The Wall Between Editorial & Marketing: You Have To Be Kidding!

I just received this email from SIPA member and speaker Scott Jacobs:

"One thing that struck me in Washington this year - - once again - - was that marketing and editorial types still have problems working together in some shops. We're sitting here in 2008 and I am hearing the same things I heard when I attended my first newsletter conferences in 1989. "We hate them, they hate us." One expert marketer who I hold in high regard has even had to create her own Oliver North operation with her own launch editor for fear she would not get the cooperation (she really doesn't) from her veteran editorial colleagues who aren't "into" doing new things. I mean, what the heck is that about? But fascinating discussions like that made the bean soup go down a lot easier during second lunch. And what's with the paltry servings of bean soup anyway? A guy needs his fiber."

Can this still be the case? Increasingly I am seeing a complete convergence of product and marketing teams given the need for quick positioning on the open Web that doesn't doesn't allow for delays presented by epic professional differences.

Scott is currently a free agent after many years as a product planner and news editor for LexisNexis, Mealey's and various newspapers. He also operates under the impression that everyone is interested in his dietary intake.

Two Weeks Ago I Didn't Even Know What a "Rapid Conversion Landing Page" Was and Now I Can't Live Until I Get One

Kim Mateus from Mequoda added some useful comments to my "coverage" of her and Don Nicholas' presentation at the annual conference. Since there was too much substance in her post to leave it buried there -- and because she invited me to "re-blog" it (possibly inventing a new word?) -- I am doing just that. Here you go:


Hi Tom,

Thanks for the coverage!

To clarify on some of the points… when Don says that sites with effective conversion architecture see a 6-8% conversion rate, he is referring to visitors converting to email subscribers. Some of the ways to improve site-wide conversion rates is to use Text Links, OFIEs (Order Forms in Editorial), OFINs (Order Forms in Navigation), Floaters and Rapid Conversion Landing Pages, all asking for an email address in exchange for a free special report.

In terms of the rapid conversion landing page (RCLP), you’re absolutely right – publishers should pay lots of attention to this opportunity and use RCLPs as email acquisition goldmines.

The process is to:

Do some keyword research to know what your potential audience is searching for in Google that you have content to support.

Pick one term that you think you can get ranked on (decent search volume with not much competition) and title your free special report accordingly.

Write the report and a rapid conversion landing page and optimize it for that term:

• Include keyword phrase (report name) in meta title of page


• Include keyword phrase in URL string


• Include keyword phrase in meta description


• Write a tip about the new report letting your existing email subscribers know it is available – this encourages pass-along. Of course, optimize the tip and have it point to the RCLP, making sure to link the actual keyword phrase, not “click here”.


• Add a text ad to all of the related content on your site that points to the RCLP (again making sure to link the actual keyword phrase).


• Write a press release announcing the free report and include in the release a link to the RCLP, again making sure to link the actual keyword phrase.


• Let it cook, monitor the position, repeat and reinforce as required until the desired SERP (search engine results page) position is achieved for that particular term. (Blogger's note: this seems a lot like shampoo.)

As you may have guessed, we’ve done this process ourselves at the Mequoda Daily. We have a free special report titled 12 Landing Page Templates, which describes each of the templates and provides examples.

Here is our RCLP, optimized for the term “landing page templates”: http://daily.mequoda.com/gla-8-master-landing-page-templates.html

And go do a Google search for Landing Page Templates – you’ll see us in the number 1 postion!

(Tip: don’t put numbers in the URL string. They won’t help with SEO and if you ever decide to update the report, as we did from 8 LP templates to 12 LP templates, you’re stuck with the old number in the URL!)

And the newest RCLP we just built for Fuelnet.com, optimized for the term “customer relationship marketing”: http://www.fuelnet.com/free-reports/10-secrets-for-successful-customer-relationship-marketing/

Thanks again for your coverage!

Should You Tube Too?

Last year I became a fan of some funny videos on MySpace. My story is that I was there to learn about social networking "for work." I am sticking to it. The video that made me LOL, if I may, was part of a series involving twins: one German female named Liesel Sprague and one Austrian male named Klaus Sprague. Their mother gave birth on a plane. The twins' relationship is strained by Klaus' inferiority complex and Leisle's superiority complex. This manifests in Leisle's trouncing of Klaus in racquet sports. Anyway, I wrote to Jay to say I liked the videos. Shockingly, he wrote back. I have parents who don't do that. (Not my real parents. My made-up comedy parents, the ones who don't write to me.)

It turns out the guy is part of a two-human team comprising, well, him, Jay Grandin, and Leah Nelson. Leah is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, and Jay is an industrial designer. This Vancouver-based pair recently founded GiantAntMedia.com, a creative video team-for-hire, making ads, films, product launches, social media campaigns, video blogs, music and training videos.

I asked Jay and Leah for some insights on the internet video world. Like their videos, I can't tell which is responsible for what. If they weren't Canadian I'd say they were cleverly trying to dodge blame for any offense their comments may cause.

TH: You list clients like Steelcase, MySpace, Watch for Change, Creative B'Stro, hadtosay.com, Metacafe. Oh, and Business Valuation Resources (I know because I wrote the script!) And you have all of your comical or poignent videos. How many total views have you had so far?

JG/LN: 31,250,000.

TH: That's a few. What would you say are the most effective uses of videos for companies?

JG/LN: One of the things that people often forget is that online video is entirely permission-based marketing; unlike a captive television audience, an online media consumer needs to make a conscious choice whether to watch your video or not, and many of those views are going to be solely based on peer recommendation.That said, if companies can step out of the box of traditional message deliveries in favor of something creative, innovative or funny, the brand-building potential is immense. People will pass on something that they think is interesting.

TH: Are companies actually making money from video?

JG/LN: If you're talking about media companies such as YouTube, yes! For companies that are creating video content in the social media space, the barrier to entry is so low (lower production quality needed, no huge media buy) that a well placed video can provide enormous ROI. Bud is a great example of a company that has created a huge presence in the online space with their bud.tv campaigns. I don't drink Bud Light, but I definitely think of them as having an engaging brand.

TH: Are there good examples of incorporating video into marketing?

JG/LN: Apple has been very successful.Net 10 very recently released a 'caught on tape' style video that links to an auxiliary site, http://www.no-evil.net/ that talks all about the evils of wireless service providers. Great campaign.Geiko has done a fantastic job of making a brand around something completely banal (insurance) into something engaging. Their commercials get passed all over the internet. Axe is another good example.

TH: Videos are supposed to help with SEO, right?

JG/LN: Apparently.

TH: What about niche information video?

JG/LN: The YouTube generation has enabled all kinds of "citizen journalism" and out of it, dozens of successful video channels are emerging. Wallstrip, a video blog/show about Wall Street happenings is hugely successful. That's pretty niche. As people become more accustomed to getting their media from online sources, micro-audiences for almost any type of content are popping up (the current buzzword is 'micro-tubing'), so it's a great opportunity for any of those, provided they're executed in an interesting way.

TH: You shoot a lot of stuff on location. Ever have a problem with that?

JG/LN: People are wary of video cameras these days, mostly because so many people use them now and carry them on their person in the form of digital still cameras and cell phones, and they know how easy it is to put something online and have it forever floating in cyberspace. People who own or manage businesses get very nervous about having something undesirable associated with their company or brand, OR don't want to give space away for free. We've been turned down many times by companies or establishments that don't want anything to do with a video shoot, or have rental rates and liability requirements geared toward film/television that just aren't realistic for a small outfit like us.

TH: You are heavily involved in social networking. Has that led to business for you?

JG/LN: Yes! That is our business! It's completely essential to connect with people (fans) through social networks. It's how people find content and where they are recommended by friends to watch videos or read articles/blogs etc, so if we put our content there, where we already know they're going, we can be sure they will watch our videos. It all goes back to permission marketing; if we have 300 friends who join our Facebook group, we can almost guarantee 300 views immediately. That seems like a small number, but when nurture the relationship with those 300 viewers, that number will only go up as they recommend you to others. It's like having 300 lazy PR reps working for you at all times! When you add 4500 YouTube subscribers, and 11000 MySpace friends, it makes it much easier to spread a message.

TH: Can you share a couple of your videos with us to show business applications?

JG/LN: Hadtosay.com is a website that was started as a way to pass an anonymous message through the web. They were looking for a way to boost their traffic and to get bloggers to notice. After we did a video for them, it provided a good piece of "link bait" to then approach bloggers again with. The video quickly got 10,000 views and traffic to the site spiked. www.youtube.com/hadtosay

TH: You two hitchhiked across Europe, staying with your MySpace friends, and uploaded a video of your trip there. Are you crazy?

JG/LN: No, just fiscally challenged. The Europe trip would not have been possible without the generous help of our "Friends" and lonely truck drivers.

Non-Invasive Interview #1: Meg Hargreaves

[Blogger's Note: I thought I'd rip off everything I've ever enjoyed about magazines, radio and television and start an interview series where interesting people in our specialized info community submit to questions, the answers to which may teach you something, foster our network, or make you cry. This is my first attempt, but I am not making any promises. In a moment of courage and perhaps lack of will, Meg Hargreaves of Pike & Fischer, consented to be my first victim. I would have said guinea pig, but that brought back bad memories for Meg. I feel the same when when I hear the word raccoon. Don't ask. -- Tom Hagy]

TH: You took part in an informative panel on email and Web marketing at the annual conference. Thanks for that. What are you working on right now?

MH: Like other attendees of this week's terrific SIPA conference I'm trying to juggle spinning lots of plates while trying to implement all of the best practice tips and hints I gathered at the Mayflower. I run 4 business units here at IOMA, including 3 Pike & Fischer units. My teams cover (at last count) 10 diverse markets so every day is different, challenging and interesting. I gathered terrific ideas at this years SIPA conference that I can implement across all of my focus areas. Right now I'm focused on final logistics for our 4th annual Broadband Policy Summit here in Washington next week. (Ed Coburn, I feel your pain!)

TH: What were the three things you learned from the conference that you can actually apply to your business?

MH: No. 1. Google Alerts -- I hadn't heard of this new feature from Google. My team is already putting this tool into practice to track where our products and services are being mentioned across the Web. I was also reminded of how long I've been in this business (22 years and counting!) because it hearkened me way back to days when I used to rely on one of the original electronic press clipping services -- LexisNexis Eclipse [Blogger'sNote: the name was an early use of putting "e" in front of something to suggest electronic. Most people forgot that or just didn't realize it. It could just as easily been called eClips because it was electronic clipping. Kind of like a light bulb is an eCandle. Anyway, Eclipse was recently changed to Lexis Alerts. Is anyone awake now?].

No. 2. At Sunday's Leadership Dinner at Morton's I had the pleasure to be seated between two publishing veterans who have made tremendous contributions to SIPA over the years - most notably as past Presidents -- David Foster, who now runs BVR and founded IOMA, and Mike Mealey -- founder, of course, of Mealey Publications [acquired by LexisNexis eight years ago]. In addition to getting to spend quality networking time with these knowledgeable SIPA members, Mike gave me a crash course on his experiences in newsletter publishing and a brief history of SIPA . . . and some fun stories to boot. While it wasn't news to me, it really reinforced how valuable an organization SIPA is. It's a wonderful community.

No. 3. Right after that, I learned that Morton's valet closes at 11 pm on Sunday night and the resulting cab fare to Great Falls is $45. Ouch.

TH: I once lost my car in a lake, but enough about me. Is there anything that surprised you at the conference?

MH: See No. 3 above.

TH: Did any of the speakers stand out for you?

MH: Well, I've been a Dave Barry fan for 20 years, so that was a highlight. I also thought that the sessions on Microsites and Blogs & Beyond were terrific. These are both areas where I'll be placing more focus in the months to come -- so the nuts and bolts info I gathered was great.

TH: The most shocking thing about Dave Barry is that he's 60 years old! Clearly I need to start exfoliating. What would you say to someone who didn't attend?

MH: That they missed 1) a great opportunity to gather actionable insight to advance their publishing efforts today AND 2) a chance to meet and great and learn from their peers in the industry.

TH: Did anything funny or unusual or odd happen that you'd like to share?

MH: No comment!

TH: What can you tell us about yourself that other people wouldn't guess?

MH: In 1980 I was ranked 10th in singles and 6th in doubles in competitive badminton by the U.S. Badminton Association. I also summited Kilimanjaro in 2002. As a result I only have one good knee left. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.

TH: We have a lot in common. I once drove a badminton net stake into my hand, requiring, but not getting, several stitches. I onced climbed the lighthouse in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. So we're practically twins. Thanks, Meg.

MH: You're welcome.

Baby, You're a Niche Man (that only makes sense if you pronounce it "nitch," which apparently is wrong.)

My impression from this week's annual SIPA conference (I know, who asked me) is that niche publishers like us are in a perfect position in the world of microsites, blogging and SEO. Each of these things has to do with deep subject area expertise, the ability to make sense of what's going on, and to talk about it in an articulate and speedy way. You need to look no further than this blog as an example of what I am not talking about.

When newsletters came along, they were the fast, unaffiliated, irreverent, and cheap alternative press. Now bloggers have that same feel. Bloggers are the new newsletter publishers, and newsletter publishers don't need to make nearly as a dramatic retrofit as many in the media in today's Web environment when it comes to content. We operate in the niches. That's where we excel. And when we write, we don't think about it but we spew key words like baseballs in a batting cage. (What does that even mean?) And who better to oversee a microsite than a niche publisher? We're built for this!

We have a great deal to learn from the technology and Web experts -- the real experts on the cutting edge -- but we have all the raw materials we need. Our challenge, and I think we can handle it, is to be very open minded about our business models. Given their experience with advertising, that's where broad market publishers have an edge. The willingness to take chances and experiment is paying huge dividends from the stories I heard at the Mayflower. Even the ones I heard about niche publishing.

Finally, a big thanks to Ed Coburn of Harvard Health Publications, Patti Wysocki, consultant, Janine Hergesell, Kati Fritz, Harry Baisden and all the SIPA volunteers for their hard work on another stellar event. Feel free to use this blog to add what you learned or what you feel about the event.

Dave Barry Gives Us Face Cramps

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- I counted about 1200 facial cheeks on the brink of spasm as humorist Dave Barry shared all that he knew about specialized information publishing to an audience of SIPA members at the Mayflower yesterday.

Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in 98, Barry told us about how he moved to Miami from the United States, and takes umbrage when all people talk about is the violence there. He said those people just make him want to kill them. Continuing his insights on niche publishing, he recounted a story about a man who drove his car onto an airport runway, right up to a plane on the tarmac. "I can't get within ten feet of a plane with a bottle of shampoo, but this guy pulls up with a Chevy Cobalt," Barry said.

In a lesson for learning your lesson, Barry shared the story of his dog Ernest and his backup replacement dog Zippy, who knew very well to wait at the screen door of his screened-in porch before romping out into the backyard. The pair always waited patiently for Barry at the screen door, then exited. Wait, open, exit. But when Hurricane Andrew blew the screened-in porch away, everything but the screen door, the dogs STILL waited at the screen door. He could not get them to exit any other way. Somehow there is a lesson in there for traditional niche publishers who insist on clinging to old business models, but it just wouldn't be funny.

Going on with more wisdom about niche publishing, Barry told us about his witty conversation starters with former First Lady Barbara Bush ("Jeb is very tall."), about how America is the leader in the manufacture of Oscar Meyer Weiner Car technology (and how he understands Iran is developing similar capability), and how the drivers in Florida bring a unique blend of creativity and aggression to their driving ("They will pass you in a car wash.")

Dave was the keynote speaker for the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation editorial and marketing awards, and a welcome addition to our conference!

Mequoda's Nicholas: Microsites, Macro-Traffic (I am paraphrasing. OK, I made it up)

OK, some SIPA sessions this year were good simply for showing me just how much I don't know. Granted, the bar is low. Due to the fact that I am lazy about unpacking my suitcase, I found out that the key to my room last year no longer works. But the gentlemen in my former crash pad could use a depilatory.

The session at this week's SIPA conference by Don Nicholas, managing partner of The Mequoda Group was like that. Not the part about hairy men; the part about being englightening.

The amount of attention needed to your site index, your meta tag page, your author landing page, and more was making me tired, until I heard the kind of results his clients and examples were getting. Your site-wide conversion rate is also a must metric. Nicholas said some sites get a decent 1 or 2%, but some who do it really right get between 6-8%. Conversion in this context means converting visitors to email subscribers to paying customers. At least I think. You see, it's my strategy to allow for errors in my reporting, in the hopes of generating requests for corrections, demands for retractions and hate speech directed at my people.

He recommended paying a LOT of attention to your rapid conversion pages, which are key to your conversion arsenal. TIP: offer a free report relating to the key word that brought the customer to the site.

I was scribbling in between coffee-shakes, but he included these sites as some good microsite examples: fuelnet.com; Motley Fool; HR Daily, about .com (with 456 microsites and a Google visibility index of 65%!), Morningstar and Consumer Reports. No, I don't have time to look up the URLs. If that annoys you, please write back and complain, including the proper URL.

Don prepared the presentation along with Mequoda Senior Partner Kim Mateus.

Good job!

iPropect's Marckini Gives Good Reasons to Understand Search

Fredrick Marckini from iProspect provided a clever, polished and highly informative presentation today at a full East Room at the Mayflower Hotel in DC. I'd recommend you reach out to him to get the presentation, or I will ask him to post a link for us here. Get the tape of his presentation too. Or just give him a call. I have his home phone around here somewhere. Not the number, just the phone itself.

If I read the room right, or maybe I am just reading my own mind, or maybe I noticed about 30 people in line to give him business cards, Marckini made everyone realize how much they need to pay attention to how traffic is coming to their Web sites, and how they need to stay on top of how those things change.

Marckini artfully, and more artfully than I am "summarizing" his talk here, demonstrated how simple adjustments to text in the right places -- the title, the URL, in activated links, etc. -- can make a difference that can generate thousands of visitors and result in millions of dollars in leads. For example, the title tag (which appears in that blue space all the way at the top of your browser) for iProspect says "search engine marketing firm -- iProspect." Not something like, "iProspect, we're really cool," which may be fine if you're selling sunglasses or air conditioners.

Paying attention to SEO is particularly important because, as he explained, 72% of all clicks in Google search results take place in the natural search results, not in the paid ad area.

He encouraged people to optimize press releases for the search engine's news tabs and to be sure to conduct keyword research before writing them. He talked about the importance of including your search marketing targeted keywords in the headline and body copy of the press release, and to include activated links so that when people find your press releases in search results, they can click on those links to visit your site. He pointed out that if a press release ranks well in search results due to proper keyword optimization, the actual press coverage of that press release is less important than the traffic and audience that release garners.

"Study the searches that bring visits," he said, saying not to use lame terms like the name of the site or your company slogan. Know what people are searching and know which searches bring them to you.

Fredrick said another speaker at the event, whom I didn't hear, Jay Berkowitz with Ten Golden Rules gave an excellent talk on Web 2.0 strategies for online profits.

Nice job, Fredrick, and thanks for speaking to us.

Andy McLaughlin SIPF's First Hall of Famer

Andy McLaughlin, president of PaperClip, and everyone's favorite Tickle Me Elmo (I have no idea), was honored at this week's annual meeting of the Specialized Information Publishers Association. With more than 600 in attendance, Andy was honored for his creative, tireless and effective volunteering and fundraising for the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation.

Obviously surprised and grateful, Andy immediately began discussing his wardrobe, noting that his shirt was cut from the same cloth as the giant curtain behind him. Both were blue, which brought out the color of his veins. Andy was unapologetic for his fundraising tactics, making comparisons to mafia tricks and references to mounting legal fees. In a moment of sincerity, Andy commented on how much he believes in the work of the foundation, whose mission is to promote SIPA through outreach to academics and professionals alike.

Taken by the heft of his plaque, suitable for framing if, apparently, you have a nail the size of a railroad spike, Andy said he'd been looking for a decent paperweight.

Congratulations, Andy, for all you do, and for all the humor with which you do it.

(Dan Warren of Warren Communications and the new SIPF President, presented the award.)