Marketing Pilgrim

I subscribe to a lot of email newsletters and there are several that I would greatly miss if I stopped receiving them. But I can’t think of one missive that I receive on a regular basis that I would say I “can’t wait” to open.

This is not the case with your average bargain shopper. According to a report compiled by eMarketer, more than half the people who subscribe to deal newsletters are excited to get them to the point where they “can’t wait” to see what’s inside.

I love shopping. I love deals, but really? Part of me wants to suggest that these people need a hobby, but the marketing part of me says, yippee! This is great news. And it gets better. Remember the concept of deal fatigue? Guess it’s not happening. . . yet.

I wrote a while back to wake me up when Bing powered search (combined market share of Yahoo and Bing search) reached 40%. Well, in March a new plateau was reached as the two search entities combined to hit 30% so I may now have one eye open. Experian’s Hitwise reports these numbers.

This is a good sign for Bing powered search as Google’s slip in share looks to be directly contributable to the increase in searches using the Bing search engine. The next step that Bing needs to see is a true second place position over Yahoo. Bing has poured untold millions into building its brand while Yahoo is just coasting on what it gained long ago. In fact, what advertising do you see about Yahoo search? I don’t see any but then again I also don’t see it all by a long shot.

(The following post was written by Jen Lopez of SEOmoz, the Marketing Pilgrim SEO Channel sponsor. If there was ever a discipline that was community oriented it’s SEO. Here’s how one of the top players in the industry handles it.)

As the Community Manager for SEOmoz, I see our community as a number of areas: Any interactions that take place with members on our own site, on Social Media sites (mainly Facebook and Twitter) and in-person. So when it comes to how to “manage” the community it’s not totally cut and dry. As most Community Managers do, I find myself putting on my Customer Service hat one second and my Marketing hat the next. It’s a role that changes almost constantly and I rarely finish tasks I set for myself the first day I set them, as the community always comes first.

There are ads on my TV, my mobile phone and on the screen at the movies. Now Amazon wants to take over my e-reading experience as well. They swear the ads won’t actually butt in just as I reach a cliffhanger moment. And I do have to agree to it. Actually, I have to buy in to it, as the ad-sponsored Kindle is a product all its own.

Amazon calls it Kindle with Special Offers, a name which was obviously crafted to make the reader feel like they’re getting something good out of the deal. Instead of showing the usual Kindle book-themed screensaver, the new edition will show a full-page ad. Black and white, only. Remember, Kindle doesn’t do color. What’s even sillier is the Kindle Ad-Mash up which asks users to vote on their preferred ads and only “screensavers with the most preferred votes qualify to become sponsored screensavers.”

According to Kiip, there are like, a bajillion people playing games on their phones right now, as you read this, a bajillion people launching bird attacks and chasing zombies and missing their bus stop and ignoring everything that’s being said on the company conference call. They’re playing because gaming is an addiction. Our brains are hardwired to get excited over the prospect of conquering a level, climbing to the top of the score chart and receiving a virtual prize.

Well, Kiip (www.kiip.me) (pronounced “keep”) thinks we all deserve better than that. For all the time and dedication we all put in to game play, they think we should get something real, something tangible and that’s what they’re company is all about. The Kiip Rewards Network gives advertisers the ability to offer real prizes when players succeed at virtual games. Lower level prizes include discounts or coupons for free snacks, while higher levels might equal a t-shirt, a DVD or even a vacation.

Bing is looking to make some waves in the local pool that has been dominated by the problem riddled Google Place Page effort. All I can say is that it’s about time that someone gives Google a run for their money so that all ships can truly rise with the rising Internet tide.

If my discussions with Bing’s Director of Search, Stefan Weitz and Andy Chu, Director of Product Management, Bing for Mobile are any indication, Bing is looking to take a serious shot at it with it’s brand new Bing Business Portal which will replace the existing Local Listing Center.