Welcome to English 202

Welcome to English 202.

Various individuals have given English 202 different names. The school calls it advanced exposition. I call it business writing. I should rename it "Reading and Thinking."  The name probably sounds odd or too elemental. Not so. Most individuals do too little of both--in the world of school and the world of business. As you will hear me say, probably more than once, "We think we think more than we think."

To perform at an average level in this class, you will need to read all the assignments and more about Internet marketing.You will read to have information that your imaginations will re-formulate into unique concepts. When you do that, writing becomes easier, and you will hold the attention of a reader--a person with blood in his/her veins, who gets bored, who wants information, who does not give a darn about you or me because in the end reading is an egocentric act.

To achieve above-average work, you must think--not merely parrot (repeat) the ideas you will have read and those you hear about in class. In other words, you must learn how to integrate new ideas with old ones in order to create a different perspective for the reader. Otherwise you are wasting the reader's time.

When you write to another individual, you ask him/her to surrender her time to read your ideas. Why should the reader trouble herself with your ideas? Are you offering the reader [teacher, classmate, business associate] a "new" way of seeing a problem? Are you proposing a concept that will make the reader's life easier? Are you advancing knowledge--whether the subject is particle physics or the latest cosmetic disaster for a pop diva? Are you offering your ideas clearly and logically--based on standard American English? In other words, the average reader (not your friends reading a tweet) wants to know what she is getting out of reading your work.

You,therefore, earn a reader's respect by offering her a new perspective or new idea in a format that makes it easier for the reader (not the writer) to understand. If you cannot achieve that, you fail--in business and in this classroom.

How do you come up with new ideas or perspectives? Reading. And you do not merely repeat what you have read. In that case, you only rehash information that a reader already could access. You read to pick up facts and ideas from experts in the field. You then take that information and integrate it into how you think. Eventually an original idea or perspective (original for you) will come out.

For this class, you will need a computer with Internet access. Use your own, a friend's, or one of the many in the school's library. Will I tolerate the excuse my computer crashed and I lost all my work. No. Save your material on a thumb drive, portable hard drive, or to a storage system on the Internet, such as Google's G-Drive (it's free if you have a Google account, which is also free).  and a office suite product. Use your own, a friend's, or one of many in the school's library.


You will need an office suite, such as Microsoft Office. (Microsoft Works will not work in this class.) You can get free office suites: OpenOffice, Libre Office, and IBM's Symphony. I use OpenOffice and Libre Office. They are excellent products that are compatible with Microsoft Office. The three have word processors (like Word), presentation software (like PowerPoint), and spreadsheet software (like Excel). OpenOffice and Libre Office also have graphics and data base management software. All three products have been around for more than a decade. They are reliable. If you have a broadband Internet connection, downloading will take about three minutes and installation about 20. OpenOffice and Libre Office work on PCs and Macs.

You will not need to buy a text. I provide you your reading material through links on the syllabus. You can access the syllabus from the class web page: http://www1bpt.bridgeport.edu/~jconlin/. Here are the links that you need for now.

Syllabus: <http://www.bridgeport.edu/~jconlin/Fall2012English202.pdf>
Course Description: <http://www1bpt.bridgeport.edu/~jconlin/CourseDescription.pdf>
Class Webpage: <http://www1bpt.bridgeport.edu/~jconlin/>
Class Blog: <http://dana238.blogspot.com/>

Start the semester right. Read the syllabus.

Finally, you will use APA citation formats for everything that you write this semester. Most students already have learned, and maybe mastered MLA. APA is not that different. Scroll down two posts and you will find the format for APA. Why am I making you use APA? Because UB's Business School has designated APA as its citation method of choice and the citation method that its MBA students must use. You can see examples of APA citation (intext and works cited listing) in the previous two posts.

See you tomorrow.

Facebook Releases Sponsored Search Results

"Facebook has fully rolled out sponsored search results, which allow marketers to target users searching for content or pages within their industry on the social network. As with other sponsored search efforts, companies can pay for placement atop suggested search results within Facebook to drive traffic to their brand Pages on the social network" (Facebook rolls, 2012)

"Facebook rolls out sponsored search results for marketers (2012, Aug. 24). Brafton.com. Retrieved from: <http://www.brafton.com/news/facebook-rolls-out-sponsored-search-results-for-marketers>.

Consumers Behave Differently on Social Web Sites

"The social-media world is often criticized for introducing new metrics [a way of measuring the demographics of a media] to marketers who want to better understand the social space and the effects it can have on a product or service. Why introduce new metrics, skeptics say, when the data landscape is already complex and confusing? Do we really need this, given the tried and true metrics of digital-media buying in use for the past decade? Let's take a step back. What is a metric? It's a standard of measurement. In advertising it is designed to define a specific type of consumer behavior, be it attention-centric (clicks, impressions, etc.) or more direct response-oriented (sales, conversions, etc.).There would be no use for new metrics if consumers on social platforms behaved as they do when on any other website. But consumers do behave differently when using social platforms and there are some key reasons why" (Sethi, 2012)

Sethi, Nikhil (2012, Aug. 22). "Do we need new metrics for social media. Yes, and here's why." AdAge.com. Retrieved from: <http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/metrics-social/236810/>

Different Industries Have Different Success with Facebook

"Facebook advertising-solutions company AdParlor analyzed the CPC and clickthrough rates on Facebook for more than 1,000 ad campaigns purchased through the company between September 1, 2011, and February 27, 2012," according to eMarketer. "The analysis found that some industries see more interest from consumers on Facebook than others. Industries typically perceived as more exciting saw a higher average daily CTR, with ads for movies and entertainment performing nearly five times as well as those for banking services." Read more. You might find that the data in the charts helpful when writing about a company.

Top 50 Users of YouTube Channels

"Socialbakers, a social media statistics portal, has decided to create a monthly infographic showing the top brands in the space," reports Marketing Pilgrim, thereby providing a source of companies for your long reports. "We’re bringing you this information, because we feel there’s always something to be learned from those at the top of the heap. Also, because we like infographics. ...First, let’s look at the Top 10 YouTube Brand Channels based on views. A deodorant for men tops the list with a drink aimed at adventurous men right below it. You have the game oriented EA and Playstation. Nikefootball and Volkswagen are also decidedly male. (Noticing a trend here?)" Read more. You should also go to the Socialbakers website found with the link above.

Top 50 Brand Marketers

"As marketers pursue their own content marketing strategies, they'll need a roadmap of the content marketing landscape, a guide to the precedents set by the pioneers. For that reason, we've compiled this list, 'Top Brands in Content Marketing in 2012,'" according to ClickZ. "We conducted a study analyzing top content marketing operations, evaluating them through qualitative and quantitative measures of their websites, content, and search and social efforts. Our lead findings are presented in the following slideshow." Read more for possible sources for your long report.

Consumers Recommend Brands

"Zuberance recently reported that the web has provided multiple channels for consumers to influence their friends, colleagues and others in terms of purchase decisions. The study suggests that social media marketing and website content can help businesses appeal to these brand advocates," according to Brafton News. "According to Zuberance, 38 percent of web users have recommended between five and nine brands to their friends and other web contacts. All of the users studied advocated at least one company, and 30 percent recommended between one and four businesses or other organizations." Read more.

B2B Customers Engage with Content Marketing

"A study from the DemandGen Report suggests that B2B companies can target new prospects with engaging and relevant content. At times, it can be difficult for companies to create this content effectively; however recent data demonstrates custom content marketing is quickly becoming a competitive necessity," according to Brafton News post. "DemandGen found that 90 percent of purchase decisions by B2B buyers begin with exposure to content marketing material. These professionals are bombarded with promotional information constantly. Creating original content that demonstrates the value of a product or service can be as compelling as any sales pitch." Read more.

Unilever Courts the Latino Market

"Unilever's Vivemejor, launched in May 2007 as a website and magazine for Latinos, has since expanded its presence to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter," goes a ClickZ post. "In an email interview, Russel Lilly, Unilever multicultural marketing director, discussed the consumer packaged goods brand's approach to connecting with a community." Read more.

Track Your Bud

"Budweiser has introduced a digital campaign called "Track Your Bud." It urges consumers to trace the origins of the beer they hold in their hands to one of Budweiser's 12 U.S. breweries, via a QR Code," reports Marketing Vox. "Consumers use their smartphone to scan the QR code on Budweiser packaging and download the free "Track Your Bud" app. Or they can visit TrackYourBud.com." Read more.

Prez Spent $10 Million Online Already

"Online ad spending by President Obama's reelection campaign has reached over $8 million." So goes the ClickZ post. "When combined with web ad spending by the Democratic National Committee, the number tops the $10 million mark. By the end of January, GOP presidential candidates and the Republican National Committee together had spent just half that amount." Read more.

Hyundai Brands with the Oscars

"Hyundai was one brand determined to make the most of its Oscar airtime this year, and it certainly delivered," says ClickZ. "As the official automotive sponsor of the broadcast, it ran several new TV spots, but the two most notable were directed by past Academy Award nominee Wes Anderson to showcase the new Hyundai 2012 Azera. One of the clips was an amusing montage referencing several famed Hollywood films, while the other highlighted the car's comfortable (and "quiet") interior." Read more.

Ciroc Vodka Tweets Its Super Bowl Ads

"If it doesn't run on TV, can it still be considered a Super Bowl commercial? That's the question that Ciroc, the vodka from hip hop impresario Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, set out to answer last month," reports ClickZ. "Working with its in-house ad agency, Blue Flame, Ciroc created a series of 15-second videos featuring Combs doing things you wouldn't expect of him, like bull fighting and curling. One of the ads showed Combs dancing salsa – a nod to the salsa dance that Victor Cruz, wide receiver for the New York Giants, performs every time he scores a touchdown.
When Cruz scored his first touchdown in the Super Bowl, Ciroc and Combs leapt into action: They tweeted the salsa ad and dedicated it to Cruz." Read more.

Annoying Customers?

Could Internet marketing, especially on mobile phones, annoy potential customers? Yes--if email tells the tale. According to Brafton News, "Email marketing campaigns that are either unsolicited or contain generalized content are unlikely to garner clickthroughs and potential conversions, according to a survey conducted by AYTM Market Research. More than 90 percent of consumers said they receive email messages that are not at all relevant to them. Just 6.3 percent of respondents said they have never received a message they did not sign up for. While some of these respondents said they enjoy the occasional unsolicited messages, 69.9 percent never open or act upon any of the information in the message. That said, email marketing campaigns are effective at appealing to users when they feel they have control over receiving them. More than 44 percent said they enroll in email campaigns for "a few" companies, 26.5 percent said they do for "some" companies and 9.8 percent do so for several organizations."Read more.

Are Marketers Using Social Networks Effectively?

"A report from A.T. Kearney found that more than 90 percent of businesses using social media marketing do no actively respond to communicate with their customers, despite evidence that active engagement helps businesses improve sales." Read more at Brafton News.

Airlines Use Social Media to Arrange Seating

"If you can use a social network to find a life partner, why not a flight partner?" That's the question asked by Marketing Pilgrim. "A new article in the New York Times talks about how some airlines are using social media to help frequent fliers find more compatible seatmates. KLM’s Meet and Seat program uses Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to help match up fliers on the same flights. The application allows you to choose which bits of information you want to share. It then displays the profiles of the other passengers and their seat assignments. Pick your preferred mate, then wait and see if he accepts you." Read more.

National Marketer Loses Control of Its Twitter Marketing Campaign

"National brands should try to remember that social network campaigns take away their ability to control the message," warns Direct Marketing News. "McDonald's learned this lesson the hard way in early February with its Twitter campaign that emphasized and promoted the company's policy of buying fresh produce from farmers. Two hashtags were used: #MeetTheFarmers and #McDStories. As it turned out, the #McDStories hashtag became quite popular, with Twitter users employing the hashtag to tell stories of alleged food poisoning, heroin use, obesity and a 'sensory experience of inhaling deeply from a freshly opened can of dog food.'” Read more.

Financial Institutions Not Using Social Networks

"Despite the need to connect with consumers across multiple channels, financial services institutions still don't view social media as an effective direct marketing channel. Industry experts agree that the disastrous economic crisis has made it vital for financial services marketers to rally consumers with engaging and relevant communications across channels, and marketers in this space can no longer lazily send credit card offers and perks through direct mail to generate consumer interest," according to Direct Marketing News. "To be effective, marketers must manage their brands' reputations and find consumers across digital channels. In spite of the multichannel sentiment, none of the marketers with whom Direct Marketing News spoke found it necessary to send direct response offers to consumers on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter." Read more.

Smoothie King Gets Customers to Lose Weight

"Smoothie King launched an initiative in January geared towards promoting better health and helping its customers stick to their New Year weight loss resolutions," reports Direct Marketing News. "Visitors are encouraged to share their weight loss stories and upload before-and-after photos for the opportunity to win free smoothies and gift cards. People are also asked to share weight loss struggles for the chance to receive a free month of personal training and new workout gear. Everyone who submitted a struggle story received a free weight-burning Lean1 Smoothie." Read more.

Ad Age Analyzes Facebook's New Ad Page

"Facebook re-launched its advertising platform ...and made it crystal clear that your [marketers'] Facebook Page will be the centerpiece of your [marketers, not consumers such as you] paid, owned and earned strategies going forward," according to an Advertising Age post.

"The highlights of the announcements from the company's first-ever Facebook Marketing Conference include:

• Via Facebook's new "Reach Generator" product, brands now have the option to pay Facebook for guaranteed News Feed distribution to up to 75% of all their fans.
• Several new exciting new ad units were launched, where the content you post on your Page is the ad unit. There is more creating separate ad copy on Facebook.
• All brand Facebook Pages will get Timeline, just like personal pages."

Read more.