Steve Cissel - CEO of 10-20 Media - Media

Editorial vs. Advertorial

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:29:01 GMT

Was talking to business partner a few months ago. The head of their editorial department told me that they could not link editorial up to our marketplaces because it would cross the historic line of editorial to advertorial.

Well yesterday came an email newsetter from this group:

The report states that clicks to relevant advertisers happens at a higher rate from content.

This means that the consumer is OK with the advertorial component when done tastefully.

Here are the details:

Favorable Response to Advertising
Type of Advertisement	% Saying Very or Somewhat Likely to Respond
Articles that include brand information	51%
Email offers	47%
Sponsored search engine links	39%
Banner ads	25%
Pop-up ads	13%
Source: Adfusion, March 2009

There is more:

Additional data included in the survey:

87% of survey respondents said they were not very likely or not at all likely to read and act upon pop-up ads
56% of households containing three or more people said they are very likely or somewhat likely to read and act upon articles that include brand information.
62% of households with 13 to 17 year-old children said they are very likely or somewhat likely to read and act upon articles that include brand information
52% of college graduates said they conduct Internet searches for products or services they read about in online articles either very frequently or somewhat frequently

Here is where you can find the whole story:

http://aranetonline.com/Docs/OnlineAdvertisingSurveyResults031609.pdf

Steve

Welcome aboard Washington Gardener Magazine

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:45:01 GMT

We've added another great local niche publisher to the 10-20 Media Network of publishers.

Washington Gardener magazine has been serving the DC, Virginia, Maryland and surrounding states for a while.

We are pleased to be a part of their new Internet publishing strategy.

Here is a link to their marketplace.

Welcome aboard.

Steve

Advertising with video works - especially with those who engage long videos

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:22:47 GMT

The study found that Engaged Viewers (viewers who watch more than an hour of online video a week) make up nearly 40% of all online video viewers and watch nearly 75% of all online video.

Are more likely to watch videos all the way through
Pay more attention to online video more than they do TV
Interact with and rate the videos they watch more frequently
Are twice as likely to recall in-video ads and post-rolls than non-Engaged Viewers
Agree more readily that advertising is fair and helps pay for their free experience
Consider banner ads and ads that come in between videos (mid-rolls) most effective

Here is the rest of the story:
http://www.veoh.com/static/corporate/press_releases/10_08_2008.html

Steve

10-20 Media, Inc. Summary

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:52:56 GMT

10-20 Media, Inc. is an Internet Publishing Company with specialized knowledge in Database Development and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). We have specialized knowledge in the green industry.

The 10-20 Media, Inc. mission is to be the authoritative aggregator of fragmented green industry data and utilize the Internet to deliver structured data to the trade and to consumers so that the industry may grow, and consumers may know, that we realize the full potential of the industry's environmentally beneficial and mentally stimulating products and services.

Internet Publishing Company - we publish several web sites serving the green industry

~ www.LawnandGardenSearch.com - a directory of Lawn and Garden consumer products and services

~ GardenViews - a blog network about lawn and garden topics for consumers and businesses

~ BrandMAX - a unique advertising that places brands in local search. Here is an example.

~ www.GreenIndustrySearch.com - a directory of Green Industry trade products and services

~ www.VirtualPlantTags.com - a searchable database of plants

Database Development

~ All of our web sites are database driven. That means that the pages are created on the fly by a computer.

~ Our databases are developed and published using the Microsoft platform.

Web Site Design – Our award winning web site design team has the creative knowledge to make your look good and deliver the message needed to develop relationships with customers.

Search Engine Marketing

~ We Search Engine Optimize (SEO) web sites using our graphic design department and our technical design department.

~ We act as a SEM agency on behalf our clients to give them visibility in the search engines. We are an authorized reseller of the Google Adwords™ program.

Specialized Knowledge of the Green Industry

Data Fragmentation - We have specialized knowledge in the green industry (lawn and garden). Our services aim to address a severe fragmentation issue found in the green industry. For example, each plant has a Latin name (Example; Acer rubrum 'Red Sunset'). The same plant has a common name (Example: Red Sunset Red Maple). Then the same plant has a trade name or patent name (Example: Franksred Maple). Fragmentation can be aggregated using computer databases by standardizing and structuring data.

Company Fragmentation - Companies in the green industry may have multiple profit centers under one roof. It is entirely possible that one company could do the following: Landscaping, Landscape Design, Landscape Construction, Nursery, Greenhouse, Garden Center, Lawn Maintenance and Arborist Services. Some might include paving and pool installation as part of their portfolio.

Missed Opportunities From Fragmentation - The Yellow Pages Association has 5,000+ categories that make up their Yellow Pages books. When a company advertises in the Yellow Pages, they have to select the categories that best define their company. The Lawn and Garden category (is not really a category in YPA data) is broken into 11 categories across 5,000. If you were to aggregate the 11 categories together and call them Lawn and Garden, Lawn and Garden would be the 7th most popular category with 296,000,000 (two hundred ninety six million) look-ups annually - ahead of the Automotive category. That is a huge number of eyeballs looking in just a few categories. Categories that are absent from YPA data are one's like Annuals, Perennials and Shrubs for starters. Then there's Hydroseeding, Lawn Renovation and Erosion Control too. Bottom line is the language of the industry is missing from the data structure.

10-20 Media, Inc. uses its industry knowledge to create and manage categories that truly represent the fabric of the green industry. This data is then stored in databases and blended smoothly into web sites that are user friendly and advertiser friendly.

Business Model

Our business model (revenue) is earned by advertising a company at the right time and the right place (when the Internet user asks for it). We do not charge a fee to those who want to use our site for information. There are no barriers to entry such as user names and passwords. Use our web sites all day long for FREE. Fees are paid by advertisers only.

We currently use a flat-fee subscription model on the trade web site and a performance-based model on the consumer web site.

Since 1998

We started this journey in 1998 as Green Industry Online, Inc. We then became Green Industry Yellow Pages, Inc. in 2001, and expanded into 10-20 Media, Inc. in 2007.

The changes we've made along the way (including our names) are many. However, the changes have been made with the sincere desire to provide products and services that are easy to use, affordable and effective.

Steve

Carbon Footprint - The Environmental Movement - Oxygen Footprint

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:22:23 GMT

As I reflect on 2007, I can’t help but notice a sound - a sound that is growing louder by the day.

The sound is the beating drum of environmental awareness. In the last week I have heard of plans at the University of Maryland to engage ‘sustainability’: turning the campus into an arboretum, working on the rooftops with plants, recycling etc.

Also, our allies at Maryland Cooperative Extension are proposing a Green Building at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman wrote a $250,000.00 dollar check to kick off Howard County’s support of this Green Building.

When completed, Stanton Gill and his team will have the “real deal” of an environmentally constructed facility. Here are some of the features (terms): a breeze funnel, rain collection, living roof, daylighting, earth sheltering, reflective paving, greenhouse, solar chimneys, bio-filtration, earth tubes, silo wind generator, wind blocks.

It is time for us, the green industry, the stewards of the environment, to join the beating drum with our instruments and make some music!

It is in this spirit that I offer a thought for your consideration: The excessive consumption of fossil fuels, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and its negative effect on the environment has all been boiled down to one phrase: Carbon Footprint.

I know you’ve heard it before. It is a “kitchen table” term.

Our green industry has an opportunity to be a lead instrument in the environmental ensemble. In my opinion, we need a simple message. The consumer is not going to understand what a “green building” is, and certainly isn’t going to understand the “terms” listed above. I don’t understand the terms above, but I know they’re a good thing.

How do we say: plants, purification of water and air, water usage efficiency, energy efficiency, recycled waste, efficient use of natural resources?

What phrase makes it simple and a kitchen table term?

I submit for your consideration: Oxygen Footprint.

Oxygen Footprint is the antidote to Carbon Footprint. Might we develop an Oxygen Footprint calculator? Architects currently do an energy consumption calculation on buildings. Ideally, an Oxygen Footprint calculation on a building should offset the Carbon Footprint, and the excess sustains life. The thought of consumers being aware of the Oxygen Footprint of their properties would be a good thing.

In an effort to spark discussion, I built a web site: http://www.oxygenfootprint.org/ - my desire is that our green industry takes ownership of this idea and leads it to an encore performance at the kitchen table.

May God bless you, your family, and our green industry.

Steve

Profile Pages Work When You Let Them

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:10:27 GMT

Brian Wool wrote an interesting article today at ClickZ.

It is titled: Is One Good Web Site Enough for a Local Business?

The thinking behind it is that there are many opportunites to list your business in different directories, and many have profile pages that showcase your business.

As a business person, you should make the profile page as robust as you can make them.

Here is a snippet from his article:

"I don't think these profile pages are meant to -- or can -- replace a well-built Web site. But for some business categories, where in-depth product details, services, or inventory are necessary, profile pages can help drive traffic."

Click here for the full article.

Steve

Brand Search is Category Driven - Store Locator's are not the only solution

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:41:20 GMT

So what in the world does Brand Search is Category Driven mean?

It means that consumers don't normally start their search on a search engine with a brand name, they usually start it with a generic category-like term. Here is an example using the travel industry.

Search 1: Vacation

Search 2: Caribbean (search completed some time after search 1)

Search 3: Carribbean Cruise (search completed some time after search 2)

Search 4: Carnival Cruise (the brand)(search completed some time after search 3)

Here are some real examples using categories and keywords from our green industry using a popular search engine.

Plants - is a top tier "generic" category keyword

Searches done in January 2007
Count	Search Term
126007	plant >
40227	robert plant >
26073	house plant >
23194	plant nursery >
21887	power plant >
15913	plant cell >
11455	medicinal plant >
9511	tropical plant >
8760	bamboo plant >
7813	indoor plant >

"Plant" got 126,007 searches and "Plant Nursery" got 23,194 searches. "Plant" wins.

Shrubs - Another category keyword, but would expect to fall under "Plants" in the scheme of things

Searches done in January 2007
Count	Search Term
10972	shrub service >
10789	shrub >
2508	tree and shrub >
1414	flowering shrub >
973	garden shrub >
871	evergreen shrub >
719	shrub roses >
695	tree and shrub field guide >
473	real estate shrub oak ny >
369	plant and shrub >

"Shrub(s)" got 10,789 searches. The numbers are getting smaller. "Flowering Shrub" even smaller.

KnockOut Roses - Here is the brand. Currently the most popular rose in the marketplace.

Searches done in January 2007
Count	Search Term
2203	knockout rose>
287	double knockout rose >
148	knockout roses pruning >
94	knockout roses care >
49	knockout rose bush >
40	knockout shrub rose >
36	knockout rainbow rose >
31	knockout roses wholesale >
29	pink knockout rose >
26	companion knockout planting rose >

"KnockOut Rose" scored a total of 2,203 searches at the same time "Plants" did 126,000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just for information purposes, here is the data on "Roses".

Searches done in January 2007
Count	Search Term
302248	roses>
190639	gun n roses >
53987	rose bowl >
41410	rose parade >
40435	red rose >
22122	sativa rose >
19256	black rose >
17718	rose mcgowan >
16285	picture of roses >
16230	rose tattoo >
15337	rose flower >

Man there are a lot of "Lover's" out there searching for a handful of roses. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE for a local garden center or nursery to buy the keyword "Roses" in the search engines. WAY too expense a keyword.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So here's my point.

If you are a brand, and you have a store locator. That is great. Keep doing it. There are those who will drill down far enough to find you. When they do, make sure your store locator is really good.

However.....

Don't rely soley on your store locator thinking it is THE answer. Invest in other web publications that move traffic through top tier keywords. They can drive traffic to the points at which your brand is sold, and in some instances, can introduce your brand.

Steve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, I understand this concept because our Lawn and Garden Search dot com site introduces brands at top tier category levels. We will be serving brands into the local businesses with the keyword "garden center" over 500,000 times this year. Not to blow my own horn here, but show me another web site that does that and I'll buy you a rose.

Horizontal vs Vertical Directories - What's the difference?

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:30:16 GMT

In the world of search, it is important to know the difference between (existence of?) horizontal and vertical directories, and how to utilize both in an effort to drive users (who don't know about you) to your web site.

Horizontal Directories:

Let's start with horizontal directories. These are the directories you're most familiar with. Traditional yellow pages (print and online) are in the horizontal format. They cover topics like: pizza, mufflers, doctors, lawyers, automotive, restaurants, plumbers etc. The horizontal directory covers a lot if different subjects, all arranged on a horizontal line so you can find them.

Here are some examples of horizontal directories:

Vertical Directories:

Vertical directories are not as widely known, but are increasingly popular and relevant. Vertical directories take a subject matter that lands on the horzontal directory line and drills deep into the knowledge base of the subject. It is within these vertical directory spaces that you may find your ideal customer. The horizontal diretories have traditionally been used when a service is needed. For example, if I have broken pipe, I need a plumber now, and would use a horizontal directory (or a vertical about plumbing) right away.

However, if I were researching an arthritic knee solution, finding an appropriate restaurant for a party, researching what kind of lawyer handles my need or planning a garden, a vertical directory woud be the place to start. You will find MUCH more information about the topic in the vertical space. The vertical will cover in depth information that the horizontal can't touch.

Here are some examples of vertical directories:

Health: WebMD.com

Dining: Restaurants.com

Lawyers: FindLaw.com

Lawn and Garden: Lawn and Garden Search

A Search Engine Marketing strategy should be inclusive of horizontal and relevant vertical directories in order to expose your business to the broadest audience. You will be pleasantly suprised by the traffic you get from a both areas.

Steve

Some time to catch up on some reading

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:52:07 GMT

Saturday morning. 6:30 am. Hot bagel and a cup of coffee.

Thumbing through the Sept/Oct issue of Green Profit Magazine. There's a lot of information about the OFA Short Course and Trade Show in this issue, and rightfully so. It was a great show and learning experience.

My friend Bill Calkins gives his farewell salute to us as he is moving up the chain of command at Ball Horticulture. Bill is taking on the position of Manager of Independent Garden Centers. If you are an independent garden center, keep an eye on Bill. He gets around and is very observant of things that can really work for garden centers. . . and he doesn't necessarily get his ideas from garden centers.

The Consumer Buzz Live event is covered pretty well. Kerry Herndon, a grower of Bromeliads and Orchids in Florida, wrote a column about the event and how the Internet was the underlying theme of the CBL event (p. 42). The panelists of 40 year olds said they wanted the garden centers to help them, get to know them, and maintain a relationship. They want to hear from the garden center every month about what they should be doing, whether it is with new things for gardening, or whether is has to do with the things they bought there.

These panelists also reenforced the data that says consumers go to the web to do research first, then go to the store to buy.

My friend Pete Bottomley wrote an article about how garden centers can succeed with customer seminars.

Bottom line take away this morning: We (consumer focused green industry businesses) need to do a better job of developing relationships with our customers, and find ways to establish the relationship that find them where they are.

Sun's up. Time to get moving.

Steve