‘Sphere Tidbits

Time for another quick look through the ‘sphere.  Here are some tidbits I am watching.

Neiman-Marcus Pseudo-Blog

Thanks to Kevin Hillstrom at MineThatData for highlighting this fashion development!  Neiman-Marcus is helping its customers experience Fashion Week in New York.  As Kevin points out, most of us will never attend an event such as this.  However, through this pseudo-blog, customers can look through Ken Downing’s eyes and catch a glimpse of the excitement.  This is great lifestyle marketing, playing off the feel of a blog.  I say the feel of a blog as we can read Ken’s posts, but we can’t comment; plus, it is in the middle of the Neiman-Marcus website.  I like what Kevin says here:

Downing is channeling Fashion Week to loyal customers, who will spend more than a thousand dollars in a heartbeat based on Ken’s writing.To heck with the ROI of blogging, the IT infrastructure needed to do this, the public relations nightmares that can occur. In fact, to heck with blogging. Why not simply romance your customers for once?

I completely agree with you, Kevin. 

San Diego Zoo Blog

Our family recently became members of the San Diego Zoo, one of the world’s best zoos!  As a member, I have been receiving a monthly email newsletter, and this month, I noticed the zoo has a blog!  No, it is not written by a bunch of monkeys, nor is it written by marketing.  It is written by the people working with the animals.  Animal lovers get a great perspective on not only the behind-the-scenes view of the zoo, but they also get to see what other zookeepers are doing around the world through the comments.  I also like that the categories are by animal, so it is easy to look in on those critters you like the most.  Plus it is written for those who are new to blogs, as it suggests you click on a category to narrow the blog to your interests.  This blog is a great way to pull zoo members into the life of the zoo and its inhabitants, a key for getting members to care enough to renew their memberships.  Where there is interest, there is engagement.

Blog Buzz

Ron McDaniel over at Buzzoodle put together some excellent ideas for buzz marketing in his book.  Ben Yoskovitz over at Instigator Blog started something by taking a buzz marketing challenge project to work through those ideas in only a few weeks’ time (check in with his blog to see how he is doing on it).  Then my friend Jordan Behan at TellTenFriends took up the challenge, and I have decided to join him.  

I am attaching the list of activities, and I will be updating it as I work my way through it.   When it is crossed off, I have done it, and I will let you know what I did.  I don’t plan to do them all in a few weeks as Ben did, but I will do one per day and see how far I can get!  As Jordan states, most of these activities are just good ‘ole conversation starting and web marketing.  Since my blog is still pretty new, I am hoping it will help me build on the momentum started with Mack Collier’s Z-list!  Let me know if you want to join us in building buzz.

1. Email an Old Friend or Acquaintance
2. Contact a Stale Connection
3. Email Extended Family
4. Call Someone You Have Never Talked To
5. Congratulations Call or Note
6. Send a Surprise Letter
7. Any Day Card
8. Mail a News Clipping
9. Social Networking
10. Online Directory
11. Squidoo Expert Lens
12. Tag Your Website or Blog (daily!)
13. Blog/Message Board Comment (I try and do this daily, too)
14. Join/Participate in an Online Group
15. Talk to a New Person in Person
16. Contact a Reporter or Writer
17. Contact an Old Employer/Employee
18. Customer Follow-up
19. Call/Email a Person You Respect
20. Mini Announcements
21. Digg Your Site
22. Flickr Fun
23. Personal Success Email List
24. Did You Know? – Trivia
25. Instant Messaging
26. Text Messaging
27. Email a Useful Link to Someone
28. Testimonials
29. Celebrate Success
30. Write a Blog 
31. Have a “Get To Know You” Meal
32. Host a Dinner Party  (for my husband’s team from work)
33. Arrange a Networking Lunch
34. Publish an Article  (submitted for publication later this month)
35. Meet More Neighbors
36. Send a Press Release
37. Give a Speech
38. Volunteer  (helped at a Salvation Army shelter)
39. Online Interview/Podcast
40. Conduct a Survey
41. Local Government Involvement
42. Open House
43. Interview a Leader
44. YouTube.com
45. Meet Business Neighbors
46. eNewsletter or Newsletter