Tag: Advertising

Best in the world (How to be)

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

You are reading the number 1 startup blog in the world! Pretty cool huh. Just Google the words ‘Start up blog’ anywhere in the English speaking world.

It wasn’t always that way – when I started I was over 100 pages deep in Google. Now I have more than 30,000 readers.

Number 1

Fast forward nearly 4 years, a blog entry every single day, on the same general topic (Startups & entrepreneurship), sharing knowledge and practicing what I preach I’ve made it to number 1. There were no tricks, no SEO, no overt social media promotion, not even the .com domain. It came down to 2 things:

1. Consistent output – high frequency of delivery

2. Useful content.

That’s it.

If you want to win, to be the best, then work towards it every day.

I am on Twitter – Click here to follow me

Difference between traditional & social media

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

This is the difference between traditional and social media in one simple chart (albeit a little fuzzy). Forget all the crap you have read on how social media differs to traditional media. This is it summarized right here on startup blog in terms which matter for business:

Difference between traditional & social media

I’ve made some notes above. Don’t believe what you’ve heard – old media isn’t dead – sure it’s more expensive for the return, but it still kicks but. When rentoid was featured on a nightly news TV show as a positive story, we had more hits that one day than we did for the entire year. And we had been and are investing a tremendous amount of time on new and social media. It’s been a two year effort.

If you want a few other qualitative ideas to take with you then here’s a few:

  • They work better together
  • Social media is incredibly slow but has a compound effect
  • If I had endless funds available for media, I’d still prefer traditional media (for now)

These comments are based on fact and real experience in Australia from my business rentoid.com which has had heavy exposure in both.

I am on Twitter – Click here to follow me

VB Regulars – new TVC is Radvertising

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

VB have just launched another advertising campaign titled ‘the Regulars’ – which is a shift from the 20 year old ‘Hard earned thirst’ campaign we all know the tune of….

Take a look – then I’ll give you my thoughts below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjNr-hjr7E]

I think it is excellent. If this doesn’t turn around the brand, then nothing will (FYI – the brand has had periods decline for many years now).

Why is it excellent?

Well, beer used to be a reward for effort type product in the mainstream beer category. Historically VB fit the mould for labourers, tradesman et al. As we move from a manufacturing to an information society,  hard earned thirst doesn’t seem to make sense, everyday people does. The current social climate has changed and the Regulars reflects this. The execution of the idea is an absolute benchmark and manages to integrate a bit of ‘celebrity’ without alienating the Regulars, in fact – it promotes the everyday man to the celebrity.

This is clearly Radvertising.

twitter-follow-me4

Communication segmentation

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

I call my mum on the land line or visit her

I call my dad on his mobile / cell phone

I tweet my webby / nerdy friends

I talk face to face with my rentoid team and make sure we are in close physical proximity

I write my ideas on twitter and this blog to people who follow my thoughts

I see my brother every Friday morning for breakfast

I visit my niece and nephews and SMS them often

I skype with friends overseas and work colleagues

I email people in business and meet face to face often

The point is different people have different communication preferences. Right now we’ve never had more options on how to communicate. But the important thing is choosing the right tool for the right person. People who tell me they’ve been messaging me on facebook for months with no reply should realise I don’t go there any more. And we ought do the same and realise where our people want to be contacted.

twitter-follow-me2

Business pulse

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

You have a pulse – it’s important it never stops.

Your business has a pulse – when it stops your customers assume your dead or dying.

pulse

This why the following elements are crucial for your business or startup:

  • Advertising frequency
  • Newsletter updates
  • Web page changes
  • Twitter feed on your homepage
  • Regular blogging
  • Returning phone calls & emails the same day
  • Speedy invoicing (guilty)
  • Product iterations and improvements
  • PR & media exposure
  • Team, fan, member, evangalist get togethers
  • Conversing with your people on line
  • Conversing with people off line
  • Acknowledging (not hassling) everyone who enters your office, retail space or workshop.

Let your customers know you’re alive, and they’ll treat you like you are. Let them think your dead or dying and they’ll ensure you die for sure.

twitter-follow-me4

Spoof advertising – Campbells

Posted on by Steve Sammartino

If you’re from Australia and older than 30 you’ll remember these old school macho advertisements from Solo ‘The thirst crusher’. They we’re the equivalent of ‘extreme sports’ in the 80’s which is pretty hilarious as is the solo man idea. If your not over 20 and from Australia; watch them and keep reading:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aHNKziN-fE&feature=related]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mJSOaO7cAU&feature=related]

And Campbells the soup company have recently aired a spoof version of the solo ads, which I’ll admit I’m a sucker for – in pure entertainment terms, I love it. A great version which has a reasonable link to their product – a retro can of chunky food.

Only problem, is that advertising isn’t film making, and I’m not rushing out to buy crappy canned food any time soon. Sorry Campbells, nice try, but no increase in sales is coming your way, even if some kind of advertising award does.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIIKrJ6nnI]

Startups out there – when advertising be original, it’s about selling, not comedy.

twitter-follow-me