Hey buddy, how about a little for the effort?

You probably know this already, but it bears repeating. Writing is hard work. Putting yourself on the line for everyone to take a swing at, like a piñata is hard. Researching the facts to support opinion is hard. Taking strong positions and defending them, is hard. Influencing people for a better tomorrow is hard.

If it's so hard why do so many people do it? Why do I do it? Well besides that we're all narcisists, many do it, blogging, to earn a few bucks. Oh sure, there's a million other reasons, but if there's Google Ads on the blog, then it means they want to be rewarded for their effort with a little spending change. Becuase, as you know, a content publisher only gets paid if someone click on the Google Ads.

Tip Jar or Getting What You Pay For

So before you go off on me for even suggesting this, blame Seth Godin. It was his observation, his idea, his brillance. So as the title suggests, if you like what you read here, if you take the time to give me your attention, would you consider giving some of that attention to some of the sponsors willing to pay me for heading over to their web page?

I'd like you to consider slowing down, reading through some of the Google Ads on this page, and if you are actually interested in one of the topics brought up in one of the ads, clicking on it. When your browser takes you over to the advertisers page, give a good scan and if there isn't anything that catches your eye, move on. Feel free to go back to what ever you were doing.

Now, not surprisingly, Seth's post, remember it was Seth's idea (Here's his rebuttal), this has ignited a bit of a pushback. Many call what we're recommending here click fraud. Well I totally disagree, otherwise I'd be writing the other type of response to his post, which calls Seth an ignoramus poo-poo head.

For me the trap that lays in wait within this issue is that Google Ads are "supposed" to be only clicked on when someone is absolutely and positively interested in the Ad and is motivated to learn more about what's on the other side of that click. This is supposed to be the "new" way of advertising, context sensitive, and driven only by user interest expressed in a click.

The other arugment is that you're tipping the content producer with some else's money, the advertisers. However, I suggest this is only slighly different then the existing advertising models we have. Let's take a television network as an example. They produce content and put it on the air. At this point that new content is an unknown and therefore the network is unable to charge high rates. However, if this content is successful and many people give their attention to the newtork, then the content producer can charge the advertiser more money.

Oh no, wait a minute that is not slightly different, that is completely different. Does it make any difference that between the mute button, DVR's and BitTorrent no one actually watches commericals anymore? Well, unless it's the Superbowl, but that's special.

Any way, take a minute and look the fine sponsors of Dondequiera, and if the spirit moves ya, go ahead and click on a few. I won't think any less of you if you like go crazy clicking, and I most definitively won't call you a click pirate.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: respres

Value is in the eye of the buyer

Seth Godin has many fans. Many of those fans would agree that he is popular because he knows how to self promote. You'll get no argument from me there, in my opinion, he is the most successful self-promoter on the Internet. But, for me, Seth is most successful in identifying and debunking the little lies we surround ourselves with in the business world.

While it's not usually my style, I just can't help but reproduce his blog post entitled "No such thing as price pressure," because it cuts straight to the heart of the problem we are having with DóndeEs.com. Here's what Seth has to say about commodity pricing of your products:

"Your sales force and your customers may scream that you need to lower your price.

It's not true.

You need to increase your value. If people don't want to pay, it's because you're not delivering enough value for the money you're charging.

You're not selling a commodity unless you want to."

I think, the crucial point here is the "perception" of value. Especially when the value you are offering is intangible, or worse than intangible, technological. For when it comes to technology, nothing becomes more difficult to perceive for your customer than something they fundamentally don't understand or perceive as a necessary evil, like anything related to computers (unfortunately here in Puerto Rico it's almost always all of the above).

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: jurvetson

Liberty Cablevision Misses Their Mark

Crema, Cremita, Avena, or if you prefer Oatmeal, was never a big item for breakfast in the childhood home of Señor Don Dees. Nope, for me it was cold cereal. Which now that you think of it makes no sense at all. In the midwest of the United States were I grew up, it's cold over half of the year, but we eat cold cereal. In Puerto Rico, where it's bake your brains hot, well, pretty much all year long, mothers give children hot cereal. Go figure!

Anyway, some of my favorites were the obligatory Captain Crunch (with Crunchberries), Frosted Flakes (Zucaritas), and Fruit Loops. But probably my all time favorite was Lucky Charms. A delightful concoction of toasted oats and marshmallows. I mean come on, when you're a kid getting your Mom to let you eat marshmallows (read candy) for breakfast was pretty clever.

But in this classic post by Seth Godin, he uses a story about how a teenager he was talking to about Lucky Charms wasn't even aware that they were "Magically Delicious." Which is, of course, the slogan General Mills uses in all of their advertisements for the cereal. See here for an example: Don't you just love YouTube? The point here is that General Mills has spent millions drilling that slogan into everyone's head and yet, a typical teenager doesn't even associate "Magically Delicious." with Lucky Charms. Here's Seth's take (which is as sweet as marshmallows in the morning):

"Some marketers are still relying on the idea that they can drill a catch phrase or benefit or USP or differentiation into our heads through ceaseless ads. It sure worked on me.

Is this the core strategy behind the growth of your business?

Not sure it's going to work any more."

Liberty Cablevision's 100% Campaign

Recently I started seeing some intriguing advertisements (teasers actually) announcing something BIG and NEW. I was hmm, I like big news, I wonder what it is? In terms of marketing, I was right where the advertiser wanted me. However, when I finally got to see the big news, the only thing big about it was the amount of money they were spending. The ads were from Liberty announcing that "Con Liberty puedes disfrutar el mundo al 100%." I was like uh huh, and so what? Where's the marshmallows? Where is anything in this new ad that zaps me in the ass like a cattle prod to call Liberty immediately?

So let me get this right, I think? I only subscribe to Liberty's BitTorrent choking Internet service. They have 3 products VoIP, cable, and Internet. So I'm only enjoying 33% of my world? But you want to know the real killer? We were actually talking seriously about upgrading to there triple offer of all three products. If they had announced some inspiring offer, I'd have called immediately to upgrade. Instead they have started drilling into my head that with Liberty I enjoy 100% of my world. Here's news for you Iberty, I enjoy my world just fine without you.

Conclusion

At times marketers can really hit the mark, as an example the old ladies advertising SunCom or Mr. I-lim-i-tado. Both of these ads had people copying them when they come on the television, repeating them voluntarily, and even copying them. Unfortunately for Liberty, I'm afraid that your new campaign misses the mark by 100%.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: kaibara87