Did you know that March 14th is "Pi Day"

Think about it ...

• March the 14th is the 3rd month and 14th day (3.14)
• Pi is that mythical number associated with circles 3.14159265 ... (typically referred to simply as 3.14).

March 14th also just happens to be Einstein's birthday (coincidence ... I think not!).
Apparently the big celebration is officially at 1:59 in the afternoon. Shouldn't it be 1:59 in the morning on March 14th? That might be better, then the party could start on the 13th!

Why is this interesting to the average web marketer? Well - take a look at Google's heat meter on the hot-ness of queries for "Pi Facts". It's on fire!
(That's as of about 1opm mountain time on March 12th, 2009. There are still 2 days to go.)

And, that's not the only "pi" term that is burning up the Google rankings:

• "Pi Facts" are currently#7
• "Pi Jokes" are #13
• "Pi Digits" are #15
  
• "Pi Poems" are #16
• "History of Pi" is #19
• ... and so on!

Google "Pi Facts", and the rest of those terms. You'll find that virtually no one is bidding on those terms. I'd buy them up over the next 2 days if I sold:

• PCs
• Pies
• Educational Supplies (like those giant wooden compasses they used when I was in Grade 6 ... do they still use those?)
  
• Party Supplies
• ... I'm sure there are more great ideas!

Sticking with the concept, I wonder what other "trivial" days there are out there that would be a fun opportunity to win with relevant and cheap search engine marketing?

(Here's a link in case you want more information about Pi Day.)

Will the web kill TV advertising?

There is an enormous trend of people sitting in front of their TV and surfing the web at the same time. What happens when people do that? Well, they tune out the TV and tune into the web. So, if you're TV ad is running at that time, is it irrelevant?

• Yes it is.
  
• No it isn't. Your TV ad is a huge lever to getting the web surfer to interact with your brand and to take action on your TV ad's call-to-action in ways that were previously impossible. But, you have to do it right, and it has to be worthwhile for your prospect.

If I were making a TV for the Web Surfer, I'd:

• Call it out loud and clear at the start - Maybe start with an actor knocking on the TV screen, and calling out "Hey you. Yah, you, surfing the web while you watch TV. Watch this for 20 seconds."
• Provide a great hook to get people to the site. A mystery. A problem.
  
• Give a simple URL.
  
• Show the URL for a long time.
• Buy similar URLs that are mis-spellings.
• Put up a great and tightly integrated interactive micro-site that is more than just simply the TV ads.

A recent example that I experienced a couple of days ago ... I was watching TV and writing this blog, and a weird ad came on featuring "Soprano-sytle" gangsters. They come up to the TV screen and peer in at you. It gives you an awkward feeling. The ad is all quiet. At the end, there is a URL that is up for a long time that says "www.peerintoasoul.ca". What could I do? I had to satisfy my curiosity and go look at the site. It turns out the ad is for the new Kia Soul. The micro-site is not bad, but probably could have had a lot more for their target market to play with - such as a "Design your own Soul".

As with any critic, I could criticize a number of other things, but hey ... those who live in glass houses. Anyhow, I generally like what Kia did with the integration of the TV campaign and the Microsite.

Thank you Forrester Research! U.S. e-commerce comeback seen by 2010

Reuters reported last week that a Forrester Research report indicates:

• E-commerce in the United States is expected to climb back to last year's levels by 2010 after experiencing slowing growth in 2009 due to the recession, a research group said on Monday.
• Online sales in 2010 could reach approximately $176.9 billion, representing 13 percent growth, said Forrester Research in its five-year e-commerce forecast.
• Last week, the group released data saying the online retail channel was expected to grow 11 percent to $156 billion in 2009, below the 13 percent growth seen in 2008, and the 15 percent growth it had earlier predicted for 2009.

Historically there have been few recessions that have lasted for much more than a year. So, get ready for next year now! It's a GREAT time to figure out your e-commerce strategies and put them into action. Service providers are hungry for your business, and your competitors may be battening down the hatches rather than setting sail.

Have a look at Market GoGo's website to see how we can help you get your e-commerce ship in order.