February 2012
8 posts
Nikon Trying to Kill Camera Repair
On Monday, January 16th, Nikon Inc. sent a letter to independent camera repair technicians in the US to say that “it will no longer make repair parts available for purchase by repair facilities that have not been authorized by Nikon Inc. to perform camera repairs.” So after July 13, 2012, all Nikon repairs will be pushed through Nikon’s own repair service or one of 22 “Nikon authorized repair...
Agile: Extreme Profit Sharing in a Small Business
In the small-business world, profit sharing is the new black. But one company, software training firm Agile Learning Labs, has taken it to the extreme. Agile’s six-member team is paid the same share of the company’s profits, regardless of title or role. Apparently, there are big advantages. First, since it impacts them directly and equally, all team members are constantly looking out for...
Debbie Brewster Lists how Great Leaders GROW
Debbie Brewster has become an accomplished leader, and now becomes a mentor to Blake, the son of Debbie’s former mentor. She teaches him not just how to lead, but emphasizes the critical importance of continually learning and developing his leadership abilities throughout his career. She identifies four areas in which every leader must continue to G.R.O.W.: Gain knowledge of themselves,...
Debbie Brewster Lists how Great Leaders GROW
Debbie Brewster has become an accomplished leader, and now becomes a mentor to Blake, the son of Debbie’s former mentor. She teaches him not just how to lead, but emphasizes the critical importance of continually learning and developing his leadership abilities throughout his career. She identifies four areas in which every leader must continue to G.R.O.W.: Gain knowledge of themselves,...
9 Sources of Employee Motivation (hint: Not Money)
Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale. I was wrong. With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not...
Tips on Retaining Your Top Performers
Hopefully you haven’t been faced with this scenario. And if you keep reading, you may never find yourself on the receiving end of such bad news. That’s because the following is some of the best advice on how to retain your rock stars. Take this list to heart and you may land a top dog for life. Learn their language You may think you know what motivates your top employees, but have you sat down...
Body Language To Avoid
Body language includes all the things that are being said by everything from your posture to the way you play with your hair in the midst of a conversation. Believe it or not, all these things express what you may not be saying verbally, and the person on the other side of the table is picking up on every non-verbal word! Here are some of the most common mistakes that people make: 1. Looking...
Email footer design: unsubscribe links vs. profile...
I’m subscribed to GigaOm Pro newsletters. I get weekly technology news from them, and I love it. Hard to put my finger on it, but their news just seems — smarter. Anyway, here’s their footer: As a publication, they obviously would prefer that you not unsubscribe from their list. They’d prefer that you change your settings. But they don’t hide their unsubscribe link (in fact, they make it more...
January 2012
23 posts
Snickers’ social media campaign is genius
Katie Price and Rio Ferdinand are facing a probe by the Advertising Standards Authority for their part in a wicked spoof by Snickers that quickly went viral across the ‘net. The celebrities posted a series of out-of-character tweets: Katie, whose breasts are bigger than her head and, almost certainly, than her brain – posted about quantitative easing, liquidity in the bond market, and the...
Notice I still have my money. Intelligentsia just...
Taken at Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
iOS5 Jailbreak.. ;)
@pod2g has created a terrific gift for iOS fans — an untethered 5.0.1 jailbreak for non-A5 devices! Many of you have already been following @pod2g’s blog where he’s been keeping everyone up to date on his progress. And so you know that he recently decided to push the button on a release for all devices except the new iPhone4S and iPad2. @pod2g’s untether involves two separate exploits and a...
Why Gold is Doing What It's Doing
Borrelli goes on to say, in part: Gold in a Major Bull Market Gold is beginning the twelfth year of major bull market; perhaps the most unprecedented bull market in our lifetime. [Below is] a quick snapshot of what that bull market has looked like since the 1999 bottom and the 2001 retest of that bottom. From the point of view, as an investor, this is about as beautiful as it gets. Gold has...
The State Of The Union Address: A Master Class In...
After listening to President Obama’s State of the Union (SOTU), I am once again reminded of how powerful delivery skills can be. We can debate whether style trumps substance or vice versa all we want. The truth is that leaders—political and business—who are able to connect emotionally with their stakeholders will win hearts and minds and those who don’t, won’t. Candidates who come...
Five Best Wallpaper Sites
via lifehacker.com Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
The Pros & Cons of Google+ for Small Business
A bulk of the small businesses we spoke with said they feel Google+ is an important social platform because it was developed by Google, one of the Internet’s favorite brands and one of the most influential websites when it comes to site referrals. But small business owners gave a plethora of reasons for being early adopters of the platform. Here are some of the top reasons we heard for using...
Ten Reasons Why Big Companies Lose Their Best...
6. Lack of Accountability and/or telling them how to do their Jobs. Although you can’t “jerk around” top talent, it’s a mistake to treat top talent leading a project as “untouchable.” We’re not saying that you need to get into anyone’s business or telling them what to do. However, top talent demands accountability from others and doesn’t mind being held accountable for their projects. Therefore,...
Heard about SOPA today? Here's the scoop....
For the funny lovers: For a deck and presentation by a guy that knows his stuff: Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
Increase Your Email’s Impact with the Header
Having discussed the email hors d’oeuvre in my last post, I would like to propose another course from the „Increase your email’s impact!” menu today: the header. How do you plan this section effectively? Where does it belong on your email layout map? What does „above-the-fold” mean? Can header design have an impact on click-thru rates and ROI? The Challenge Ahead Right, so you’ve planned out...
Designing for the New Fold: Post Monitorism Web...
Designing for the ‘fold’ has long been a priority for many Web Designers, but with so many devices capable of displaying your website, how on earth do you know where it is? Should we be worried? This article asks how important the ‘fold’ actually is, the variables at play, changing browsing habits and what you can do about it. The Death of the Fold is upon us, at last! The Death of the Fold ...
Does “above the fold” still apply for email?
Over the last 10+ years of email marketing , there were several rules you could always count on: - Subject lines are the key - Make sure you blend text and images - Keep your key content above the fold That last one might need a bit of revising though. Readers no longer have a 17 inch monitor staring back at them. They could have an iPhone, an iPad, a Tablet, a Nook Color, a Kindle,...
Buddy Guy, Sam Lay, Billy Branch ... once in a...
Taken at Buddy Guy’s Legends Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
A Set of Email Copywriting Articles
Popular articles Can you change your from line? Gives results of a from line test and explores the ins and outs of voluntary sender name changes. Tweak your call to action Advice on the key elements of a winning call to action, together with numerous test results and links to examples and further advice. Short or long content? Outlines the pros and cons of the short and long text...
Call to Action Buttons: Examples and Best...
Call to action in web design — and in user experience (UX) in particular — is a term used for elements in a web page that solicit an action from the user. The most popular manifestation of call to action in web interfaces comes in the form of clickable buttons that when clicked, perform an action (e.g. “Buy this now!”) or lead to a web page with additional information (e.g. ...
A Psychotactic: Caused 3x More People to Buy Mug
Persuasive selling is part art, part science, but 100% apart of conversion optimization. Understanding what motivates our customer is key — it’s not just about what the offer is, but how an offer is presented. Consider this little case study from the Harvard Business Review Daily Stat: If You Say I’m Special, I’ll Buy In an experiment that provided participants with an opportunity to buy a...
Call to Action Buttons: Top Tactics for Better...
Wording for Buttons: Use Command Verbs Larry Chase: I notice on your list of eight variables for call-to-action buttons that wording is No. 1. Let’s start there. Bryan Eisenberg: Wording includes everything from simple things like “buy now” or “add to shopping cart” to more specific wording if you’re in the B2B vertical, such as “Download This...
Revealed: The Two Most Useless Words on Any...
Believe it or not, it’s not just all about how cool your website looks, and how good your product is. One of the biggest factors that determine whether your website converts its visitors is simple: the words you use as links and calls to action. I have seen my fair share of website words over my 10 years of working online, but I still see some truly shocking words on websites that don’t help...
Improving Call to Action Links
Two Types of Call to Actions The most common thing that jumps to mind when we think about CTAs is the big CTA button. The less obvious, less famous is the textual CTA. CTA buttons are those in-your-face buttons that excitedly point the way to your visitors taking a profitable action on your site. Their subtler sister, the textual CTA, usually shows up in the body of active window copy. Often...
The Call To Action In Emails
We know words – and their presentation – matter. Especially in emails. Yet the call to action (CTA) is perhaps the most undervalued part of email marketing. We think once people are interested in our offer or content, they’re going to click the link. The wording or format of that link is irrelevant, because they’ve already decided what they want to do. That theory, unfortunately, is nonsense....
For Fans of xkcd web comics...
Love the comics. In love with the commentary. Hover over the comic to allow the tool tip containing the alt text to activate. An extra layer of goodness. Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
8 Management Lessons Learned From Apple
The brilliance of Apple is that it’s really just a huge startup. It’s engineer-focused with minimal bureaucracy, and respects its employees. Sustaining this culture through decades of growth is no easy task. With the news of Steve Jobs’ resignation, Tim Cook has some incredibly huge shoes to fill. Last year we spoke with a former Apple employee and engineer, Sachin Agarwal,...
Domino’s: How to blend traditional and social...
When a new social network is added to a list of countless others, it becomes easier to reach consumers but much harder to engage them. The release of Google+ pages for business gives business owners yet another social network to worry about updating, tracking and determining how to use it to engage consumers. Even with all of these different networks, it’s still not enough to execute a highly...
December 2011
10 posts
Lifecycle Email Marketing for Re-engagement
Lifecycle mailings are your opportunity to customize your readers’ experience from the very beginning — and to tailor consequent messages to the different stages of your relationship with them. For example, you might send a welcome email early on to offer new subscribers help getting started. Or, you might offer a unique deal or extra appreciation to active subscribers (those that regularly...
Exploring an A/B subject line split test
If you’d told me back in college that tests would be fun someday, I’d have chucked the nearest Mountain Dew at you. But recently I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for the scientific method, and I’m here to testify that subject line split testing is the bee’s knees.Click to view August’s Agency Insider.And it’s about to get a lot simpler in Emma. With our upcoming automated split...
Jack Draws Anything. Anything can be successful.
http://jackdrawsanything.com/ Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
10 things your clients need to know
An inherent problem with our profession is that all too often we are willing to pass the buck and blame things on anyone other than ourselves and unfortunately, nine times out of 10 it’ll be one person in particular. The client. When we launched Wee Nudge we positioned it as an educational platform, not only for clients but also for us, the design and development community. Lack of trust,...
What Facebook Knows About Individuals
Facebook logs and saves a lot of data about you and what you do on their site. This shouldn’t be surprising given the more time people spend on Facebook, the greater the cash flow, but just how much data do they store? Austrian law student Max Schrems, because European law states that citizens can do this, requested all the data Facebook had about him....
4 Reasons To Make Yourself Replaceable ...like...
Are you replaceable? As an entrepreneur, your first response to that question will likely be a resounding No, I can’t be replaced! After all, we have been programmed to believe that being replaceable is a bad thing, that what you do isn’t sufficiently important or involved. But I’m here to tell you that not being replaceable is a problem. A big problem. Hear me out on this, because I know it...
Netflix Backs Law to Allow Sharing All of Viewing...
Netflix is backing a bill in Congress that would amend the Video Privacy Protection Act, a 1988 law that requires a video services company to get a customer’s written consent when it seeks to disclose that client’s personal information, such as rental history. The new bill, passed by the House last Tuesday, would allow consumers to give one-time blanket consent online for a company to share...
4 Strategies For Engaging Facebook Fans No Matter...
It’s simple to conceive of a host of clever social media campaigns for brands that sell popular products like packaged goods, food, travel gear, and other “sexy” items. But what if your brand sells a product or provides a service that inspires less consumer enthusiasm? If your brand sells children’s clothing, or pet supplies, or organic groceries, a wide array of effective Facebook marketing...
The Dwindling Power of a College Degree
Starting in the 1970s, labor was upended by a lot more than just formal government work rules. Increased global trade devastated workers in many industries, especially textiles, apparel, toys, furniture and electronics assembly. Computers and other technological innovations had an arguably greater impact. While factories continue to make more stuff in the United States than ever before,...
Do you have Google when you don't have internet?...
Taken at Marlin Co. Ad Agency Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
November 2011
7 posts
Brinicle: Creeping Underwater Ice Tornado Kills...
via gizmodo.com I’m reminded again not to assume I know so much. I love the discovery of new things like this. Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
5 Step Guide: Creating a QR Code for Marketing
1. What is the primary reason you have opted to use a QR code?This needs be good. Improve user experience. Offer the user something that helps them more than you. Most importantly, if your reason doesn’t adhere step 2, abandon the QR for an alternative tactic. 2. Protect the user experience.Make sure you offer a benefit to the person scanning the QR.Make sure you the scan of your QR code...
Social Media vs Home Security
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Cut Out The TV and Win Big
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Old Habits Die Hard—Here’s How To Kill Them
For years I have done my grocery shopping every Sunday morning. Why Sunday? It’s a good day to shop because the stores are less crowded and store employees are usually in a good mood. But the real reason is that years ago, grocery stores used to put “double coupons” and special deals in the Sunday paper. They haven’t done so for quite some time, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized...
Customer Service Mistakes You’ll Never Recover...
The latest customer service incident to go viral is the snub of a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids by Australian bridal retailer Gasp. A store incident sparked an e-mail exchange in which a shopper politely, yet pointedly, complained about her experience with a rude sales assistant. Instead of apologizing, however, the area manager criticized the shopper as “undesirable” and defended the employee...
Can a simple cotton t-shirt really be worth...
Short answer: you bet. In fact, $300,000 is a downright steal for a t-shirt when you consider we’re sending every cent of the purchase to some very needy kids (via the U.S. fund for UNICEF) in the Horn of Africa. For our latest effort, in a proud history of humanitarian efforts, BBH New York and UNICEF have teamed up with Threadless and NYC artist collective Christine and Justin Gignac to...
October 2011
6 posts
marlin in gallery form.
Posted via email from SwBratcher’s Posts | Comment »
In Praise of Credit Checks (via Mises)
It was maybe third grade when the schoolyard was abuzz with a terrible thing. It was called the “permanent record.” If you did something bad enough, it would go on the permanent record. And then a one-day slip up would turn into a deep scar, a mortal sin that would last forever and permanently reduce your chances to make it in life. We imagined some suited committee reaching deep...