Being involved in a business that deals in what I call 'intensely local' websites (many of our customers pull from a radius of less than 20 miles, some have business jurisdictions that are fractions of that). When you look at the accuracy of your average Google Local or Superpages search, it's not bad, but I'm amazed on a daily basis how many businesses simply haven't taken advantage of putting their URL, or even correcting their business information in Google or any of the other online directories.

Imagine my surprise when I was doing some research for an upcoming seminar, trying to highlight our local Internet prowess, only to find out that our own Chamber of Commerce has one major flaw with it's Google Local listing... It's LINKED TO ANOTHER WEBSITE! Now, it's not all bad, at least the link goes to the local newspaper, and the chamber listing does show up in the organic search as the first listing (one would hope that it should), but nonetheless, the URL is wrong in the listing.

Don't bother contacting them, I already have. However, it will be interesting to see how long it takes them to correct it. This reminds me of a presentation I saw recently over at MarketingProfs where Stephan Spencer and Brian Klais of NetConcepts mentioned a local hospital which has some material that was commented out which said something like "Jack designed this website with a swiss-army knife and a pack of gum" or something like that... The point is, you can't put your 'stuff' out on the Internet and then go on vacation.

ACTION ITEM: Go Google yourself. Then, check the local directories. If anything about your information is incorrect or incomplete, get it corrected. If your URL is not listed, but it could be, get it in there...
> Google Local
> Superpages.com
> Yellowpages.com
> Yahoo Local
> Your listing on websites in your local area...

I took my 'reading list' page off this site a long time ago because I couldn't keep up with the changing books (I know, that sounds funky, but I seriously have 21 books stacked on my desk now and I've read 2 in the last week...no, I don't sleep:)

Anyway, we have a great thing going here in Green Bay. If you're reading this blog from Green Bay, or if you happen to be passing through the area tonight, feel free to drop in on the Young Professionals Reading Group at Piazza's Restaurant @ 5:30PM

We'll be discussing the finer points of the the book The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield. Susan Finco, owner & president of Leonard & Finco will be our discussion leader.

I don't have time for a full book review, but let's just say that these are the folks that wrote the "Chicken Soup" series of books, and this one of the most impactful business (and personal) effectiveness books I've read since Getting Things Done.

Actually, if you were to read a few other books along with this one, you'd be golden and on your way to stardom. More importantly, the authors are just positing theories here. They have a full resource section in the back of the book on each and every book, article and journal that you can read to take the concepts further...what a concept!

Oh, and if you haven't read the book, that's OK too. You'll still get something out of the discussion, and you'll likely want to read the book after tonight!

INFO:
What: Current Professional Reading Group Series
When: 11/28/05 - 5:30PM
Where: Piazza's at 154 N. Broadway in Green Bay. This is the former Uprisings location (they have free wireless too!!!)
Why: Because you need to sharpen the saw and get started on your 2006 personal development :)

One of the best things about being a member of the AMA is participating in the SIGS (special interest group email listservs) where you can ping 3000 of your best friends for some marketing advice. Today, someone asked the following question, to which I responded. Which got me thinking--it would really be fun to own a clothing store at some point. I love clothes, shoes, and stuff like that. Not so sure I like retail though...

We have a similar high-end single-store retail clothing store here in Green Bay. They do a couple of things very well.

1. They are diligent about collecting addresses and emails to do regular 'preferred customer' promotions. They could do even more if they did a "bring a friend and get an extra x% for yourself and pass your discount on to them" to make the promotions more impactful.

2. They provide clothing for the evening newscasters on one of the local TV stations, which, in turn, nets them a mention each and every night on the program.

3. They have a 'tent sale' every so often, which again draws on their loyal clients. We get postcards 3 weeks before the event telling us about a special pre-event sale..before the general public gets wind of it.

4. As the clothier of record for many of the movers & shakers in the Green Bay area, they've become an informal networking venue to learn more about what's going on with peers & other influentials in the area. If they were to take it further, they'd be more aggressive in playing 'master networker' & becoming purveyors of information, not just fine clothing.

I'd also recommend reading a couple of books that might fit the bill here. Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba - Your client likely has a good roster of high-end customers and it pays to turn these influencers into evangelists. Another is The Virtual Handshake by Scott Allen & David Teten. This might be something of interest if you consider your client to be a 'hive' for the network of clients that they have. IMHO, it's the books that aren't "about" retail that give you the best insights on what do to at retail...

"It would hardly be fish who discovered the existence of water" once wrote Kluckhohn.

If you were to look at their business as 'providing high quality clothing to the greater metro area', I think that there's some missed opportunity. However, if you were to elevate the purpose of their business to 'Ensuring the continued success of XYZ area professionals' (by making them 'look good' in the professional endeavors with quality clothing), then I think you could really have some fun with building their business.

Just some thoughts & observations.

[UPDATE: Maybe there's even room to add the 'social shopping experience' to this list.]

After years of hearing about how wonderful the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association (AIMA) is from Toby, I'm delighted to see that Wisconsin is finally doing the same thing out of Milwaukee. (seriously, I thought about starting this in Green Bay...sure, this would really fly in Green Bay...). Ventures like this take critical mass to succeed long term and Milwaukee has just that. Home to countless ad agencies, top tier web dev houses and now the Milwaukee Interactive Marketing Association!

If you're within earshot of Milwaukee, how about showing up for the next event on Sept 29th. The speaker will be none other than Mitch Golu, President of cars.com, who will share his thoughts about online media and how it has matured in the last decade.

Props to the president of the org, Andy Vogel, for having the foresight to get this thing going!

[via the Wisconsin Technology Network]

While major publishers have been courting major advertisers, there’s also a boom going on in the local markets. Borrell Associates’ WebAudit predicts a rise of 28.7 percent in local online ad buys for 2004, with markets such as New York (34.2%) and Los Angeles (24.2%) leading the way. Borrell includes 210 U.S. markets in its report, which tallies money spent by local advertisers for newspaper, yellow pages, search engines and other sites. Perhaps the biggest eye-opener in the report was a predicted 100 percent jump in online ads for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY market to $40 million. Local observers were stunned by the prediction, according to the Albany Times-Union, though Gordon Borrell stood by his projections, saying they were grounded in a tech recovery and business-to-business growth.

» Local Web Spending Up Nearly 29% (ClickZ)

» Boom forecast for online ad spending (Albany Times-Union)

» 2003/04 WebAudit for U.S. Markets (Borrell research)

[via Online Publishers Association]

As a business advisorty board member to the St. Norber SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team, I am very proud to announce that the SNC group are the Midwest regional SIFE champions! This is a great victory for such a young team, who in their previous years have been named rookies of the year, and first runner-up.

It also make the advisory board members pretty proud to be part of a winning team!

[see also - Student enterprise teams to compete for shot at nationals - Green Bay Press Gazette]

As an interactive marketer, I'm keen to find local e-marketing opportunities that I can bring to clients in the greater Green Bay area. One such opportunity is with Internet Yellow Pages provider SuperPages.com. They recently introduced PPC options I'm really anxious to explore. From the information on their site, they don't have much automation in place, as you must call a rep and have them setup an account, which makes sense I guess, as most people (SMB owners) who are likely to engage the service are not Internet marketers and will do well to have some assistance in the process.

The beauty of doing local search marketing is that uou may be as broad or as specific as you like in selecting locations. If you are setting up a local campaign, you may choose nearby towns and cities. National / Regional advertisers can target metropolitan areas, states, or the entire US.

FindWhat powers SuperPages.com and word has it that it will be early April before advertisers can use Pay Per Click at Superpages.com.

My bet for the future is on local search advertising (yep, I'm jumping on that bandwagon) and the gradual refinement and effectiveness of content targeted advertising. There will also be a huge influx of new PPC advertisers who are getting fed up with contstant algorithm changes at Google.

Media Life: Peddling a nifty scheme to trim fat

I really don't know if this could work in the US, let alone in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but I'd love to see it work!!!

It’s been a problem of growing concern in Britain: how to halt the ever-expanding waistlines of her majesty’s subjects. The answer? Free bikes. “This isn’t pie in the sky. It is based on concrete plans.” Note: These are not just any bicycles but those that carry advertising. A similar free bicycle scheme underway since June of last year in Vienna, Austria.

There are bike stations around the city where you can swipe a credit card and pick up a bike. It’s free for one hour. After that there is a small hourly charge. When you are finished with the bike, you return it to one of the stations. In return, the cyclist becomes a pedal-powered billboard, transporting advertising messages printed on the enlarged hub caps and the chain guard. Three advertisers -- mobile phone companies Nokia and One, and local Austrian bank Raifeissen -- have sponsored 333 bikes each for three years.

What are your thoughts? Could this work here?

EWDN and YPN Members and Partners:

A reminder that the 3rd state-wide “Building the New Wisconsin Economy” Forum is March 2nd in Green Bay. To find out more and register, visit the website at www.bnwe.org. A few EWDN reps are on the panels, along with local CEO’s and media leaders.

Date:
March 2, 2004
9:15 am - 4:00 pm

Location:
The SC Grand Banquet
and Convention Center
1250 Mid-Valley Drive
De Pere, WI

The AAFRV cordially invites you to "Building a Brand in America" by David Oreck.

When: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 6:30 pm
Where: The Gruenhagen Conference Center on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Campus

This event is free to the public.

Young Professionals Network Cordially Invites You To Give Your Heart A Volunteer Fair Featuring Representatives Of Local Non-Profit Organizations Available To Answer Your Questions About Volunteerism And Engage You in Community Life

* Thursday, 2 / 19 / 2004
* Open House 4PM - 8PM
*Radisson Hotel & Conference Center

Speaking At Six O’Clock:
Christine Danielson, Executive Director, The Volunteer Center
Karmen Lemke, Corporate Community Relations, Wisconsin Public Service

Hor d’ouerves provided; cash bar available.
$10 Program Fee
R.S.V.P. to Sue Gerrits (920)435-4540 ext. 102

In an effort to boost the state's winter tourist season, Wisconsin will launch a multi-media campaign this month that highlights indoor activities in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas.

The effort from the state Dept. of Tourism, via Boelter + Lincoln, Milwaukee, will include TV and print in such target cities as Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Green Bay. Internet will support. Spend was put at $750,000.

The campaign will focus on such indoor attractions as the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Michael Lord Gallery and Potawatomi Bingo and Casino, as well as such outdoor destinations as Wisconsin Dells, which features skiing and snowmobiling. Wisconsin's winter tourism season is a $3.4 billion industry, according to the Dept. of Tourism.

"The idea behind the campaign is to show there are indoor activities throughout the whole state," Sarah Klavas, marketing director for the state department, said in a statement. "It's meant to benefit tourism in general."

I was fortunate to be invited to attend an Interactive Marketing/Web seminar yesterday put on by DM Interactive here in Green Bay. Interesting, but nothing earthshattering. Most of the stuff mentioned, we are already doing, but I love going to these things because they allow you to get a pulse on what your non-competitor peers are doing in the market and garner new twists and ideas on how to improve your web presence.

The seminar opened with Wayne Wichlacz of the GB Packers taking about Packers.com and Packerproshop.com. The most interesting thing about these sites is that they do almost NO promotion. That being said, when you have an NFL team on TV every week, who the hell needs "promotion." A couple of takeaways from Wayne:

- The Packerproshop.com traffic is driven almost entirely by the Packers.com site.
- A strong brand can lead to stronger affiliate traffic and revenue generation. Accolades by association.

Brad Gagare of Ariens also presented. Ariens is doing some wonderful stuff on the web. Very similar to what we do, here are 5 simple "touchpoints" that everyone should be hitting with web marketing.

1. Site Positioning. This is basic SEM and SEO type stuff, but it simply involves making sure that your site is ready for prime time and has been submitted to major engines. Also, it is making sure that the message/language on the site matches your branded offline communications. Not a small feat for some companies.

2. Keyword sponsorships. Some companies are only doing 10-25 words, while others have upwards of 200. I've not yet seen research on which is a more viable strategy, but the bottom line is: do it! Also, it may be best to outsource this stuff to someone who's doing a lot of it, as PPC can become VERY time consuming.

3. E-Newsletters. Basic, permission based, text of HTML newsletters to "inflict your brand on those who've asked for it!" Sweepstakes or other rare event type mailings do wonders for driving up your OR and CTR (Open Rate and Click-thru Rate)

4. Banners. There are some really amazing sites like wunderground.com which allow you to do precise targetting to the point where it's almost sick. The point, slapping your banner on Yahoo is not the path to success. Segment, target, and position your way to success with this tool.

5. Site Sponsorships. These go beyond the banner by creating more of an alliance with a site. These also lend great co-op marketing gigs and are a gateway to doing co-op newsletter registrations. Needless to say, these sponsorships are with sites that resonate well deep within your target market.

On the subject of web strategy, there's nothing earth-shattering here. Simply having one is a breakthrough for some companies. If you're still fishing for one, here are some basic web strategy elements which should be included. These are usually positioned as follows:

"The Purpose of Our Website/Web Presence is to:"

- Educate and inform our customers and to further the brand
- Generate leads for my sales people/dealers/VARS
- Sell products through my e-commerce site
- Appeal to the LCTD, (lowest common technology denominator) making my site as widely accessible as possible
- Make it easy to conduct business with my company

You get the point....

One final takeaway that I've always thought of, but never put it out in plain view is "Build for CRM." Meaning simply that you should be collecting and aggregating your customer data as though you are using/will use the information in a full blow CRM deployment. It's really funny how many companies don't know how much their data knows about their customers/prospects.

Please join YPN at our November event: Corporate Etiquette for our Global Economy.

The event will be held Monday, November 17, 6:00 – 9:00 PM at the Oneida Nation Elementary School (see attachment for directions and details). I look forward to seeing you there!

Please RSVP to Sue Gerrits at 920.435.4540 x102 if you plan to attend.

Members and friends of the Young Professionals Network are cordially invited to the EWDN, Inc. ANNUAL ACTION EVENT. The meeting will be held Wednesday, November 12 at the SC Grand. Please see the attached document for more information. Some highlights include:

I ran across this article today on the Entrepreneur.com website on the subject of preparing for the transition of taking your home-based business to the next level by abandoning your home office for commercial office space. I was a bit discouraged, but had a *good idea* when I read the following statement at the end of the page.

"If you move into a commercial office, it won't be just the lease you'll be paying for; you'll have the added cost of purchasing equipment and office furniture as well paying for extra utilities, phone bills, and Internet and other services. And if you hire employees, you've got insurance, worker's compensation and their salaries to consider. When deciding to move from a home office, "it's the same decision of expanding capacity for any other business," Deeds says. "There's a whole new level of dollar you have to make every month to cover the expansion."

If I were a forward-thinking local real estate mogul, well versed in writing and Internet Marketing, I'd publish a series of articles via the HBBA (Home Based Business Association), Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, and whoever else would listen, on the topic of taking your business to the next level, and how *easy* and liberating it really is to move from the home office to a legit commercial space. Let's look at some of the positives:

- You can lease everything from computers to office furniture (especially office furniture) and write it off
- Retail space vacancies are still running very high, making good spaces relatively cheap.
- Location, Location, Location - Remember that?
- Perception is reality. Even the most modest of office spaces, done well, can be very impressive and yield benefits to your business.

Moreover, I'd partner with local business equipment providers to "package" the products and services (CPAs, furniture dealer, computer shop, etc) needed to get from the corner closet to the corner office.

How's this for Just In Time local marketing.

I just got an email from The Velvet Room, and new nightclub in Milwaukee with the following information:

Subject: VELVET ROOM PARTY TONIGHT!

Who wouldn't want to get an email like that at quitting time on a Friday afternoon? Simple, yet brilliant.

Check out this email. Beautiful. Simple. Black, and White. Rock on.

More to the point - check out the people behind the Velvet Room site. ENV Designs, which stands for "envy", as in you're site will be the envy of all other restaurants. These guys a smokin. They've found a distinct niche, and exploited the hell out of it. If I were opening a resturant, these people would be a "must talk to."

* Thursday, October 9, 2003
* 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
* S.C. Grand, 1250 Mid-Valley Dr., De Pere
** Download the PDF invite here

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Registration, cash bar and buffet – eat as you come in and program will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

6:30 – 7:45 p.m. Highlight video of Dr. Richard Florida’s speech on 9/18/03

Active discussion of World Café topic: How do we actively involve young people in the creative new economy of NE WI? The room will follow the “World Café” format of having a topic at each table and moving & mixing tables every 10 minutes so participants interact with everyone in the room by the end of the night.

Business and Community Leaders will be at each table to work with young people in a team atmosphere.

7:45 – 8:30 p.m. Social reception, cash bar, coffee and dessert

Hosted By:
Young Professionals Network
Pulse Communications Inc.

Sponsored By:
Arketype Group Inc.

Background:
An event was held 9/18/03 entitled “A Creative Future: Shaping our Regional Economy”. Over 400 people attended from business, education, government and the community to hear from Dr. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of The Creative Class. (See www.creativeclass.org) They were looking for ways to spark our economy and ensure a brighter future for our region. At the event, Richard Florida and his colleagues utilized interactive technology to lead the room through a process of “holding up the mirror” to determine crucial issues and identify ways to implement changes.

The prevailing message from the event both from the experts and looking at ourselves? ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE and create a community open to diverse people of all ages, races, and backgrounds to ensure economic success and a vibrant future for our region. We need to make NE Wisconsin a place where all people feel valued, energized, and empowered. WHY? Because the key to success in any realm is PEOPLE. Creativity sparks innovation and productivity - and needs to be actively sought, cultivated, and rewarded.

The September 18th Creative Future Event was a catalyst – and the October 9th Creative Future Café will build upon that momentum. On 9/18 we held up the mirror and heard from respected experts who helped us define work we need to do in our region. We participated, voted, and determined our direction.
On October 9th… we move forward in that direction.

$5.00 for Members of either YPN or Pulse; $7.00 for Non-Members
To register: Online at www.acreativefuture.com or call Sue Gerrits at 920-435-4540 x 102

Registration Sponsored by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

A while ago, I posted an opening for an e-marketing position at J.J. Keller in Neenah, WI. I was really puzzled that they were having such a hard time finding a body for that position. (as of last week, there are still looking)

However, I'm quite convinced that *part* of the reason that a qualified body cannot be found is that someone who is up to speed in e-marketing would not likely want to be physically located in North Eastern Wisconsin, at least not in the N.E.W. that we have *today*. (based on the analysis from the Richard Florida seminar on Thursday about the Creative Class) I say this because of that I've heard from Seattle, San Diego, and New York - they have no problem filling jobs like this becuase they have the "cultural infrastructure" to support members of the creative class. In Richard's assesment, CC workers migrate to a place not of *a job*, but of MANY jobs in and around their field of specialty. And that's important, because CC workers are specialists. They've worked very hard to get to their place in the world and typically get there as a result of being better than many others in their specific disciplines.

Perhaps what comapanies need to do is also sell the area and its potential to those considering the job, but not the area, as a potential place to work. OR - open up positions like this to telecommuting so that the best person can live where they want, and perhaps travel to the *home office* on an as needed basis? Just a thought.

So, once again...if you know anyone....

Larry K. at J. J. Keller & Associates , Inc. is currently searching for an experienced E-Commerce Marketing person to round out their marketing team. Keller, is a leading supplier of regulatory and compliance information products. They are located in the Neenah, WI area.

Here's a link to the job posting on their site.

If anyone might know of someone, post a comment or send me an email at dana @ danavan dot net.

Career Exploration at St. Norbert - De Pere, WI

Here’s an answer to the question that was raised yesterday, “You say that we need to engage youth and reach out the college students to stem the ‘Brain Drain’ from the state of WI, well, how would you suggest I start?”

Call you local college’s career services office, business school dept, or whatever your fancy, introduce yourself, and go in to talk with them. Better yet, if you happen to be anywhere near De Pere, Wisconsin, call Maureen Huffer of St. Norbert College at 920.403.3040, and ask to volunteer for the Career Exploration Day Fair on Nov. 6th, 2003. This fair allows professionals like you to engage with students, provide insight and advice, or better yet, get some insight into the mind of this generation!

Remember, the most important thing you can to do foster a creative class economy in North Eastern Wisconsin is to “Fully engage and involve young people/professionals in all aspects of the community and civic engagement.”

Check out the SNC Career Services page for more info.
Call Maureen Huffer of St. Norbert College at 920.403.3040

Yesterday I had the great fortune to be able to attend Richard Florida's seminar, "A Creative Future." According to this morning's GB Press Gazette article, there were about 400 attendees. It was a veritable "Who's Who" of Green Bay. Leaders, presidents, CEOs, and the like were all in attendance.

All in all, it was a pretty powerful, and sobering presentation on the state of North Eastern Wisconsin, and the state as a whole. Florida, and the entire Creative Transformation team were absolutely astounding. Governor Jim Doyle, however, was not. Doyle made a guest appearance, totally unbeknownst to probably anyone but the organizers, as he was not on the agenda, to discuss his economic plans for the state of Wisconsin. You’ve got to give the guy a modicum of credit, it was certainly the right audience to pitch, but it was undoubtedly the wrong message. Doyle was preaching about programs, plans, platforms, and agendas on how to bolster the manufacturing sector and keep our young college grads in the state, basically promising a bunch of money for a host of yet-to-be-determined initiatives. He did not, however, put any meat on his plans. Thus, the majority of the attendees viewed him not as part of the solution, which we were all striving to craft, but as part of the problem, which we are trying to eradicate. Nice job Jimbo.

Larry K. at J. J. Keller & Associates , Inc. is currently searching for an experienced E-Commerce Marketing person to round out their marketing team. Keller, is a leading supplier of regulatory and compliance information products. They are located in the Neenah, WI area.

Here's a link to the job posting on their site.

If anyone might know of someone, post a comment or send me an email at dana @ danavan dot net.

Creativity produces the power needed for growth, change, development and action.

On Sept 18th, 2003 we invite professional and creative minds to come together and create a vision, an economy and a future.

Featuring guest speaker Dr. Richard Florida, author of the "Rise of the Creative Class: and How it is Transforming Work, Liesure and Everyday Life" (www.creativeclass.org) Dr. Florida will also welcome attendees to voice their opinions via audience response technology.

Terry Ludeman from the Dept of Workforce Development will then challenge our region to take charge of its future economic growth.

Sign up now for this unique opportunity in creating a better community

Thanks to the Northeast Wisconsin EWDN for getting this event together!