How NOT to do social media marketing
Ever heard of James D. Brausch? He's not a household name, but if you've been around the internet marketing scene at all, you may have heard of him, either by name, or for his Glyphius copywriting software, which claims to "improve profitability using statistical analysis to mathematically study profitable ads." He's a self-styled internet marketing guru who makes a living telling other people how to make money online.
I've taken a look over James' blog (JamesBrausch.org), and it's fairly innocuous -- standard internet marketing fare. And I don't know much about Glyphius except that it's received a couple of decent reviews by copywriters I know and respect (Copyblogger and The Conversion Doctor). However, Brausch himself has a pretty spotty reputation (read the comments). But like I said, I have no first-hand experience with his products (and doubt I ever will).
What I do have first-hand experience with, though, is a rash (actually two rashes) of people shilling for James Brausch and, more recently, Glyphius. And the most insidious thing about his shilling technique is that it's designed to not be obvious spam.
Read more...Starbucks seems to be many home-based entrepreneurs' favorite "home away from home", as well as a popular place for meeting clients. They're ubiquitous, familiar, and a venti latte is slightly cheaper than a whole meal. But one drawback has always been that they charge for their wireless internet access. Until now.
Starbucks recently announced that they will offer free wi-fi, but there are a few catches:
- You have to purchase a prepaid Starbucks Card.
- You have to register your card online in advance.
- You're limited to 2 hours daily.
I suppose it's better than charging for it. But is this really customer-friendly? Will customers jump through their hoops? Or just go down to their local independent coffee shop that offers free unlimited wi-fi?
If you're already hooked on Starbucks, this may be good news to you, but as a general marketing lesson, matching competitors' offers with one of your own that is obviously less customer-friendly won't get you anywhere competitively.
On another note, what do you think about meeting clients at Starbucks or other coffee houses? We had a pretty lively conversation a while back about five places you should never meet clients. What do you think? Coffee houses -- yea or nay?
