How many "likes" do you have?
Are you bragging about it?
What does a "like" mean?

While all these optimization companies and consultants talk about likes and the power of facebook, a "like" merely means that someone saw your page or your ad and hit, "like" . That's IT.

What does a "like" NOT mean?

That someone actually has any clue what your business does.
That someone is in the market for what your business is selling.
That someone actually doesn't block you after the fact.
That someone will ever recommend your company.
That dollars will follow.
That they will see your status updates!

If the other "NOTS" didn't catch you by surprise, the last one sure did. Were you aware that estimates indicate that less then 20% of the people that "like" you actually will see your status update? This article indicates the number is only 12%, but I've seen others go as high as 18% (LINK)

This should make sense to you, when you spend the time to think through it -- slowly.

facebook is giving away a free service that, while very robust -- needs to make money, especially now that it is public. If you can gather millions of "likes" and communicate with them, why would you pay to advertise?

A couple of ideas of advertising would be to get more "likes" or to drive people to your website -- but aside from that, if you could communicate for free to 100% of all your "liked" people, the odds of you paying to advertise is limited.

Now comes a value proposition that is being worked out through a beta test. Through research of about 50 articles, the numbers vary as you would expect from a beta test.

First off, the parameters are based on how many likes you currently have. For instance, again keep in mind these numbers are just for example purposes, you have 100 "likes" and create a status update. That update will be sent to 100% of those people. But if you have 10,000 likes, that number is more closely related to 10-20% regardless of how many of those people block you from their newsfeed.

Example of a Beta

(LINK)

The concept of a "promoted" update is that you would pay an incremental amount of $5, $10, $25 to increase that percentage, but it never equals 100% and cannot get by newsfeed blocks. For the beta test, the "promote this" is right next to the submit button as an option.

Unlike promoted tweets that are on Twitter, this is a self-serve option that is reasonably priced based on the message, but must be considered an option along with other marketing efforts.

Congratulations on having so many people "like" your business - you have succeeded at getting so many people to click the like button. That's it. They clicked. It means nothing more or nothing less, except maybe bragging rights - if that matters to you.

PS> Although technically in Beta, facebook has a page in it's help section:
http://www.facebook.com/help/promote

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

GM - Super-less-Bowl

GM is at it again. A week after cutting the $12M budget for Facebook, they announce that they will not be advertising in the next Super Bowl. (LINK)

Confusion continues to the goal of marketing and branding efforts. Although this sounds like moves made by the newly hired advertising agency to test how "on board" GM is with the methodology.

GM seems to think that getting 7.5M views on YouTube for it's Silverado after the Super Bowl Commercial that ran in 2012, didn't increase brand awareness. At a cost of $3M, the residual branding efforts of those people and the ad's replay value had to not only increase test drives, but also social buzz beyond the 7.5M.

See the ad here:

What else would GM want?

Maybe they are looking to raise awareness of a new product. Oh, they did that successfully last year too. With the Chevy Sonic. What did GM get for this $3M?

The results were that Edmunds.com reported the Sonic was the #3 top searched vehicle on it's the site the days following the Super Bowl. Most would call that a successful product launch.

Assumptions are a risky business, but in this case, let's assume that GM wasn't happy with the bottom line impact of these ads and that's why they dropped Facebook and the Super Bowl.

Maybe -- following this assumption, GM is putting the money into developing products that people will be interested in purchasing instead of just looking at the commercials. Now that would make sense, but they will never come out and say it.

Although the Sonic ads created traffic, people didn't buy because it didn't compare well with other cars in the market. So the marketing drove them to Edmunds and their dealers, but ultimately, didn't bring out the checkbooks. That's not the marketing department's fault.

Or maybe it's a move by their newly hired marketing agency -- the same one that handles marketing for Snooki.

Branding is a marketing strategy that is important for many companies. On a small scale, branding can be in the form of good will of donations and partnering in local events and charities. On a larger scale, branding can be a Super Bowl advertisement, Billboards, and Social Media Campaigns. While Branding may have no immediate impact on the bottom line, it keeps the product or service in the conversation, allowing the "I heard about that" to come into a buyer's mind.

A tangible example is the cola wars that have been fought for decades. Coca-Cola and Pepsi fight it out through ads that help you make the decision on which to buy -- when your thirsty. But they aren't expecting you to hop in the car because you saw a polar bear drinking a Coke or Michael Jackson dancing on stage.

Branding has to be a consistent message where ROI is considered last. It is a constant - something that you can't turn off - and moves with the times, and in most cases, as with a lot of public companies is determined as a percentage of gross income.

Final disclaimer. There is a lot of advertising that requires ROI -- these are time sensitive and traceable. You know when customers make a purchase decision based on Advertising and it directly effects your bottom line. Don't confuse your budget "pie" when it comes to Advertising vs. Branding or else you may be losing a potential impression that you spent years developing.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

A recent report states that are close to 4000 different hardware devices using the Android operating system. (link)

Another report says that Android now has 59% of the mobile market. (link)

Android, which started from a company that Google purchased many years ago, has become an operating system similar to Windows in it's diversity, it's complexity and it's fragmentation. But is there something wrong with this strategy.

Microsoft started it's phone strategy by charging a licensing fee to manufacturers as their way to make money off the operating system. If their product was superior, that may have continued. But today, Microsoft makes more money in the phone business from licensing agreements for patents in the mobile space paid by those manufacturers using ANDROID, then they do from their own operating platform. Of course, at this point - Microsoft's mobile strategy is lacking any vision other then stepping on itself with no revenue model insight.

Google is said to make $2B a year off the advertisements in Google Mobile Search. This number will increase over time as more people use mobile as a source of information with Google the embedded resource.

While Keeping it Simple Stupid is a good methodology for most businesses, Google has succeed where others would normally fail. Not without their own missteps across the way that challenge the original "Don't Be Evil" motto (which was a slam on Microsoft), Google has been a success at constantly innovating and tweaking. It's the hardware companies that have made this complex.

Compare phones to desktop computers. Bring your own hardware to the party and load a Windows Operating System. Did you know the there are still over 50% of uses on Windows XP that is over 10 years old? The desktop computer is as fragmented as the Android mobile space.

So, how can we relate all this information and the KISS principle to daily business?

The media, and in our lives, our peers often focus on the perceived negative -- when in reality, that negative may be a positive.

Fragmentation is a word often thrown around by developers and the like regarding Android. It's true. With almost 4000 devices all with different hardware specs, resolution, etc. it makes it hard for developers to create apps and websites that work across all devices - REGARDLESS of operating system. But where does the blame fall when something goes wrong... App Developer? Hardware? Google?

Most often when an app fails people blame the app. At other times, they feel the need to upgrade due to hardware. And sometimes people upgrade to get the latest operating system.

What professionals need to do is cut through the clutter and determine if what the perception of reality is -- is truly the reality -- and work with that truth. Move past the clutter and static, focusing on what is truly important for your situation and your success.

While KISS is a great principle that can be applied to many circumstances, it is sometimes the circumstance that provides the principle as opposed to the other way around. Think slow, assess from arms length, leave emotion at the door -- and determine the best path for the end result you desire.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

GM recently pulled its $12M advertising campaign from Facebook because it was not effective.
LINK

My question -- effective at what?

Let's give the multi-billion dollar company (GM, not Facebook) the benefit of the doubt and say that they may be pulling back the reigns in order to reassess the situation and goals of their campaigns, despite public reports to the contrary.

And then let's look at the reason why they were misinformed to begin with. Branding vs. Advertising and their respective goals.

My definitions - (may not be textbook)

Branding - this involves "getting your name out there" so when you are in the mind of the consumer when they make a purchase. Examples of this are billboards, events, charity and FACEBOOK.

Advertising - this involves the actual end result of a purchase that is attached to a particular effort

Branding takes a long time to build-up and a short time to fall. That's why it's easier for an existing brand to launch a new product and a new brand, even with a better product has a steeper climb to the same point.

Each level of branding has a different impact and results should be measured differently as well.

A recent discussion about a business that was paying over $5000/month for billboards and swore by that business model, took down the billboards for a test -- and their sales did not drop. The following month, they put that money towards direct advertising and saw an increase in sales -- actual ROI.

Over time, the assumption is that the branding from the billboards does impact business, especially in a crowded market with a lot of advertisers. But the goals should be different. ROI should not be counted when it comes to branding.

Advertising on the other hand has a direct impact on sales. Send out x number of emails, postcards, etc. and expect a certain response and a certain dollar return. It's tangible, quantitative and often times repeatable.

Advertising has a cause and effect that is on a much shorter time-frame. Send out a coupon, people use it within 45 days or never will.

So where did GM go wrong (assuming they did)?

They wanted to Facebook advertising to lead to car sales. For a brand as big as GM, the goal should have been BRANDING of their models, features, pricing, etc. and leaving it up to the local dealers to spend their money and determine their tangible ROI which would be much higher based on hyper-local advertising and call to actions that Facebook advertising could create.

While the $12M advertising spend is a minimal amount to GM, the negative impact on Facebook leading up to their IPO has been large with people raising lots of questions about their long-term prospects as an advertising medium. But that's another story. (LINK)

When considering your overall marketing, a certain amount of money must be spent in both Branding and Advertising -- and your goals must be relative to the expectations and definitions of each.

Got questions? Ask away... it's not all about ROI.

UPDATE: GM says that it spends $30M on Marketing and $10M on Advertising on Facebook. It is pulling the $10M but says it is re-evaluating and believes in social marketing.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

Choosing the Right Screen: Part 2 in the Series

Whether it's a new dealership, adding screens or finally updating that tube TV -- the choices of TV's in the market place is large and the same size TV can range in price by as much as tenfold. The only way to determine which TV is best for you is to narrow down the choices and then look at your budget.

When considering a screen for a professional environment, it will help to understand the definitions starting with quality then types then features of TV's on the market today.

TERMS

Burn In - Burn in refers the lines and images in the TV that stay behind even when the image on the screen has changed. This occurs when the same image is shown repeatedly or in the case of digital signage -- the same images, borders, backgrounds on the screen at the same time.

Megahertz (MHz) - This is a measurement of bandwidth for digital video signals. In other words, how fast the television processes images. The higher the number, the less chance of motion blur or ghosting around images.

Tuner - Tuners allow for changing the channel directly on the television. This is only used with cable systems when the COAX is connected directly to the television. Otherwise, when a cable /satellite box is used, a tuner is not necessary because the box acts as the tuner.

QUALITY

Consumer TV - these TV's can be found at the local Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc. In general, consumer TV's are meant to be used for no more then four hours a day. Usage more then that suggested time will reduce the longevity of the picture quality. Due to restrictions in useage, Consumer TV's are more susceptible to burn-in. All Consumer TV's have built-in tuners and often put a greater emphasis on aesthetics then Commercial Displays. Consumer TV's can have options such as web-applications, 3D, and multiples of select inputs. Warranties usually indicate consumer use and are range up to one year.

Commercial / Professional TV's - designed from the beginning to be in use all day every day, commercial televisions have high quality screens and internal components (power / fans). Most commercial tv's come with a long-term warranty on the complete system that can be up to three years in some situations. Commercial TV's offer a variety of inputs and are versatile to be used in multiple configurations and environments. While not as feature rich as consumer TV's most of the newer systems produce comparable images to their consumer siblings.

TYPES OF MONITORS

Plasma - Often referred to as the base point for color reproduction, Plasma TV's offer the brightest of colors while producing the deepest of blacks across the entire TV. High Energy Consumption, High Cost, Higher Weight then comparable sized types of TV's are common negatives when referring to plasmas. In addition, plasma TV's cannot be mounted or stored vertically. All Plasmas are 600MHz

LCD - Lighter weight and a energy efficient alternative to Plasmas, LCD's are easier to produce and hence less expensive as well. Available in 60MHz, 120MHz, 240MHz.

LED - the newest innovation is using LED (Light Emitting Diodes) to create a vibrant pictures, with large viewing angles while keeping the frame and bezel down to a minimum. LED TV's can be as narrow as 1/4" with negligible bezel providing seemingly edge to edge picture. LED's provide a balance between the weight, energy efficiency, color reproduction, and costs of LCD's and Plasmas.

RESOLUTIONS

720P - This standard high-definition resolution is the quality of dvd players and most digital systems including some cable companies, Verizon FIOS and older versions of DishTV and DirectTV. Requires Component or HDMI Connections.

1080P - The highest resolution available today for live broadcast and pre-recorded programming. Blu-ray players, some cable companies, and the newer versions of DishTV and DirectTV Satellite boxes will push the highest resolution when quality is available. Requires HDMI Connection.

FEATURES

Web Apps - mainly on consumer TV's applications extend the basic functions of the television to allow web access, facebook, twitter, movie streaming services and much more.

3D - visible through glasses (some new systems claim glasses aren't needed) producing an illusion of three dimensional imagery from certain sources and converting standard television.

WHICH SYSTEM IS RIGHT

A question often asked without a direct answer.

Today's commercial displays offer a high-quality experience that is guaranteed for up to three years -- but at a cost of about 50% more then a consumer television. If a 50"+ television is needed for your application, ie. lounge, then the cost of the commercial grade television will be twice the consumer television.

In practice, when we recommend televisions for our customers or offer our white-glove service, the priority is on budget and longevity -- a balance. In the lounge, most dealerships will opt for a larger display that provides an experience similar to a customer's home. 50"+ is the norm and for the cost, it is best to go with a consumer television. If you need to replace it in a year because of degradation of picture quality, most owners understand that expense. These TV's can be any style from Plasma, LCD or LCD.

When providing a television for a vertical installation, such as a service menu -- we highly recommend a commercial monitor as the content on the screen is limited to 10-20 images that repeat. These commercial displays have warranties to perform the same for up to three years at 24/7 service. In addition, many are located in the service bay where temperatures can vary greatly. Plasma screens cannot be mounted vertically!

For those customers that are looking for a multiple monitor configuration, ie. Service Bay, Sales Offices, Showroom Floor -- cost is the biggest challenge. While commercial screens would be best, when installing three-eight screens, that cost of 50% more per screen adds up. For instance, if you were to install 6 screens across sales offices, you may be able to get 42" screens for $600 ($3600) whereas commercial grade screens would cost at least $900 ($5400). While the longetivty of the commercial screens is documented, the up front costs may be harder to rationalize in this situation.

The final factor -- aesthetics. I recently had this conversation with a client who was buying 10 TVs. They understood all the parameters and determined that the thinnest, brightest televisions were the "best" for him and his situation. Replacing or fixing in half the time wasn't as important as the "cool factor" of a lightest, thinnest TV with the smallest bezel. The idea was that he wanted people to be "WOWED" by the entire experience of Digital Signs, including the TV.

In general, there is no reason to spend extra money for web features or 3D for digital signage solutions. The difference between 720 to 1080 will depend on your preference and the TV signal that is coming through the system. Overall, the choice of TV's a personal one balancing your business requirements, budget and aesthetics.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

Inputs and Resolutions

With so many options to connect your media source to your television, it can be challenging to determine the right choice and filter the clutter and sales pitches that may be thrown your way. In this entry we will address inputs and resolutions because no matter what we have heard or how hard we try, we cannot get all resolutions through every connection option. First - some simple laymen definitions:

• Source - computer, cable box, dvd player -- anything that has content that you want to connect to your TV
• TV / Monitor - for our purposes we will use the term TV. Monitors and PC's have converged recently with similar inputs but different underlying technology. For this reason, I will list the maximum input on TV's -- as monitors can offer different resolutions
• Cables - the brand of cable used does not change the quality of the signal over short distances. Over longer distances, there is some degradation that may or may not be noticed or measured without the proper tools.

Standard connection options:

• Coaxial - this is the standard cable cord that has been used for years that is usually a thick white or black cord with two female ends. This cable carries both sound and video.
• Composite - this cable is made up of three individual cables usually colored red, white and yellow whereas the red and white are left and right for stereo audio and yellow is for video. Even though their are three cables, they are all actually identical, just color coordinated to make connections easier. Both ends of these cables are male.
• S-Video - by providing slightly more information then composite cables, this video-only male cable is often seen as an upgrade to standard composite cable. Utilizing this cable still requires additional sound cables.
• Component Video - the three cables must be used in series with all connections being accurate from the source to the TV splitting the signal across red, yellow and blue signifying one brightness and two color controls. Utilizing this cable set can only carry video and additional wiring is needed for audio.
• HDMI - the standard in the digital era providing both sound and video through a single cable with two male ends. This cable supports two way communication between the TV and Source which can be used in a variety of ways including DRM (digital rights management) and Resolution Matching.

Resolutions and More

	Coaxial This standard cable, sometimes noted as RF or ANT on the TV provides for simple installation and throughput of both video and sound. Signal type: analog Maximum resolution: about 350i
	Composite This is the most common connector found on most TV's dating back 25 years. This cable now comes with most sources such as dvd players. Signal type: analog Maximum resolution: 480i
	S-Video This 4-Pin Connection provides a sharp picture by splitting the color and brightness of the video signal proportionally, reducing interference. Signal type: analog Maximum resolution: 480i
	Component High-Definition video is a good alternative when HDMI is not available. Although analog, it delivers an accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding then S-Video. Max Resolution: 1080P Signal Type: analog
	HDMI Both high-definition video and high-resolution multi-channel audio. It offers the highest picture and sound quality available and is your only option for 3D TV. Max Resolution: 1080P Signal Type: digital

Based on the independent setup of your system, there is a proper cable for you. Ultimately, the cable can only show the highest resolution from the source. Cables aren't miracle workers -- and the connection is most important. Regardless of the cable, if the connector is broken or lose, all the information will not be passed through and the image / sound will suffer.  

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com

Tiger vs. Phil - Which are you?

Life is full of ups and downs -- frustrations and anxiety -- and the car dealership business, as well as our personal lives are no different.

This past week we found an example of two brilliant extremes of how to handle one's business and how it reflects life.

Tiger Woods - for some reason still deemed the World's Greatest Golfer by some - imploded and wound up having one of the highest rounds of golf during a major. During his challenges, Tiger yelled, kicked and cursed on one of golf's most cherished of courses - Augusta National (The Masters).

When things didn't go his way, Tiger kicked his club, verbally assaulted the air, the ball, and anything else around -- but himself. At the end, he seemed forced to apologize for the same actions that just a year ago he said he would curb.

That year -- after he was "caught" in a landslide of personal drama that not only broke his will to play, but his relationship and wallet. It seems that some people play by their own rules until they are caught and then play the mea culpa game that we all want to believe, only to repeat again.

Can you relate?
What would your co-workers say about you?
Do you often blow up and blame everyone but yourself?
Or maybe you are too naive to think there could be anything wrong! Sound familiar?

Phil Mickelson - when things get down, he lifts his head high and keeps swinging through. Several years ago his beautiful wife Amy was diagnosed with Cancer and what does Phil do? He quits the game he loves and provides for his family to spend time with her -- brings awareness through PSA's and encourages others to find strength through his families struggles.

And when he returns to the tour, he is greeted with embraces from players to fans to sponsors.

When things on the golf course don't go his way, he is guided by a different light that says it's going going to be ok. This is just another challenge we will get through. He says -- "What can I do better?" There is no blame, there is no "so close" -- it's just about reality.

Phil and Amy are respected in the world as not just a great athletic family, but a family of values and morals that guide their every action.

Can you relate?
What would your co-workers say about you?
Do you try to understand before pointing fingers?
We are not defined by our struggles, but how we handle them?

Tiger vs. Phil -- in my eyes it's no competition. Phil would give up everything if it meant spending more time with his family. Tiger did give up everything because he spent time with everyone other then his family.

Maybe after work tonight -- for those who are in relationships -- instead of going out with the boys for Happy Hour or working late, bring some flowers home and be the best person you can be for your family, loved ones, and lead a complete life.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com