Category Archives: Marketing

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How Monocle found money in radio

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Courtesy of psfk.com

While many print publications are ramping up their podcast output, Monocle magazine went beyond and launched its own 24-hour digital radio station in 2011. It now has 1 million monthly listeners, double what it had last year, according to internal figures…

…Monocle 24 is ad-funded and is financially viable, but Bloomfield wouldn’t go into specifics. Brands, such as UBS, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada and Allianz pay to sponsor the shows, but have no editorial control. “Being more integrated is definitely to a brand’s benefit,” said Emma Moorhead, head of AV planning at media agency MEC. “Most podcasts have small audiences, but then, of course, they can be really targeted, although you can’t get that kind of scale…

How Monocle found money in radio

 

Quora: a great, powerful tool for Social Media Marketing!

Quora? Are you sure about what you are saying? Why?

Yes, I am more than sure. I know that you could be surprised about thinking Quora as a Social Marketing tool but it is really a powerful if you learn how to disrupt its potential.

In few words Quora is you personal brainstorming tool. A real powerful tool if you consider that people in Quora are in the main part experts into their sectors.

Quora-Personal-Branding

If you post a question, promote it -asking to Quora suggested experts to answer- and you don’t receive any reply, it means you posted the wrong question! Quora people don’t waste their time answering to obvious or silly questions. So, if this happens, don’t be ashamed but remove it and start thinking what is the mistake you did. In many cases if you spend some minutes thinking about it you will find the answer you were asking for.

But, remember, don’t limit yourself to only asking but start answering the question that Quora will propose to you. Good answers will get you being noticed. And it could be helpful for your CV or for attracting traffic top your social media or blog.

For this reason I suggest you to spend the right time to write your profile when you join Quora. It is important for a couple of aspects. The first is related to the questions that Quora will propose to you: especially at the beginning they will be strictly related to your Bio. The second aspect is directly linked to your social exposure. Don’t forget that Quora is not only a collaborative platform but it is also a precious, “shining” window were you can directly show your expertise and indirectly attract new follower to your social media, blogs or online activities.

quora

Quora is the right tool to create and nurture your personal branding strategy. If you think to be an expert on some topics, go to Quora and show your knowledge there. Because Quora is the best place to find people that are looking for the right answers to their top engaging questions.

Moreover Quora let you connect with experts in all the topics you prefer. Doing this you are able to create your personal web of experts and potential promoters for you or your activity. After a while, I suggest you to actively search the most appropriate questions you like to answers. This strategy will enhance your presence on Quora and allows you to give your best when answering.

Last but notquora-logo2 least, don’t be obvious when you answer to a specific question directly related to your business or activity. If you want to promote your activity or your website you need to clearly explain why you think that it is the best solution to that specific question. In few words you have necessarily demonstrate to the questioner (and to all the other experts who are going to read you) why you or your services or website are the first best for his/her needs.

To conclude let me say that Quora is really essential for your Social Media Marketing and you should be really interested to test and include it into your Social Media Strategy!

The Power of a Professional Customer Service – Klout knows how to manage it!

For a rare combination of events I decided to set up an Klout account on an device powered by Android exactly when Twitter experienced its servers problems. I till do not understand what exactly happened and what kind of mistake I made but, in less than 36 hours, my Klout score dropped down from 52 to 21.
Klout
A disaster that was mitigated by the fact that I am not actually running a company based on social media and my Klout attractiveness so I was not burning money every minute I was down-scored.
When I realized that I was in the middle of a big problem I tried to reconnect to my Klout account from other device but the situation didn’t change so I opted to send an email to Klout’s customer service to ask their help.
The person that answered to me was Melanie and I  am impressed by her professionalism. As I have always read in manuals but never directly experienced before my Klout problem, Melanie did everything that a perfect customer service should do:
1 – her behavior was always informal but very professional
2 – I always had the sensation that the person who was in charge to help me was really trying to solve my problem in a active way
3 – I always had the sensation that Melanie was a real person and that she was an expert
4 – she solved the problem
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Image from misgl.com

She was so smart in the interaction with me that I had no possibility to panic in any moment. I knew that I was in trouble but Melanie managed the problem in a so incisive way that I never doubted to have my problem solved.
She involved me in what she was doing to solve the matter asking if I agreed (and if I authorized) with the changes she was making on my account’s settings and after a couple of days of exchanges emails, my Klout score was back at 52.
What I learned from this misadventure was the power of a professional Customer Service. I have a free account at Klout and the level of its Customer Service is so incisive that I will really consider to subscribe a paid account with them as soon as the account I have with one of its competitors will expire. 
Good Service makes the difference Chalk Illustration

Image from callcentr.co.uk

Wireless Power Transmission: real available technology and marketing advantages

ubeamWireless energy transmission for remote charging is one of the most strategic key factor for the development of a new generation of tech devices in the near future. Few years ago some futuristic thinkers forecasted the possibility of wireless energy transmission between far places. In particular the academic community was interested in energy transmission between the planet earth and orbiting satellites equipped with solar power stations. 
This long range power transmission technology would radically change the energetic, economic and power equilibrium of our world but unfortunately, at the moment, this technology is not available. 
On the contrary, near range power transmission is something near the corner. 
After long researches an USA company  is launching the first generation commercial version of a wireless power transmitter with ultrasound that will allow to recharge (for the moment) mobile phones in a range of 15 feet (4.5 meters) just using a special cover. 
Fifteen feet are not a long range nor a medium one but the important thing is that it is contactless and that 15 feet start to be an interesting distance. 
So interesting that a big coffee shop chain as Starbucks  is considering to introduce these remote charging devices in all its shops. 
In this way all the customers will be able to automatically and freely charge their mobile devices as soon as they enter into the coffee shop. A good added value considering how much energy our devices need when strongly used during the day. And consequently, for many people, a good reason to prefer a store to another one. A potentially viral added value as well as a magnetic marketing strategy!
Last but not least, it must be considered that the success of this kind of technology operations is determined by costs. At the moment it is not possible to find any information about prices for the mobile device covers at the end consumer side. If the end users price for covers will be high, the huge, positive effects of a partnership with a big player as Starbucks couldn’t be enough without some kind of tech fashion pivot. 
Good luck uBeam! You have the right idea!
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