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Sterne Measures |
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Full Sterne Aheadby Jim Sterne
October, 1998 Full Sterne Ahead contains the mostly monthly musings of Jim Sterne, author, speaker, and Web marketing consultant to business and industry. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Welcome to the very first Full Sterne Ahead newsletter. This collectors item edition begins by pointing you at some excellent Web Marketing 98 conference coverage and, by association, this edition's Resource of Note. This time around My In-Box holds another one of those things that makes you wonder. A section called When Will They Ever Learn? points the fickle finger of fate at those who went to the Don't Try This At Work School of Marketing. This time - truly insidious phone spam. We end with a Classic Comment. Something that will probably echo around the Web for a while. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Web Marketing 98 Conference Coverage I just spent three weeks on the conference trail, ending up with three days at Thunderlizard's Web Marketing 98 in Washington D.C. Rather than hash over what I saw from the stage (a more educated audience with more than two years of front-line Web experience), I figured you'd be better served by some serious from-the-audience reporting. Therefore, take a gander at the following articles on the daily doings and the editorial musings of those very talented media moguls at ClickZ (www.searchz.com). And, no, I'm not just plugging them because Ann Handley mentioned my name 17 times in one article -- but it helps. Those very talented editors at ClickZ are surrounded by some very talented writers as well, and that's why they take the spotlight in this edition of: ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- RESOURCE OF NOTE ---------------- I come across a lot of just plane good stuff online. Here's another one you should know about: The ClickZ publishing empire. ClickZ Today, Microscope, SearchZ, Who's Marketing Online, and Zcommerce. But wait, Jim, there are *five* Web sites here! That's right, there are five Web sites that make up the ClickZ Network that Ann n' Andy are melding into a prize property. These are all sites that prove that sufficiently interesting advertising is the same as content. These sites are by advertisers and marketers for advertisers and marketers. As a result, the ads you find there are extremely well targeted. ClickZ Today (www.clickz.com) offers up a daily dose of commentary by people in the trenches along with interviews of those in the know about creating, buying, and selling online advertising. It's a quick read and well worth a bookmark, an e-mail subscription, or both. Microscope (www.microscope.com) is published once a week letting three Web media buyers shred (or sometimes even praise) current banner ad campaigns. And yes, there is a "Comments from our Readers" section so you can offer up your own thumbs up or down. SearchZ (www.searchz.com) is nothing less than *the* portal for Web for marketing, advertising and e-commerce types. You should plan on taking an hour to get to know what this site has to offer, so you'll know where to look next time you need something in a hurry. It actually only takes a few minutes to get a handle on what's there, but it only takes two or three clicks to find something you need *today*. That's what the rest of the hour is for. Who's Marketing Online (www.wmo.com) publishes an article by an industry insider on a different topic depending on the day of the week. Monday: media selling, Tuesday: media buying, Wednesday: international, Thursday: tools of the trade, Friday: direct marketing. If you're area of interest doesn't cover the topic of the day, check out the archives. ZCommerce (www.zcommerce.net) is more interested in the sales end of the online experience. What, after all, does it take to get somebody to give you their money? If your job depends on increasing the revenues on your site, this is a good place to have your morning coffee. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- My In-Box People have this habit of sending me stuff because they think I'll be interested. The vast majority is stuff that they assume will be of interest to the millions of others on the e-mail list they bought, but the gems are right on the mark and well worth sharing. For instance, Billie Greenwald To: jsterne@targeting.com Subject: Observation Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 09:20:37 -0700 Great article. As a technical writer, I have spent a good portion of my time explaining to my clients and business partners the concepts you presented in the article. One observation I need to call your attention to: the flashing ad at the top of the page is really distracting! While I am trying to focus on the content, I have to struggle not to look at this constant movement. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- When Will They Ever Learn? I got my first-ever opt-out phone call the other day and realized just how insidious spam is. "Hello? Is this Jim Sterne?" "Yes." "Mr. Sterne, I'm calling from (name withheld to protect my lawyers) and I want to send you two airline tickets." "Ummmm?" I said, trying to sort out the spam from my e-mail wondering just how much of this pitch I could stomach before courteously telling the hapless teleseller I was not interested and hoped they got luckier on the next call. "In the next couple of days you'll receive a gold envelope with two free airline tickets inside. I just need to verify your address." That got my attention and my marketer's heart was wondering why anybody might give away airline tickets as a loss leader. "Oh?" "Yes sir. It's part of our XZY package that is yours for the asking for a surprisingly low price. If you review the package and decide you don't like it, just call us back and we'll give you a complete refund. The package includes travel discounts, restaurant coupons, rental car upgrades..." "Excuse me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you sent me free airline tickets in the mail without my requesting them and try to bill me without my say-so, I don't have to pay." "Yes sir, that's why I'm asking you now." "So - if I just say Yes, that's my address' and hang up, you'll mail me the tickets and if I *don't* call you back then you bill me." "That's right." "What if they don't arrive?" "Just call us and let us know." "If I verify my address, does that constitute my agreement to receive this package?" "That's correct." "And just how were you going to bill me? Wouldn't you have to ask for my credit card?" "No sir, once you agree to receive the package, we simply charge it to your phone bill unless you call back and decline." Suddenly the room got dark and I felt like I was locked in a submarine that was trying to evade depth charges. "Decline! Decline! Decline!" I shouted as I hung up the phone and went to wash my ears out with soap. Then I regretted not getting all the details so I could tell www.fraud.org... ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Classic Comment When discussing a Web site on the UK Net Marketing List (www.chinwag.com/html/mailing_lists_3.html) one of the chinwaggers by the name of Stefan Magdalinski (astefan@isness.org), of Aztec Internet (www.upmystreet.com) observed: Can I pay my bill online? No I can't. How very 1996. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- I'm also be interested in what is on *your* mind. What issues are you facing these days? Don't worry, this won't be a discussion list. We all get too much e-mail already! But you can be an important contributor. Drop me a line. ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- This newsletter is going to be better if it reaches more people. You can help. The Net is a powerful word-of-mouth mechanism, so if you know somebody who might like to be on the receiving end, please point them to www.targeting.com ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Full Sterne Ahead contains the mostly monthly musings of Jim Sterne, author, speaker, and Web marketing consultant to business and industry. |
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