In my book, Communication Wins, I wrote about audience awareness and personality types. In this blog we’ll take a look at audiences by age group.

Succeeding in any business environment today requires getting the attention of one of the most entrepreneurial and text-friendly generations in history.  They are also the most stressed and distracted demographics ever to exist.  Understanding and developing new marketing strategies that appeal to customers and their personal lifestyle, both in learning and in information gathering, is the key to successfully marketing.  Finding a way to get through all the marketing noise that bombards the average person can be daunting and is more challenging than ever before.  

Who is your current market and why is understanding their information and learning style so important to the success?  They are divided into three groups: Generation X, Generation Y, and Global Tweens.  

Generation X is tech savvy and very skeptical.  They are between the ages of 30 and 50; they are the parents of children ages 8 to 18.  They are adults who want to understand their options.  Generation X is your number 1 target audience for most companies.  Marketing strategies aligned with the lifestyles and technological preferences of this age group are critical to success.

What do we know about Generation X?  We know they surf the web for information on every subject imaginable, including hobbies and specialized medical procedures.  Email, cell phones and text messaging are their primary, if not only, source of communication 24/7.  Digital organizers and recorders keep their busy lives on schedule.  They depend mostly on their friends and family for recommendations when making decisions, purchasing products and buying services.  Generation X women make the majority of buying decisions for the family.  Their purchasing decisions are based on emotion, trust, personal relationships and their own perceived value of return on investment.

Marketing studies show that traditional marketing strategies are relatively ineffective on the Gen X audience.  They retain less than 1% of the marketing messages they encounter on a daily basis and they are very skeptical of information they do retain.  Bottom line: Gen X consumers want verifiable proof of expertise, quality and good customer service with minimum sales hype.

Generation Y is Generation X on steroids.  They’re young, smart, and assuming, often to the point of arrogance.  They want to wear flip flops to work, they listen to iPods at their desk and text message to their friends every waking hour.  They want to work but they don’t want work to be their life.  They feel they are entitled to their parents’ lifestyle but without the hard work and effort it took to get there.  They are a force of as many as 70 million.  Tighten your chinstraps because this generation, ages 16 to 30, is different than any group that has come before, including their parents.

The impact of their personal attitudes and lifestyle will have a huge impact on how products and services are marketed.  Maintaining long term relationships will be very difficult with this ever questioning and fickle generation who has no tolerance for outdated thinking and lack of computer skills.  If you don’t have a good website and an effective online strategy, you are invisible to this group.  

Since childhood they were both pampered and programmed with nonstop activities, meaning they are now both high performance and high maintenance.  Gen Y do the majority of their window shopping online before buying and they are very discriminating.  Don’t be fooled by their casual dress, piercings and tattoos.  This generation appreciates quality.  They are tech savvy and a generation of multi-taskers; they can juggle emails, phone calls and Google searches on their iPhone’s simultaneously.  They would prefer to send a text message than make a cell phone call.  They are more comfortable working virtually (online) than face-to-face, through personal relationships or even on a phone like previous generations.  

For many their favorite pastime is going online to social networks such as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.  Most spend more time surfing the web and communicating in social networks than they do watching television.  They put a high value on self fulfillment and think nothing of making constant changes in their life to get it.  Building relationships that contain loyalty will be very challenging with Generation Y.
    
The last group is Global Tweens.  They heavily influence the buying decisions of their parents.  Today’s children are increasingly aware and very well informed.  Global Tweens between the ages of 5 and 15 are much more tech savvy than prior generations.  They are the first generation to be totally raised in the digital age of computers, iPods, cell phones, text messaging, gaming, DVDs, and the ever expanding internet.  Most of these kids learn to read on a computer.  Digital technology is second nature to them.

It is easy to underestimate their highly developed preferences and the effect they have on global marketing, and the buying decisions of their parents.  They do not like being treated like the children they are.  These kids are 8 going on 18.  They learn more from interactive educational software than the written text, and they respond to trendy marketing that immediately grabs their attention and gives them something to talk about, photograph or text to their friends since the vast majority have their own cell phones.  

Tech savvy audiences of all ages have shifted their information gathering to the internet and are always on the go, and they look to the internet to quickly research their buying decisions.  They all respond to visual kinesthetic marketing mediums, like video, as one of their favorite forms of communication.  Your website, especially with video, is the first step in emotionally engaging these groups with your personal message.  Your first contact with new customers and clients is no longer a phone call; it is the Internet.  Does your website project your image the way you want it to?  Is your website keyword optimized so prospects can easily find you on Google in your demographic and geographic footprint?  Are you listed on Google Maps in all your surrounding areas?

Digital technology is changing and advancing at lightning speed.  It is difficult to keep up with it all.  Discovering how to synergistically meld your current internal and external marketing strategies under the umbrella of an internet marketing program will save you time, money, and level the playing field among competition if you know how to do it correctly.  No matter how big or small the practice or what your experience level, most websites look the same and deliver the same written message.  In order to stand out you must do or say something different to engage your audience today.  

Without the PR component advertising alone lacks credibility, third party endorsement and the ability to generate that elusive buzz to increase referrals.  Now Web 2.0, the latest in internet technologies, provides the missing link to complete the PR component with many different options available.  With the latest downturn in the country’s economy you can’t afford to lose existing or future customers.  Now is the time to reevaluate and update your current marketing plan to include Web 2.0 internet marketing tactics if you want to set your website apart.  

Don’t be left in the dust wondering what happened when you weren’t paying attention to your online competition.  The most valuable real estate you can own in any business is in your market’s mind.  Communicate with them on their terms in a format they are comfortable using.  It’s all up to you.  Are you going to be a leader on the digital road to success?  Or are you going to join the growing list of companies known as digital road-kill?

This is the second of two posts on ways to find information and inspiration for creating new marketing video and blog posts. Any one of these activities, we use them all at Aligned Marketing, will produce new ideas to play with, new interests to explore, and new fodder for your marketing videos and blogs.

1. Movies and Books. The formula for a good movie or book is the same. They introduce a likable or sympathetic lead character, introduce danger or threat, which can be in the form of a person, a situation, or both, and then resolve the conflict just when you think all is lost. Use books and movies as an inspiration to write and shoot your own video. What would you do different if you were the lead character? What did you learn about management from watching The Godfather?
2. Traveling is one of the best ways to find your muse. Changing your location changes your thought patterns. New places and new people can alter and refresh the way you see the world.
3. YouTube and Flickr are both loaded with visual stimulation. You can quickly find amazing images of people doing extraordinary things, or just dumb stuff, to tickle your imagination into producing your next great video or blog.
4. If you like technology visit websites like CNET's, Fast Company's, Wired Magazine's or the TechCrunch blog and write or create a video about what you found interesting. If you like current events, visit The Wall Street Journal, CNN or USA Today's websites. Every subject has a few sites that do a great job of compiling and reporting current trends and noteworthy topics.
5. Speaking of trends: Trends are posted automatically on Yahoo and Twitter. See what all the hubbub is about, do a little research and then shoot a video or write a blog post adding your (informed) two-cents to the conversation.
6. Look in the mirror. I know, it sounds strange. It works. Sit in front of the mirror for a few minutes and let the self-reflection bring you to deeper thoughts than most of us have as we sit in front of our computers or ramble through our days. Then write about those thoughts.

I hope these short exercises and tips helps get your imagination brewing and makes the process of creating new, entertaining and insightful videos and blogs a more enjoyable experience.

Steve
800-707-9150

In this two-part series I’ll give you specific ways to find information and inspiration for new video and blog posts. Here are the first six.

1. How do you find anything? If you’re like a billion other people, you “Google” it. Do the same thing for topics you want to shoot a video about or blog about. You can type anything into Google and get more than 1,000,000 results, all pertaining to your topic. Scan through the results until you find something that sparks your imagination.
2. Delicious is one of the post popular sites on the web. Delicious describes itself as the “world’s leading social bookmarking service.” It’s packed full of the most popular bookmarks and blogs on the web as selected by its members. If you want to know what people are talking about, what they’re interested in, then visit Delicious the next time you’re looking for video or blog ideas.
3. Blogs. There are blogs about seemingly everything. I particularly like to read about video production and blogging. I incorporate the tips I pick up into the work I do and, then, if it works well, shoot a short video or write a blog post about my experience.
4. People. I’ve always been a people watcher. At Starbucks, at the mall, at the airport, it doesn’t matter, I watch people because they fascinate me. Observe parents, waiters, firemen practicing their craft long enough and I guarantee you an idea for a video or a blog will pop into your head.
5. Exercise. When I feel like something is brewing inside my head but just doesn’t seem to want to come out, or I find myself not taking decisive action, I take my dog for a long walk. You’ll be surprised how 30-45 minutes of exercise will relax your mind and release your creativity.
6. I have a couple books that list Quotes by topic and by author, there’s also several websites that do the same. Read through the quotes by topic or author and soon you’ll have all the inspiration you need to produce a new video or write an insightful blog post.

That's it for now.

Call if I can be of service.

Steve
800-707-9150

Thank you all for your emails and comments. Here's a consolidated statement of your major point:

• Use the medium (video) to deliver the message!

It's a great point. Instead of putting my top 12 tips into 500+/- words I should have just shot a video. You're right, so that's what I did.

It's rough but I think it gets the message across. What do you think?

Steve
800-707-9150

Everyone I talk to wants to create online videos to support their business. So I decided to put together some tips to help you get started. An expanded version of this post will be available, in video format, on Wednesday.

Here are the twelve tips to help you begin promoting your business through online video:
 

1. Buy yourself an inexpensive camcorder. I use the Flip Ultra HD. I paid $179.00 for it at WalMart. The picture quality is very good and it is super easy to use. Just plug it into the built-in USB on your computer and then watch, edit, or upload your videos. It really is that easy.
2. If you don't have a new product or a dozen video ideas banging around in your head, record your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).  That way the most common questions you're asked by customer and prospects will have an entertaining way of being answered and your customers won't have to scroll through screen after screen of online text searching for answers.  
3. Another idea is to create a list of your 10 best tips for solving customer problems. Shoot a short video for each one, put them up on your site and be sure to share them through various video platforms such as YouTube and TubeMogul, and others.
4. Interviews make great videos. Interview industry experts, your senior executives, and your customers and then post them as outlined in the previous bullet. Note, you'll want to keep the interviews short so I suggest asking only one or two very specific questions to whomever you interview. Ideally videos should be under 5 minutes and many would argue they need to be under three.
5. Video your newest product being used or any of your product application scenes. Demonstrate why your solution is the best solution. You may even want to do comparisons between your product and your competitor's products.
6. Use several Social Media sites, not just YouTube, to promote your video. Tubemogul, which I covered in another blog post, is easy to use and an effective way to promote your video to a wide audience and measure the results.
7. Online videos don't have to have Hollywood level production value but you'll want to make a reasonable good impression. My suggestion is you hire someone to help you with editing if you're not comfortable with video editing software.
8. Record yourself reading your favorite blog posts and then promote the videos.
9. Have a good idea of what you're going to say before pressing the Record button on your camera. I like to use an outline but some people prefer a script, more of a teleprompter approach. The point is; be prepared.
10. Add some text when posting your video on your website so you can attract the search engines and be sure to write a description of your video when posting it on video sharing sites.
11. Include a clear call-to-action. Ask people to visit your site, call or email for more information, subscribe to your newsletter, or "click here" to buy your product (and "Get 10% off").
12. The most powerful videos are customer testimonials. If you can get a customer to tell the world how great you are then you will have one of the most powerful marketing tools available. If they don't have a camera, send them yours.

Bonus: (13) If all this sounds a little daunting and outside your sweet-spot, call me!

Steve
800-707-9150

The eyes have it:
Several of my blog entries have mentioned that reading is out and viewing is in. That’s not surprising since human beings are visual creatures. Approximately 65% of the information we gather comes through our eyes. Our ability to accurately process information declines considerably when we use our other senses. A steak is a steak to my untrained nose, but my entire being prepares for action at the site of a thick Filet Mignon.

Some seeing is better than other seeing. Fewer and fewer people want to gather information through the oftentimes-dry act of reading. More and more people want to gather information through the visually engaging experience of video. They want to be told a story. They want to be given both the information and its contextual meaning in an engaging and entertaining way. For most, movies are preferable to books.

Give the people what they want where they want it:
This is where (online) video excels and the numbers back it up. According to a survey printed on May 12 in eMarketer Daily, 87% of respondents said they will spend more for online video in 2009 than they did in 2008. An astonishing number.


Similarly, MAGNA Global, a division of Interpublic Group, forecast in April 2009 that online video ad revenues in the US will exceed $1.0 billion in 2011.

We've all heard about YouTube and the massive number of visitors it's collecting. The driving forces are easy to comprehend. Watching an entertaining video and learning something at the same time is simply more fun than reading. As the availability of low-cost video production technologies continues to decline, bandwidth expands, desktop editing tools become easier to use, and new sites are built to attract and share videos with the masses, video marketing, in my judgement, will only grow.

If you're still publishing hard-copy epistles to your products, you may want to rethink your approach. Video can help you share  information about your company, your products, your ideas and YOU in a quick and entertaining fashion.  Video is an excellent way to promote your profile online that everyone should be using.  

If this all sounds great to you then you need to check out Tubemogul, a relatively new player but already a powerful force in the video sharing arena.


Tubemogel is one of those great sites that allow you to make one post and have it automatically shared with other social media sites,such as VImeo, Viddler, Break, MetaCafe, iTunes, Dailymotion, Hulu, and, of course, Google and Yahoo Video (There are hundreds). The reason we love these kinds of sites is because they save us time. Right? We make post once on Tubemogul and it posts our video to multiple sites. With one click you can have an enormous online presence and, potentially, dominate the search engines.

What's super-cool about Tubemogul are the analytics. You can quickly see how many times your video was viewed, how long it was watched, when people stopped watching, streaming quality, viewership by geography, new versus returning viewers, time of day your video was viewed, and much more.

If you're interested in video I encourage you to go over to check out Tubemogul. Oh, and of course, they have a free version if you'd like to take them for a test drive.

If you need help producing a video, well, then you can call me. ;)

Steve
800-707-9150

Over the coming weeks I'll be writing about online video and posting more videos. I'll offer tips, product insights and how-to techniques to help you begin using one of the fastest growing tool in social media. YouTube is the second most searched site online and other video platforms, such as TubeMogul, Vimeo and Viddler (and others) offer unique functionality that I'll help you understand and leverage for your business.

My first tip, however, is for Pure Digital Technologies (www.theflip.com), the makers of the Flip family of video cameras. Sorry readers. I have the Flip Ultra HD. It's great little HD camera, I get about 2 hours worth of video of one battery charge and it's easy to use. Shoot the video, plug the camera into my computer via the USB port, and begin editing. Smooth, like butter.


But "easy to use" doesn't mean the camera operates itself or that its user don't need some tips of shooting quality videos. Most Flip purchasers need some education, some coaching. Like everyone else, one of the first things I did after buying my Flip was visit YouTube. I watched videos on operation, editing, lighting and sharing videos online. Some were good but most were poor. That's when I found myself deeply disappointed in Pure Digital and my Flip camera.Why didn't it come with pre-loaded videos on operating the camera and editing videos?

Why were they making me scramble around the web searching for instructional videos? They must have professional quality video's and great "use" tips? Right? I mean they invented this great little camera so everyone can shoot great videos. Alas, there was nothing on their website, little high-quality stuff on YouTube or the other video sites! It's a darn video camera, put some "how to" support (training) on the camera.

There must be some great reason for not including instructional videos with the cameras but, for the life of me, I can't think of any justification. It probably is just a matter of cost and profits but, boy, what a chance they had to really impress their customers, enhance their brand, and show people why they want to shoot more video.

Pure Digital is a good company and they make an excellent product, I just think they stopped short of their potential. Am I being fair? What do you think?

Steve
800-707-9150