Video-based Social Networks, at first, were my dystopian nightmare coming true.  I must admit that, sometimes, I don’t see the future as this gleeful cyber-utopia.  The way media came into our houses and showed us how unlikeable we were made me cringe.   I don’t like any reality show because I strongly believe reality is just the sum of every point of view, not just a chosen few.   Plus, the tackiness and the lack of finesse on which people (yes, even burnt-out celebrities are people) is displayed struck me as inhuman.

For a while, I thought these video networks would finally destroy the idea of a private life.  A camera on every home, linked to a master source where the Head Honcho (whoever this mighty figure is right now) would have access to our most intimate thresholds.

Fortunately, some people saw this beyond the veil of pessimism I usually carry with me.

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A welll-designed landing site can be two things:  a useful tool to make online businesses or a voodoo amulet.  It rarely is both at the same time.

Once, on a previous post, I mentioned something called "magical thinking":  The kind of mindstate on which supernatural properties are attributed to an object.  I think that we need to have faith in something, but this not exactly a productive thought when it comes to Internet marketing.  Many times we believe that a particular detail (a certain kind of graphic or web design, some contents, some elements at the Home page) will guarantee that people will be eager to make effective conversions.  Although it is true that some kind of hook is needed to attract customers, solid bases are needed to transform each visit in a closed business.

Landing pages, in the end, serve a function:  deliver a call-to-action.  They give useful information about products and services, they provide the channels to contact the company and we can get information about customers and prospects.

I ask you: is that enough?
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Web banners seem to be designed for aggressive, competitive publicity. They're bright and, when well done (taking into account design, message, location, volume and such)they send the message through massively and accurately. A marketing campaign should always consider the use of these because they get your customers clicking.

However, there is an aspect to banners that hasn't been exploited deeply yet: institutional campaigns.

So far, we have focused (not only in this blog, but within the complex machinery of many marketing agencies) on advertisement. We breathe and sweat ads at this point and we have to make sure that our products and services reach the last of the people that make our target. But sometimes it can't be all about selling and buying. Some messages must get through not because of their impact or the products they support, but these must be delivered to the population in order to improve everyone's quality of life.

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Social Networks is the answer to the teary prayers of many marketers. Oh, my:  An affordable, quick, dynamic way to build up a customers' database with plenty of channels to deliver and receive communication about products and services?  "Cut me a piece of that!", they say.  It's a fact that Social Networking sites limit targets, geographical areas, interests and professions in an effective, to-go way.  So it's just a matter of picking up a group or network, spread the word and they'll come.

To be young and full of dreams...

The main problem with trends is that some lazy marketing campaigns rely too heavily on them. Every time a niche opens, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and make some quick bucks in the process.  When Stephenie Meyer's novels became famous, a myriad of vampire-related books (old and new) not only appeared but tried to mimic the aesthetics of the real thing.  When IPods appeared, millions of phony products adopted the design Apple crafted.  Trends have a short life, though, so making bets on fashionable tendencies is a risk.

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The launch of an email-based marketing campaign should be easy, right?  It's cost-effective, it can get you quick results and help you reach millions of  new customers with just one click... right?  Just tell them what to do, where to find you and your selling rates will hit the roof in no time... right?

Reality check:  ANY kind of marketing campaign requires thoughtful planning.  The Internet does not operate on magic.  it would be nice if emails were brought to us by pixies.  Much to our dismay, there is a logic to it and marketing experts are always trying to break its code.  Sorry, there's no magic in email marketing.

Unfortunately, some people still believe in fairies, pixies and such. Not exactly the best outsorcers for a marketing campaign... More...

Animated web banner ads operate on the same principles commercial cartoons were based upon:  human eye is attracted to movement.  But it can be taken beyond that.  A well-balanced blend of design, content and performance can transform a bland banner into something memorable. Yet, somehow, the idea of a timeless web banner somehow defies our preconception.  It's never been done before.  Many designers have tried to infuse these banners with something worth to remember laced with the message they're trying to convey.  It is probably a bit too early to talk about lingering online ads, probably due to the nature of the media and the way people use it.

However, the Internet is becoming a part of every home.  Families share contents with each other and, although it's mostly used for quick searches, users make the most of the web and enjoy movies, tv shows, radio programs and newer media formats like podcasts.  Could it be that we're facing the dawn of a new (and improved) Idiot Box?  If so, the smartes thing to do is to shift from a pragmatic mindset that tries to deliever information ASAP to a kinder, mellower consciousness that makes space for iconic, valuable content. People spend more time in front of their computers and they dedicate a bigger part of that time to entertainment.

With that in mind, is it possible to think that animated banners are ready to encompass contents that can be... fun?

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So you already have a nifty, brand new layout for your social network profile.  What a great start!  It probably feels like wearing a Power Suit with a matching t-shirt, nice Italian shoes and silver cufflinks.  The layout design is flawless and it encompasses every single aspect of your company’s image, philosophy and products.  And it feels so good to look at it.  You know your product’s most intricate aspects and you have carefully outlined and organized every single aspect of your Social Networks’ marketing campaign:  targets, communities, channels, visuals…

It is opportune to ask: have you thought of the language you are going to use?

A question like this can’t be taken lightly, since there is an implicit code on social networks.  You might be wearing your fancy Power Suit and you might even have an amazing Spanish leather case for your state-of-the-art laptop, but if you don’t know how to behave in presence of potential customers, fancy clothing won’t help you make deals.  There is a way and a tone to delineate marketing deals and it goes beyond having a pretty layout.  Know how to carry an elegant campaign and people will trust you. 

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An email marketing plan cannot only rely on pretty templates.  Granted: a solid email template design can get you read.  But you have to ask yourself:  what do you want your potential customers to read?  As we get closer and closer to the future, we rely on emails heavily.  We communicate with others through them in the same way others used to depend on traditional mail.

Well… there are a few aspects that are different.

We use e-mails frantically.  Free server-based emails are probably one of the most abused forms of communication in the history of human kind.  When we think of the past, we think of handwritten letters, sent to a loving family, travelling across roads and even through oceans to reach those who patiently waited for days and months to get news.  Or maybe we think of short telegrams that delivered entire messages in whatever words someone could afford to pay.

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