Misspelling is a pet peeve of mine. Sure, I’m as guilty of creating spelling errors as often as the next person – maybe more. But when push comes to shove, I know that in most instances – especially in the day of 140 character messages – we have one shot. And with call to action, that shot is truly critical. So I better look twice, or three times, at the message for misspellings and context.

Take this site for example:

Seems like they’re inviting the Guidos and Guidettes from Jersey Shore (the TV show, that is). Or simply a translation process gone bad? (The site seems riddled with typos.)

Sometimes misspellings may be in headlines or artwork.

At least they were consistent on this site – the Title tag uses “Acommodations”, too. While in this case it’s not a call to action, it is a missed detail - it’s what I came to the site to see. Does that mean they might miss an important detail about my reservation? It’s an error that can alter my perception of their services.

And take the headline of this post, for instance…Looks funny doesn’t it? Yes, it’s intentional, just to prove a point. Things can go wrong with technology. A spell checker might be turned off or ignored (they can be annoying). Or it might be missed in the art creation or development process, where spell checking is likely non-existent.

As Internet Marketing consultants, that means we have to be even more vigilant, ensuring we read, test and review thoroughly. Because we have typically just one chance to connect; to set the proper tone; to create or alter perception. A letter or word out of place can totally blow that chance.

Seems pretty basic, right?

Just yesterday I wrote a post about Skittles attempt at using social media layered under their minimal site navigation ala Modernista. Interesting thing happens when you click the link for Modernista’s site: it retains our site in the background. Go ahead…try it.

Is it because we are opening in a new window? Who knows. Design flaw? You decide. If it was my site or that of my clients’, I wouldn’t be happy.

So the song goes…

Everbody’s talkin’ at me,
Can’t hear a word they’re sayin’…

Is this an ingenious use of social media or simply a dilution of the brand?

Social media sites, while in intention are meant to inspire such conversation, can often just run amuck into simply…well, all talk and no action. Call to action, that is.

When does social media just become noise? I think this is a good example. I have no time to babble about their site – which is what is going on now on Twitter. The brand is lost.

What is the call to action? What is the brand gain?

Maybe they were hoping people would say, “Wow, look what that great rainbow candy did…isn’t it cool! I gotta get some!”

Instead, people are tweeting about how Skittles broke Twitter. It’s more about Twitter than Skittles.

Remember the Goal: Brand Enhancement

What about the brand? What satisfaction can I get from Skittles? What space should the Skittles brand occupy in my life? (OK yes, it’s just candy, but as a brand it should answer that question.)

In this case, the brand has been reduced to a business card-sized image with some navigation at the top left of the page. That’s it. The rest is everybody talking about….whatever. It’s just noise…

Use social media to your advantage. Ensure you have a close connection to your brand and that the talk enhances your brand. Not talks over it.

And make sure you have a page to call to “home.”

Give it a look at Skittles.com.

Attracting Customers the New Old Fashioned Way.

As I sit here preparing to write another article outlining the fall of the local Yellow Page directory, a call comes into my office and is routed to one of our Internet marketing consultants. The caller is interested in learning more about our Internet marketing services. Potential leads calling my office is a fairly common occurrence, what’s uncommon about this particular caller is the way in which he found us - the local Yellow Pages. Talk about timing, I didn’t even realize we were in the Yellow Pages!

So, does this change my opinion of the big yellow lug? No.

The Yellow Page directory is a paper dinosaur and not long for this world. Yes, we did get a lead from it today, one lead, not a very good one and the first lead from the yellow book in seven years!

Read More >>>

As a marketing author I tend to be hyper-aware of the marketing surrounding me. From the minute I entered Giants stadium my mind switched to overload. Talk about marketing noise! Everything is sponsored from the tickets to the garbage cans.  If they can squeeze someone’s logo on it they will.

Easily there were hundreds of sponsor companies marketing throughout the stadium, so why can I only remember two?  Read more…