Matrix Group International

Month: October 2009

  • My Favorite Twitter Applications

    My Favorite Twitter Applications

    Twitter logoTwitter was super smart when they created their API and encouraged developers all over the world to come on in, use their API and develop their own applications using Twitter data.  But wait, what’s an API, you say?

    API stands for Application Program Interface.  Wikipedia defines an API as “an interface that a software programs implements in order to allow other software to interact with it.”  In the Web world, APIs allow systems to talk to each other, request each other’s data, write to each other’s systems, etc., within a defined structure.  In Twitter’s case, the Twitter API allows software developers to request information from Twitter, especially the tweets by Twitter subscribers. The API allows requests by date range, keyword, usernames, etc. (more…)

  • Did You Forget Your Order? — My Favorite Customer Service E-Mails

    Did You Forget Your Order? — My Favorite Customer Service E-Mails

    Forgetful BoyLast Sunday, I logged onto Snapfish.com and started creating a customized calendar using mostly photos of my son (who else should be featured on my homemade calendar?).  I ran out of time before I could finish the order, so I saved it and logged off.  Tonight, I got a really cute and friendly e-mail reminder that there’s something in my shopping cart and it’s not too late to complete my order. There was even a direct link to my cart so it was easy for me to check out.

    In e-commerce lingo, my Snapfish shopping cart was abandoned because I left the site without completing the order.  Some of my clients consider it creepy to let their customers know that they know about the abandoned carts.  But here was a non-creepy, really helpful e-mail from Snapfish that prompted me to complete my order!  What made the e-mail reminder successful?

    • The cute photo of a girl next to the large caption that reads “Did you forget something?” Yes, the girl looks like she just realized that she forgot something and she’s got a hilarious expression on her face.
    • The friendly, personalized message.
    • The links to complete my order and forgot password. (more…)
  • Customer Discounts Shouldn’t Cost You More Money

    Customer Discounts Shouldn’t Cost You More Money

    Photo of money falling out of a piggy bankI was at Union Station a few weeks ago and on my way out, I validated my parking ticket, which would have given me a dollar or two off the total charge.  As instructed by all the signage, I paid for my ticket at the automated station, then hopped into my car and exited the garage.  Later that evening, I realized that the discount had NOT been taken off the charge.  Annoyed, I called Union Station and was told that in order to get the discount, I had to pay at the ticket booth to a live person.

    Okay, so this does not make any sense:  discounted parking costs Union Station more money because a real person is needed to process the transaction. (Besides that, it’s just not right to advertise a discount and then not tell consumers how to actually get the discount.)

    So it turns out that a lot of companies spend a lot more time processing charges from people who pay less.  Here are more examples:

    • The meeting registration system that can’t process discounts properly so you have to call the organization to get the discount.
    • The discount code that you can’t use on the Web, only by phone.
    • The publication that gives you a quantity discount, but you have to call. (more…)
  • Does the Social Web Mean an End to E-Mail?

    Does the Social Web Mean an End to E-Mail?

    Flying swirl of envelopes and e-mailDuring a recent interview, the candidate asked me if Matrix Group still uses e-mail to promote its services and events.  Curious, I asked her why she asked that question.  She replied that she thought e-mail was obsolete, that all marketing is moving to the social Web.  My first reaction was “no way, you’re crazy, e-mail is never going away.”

    But then I read a study by Nielsen that reports “member communities, which includes both social networks and blogs, has become the fourth most popular online category – ahead of personal email.” Whoa!  Social networking and blogging have overtaken personal e-mail?  Could this signal another monumental shift in our communications?

    Perhaps.  But yet another Nielsen analysis reports that “the heaviest social media users actually use email more” than other segments. My God, how could this be?  And where the heck are these people finding the time to be on both social networks and e-mail so heavily?

    Here’s my take on what’s going on: (more…)

  • What I Learned About Marketing From a Recipe on a Box

    What I Learned About Marketing From a Recipe on a Box

    Box of GrainsA couple of years ago, I was reading about the health benefits of barley.  So I decided to pick up a box of Quaker Oats barley at the grocery store.  Having never cooked with barley before, I searched for recipes online.  Finally, my husband said, “Hey, there’s a recipe on the box. Why don’t you try that one?”  So I did.  Guess what?  The chicken barley chili recipe on the side of the box was really good. In fact, I’ve made this dish for friends (who rave) and cut up a box to stash the recipe in my recipe box.

    Since then, I’ve made made pasta, soup, cakes and cheesecake from recipes on boxes, cans and cartons.  For the most part, the recipes have been excellent and pretty easy to make.  I know, it’s really  low brow to cook food from recipes on cans and boxes.  In fact, I can’t believe I’m admitting to this on my blog, so please pretend you heard me say that all my recipes are from my Gourmet cookbook.  But here’s what I have learned: if you are a manufacturer of a food product, it’s in your best interest to have a really, really good recipe on your packaging. I bet the folks at Quaker Oats spent a lot of time on that chicken barley chili recipe because it was going to be printed on millions of boxes and, for a lot of people, that recipe was going to be their introduction to barley!

    So what does a recipe on a box have to teach us about marketing?  Just this: that the first interaction potential customers have with your company had better be really, really good. Here are some examples: (more…)

  • The Art and Science of Business Cards

    The Art and Science of Business Cards

    When we moved to our new office in Crysta City, it meant reprinting all of our marketing materials.  While it was simply a matter of updating and reprinting most of our collateral, we decided to redesign our business cards.  Matrix Group Creative Director Alex Pineda wanted to update the design with the refreshed logo and show some more personality.

    Here are some sample cards that demonstrate what we were trying to achieve.

    Joanna Pineda business cards

    Here’s my card.  The front is purple so it’s easy to find on a cluttered desk or stack o cards.  The corners are curved because Alex says the Matrix Group brand is curvey, node-y.  The prominent elements are my name and title and the company Web address.  You’ll also notice that my card has all the ways you can contact me:  phone, fax, e-mail, blog and Twitter.

    Maki Kato business card (more…)

  • Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

    Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

    Educate a girl, change the world. This book will inspire and amaze you.

  • Making Sense of the Twitter Speak and Twetiquette

    Making Sense of the Twitter Speak and Twetiquette

    Twitter LogoI was at a conference recently where one of the attendees mentioned that although she’s on Twitter, she doesn’t understand half of what’s being said. “What’s a DM?,” she said. “And what’s the difference between RT and via?”

    Twitter is deceptively simple.  You get 140 characters to speak your mind or share some news.  In some ways, Twitter is a lot like instant messaging ((IM) because people use acronyms to shorten common expressions. I found a good list of acronyms that pop up a lot of Twitter on the Examiner.com site.  My favorites?

    • LOL – laughing out loud
    • BTW – by the way
    • IMHO – in my humble opinion
    • TMI – too much information
    • FTF of F2F – face to face
    • LMK – let me know
    • TTFN – ta ta for now

    In other ways, Twitter is different from IM because it has its own protocols and etiquette. Here’s what I’ve learned: (more…)

  • At Work, as in Marriage and Friendship, A Sense of Humor Rocks

    At Work, as in Marriage and Friendship, A Sense of Humor Rocks

    Laughing manLast Wednesday afternoon, I was harried and stressed.  I was leaving for a conference on the West Coast. and if I didn’t leave the office by 2:30pm, the drive to BWI was not going to be pretty.  But I had two people to call, five e-mails to write, three people to see and it was already 2pm.  I decided to delegate a couple of the tasks to Ray, my new biz manager.  Just at that moment, he walked into my office and I said, “oh, thank goodness you’re here.”  Without missing a beat, Ray deadpanned, “You’re surprised I’m here?  I’m always here.  I work for you.  My office is next door.  I thought you designed it that way.”

    With those few words, Ray turned my afternoon around. All my tension slipped away as I burst out laughing.  I gave him a couple of calls to return, promised to make calls from the taxi, and headed on my way.

    If you Google “sense of humor in the workplace,” you’ll get all kinds of posts about how humor is often NOT appropriate in the workplace.  But I challenge anyone to tell me their dry, humorless office is a great place to work. Personally, I don’t think I would have survived the early MatrixMaxx software releases without Tanya’s dry sense of humor.  And Eric made the recent recruiting process for a Project Manager enjoyable with his hilarious stories from working in a casino.  Thankfully, at least one blogger, Elaine Ambrose, says that “(a) sense of humor will save your job and probably your life.” (more…)

  • Creating an Integrated Marketing Strategy for Your Organization That Blends Traditional Marketing and Social Networking

    Creating an Integrated Marketing Strategy for Your Organization That Blends Traditional Marketing and Social Networking

    Kids and Puzzle PiecesClients often ask me how to add social media to their marketing and communication initiatives.  Rather than viewing social media as a separate program, I recommend adding social media to existing marketing activities.

    In addition, I recommend against blasting the same message across the different platforms.  Instead, I urge clients to create a layered approach that uses each platform according to its strengths and capabilities.  Here are some examples:

    Example #1: Trade Association Wants to Promote a Conference

    • Create a microsite for the conference that contains information about the conference, the venue, the program and speakers, and benefits to attendees
    • Use Twitter to broadcast conference updates and deadlines, industry news and statistics
    • Post photos from the previous year’s conference to Flickr
    • Use a Facebook fan page to feature program and speakers, host discussions about conference topics, and allow attendees to interact with experts
    • Host a blog where conference organizers can blog news before the conference; during the conference, assign members to blog about the sessions

    Example #2: Shoe Boutique Wants to Increase Traffic to Bricks and Mortar Store During the Holiday Season (more…)