amy cham :: pixels + people

The Pricing Puzzle

Just what do I think I'm worth?

One of the things I learned quickly upon starting Paper Swan Photography was that figuring out what to charge--and what to provide--is one of the most difficult parts of the job.  When I first started, like so many others, I simply took whatever I could get--or worked for free--and was (truly) grateful for the opportunity.

Now I am in another place altogether.  I'm not a world-famous 'rock star' photographer, but I'm not a baby anymore either.  In this middle ground, where so many of us reside, there is, it turns out, absolutely no standardization in pricing.  None. Zero. Zilch.

Facebook Marketing for Moms, Friends, and Cheerleaders

Know somebody with their own business? Betcha do! And if you're like most people with entrepreneurial friends and relatives, you would love to see their venture be a success.

You may have emailed their web address to your friends, talked about the business, or passed along their business card if you have one. But did you know that if you are on Facebook there are a couple of powerful tools that are quick and super-easy to use, and could give the entrepreneur (or, for that matter, job hunter or house seller) in your life a big boost in reaching a new audience?

There are two specific tools that I have in mind...the Facebook "Share" link and "Suggest to friends" link.

Internet marketing how-to's on eMomsAtHome

I'm a little late in posting this, but I just wanted to point out that the results for the group research project I wrote the three-column CSS article for are available.  The list topped out at 37 entries, with how-to's and tutorials ranging from setting up WordPress, so search engine optimization, to work-life balance.

Check out the full list!

Web 101: What is interactive marketing? (II)

A few weeks ago, I wrote "Web 101: What is interactive marketing?"  The article focused on the tactical elements of internet marketing--the online tools that today's technology adds to our marketing mix.  This time, I'd like get more conceptual, and focus on what it is that interactive marketing hopes to achieve.

To start with, I should not have gone straight into interchanging "interactive" with "internet" without acknowledging that I was doing so. 

Interactive marketing seeks to build a conversation with the market, rather than simply sending out messages--it's a conversation instead of a monologue.  Today, the internet is one of the primary means of doing this, and many regard the terms as synonymous.  It is a habit I have gotten into, and should have noted at the outset.  In the context of my blog, I will often interchange the two. However, they are not exactly the same.

So what are the goals of internet marketing?

In some regards, they are very similar to traditional marketing channels, and in others they are unique to the internet. 

Seth Godin wants to put me out of business

Today, Seth Godin gives away a prized secret...successful internet marketing for very very small businesses and practitioners doesn't have to take a splashy website, elaborate technology, or expensive consultants (thanks a lot....).

Seth lays out a simple roadmap for getting started online, with an investment of $60 and a few hours of time.

There are tons of new, often free, online tools coming out all the time. As simple as any single tool is to use, the sheer volume of options can be baffling and paralyzing.

Don't get caught in that trap.  A few simple steps will get you started and running.  Seth's plan is easy to follow and provides the foundation for your online marketing presence.

Should you stop there?  Maybe, maybe not.  There are many things that can add value to your core presence, improve your visibility, and create value-added services and resources for your customers.  But there is nothing--time, money, technology--to keep you from starting.

Survey: Patients, Doctors, and the Internet

Yep...it's another survey!

As part of an independent study project for my MBA at Cornell, I am conducting a survey on how individuals use the internet related to finding medical specialists and looking for medical information. Additionally, it asks how people use, or would like to use, the internet in their relationships with their doctors.

 The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete, and your responses are completely anonymous. At the end, you will have the option to register your email address in a drawing for one (1) of three (3) $50 Amazon gift certificates. Registration is done through a dedicated email address and is in no way connected to your responses.  Names and email addresses are not shared with any third party and are used solely for the prize drawing.

To enroll in the research, visit http://www.amycham.com/health2007.html. Please note, all respondents must be at least 18 years old.

If at any time you have questions or concerns about this survey, please contact me, Amy Cham, by emailing me at acc68@cornell.edu.

If you know someone who may be interested in helping with this research, please pass them the link to this post.

Thank you very much for your help,

Amy

Survey: Marketing for Online Consumer Business

As you may or may not know, I am finishing off the final semester of my MBA at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. As part of my coursework, I am doing pro bono consulting work for a brand-new startup with a new web-based marketing tool.

My work for the client centers on a survey I am conducting to better understand how B2C businesses use existing marketing tools, how well these tools are working for them, and where there is room for improvement.

Everyone who takes the survey will have the choice to enter a drawing for one of two $100 gift certificates from a selection of online vendors, and will have the option of participating in a free one-month beta test of the client’s new service. Testers can receive up to four months’ total free service if they choose to participate in an extended beta. Both the drawing and the free service are completely optional, and there is no further obligation implied by participation in either the survey or the beta service.

The survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

The survey is here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=862633577249 .

If you are a blogger or webmaster, I am offering on-blog banner promotion of any sites that help to me get the word out about this survey. Additionally, the first four sites to send 12 respondents my way will receive a free copy of Seth Godin's new book, The Dip. Please email me if you would like to know more.

Online ads on the brain

This week is a mad week for me with two client surveys in the final pre-launch stage.  One of these clients is a startup with what I believe is an innovative approach to an economical, easy-to-use online marketing tool.  (To protect the integrity of the survey, I won't say who it is at this time.  I'm sure you'll hear more about them in the coming months.)

Anyway, focusing on this company has resulted in some interesting conversations about what's going on in the online advertising space, and coincides with the online buzz.  Three articles that got my attention this week:

CPC, CPA, or CPM: The Publisher's View (Clickz.com)

DoubleClick Explores a Sale (Wall Street Journal, requires subscription)

More on GoogleClick: It Will Be Free, And Partners Worry (John Battelle's Searchblog)

I haven't had the opportunity to do much with online advertising to date, but things are getting very interesting...

Online Press Releases

Lee Odden on TopRankBlog has a phenomenal post on using press releases online.

Not a whole lot I can add here, except to confirm that in my experience, press releases are one of the simplest and cost-effective marketing tools we can use--and yet they are rarely used well.  The typical press release is a blah announcement about a new customer or employee.  It doesn't get attention, and nobody is interested in publishing it.

An exciting press release, however, about something readers care about, with compelling wording and a call to action, and some incentive to take that action can be some of the best advertising money can't buy (short of envangelism by your delighted customers).

Enjoy!

Are you in business for yourself?

Seth Godin posts today about a bank manager who always takes the first spot closest to her front door.  Message to customers?  "I'm more important than you are."