SEO Werkt!

 It’s a great idea. Unleash well-produced zombies as mailmen, first-responders, shoppers on the streets of city, capture the ‘freak-outs’ of passerby’s and then cap with the meaningful, action-inducing message.

“Put Zombies Back on TV” is the flag we are waving. AMC Networks is the one doing the waving. We have seen these disputes before between content publishers/networks and the distributors. Usually it is about money. Who gets what slice of the pie. It is usually pretty complex and impossible to decipher who is “in the right.” Essentially, it is two big corporations battling to protect their business needs. The consumer’s interest doesn’t enter into it unless you count the enjoyment we get from watching their programming (which we pay for one way or another). And this is where this corporate advocacy program falls apart. The best that they can do is to try and trigger AMC show fans (e.g. Walking Dead, Mad men, Breaking Bad) to scream bloody murder.

The Zombies are great. Of course, I am exactly who they are trying to reach….almost. I love Walking Dead and all of the combined zombie canon. Problem is, I am not a DISH Network customer. Best that I can do for them is share the video or share the message of the campaign. The DISH network customer, on the other hand, they want them to literally switch to another provider who does carry the AMC shows.

Three problems

The issue is too complex and I really don’t know who to support in the battle.  AMC hasn’t done enough to simplfy the issue, if that is even possible. Here’s how they explain the issue on their microsite:

“DISH’s decision to drop AMC, WEtv, IFC and Sundance Channel had nothing to do with our fees, or our shows. In fact, unlike almost every other dispute you see between providers and programmers, and despite DISH’s misleading claims to the contrary, this is not about fees.

The simple truth is that DISH is using their consumers as pawns to attempt to gain leverage in a lawsuit involving an old and unrelated business venture that has nothing to do with AMC, nothing to do with our shows or fees, and certainly nothing to do with DISH subscribers, who just want to watch the shows they love and are paying DISH for. You will not see any AMC Networks’ shows on DISH any time soon.

In other words, since DISH’s reason for depriving you of AMC programming is based on a lawsuit that won’t be resolved for a long time, this problem won’t be solved shortly, unlike other disputes between programmers and providers, which typically are resolved in a matter of days (weeks at most).” 

Huh? What “old and unrelated business venture?” Without simplicity and transparency I cannot possibly form a view as to which profit-making enterprise is worth supporting. AMC’s claims that the only way I see my beloved show is by voicing my discontent or outright switching (to one of the cable providers who are not likely to be bastions of customer goodwill, themselves)

If you are a glutton for detail (it won’t help sort it) then here is how Chip Lebovitz at CNN Money summarized it:

“The two companies have waged a legal war for over four years. In 2008, AMC Networks and its then-parent company, Cablevision, sued Dish (DISH) for $2.5 billion for breaching its 2005 carriage contract with Voom HD, a suite of channels created by a Cablevision (CVC) subsidiary. The dispute centers on whether Dish violated the contract when it dropped Voom because, Dish claims, Voom didn't spend enough money on programming. A trial is set for September 18th in the New York Supreme Court.

The timing of Dish's decision to drop AMC seems retaliatory. Dish first threatened to drop AMC in May, a week after it lost an appeal in the Voom lawsuit…

This is a litigation strategy. By not renewing [AMC Networks], Dish gained leverage in the underlying lawsuit," says Thomas Claps, an analyst at Susquehanna Group. "It highlights the fact that Dish faces significant headwinds in the [Voom] trial."…

According to Nielsen, in the last six months The Walking Dead had the highest rating in the key 18-49 demographic among Dish's basic cable subscribers. The network also has popular shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

Any Dish blackout of AMC, regardless of its motivations, hurts AMC significantly more than it does Dish. Without access to Dish's 14 million subscribers, AMC ratings and ad revenue will drop, weakening a company already struggling with net debt of over $2 billion.”

I feel like a zombie on the wrong end of one of Darryl’s arrows from the show The Walking Dead. My head hurts.

 The second problem I have is a simple social design and messaging one. They need my advocacy even if I am just a fan and not a customer. The video has a proper ‘throw’ to the “putzombiesback.com” site. Okay, I’ll bite (so-to-speak). But once there, my actions are not as clear and simple as they could be.  If I am a customer, they want me to switch. If not, I can either go to the @AMC_Assist  Twitter handle (>750 followers) or click on one of the ubiquitous social network share buttons at the bottom of the page (only 15K Likes on Facebook and only 5 Tweets?).

I want to share content not pages. Crafting a fan-oriented message that links to the video yet still carries a message of the campaign is what we need. Instead, the auto-fill on the tweet-share says something flat and not action-oriented. 

“DISH Customers have lost AMC, WE TV, IFC and SUNDANCE Channel.”

Why not, 

“If you luv Walking Dead, don’t let DISH Network keep it from 14 million fans. Join the Zombie swarm (link).” 

This lets me be a part, keeps the focus on the show I have an affinity for, and  drives me to deeper content as a collective action. 

The thrid problem is hardly that simply because I dont know what they have done to market this effort to the right people. But I hope that are using Facebook's Connections Analysis Tool (CAT) and other targeting efforts to deliver stories with clear calls-to-action to people who are fams of the shows, live in Dish customer regions, have affinity for similar programming, are big TV lovers and so forth. They could run this more as an advocacy program and less like a corporate issue deserving of a newspaper ad and, in this case, a cool video wth a mcirosite support.

Half a job done, I think. 

But wait, then there is the response from Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen, not much a fan of AMC programs. he essentially recommends that we just watch our video programs through iTunes. Not sure what kind of advice that is from someone who runs a satellite network:

"He was also dismissive of AMC which has acclaimed series includingMad Men and Breaking Bad. “They’re critically acclaimed but not viewed as much by our audience”, he says. “And our customers can go to iTunes and get Mad Menthe same time it’s on. We could pay the entire iTunes bill and it would be cheaper”

Summer in Minnesota is my favorite. Warm weather, green grass and puffy, white clouds flittering across the sky; it’s fabulous.

In particular I’m excited for the month of August because there are 2 great events happening in Minnesota.

Event #1 – Explore Minneapolis, where digital and social media marketers are gathering to explore the latest in online marketing and I’m presenting on Optimizing for B2B Audiences.

Event #2 – The “Great Minnesota Get Together”, where mini-doughnuts, Sweet Martha’s Cookies, and Corn on the Cob are must-have’s on the list.

What do these 2 events have in common? It might seem like nothing, but let me explain: One of the key challenges most B2B Marketers face is selling a product or service where multiple end-users and decision makers are involved.

In fact, according to Oracle’s 2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey, 28% of B2B transactions have 5+ decision makers. This is where knowing your audience, creating a roadmap and anticipating customer needs is a must.

Each year when our fair-going family sets our sights on the State Fair, it’s critical that we plan ahead. Each person has a slightly different interest in going and goal they want to accomplish. What we come up with in the end is a map of how we’ll move throughout the fairgrounds ensuring each person is satisfied, reaching their culinary or entertainment objectives.

For my 7+ years with TopRank Online Marketing, I have and continue to be intrigued by our B2B clients. From marketing to technology to healthcare, they provide products and services that transform businesses and some literally save lives.

Within each company, there is a story to be told and we consider it our greatest achievement to identify that story and create content that informs and compels audiences to action, impacting our client’s bottom line.

Here’s an approach to Optimizing for B2B Audiences and that I’ll cover in my session at Explore Minneapolis:

1. Know Your Audience
This is the most critical piece to the puzzle. Without understanding your audience and what problems they are looking to solve, what motivates them and the influencers involved in the purchase decision, the most brilliant campaigns can prove ineffective.

A couple ways to access audience data include:

• Reviewing current customers, titles, company size etc
• Surveys
• Tapping your organization from reception to sales to product folks

2. Create a Customer-Centric Content Plan
Map out the buying cycle including level and type of hunger your audience has through different phases of awareness, interest, consideration and so on. Know the type of content most likely to compel your audience to the next stage of the buying cycle, whether blog posts, whitepapers, videos or webinars.

3. Diversify Content on Social Networks
It’s not enough to have one Sweet Martha’s cookie stand. The landscape is too crowded and cookie-lovers are only so forgiving for long lines. The same is true for B2B companies who do well from investing time to diversify content across multiple channels and ultimately reach a greater number of people.

Back to Step 1, you may find that you need touchpoints across 2-3 channels to break through and get someone to make contact. OR there may be a sub-set of your audience that is more likely to consume and engage in LinkedIn. Ensuring key messages are broken down and made available in a variety of channels is not only helpful in growing your online footprint, but its creates frequency with users in early stages of a buying cycle.

4. Always Be Auditing
Doing anything worthwhile only once doesn’t make sense. Alas multiple trips to the State Fair and a choreographed route from beginning to end. Be sure you are routinely auditing the spectrum of marketing assets including Keywords, Website, Content Performance, Conversion Opportunities and Offsite Channels as well.

5. Always Be Testing
Some of the best results come out of testing.

Even though we have our plan of action for the fair, we do veer off course to try new things and find that we are rarely disappointed.

Create a compilation of industry resources your audience can find nowhere else, try a TwitterChat, do some A/B testing. Determine what you can test, what the goal is, execute and report back until you find the perfect recipe.

If you’re hungry for the latest in digital and social media marketing from the likes of Jason Falls, Jay Baer, Kevin Hunt from General Mills and Scott Gulbransen of H&R Block;  join us for Explore Minneapolis.

Would you like to attend Explore Minneapolis for Free?

Share  your favorite B2B Marketing tip in the comments below and the TopRank team will vote for the winner.  Three additional commenters will win a free copy of Lee Odden’s new book: Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing.

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Picking the best mouse to use is a pretty personal decision—it often comes down to taste and how the mouse feels under your hands, but there are definitely some stand-out models that most of us would recommend to friends if they asked us. Well, we asked you which desktop mouse you thought was the best, and this week we’re going to take a look at five of the best, based on your nominations. More »

While many industry watchers have suggested that Research in Motion give up its BlackBerry OS and adopt Android instead, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins (above) divulged exactly why the company avoided that route in a recent interview with the Telegraph.

And while RIM’s future seems especially bleak, after delaying its BlackBerry 10 release until 2013, Heins is still holding out hope that BlackBerry Messenger will be an enticing feature for its future devices.

“We took the conscious decision not to go Android,” Heins said. “If you look at other suppliers’ ability to differentiate, there’s very little wiggle room. We looked at it seriously – but if you understand what the promise of BlackBerry is to its user base it’s all about getting stuff done. Games, media, we have to be good at it but we have to support those guys who are ahead of the game. Very little time to consume and enjoy content – if you stay true to that purpose you have to build on that basis. And if we want to serve that segment we can’t do it on a me-too approach.”

Heins is basically reiterating his earlier position on Android, though now it sounds like RIM was closer to adopting Google’s OS than previously thought. I can’t blame the guy for avoiding the Android pile-on though. Looking at HTC’s disappointing earnings report today, it’s clear that there’s really only room for one Android manufacturer at the top — and RIM won’t be unseating Samsung anytime soon.

Personally, I still think RIM has a better shot at repositioning itself as the premiere Windows 8 enterprise partner. Sure, Nokia is  struggling with its Windows Phone partnership, but that doesn’t mean similar deals will fail (especially if RIM focuses on a single lucrative market). And it’s certainly better than waiting for BlackBerry 10 to debut next year.

On the topic of BlackBerry Messenger, Heins reiterated that he doesn’t want to bring the service to other platforms. “That’s what attracts people to BlackBerry,” he said. “This is our BlackBerry experience we can deliver – there’s no other system out there where you can read, write, check if you’ve read my message. We want to make it as differentiated as possible.”

Apparently, Mr. Heins hasn’t heard of iMessage, Kik Messenger, or the multitude of other modern messaging services that boast more features than BlackBerry Messenger.

In the same interview, the CEO noted that RIM may have to seek outside help when building BlackBerry 10 devices to keep up with the iPhone and Android. Though I can’t imagine who’d be crazy enough to pay for the privilege to build a BlackBerry 10 phone.

Via Boy Genius Report

Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat

A WebmasterWorld thread has one AdWords advertiser sharing his experience going through the decision making process of allowing a Google employee to set up a new AdWords campaign for free and see how it goes.

The outcome was that he decided to see what the AdWords representative can do…

A WebmasterWorld thread has one AdWords advertiser sharing his experience going through the decision making process of allowing a Google employee to set up a new AdWords campaign for free and see how it goes.

The outcome was that he decided to see what the AdWords representative can do. Let it run for a bit and see the results compared to what he could do himself.

Six weeks later, the results seem pretty impressive.

• Clicks – up 23%
• CTR -up 103%
• Avg. CPC – down 13%

So clicks are up, CPC prices are down – that seems great! Well, doesn’t it?

As moderator, buckworks, asked – how are conversions?

I’d assume those are doing well also, but I am waiting for the post to be updated. If conversions are the same or better, then this advertiser won big time by using the right Google AdWords representative.

Is it always worth a shot? That depends on the complexity of your business model.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

A ruling is in on whether watching, linking to and embedding copyright infringing videos is lawful…at least in one case.  In a court decision in a case of Flava Works against myVidster, 7th Court judge Richard Posner ruled that “as long as the visitor makes no copy of the copyrighted video that he is watching, he is not violating the copyright owner’s exclusive right.”
continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

In a court-ordered filing on Wednesday, Samsung lawyer John Quinn defended the move to release previously excluded evidence to media outlets on Tuesday, saying the move was both “ethical” and “lawful.”

Last month, Roku sent an email out to its developers, informing them that an exclusive deal with DISH meant it would be taking down independent apps for international content. [Hat tip to Zatz Not Funny!] With the launch of the satellite provider’s DISHWorld international channels, which are available for $19.99 a month, some 25 apps were taken off the Roku Channel Store. While a number of Roku developers are upset with the takedown and have begun questioning the open nature of the platform, Roku CEO Anthony Wood said the decision will mean more, and higher-quality content available to users through the DISHWorld channel.

“In general, we still want Roku to be a super-open platform,” Wood told me by phone today. But he said that in the case of international content, he said Dish is the largest provider of those channels both by satellite and, with its over-the-top channels on Roku, online.

Wood said that the channels taken down in aggregate didn’t provide as much content as the satellite provider’s comparable DishWorld offerings. That includes a lot of overlapping content with third-party developers who had built channels for the Roku platform, as well as a lot of exclusive content that its subscribers wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.

But that’s not the only reason Roku sided with Dish in making it the exclusive provider of channels on its streaming boxes. There’s also the problem of international content licensing, which could cause headaches due to some independent developers not paying for or licensing the video they were streaming to Roku users. Wood said it received multiple DMCA takedown notices from content owners who weren’t being properly paid for videos that appeared on some international Roku channels.

“We’re taking all that into consideration,” Wood said. “Dish provides better-quality content and a much bigger selection, all of which is properly licensed.”

While that might be true, Roku also seems to be cozying up to a lot more premium content providers, cable networks, and operators recently. In addition to DISHWorld content, it’s also recently gotten apps for HBO Go, as well as Fox News and others. That doesn’t mean that it’s abandoning its independent roots, but it definitely sees the value in offering up high-quality content from traditional providers.