scores of people running, walking dogs, playing basketball–the park is a center for all kinds of exercise. That’s why this makes sense:
That’s right, it’s an outdoor gym, complete with weight benches, leg presses, and stationary bikes. Do you prefer an elliptical trainer?
Have at it. And all of the equipment clearly is designed for outdoor use; it’s mechanical, not electronic, and sturdily built for the elements (and, one hopes, people jumping on it in ways you might not expect in an indoor gym–because I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen).
This wouldn’t make sense in every L.A. park, but it’s a natural fit for this one.
“Know Your Audience” isn’t solely about marketing. It’s also about the product or service you provide. I think this is a win for the L.A. parks department. But I am curious to see how they tell people about it once it’s open.
Think Like a Man
0Excuse me? Oh, never mind. I’m sure it’s much better than all the other “Battle of the Sexes” movies.
Advertising: What’s Your Message?
0“Hang in there, creepy guys! She’ll love you some day!”
[Insert ad for Gavin de Becker's The Gift of Fear here.]