guerrillaRed

I came across an entrepreneur.com article about Startup companies that had the opportunity to present their ideas at the Growth 2.0 conference.

Once of these companies stuck out to me. Not because it was new, but because it was almost so cool, but played out. Just like that new Kanye West or the “Sex on Fire” song. Anyway, the name of the company is Collarfree and they are another crowdsourcing T-Shirt company. They do have a really cool site, but it’s very similar to threadless and the other handful of t-shirt sites that are crowdpowered.

It’s funny that while Crowdsourcing was the coolest thing in the world back in 2006 - 2007, especially for apparel, it took a turn in a different direction. It still has the social media aspect of it, but it started to lean more towards business and professionals. For example: You have the beautifully designed NameThis.com which is a name your thingamajig by a crowd of people in different countries. It’s your own $100 think-tank. Hard to beat that!

Another way that crowdsourcing was deployed was in the very useful Texas/Mexico border camera broadcasting. It’s like that thing that GhostHunters did on Halloween, where if you see something you push the panic button. Except it wasn’t ghosts, it was alleged border jumpers and there were very concerned, bored, angry, Americans pushing doing the alerting.

Just when crowdsourcing was almost done for (as far as I’m concerned), what happened in late 2008? All my footwear junkies who probably spend too much time on the internet to even wear their sneakers had a chance to rejoice because Ryz.com was unleashed. Ryz is the first crowd-powered footwear company and may be what puts the apparel crowd-powered industry back on track to a long future.

Crowdsourcing will probably always be a part of the social media marketing landscape as we know it. It’s just too powerful of a tool to not be. I think the responsibility lies in the producers. Please don’t oversaturate the world with useless crowd-sourcing. Save it for something good…like sneakers.

Filed under: Social Media on January 12th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

A lot of times social media is used for good causes. A lot of times there is a company that is in some way benefiting from it. That’s fine because at least they are doing a good cause, they could NOT be doing that cause while still profiting.

But what is presented in this post from InteractiveMarketingCafe.com is awesome.

Check it out here: Social Media Marketing for the Good.

Filed under: Social Media on January 7th, 2009 | No Comments »

All companies are trying to find out how to get the most out of organic search traffic. Yet, sometimes it just seems like no matter what you do, you’re not getting ranked any higher than page 10 or 15 on a google search. You read around a little bit and find out about SEO, and just wonder what it is and why your Philadelphia skateboard shop is on page 15 of a search for philadelphia skateboard shop.

Why? Well there are about 4 main things that you need to be optimized, and there’s a good chance you don’t have any of them working for you.  So here’s a brief list of how to help get your site search-ready for some good old DIY Search Engine Optimization. Of course this won’t jump you up to number one, but it should get you off on a good foot and maybe show you how important organic search really is.

Step 1. Check your tags.

No, not on your car, but your meta-tags. You know that think at the top that probably says UNTITLED right now. That should say exactly what your site and page is about. Use keywords. Are you using anchor text the right way? Instead of using a click (here) with the “here” linked up, put a phrase to click on.

Step 2. Know your keywords.

If you’re focusing on selling skateboards online, then by god, talk about skateboards online. You need to know what keywords your customers are looking for and get them in the mix. But don’t just throw random words together, it has to make sense still. Just google what you want to be number one in and take a look at their content and keyword use. It’s not cheating, it’s learning!

Step 3. Increase the content.

No one gets up to number one by having a page with 10 words on it. In Search Engine Optimization, content is king these days, so start writing. Take the time to write some really good content, and lots of it. In-depth descriptions of your products, featured posts related to your site and industry. If you are indeed selling those skateboards, why not post a blog on some of the newer brands that are coming out that you happen to stock? Just more content to put on your site chock full of relevant keywords. That’s one of the core ideas of SEO.

Step 4. Get those backlinks

There are so many top sites that can give you great one-way backlinks. You should certainly take advantage of what the the social bookmarking sites and public blogging sites have to offer. Also, contributing content to sites in your industry is a great way to begin building up your search engine popularity.
Hopefully this can help you get off to a good start on at least understanding how to optimize your site for search engines. If you are really trying to make an impact, hiring a professional SEO consultant wouldn’t be a bad idea, but if you’re on a shoestring budget just trying to get off the ground, these tips can certainly help you out. Good luck on your new adventure in trying to navigate the wonderful world of SEO.

Chris

http://www.guerrillaRed.com

About the Author: Chris Karnes, founder of Philadelphia based guerrillaRed Marketing & Design, is an independent online marketing, SEO, and social media marketing consultant focusing on helping small businesses grow.

Filed under: SEO on January 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

1. Fly Derrie-Air from The Arcadia Project

In the Philadelphia Inquirer / Philadelphia Daily News / Philly.com, a few pages of ad space were used for “Derrie-Air” a fictional airline that charged passengers by their weight. It was an experimental stunt done by “The Arcadia Project” Direct from the Arcadia Project site:

The Arcadia Project is a sequence of five projects that together form a phenomenology of attentional economics and American pop culture at the beginning of the 21st century. Transmitted to the public through the medium of advertising, the Arcadia Project seeks to provoke new lines of thinking about the relationship between technology, the media, sex, truth, and the accelerating global economy. It sets forth advertising itself as a new system, a collective game we play to better understand ourselves and our place among one another.

Pretty frigging awesome if you ask me. It definitely garned a lot of attention in and out of the area. I remember hearing briefly about it, but was reminded and delved a little deeper thanks to the blog at guerrilla communications.

It’s a really cool research piece that worked wonders because at least I’m still here talking about it, and YOU are here reading about it! Thank the Philadelphia Daily News for running with this guerrilla marketing stunt.

2. Playstation graffiti ads in Philly work, but the City is not fond of the guerrilla marketing approach

I personally like it, but I’m a little more on the radical side, I would imagine. These grafitti-ads were placed in urban neighborhoods where grafitti was already present. Sony claimed to be trying to reach the “urban nomads” who would be interested in a PSP. Guerrilla Marketing or illegal destruction of property and illegal use of advertising? Eh, that’s up to the courts to decide, not me. I personally think it’s a great tactic that could be used, perhaps not with real grafitti though. Reverse grafitti anyone? That would be one hell of a guerrilla marketing / stealth marketing tactic if an artist could do a PSP drawing that way!

3.  Pabst and Colt 45 get in on the world famous murals

This is one that goes against all ethics/education/knowing whats right in guerrilla marketing. In one of Philly’s many urban areas, a wall on the side of a small bike shop got a beautiful mural makeover. Only this time, it was of young people enjoying a party while drinking “COLT…45!” The Billy Dee Special. Even the slogan “works everytime” was incorporated.  I am one for doing what must be done to sell product, but advertising malt liquor in this kind of a way is a little dirty. It’s no different than the “got a little captain in you” TV spots, but I don’t agree with them either. There comes a point where advertising harmful addictive products to YOUR OWN COMMUNITY is just plain wrong. If Colt 45 wants to advertise in a poor neighborhood, we can’t stop them. But if you want to benefit by giving them a wall for a stealth mural, that’s a little dirty. That goes beyond good guerrilla marketing and goes towards horrible taste…kinda like Colt 45.

There you have it. 3 of some of the most interesting guerrilla movements to hit Philly in the past couple of years. Stuff like this is what makes trying to launch your own marketing agency so much fun. A small company comes to you and you can stretch the budget in so many creative ways. It’s all about getting in that guerrilla mindset, but of course, keeping the marketing tasteful and professional.

Until next time….

Filed under: Random Thoughts on December 10th, 2008 | No Comments »

As someone who likes to fool around with video from time to time, I figured a nice little list of things that I’ve come across would do more good to those who truly care about the finer aspect of films.  Everything from Online Screening to Sound Effects are here…so check it out!

1. ProjectYourLive.com - ProjectYourLive is a cool little minisite promoting the yourLive software.  yourLive is an online video client that can provide a user a private room of 10, 100, or even 1000 users. How can this be useful you ask?  Well if an independent filmmaker wants to present his film online to an audience, what better place to do it?  You could set a time, send private invitations, the viewers can chat while it’s going on, see each other.  It’s pretty much a virtual screening.  Pretty cool stuff.
2. BlogTV.com - Any filmmaker needs to promote his product whether before or after release. What better way than with a live blog? You could provide a mysterious campaign, have one of the actors from your film promote it in advance, get an attractive female to blog and become a blog TV celebrity that just happens to be in your film…the possibilities are endless to the kind of promotion you can do.
3. JumpCut.com - This is for the real low budget guys out there. Can’t afford to get in the editing suite? Can’t afford the software or a computer good enough to run it on? Well maybe JumpCut is for you. It’s an online Video Editing application. How much easier can you get?
4. SoundSnap.com - Tired of the same old screams for your slasher flick? Looking for more realistic glass breaking for the barroom brawl?  How about babies crying for the orphanage fire?  Well then check out soundsnap, royalty-free, community-driven, user-generated sound effects. It’s like the hippie food coop for sounds. Pretty sweet.
5. IndieGoGo.com - When you are dead broke and desperate. IndieGoGo is a cool little hybrid site that lets you connect with other filmmakers, actors, fans, etc…but also fundraising. They try to help you reach and get fan-funded video projects. If you’re that desperate, it’s worth a shot.  Kind of like an ideablob for films.
6. Vimeo.com - Vimeo is the holy grail of high quality video uploads. If you want to put up your stellar HD trailer without the crappy YouTube conversion, then there’s a good chance Vimeo is what you need.  What it lacks in marketing, SEO, and users, it more than makes up for in quality and ease of use. Vimeo is the future, and the more you use it, the better off the world is.

That’s it, 6 really cool freaking tools. Be sure to check them, and feel free to repost these tools. Some credit would be nice, but you can’t get everything.

Good luck to all the filmmakers, feel free to fill me on your upcoming projects.

Filed under: Featured, Random Thoughts, Social Media, Viral Video on September 21st, 2008 | 1 Comment »

It’s interesting to see how much of a difference there is between the supporters of our 2 candidates this election year.  Obviously a lot of it is an age thing, but I think a lot of it is a culture thing that comes down to the “change” topic.

Let’s just look at twitter.  Barack Obama has over 82,000 followers.  John McCain has a shade under 2,000 followers.  Why?  Well, let’s look at who the Twitter Demographic is (taken from: nickburcher.com.

- males make up 63% of Twitterers
- California residents account for more than 57% of Twitter’s visitors
- Twitter’s largest age demographic is 35-to-44-year-olds who make up 25.9% of its users.
- 14.7% of Twitter visitors are type H03 a.k.a the “Stable Career,” comprising a “collection of young and ethnically diverse singles living in big-city metros like Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami.” The Stable Career tends to work in the arts and entertainment industry, drive small cars and espouse very liberal political views.
- 12.3% of Twitter’s visitors are H01 a.k.a. the “Young Cosmopolitan,” 40-somethings likely to drive a Prius, earn household incomes over $250,000 per year and also identify with very liberal politics.

These people are supporting Obama 40x more often than McCain on Twitter.  Meanwhile, on a general scale, John McCain is beating Obama in the 35 - 44 year old crowd by more than 10%.  What does that tell us about followers, anything new?  Of course not.

What does it tell us about the candidates? They need to figure how to GET NE W VOTERS. I think Obama is certainly leading the charge in converting Republicans online to vote for him.  Meanwhile McCain is keeping the machine running on the fear factor, and is continuing to convert the youngest of voters in believing the myths/stereotypes about Obama.

It’s interesting to note HOW they reach out to voters as well.  Obama puts a large signifigance on these social media campaigns which are obviously paying dividends, while McCain pours money into Search Marketing/Banner Ads.  About 4 to 1 overspending in Search Marketing actually, according to this article.

I guess it’s just politics as usual, but I for one, am not afraid to say that I hope that Twitter serves as a crystal ball for the country when November comes around.

Here’s for believing…

Filed under: Featured, Politics, Social Media on September 21st, 2008 | No Comments »

The college crowd is a very elusive demographic. They are too tech-savvy to fall for banner ads and most search marketing. They only listen to their friends, and don’t care much for marketing messages. So here a few ways that just may hit your target right where they least expect it…

1. Custom Beer Pong Balls

I came across a site that sells custom Beer Pong Balls primarily for students and Beer Pong enthusiasts. First thing I thought was, SWEEET, BRO! Then the reality set in that this would be a great marketing tool.

If you want a promotional item that will stick around, custom Beer Pong Balls may be just the thing for you. It’s guaranteed a look, and lets face it, college kids play beer pong and there’s no way to stop that from happening, so you might as well get on board and forget that you’re paying your kids to play Beer Pong and embrace the opportunity. PongUniversity.com is probably the best priced suppliers out there.

2. Pop-Top Chiller

A bit pricier than beer pong balls, but it could prove to be affective. Brought to you by the guys at strangeminded.com, this odd little bottle cooler has an added feature. A bottle opener built into the bottom. Ahhhh…there’s the hook. This is another product that will stay around, and unfortunately, another product that lends itself to more college drinking. Once again, sorry.

3. Trash your car in the name of Branding!

These die-hard Obama supporters completely covered their car in Obama 08 Bumper Stickers. My car is a piece of sh*t too, so I’m thinking about covering it in guerrillaRed Stickers…but I don’t think it would be quite as cool. If you want to get your name out in a local area and draw attention, something like this might work. It’s not as plain and dismissable as those cars with the pretty writing on them. College kids want that dirty, grassroots, ‘I’m enterprising on a budget just like you’ appeal. Give it a shot, the only thing you’ve got to lose is an old station wagon.

4. A Stupid freaking “Stress Pig”

I mean, yeah, it’s really freaking stupid, but this one is for the girls. Every single girl I knew in college was/is stressed out all the time. And if you want to stay away from the beer and eventual beer pong, how about a nice little promotional stress pig? Pigs are generally accepted as cute animals, and I’m sure it’s likely to stay around for a while. Staying power is important is it not. Especially if its for a cause like Animal Rights, or some Vegan cause…try it out, it can’t hurt. This one came from the UK’s Stupid Tuesday ltd.

5. Get Down with the KING

You can’t tell me that you’ve never wanted to be the Burger King ‘King’. I know you have…so now you can, except you can be your own mascot. College students love STUPID SH*T period (.) you know? It’s a documented fact, why else is collegehumor so popular? So you go out and get yourself a really funny stupid mascot, do some stupid stuff, and post it up on a youtube or dailymotion, and watch the recognition start rolling in. Unfortunately no link on where to buy one, but it’s okay.

Filed under: Blog Marketing, Social Media on September 20th, 2008 | No Comments »

Everyday people are becoming more aware of the danger that Global Warming presents to us. The Global Warming doubters are few and far between above the Mason-Dixon line (just kidding…) and it’s great to see so many companies springing up with a focus on sustainable living and eco-friendliness. Even Ludacris and Tommy Lee got in on the action with P. Diddy too.

Tommy Lee vs. Ludacris on Battleground Earth
by planetgreentv

So what I want to discuss is how exactly these companies should go about marketing their Green Business.

Now remember, marketing is never an easy task, it’s a lot simpler than making an ad and hoping someone sees it. Today, you need to know what makes your consumer tick, what they are afraid of, what they are in love with, what makes them all gooey inside and what makes their blood boil…etc. I could go on all day, but that wouldn’t be good for any of us. I can’t help you too much with that, so learn your audience, then continue.

1. BLOG - Blogging is one of the most commonly used tools to help spread the word about green products and practices, yet a lot of people just don’t do it. Yeah it’s a little wierd if you’re new to it, yeah maybe you’re not a great writer, but that doesn’t matter. It’s all about letting people know about you and your product, from the heart.

2. Become an Expert - I learned that in order to be taken seriously, you need to be considered an expert. There are tons and tons of Green Blogs and Green websites like greenoptions.com and they’d love to hear from a greentrepreneur like yourself. You’ve done what thousands want to do, and what millions are greatful for. Study up your specific green niche and start speaking.

3. Viral Video - This is where the fun stuff comes in. Social media websites are full of opportunities to go from nobody to somebody overnight. If you can come up with a great video that will spread like wildfire, you are in. The whole trick is it has to be ORGANIC, you guys should be familiar with that.

4. Be Sneaky - It’s okay to be conscious about the environment, but not about getting your business some exposure. Use any kind of stealth tactic or backdoor trick you can get your hands on. I’m not saying pay for good reviews or anything, but don’t be afraid to get your campaign moving by any means necessary…it’s up to you to take it any further.

5. Harness the Networks - There are tons of social networks out there, everything from Hugg to facebook to Yahoo Answers, these are all tools with real people in a comfortable environment. Take advantage of it. Even product sites like thisisgreen.com can be a huge benefit.

6. Get Involved - In any social website you take part in, be SOCIAL. You can work and play at the same time. If you just promote your product and leave, you’ll see some pretty horrible results. You need to be an active member so you can really know your customers anyway.

7. Experiment - This is the most important part of social marketing. This is not a science, it’s an art that takes a lot of trial and error before you hit the homerun. So have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to get offline either. You’d be amazed at how regular everyday non-eco-conscious people might think your product really is.

Hopefully this gives you a start and something to think about if you’re green startup hasn’t been performing as well as you’d hoped. Need more help, just send me an e-mail, I’m always down to answer any questions a reader might have.

Until next time when I talk about something else that is bound to offend someone…….

Chris - guerrillaRed Marketing, Philadelphia, PA

Filed under: Green Marketing, Social Media on September 20th, 2008 | No Comments »