PardonMyFrench

Google Paid Search versus Organic Results for your Brand Terms

To buy brand terms or not to buy brand terms, that is usually the question all brand marketers ask, but especially political ones. There are certain fundamental tactics that are the foundation of great search campaigns, and buying your own brand terms, rather than just relying on organic listings is one of them. Before we dive into why paid search is essential, let’s  quickly look at data to understand how we came to our conclusions.

I looked at Google search data between October 1 and November 3, 2020 for a competitive Senate campaign. During that time, I saw more than 5.2 million organic searches and our ads appeared more than 3.2 million times in paid searches for our Senate client.  Then I looked at search terms that had clicks from both organic listings and paid ads. For example, “Senate Client Name” had organic listing clicks and paid ad clicks during this period. We found 39 of these search queries and those searches delivered 50% of all paid search impressions. That should jump at you because there were another 1.6 million paid search impressions that didn’t generate ANY organic search clicks, and those impressions delivered 1/3 of all donations from paid search. 

So which does better when a paid ad and an organic listing appears at the same time?  I found that: 

• Paid ads generated 160% better click thru rates and 155% better conversion rates than organic listings. 
• Paid ads brought in 72% of all conversions and had 168% better average donation per click than organic clicks.  
• So paid has better conversion rates, better click thru rates and higher average donation per click. Winner, right? Well, maybe but organic listings have their own story to tell.  We found that:
• Organic listings deliver twice as many clicks via twice as many impressions. 
• The average donation from organic search was over 300% higher than paid’s average donors.

So what do we make of this data? Clearly if someone already knows your client an organic listing will probably deliver higher average donors and a lot more clicks to your website. If I had to guess the reason for higher average donors, it’s due to more large donors. If you are looking for a lot of small dollar donors, paid ads seems to be the way to go. Paid ads have higher click thru rates, higher conversion rates, and the average donation per click is better. 

So you might ask yourself, what built-in advantages do paid ads have over organic listings? Well plenty. 

1. Creative Variety: Besides rotating in different messaging (which you should be doing) and different ad formats (responsive, static, and dynamic keyword insertion), you can quickly change the messaging to take better advantage of fast moving stories.
2. Landing Page Testing and Optimization: You can send clicks into different pages and update the messaging to reflect the ads
3. Top of Page Results: Paid ad positions can dominate the top of the page and when it it’s a mobile page, there are even less positions available to you.
4. Your Ads Stand Out and Are Flagged as Ads: In the example above, the campaign website isn’t even above the fold. People have to scroll to get to it. Very often, Google has tons of information ahead of your organic listing  An official listing, Wikipedia, Knowledge Boxes, Top Stories, Questions, and Images. That’s a long way to go to find your organic listing for your campaign website.

Yes, buying brand terms costs money but they deliver higher click thru rates, conversions, and ultimately higher donations per click. Only about 1/3 of your impressions will result in a paid ad click, but when they do click it’s super important. 

Buying brand terms works and it’s the only way to make sure your campaign site gets top priority. In a hotly contested race, I would never ignore paid ads on brand terms and without paying for those ads, you have no guarantee that the searcher will donate to your campaign and besides about 2/3 of the searchers will click on the organic brand listing anyway.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

Political Search Conquering in 2020. Is It Still a Thing?

So does being #1 on your opponent’s brand terms really matter anymore? Historically marketers had to be first, and if they weren’t, well, they weren’t running a very comprehensive search campaign. The same thing extended to politics, but this race is proof that this strategy is changing.

While running digital advertising for a high profile 2020 Republican Senate campaign we encountered his opponent buying our brand terms and occasionally appearing higher in the search results than our ads. Was that a reason to panic or a change in strategy? My candidate won reelection in a big fashion, but let’s take a micro look on paid search strategy and the changes in the political search over the years to see if ad position is still king and find out if  search conquering is useful anymore.

What is search conquering? Simply, it is running your own text ads on your competition’s brand terms.  Back when I worked at the online brokerage firm DLJDirect, it was common practice to buy your competitor’s terms and run ads on them. In fact, when I joined Campaign Solutions - CDIAds back in, wow, 2007 and started working on the McCain for President Campaign, I brought that tactic with me. We even had an article published in The Hill that cried foul when I bought Rudy Giuliani’s brand terms and ran McCain for President ads on them; that got me called into the office with our founder because it was too soon in the process to do something like that. Who knew?  Later on in the 2008 cycle, however, we definitely took advantage of Barack Obama’s search traffic and there were plenty of articles that wrote about it. However, that was 2008. Is it still a thing?

Well before we answer that, let's roll back a few years to the last presidential election cycle. Back then, Google Search was really just a pay per click game. Sure, there was enhanced cost per click and later on Cost Per Action (CPA) bidding, but really at the end of the day it was cost per click. Bidding on your opponent’s brand terms, in theory, would drive everyone’s cost per click up (there were always quality scores and page rankings, but let’s not get sidetracked). While it might look like you were stealing traffic, unless you really wrote some slimy text ads, that was never an issue. 

In this cycle, we’ve had the rise of the machine learning and this truly beautiful goal of ROAS (or ROI, Return On Investment, for those not fond of Google’s terms). If you set up your  tracking correctly and have enough conversions, you can have Google place your ads based on your ROI objective (I like to set it at 130%). Now based on the ROI objective, Google’s machines are in the driver’s seat when it comes to bidding —> when to raise your bids, when to lower them and when to increase your spend to capture all that extra traffic. Google’s machines can also expand your search terms, if you use broad matches. ROI optimization is not quite set it and forget it because your search terms need to be monitored, you need to set geo targeting and create well written text ads, but it’s quite a long way away from just adjusting your bids.

There is also another substantial change since the Dark Ages,  but it has to do with the organic search listings. As you can see from the screen shot, there is a lot more information found in the search results—knowledge box on the right, news on the top, Twitter results, the official page and wikipedia. That’s a a lot to compete with. The other major change is the rise in mobile traffic. Mobile results cut back on the amount of paid search positions and that becomes extremely important in rankings.

In the height of competition between the Republican Senate Campaign that I was managing and the Democratic Senate campaign, search really took off. I was getting emails via the campaign from people all over the country complaining that the Democratic Campaign’s ads were “on top of” our ads, but should that really matter any more?

I guess there is some value, but who really wins in the end? Well Google, since it certainly is not the campaign that is using this strategy. Why? I can guarantee you the ROI from this type of bidding is bad because of the way the organic page is built (nobody is stealing traffic) and a little thing called quality score which is likely causing the opponent to pay more for the same clicks.

When you peel back the envelope and look at the results from  inside your geo target (state or district), there might be some value in showing strength, but that’s a PR call. I’d argue to ignore it. On the national level where you are trying to fundraise, it definitely doesn’t matter, especially with an ROI bidding strategy (having Google optimize your ads based on your ROI objective). 

For example, here is Auction Insight data from our national search  campaign. What you can see is that our Senate Campaign was at the absolute top of page 85% of the time (that’s the very tippy top which really helps on the mobile side) while our Democratic opponent was only at the very tippy top 9% of the time on of our brand searches. So what does this all mean in the end? Well let’s answer some questions…

1. Do you have your national search optimized on ROI? If yes, then who cares?
2. Is your in-geo target search optimized for ROI or impression share? 
1. If ROI, once again who cares?
2. If impression share, maybe, but you need to be careful because really Google wins.
3. What do your mobile results look like? If you are 90%+ on the absolute top of page, then who cares? If you are below 90% but it’s ROI optimized, it’s a judgement call but if it’s still high, you shouldn’t care.

So, was our Democratic Opponent a Search conqueror? Well the data says no. The election results say no. Plus, the ROIs for our campaigns were greater than 200%. So, is there a place for Search Conquering Strategy? Only if you like or need to needle your opponent, otherwise, the only winner in your strategy is Google who makes even more due to increased bids on more clicks.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

My September 11 Memories

***This is a repost from many years ago. I had considered retiring it this year, but I always get notes from friends thanking me for this. BTW - I still carry that Hale and Hearty Soup frequent buyer card.  Weird huh?***

I thought my post from the other day would be enough for me, but with my kids asking questions while we are watching the football game I feel like making a post.  Instead of the normal paragraph form, I'm just going to list out random thoughts that I'm having...

• No I never worked in the WTC and in fact the first time I even ventured into the Path Station was probably in the mid-90s
• No I didn't know anyone that was there that day
• When I joined CSFBdirect and had my office "downsized" I chose a cube by the window because at least when my AT&T friends called me I could say I had the greatest view in the world
• WTC became my beacon when I finally came out of the covered roadway after being stuck in traffic on my way to the Holland Tunnel
• I absolutely loved heading over to WTC during lunch to browse the Border's Book Store
• For some reason, I still carry a Hale and Hearty Soup frequent buyer card in my wallet, punched last on 9/7 at the kiosk that used to be in front of the Path
• I was supposed to have a meeting the morning of 9/11 in AOL's lower Manhattan offices that was canceled the day before - I still keep the copy of my calendar from that week
• We used to go for drinks in Moran's some times after work even though it had over priced drinks
• My last time through (9/7) I was in a hurry and didn't stop by the Warner Brother's Store to pick my son up a stuffed Bugs Bunny; 5 years later I don't let time get in the way any more
• My wife had a doctor's visit to determine whether she was pregnant (which she was); that still creeps me out when you hear about all of the people that didn't know they were pregnant that day and lost someone  
• My last normal time in NYC was watching the ladies US Open Final between the Williams sisters on 9/9; I haven't watched tennis live since then
• It helped me to write down what little things changed that day so I could remember what it was like before 9/11

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

P.S. 2010 update.   I think a lot of folks have wiped from their memory how horrific these attacks were.  So I added this photo from my own personal collection of pictures. As you can read above, I worked right across the river and a week after the attacks I was down at Ground Zero while everything was still burning; 9 years later I can still see the flames, the smoke and remember the smell 

P.S. 2011 Check back tomorrow.  I will add a link to more personal photos I took a few weeks after 9-11-01 when I walked around ground zero. It was still burning that day and a week later I came down with my only case of pneumonia.  

P.S. 2013 Reading this again is very interesting after everything I've been through in 2013.  I look back and think - wow this really was a different world

P.S. 2014 I reminded Kaela this morning.  I was supposed to have a meeting in lower manahttan that morning but the meeting was canceled the day before because my CMO wanted me in Jersey City on 9-11 to review budgets and plans.  I never believed I would have been trapped in one of the buildings, I either would have been turned around in the path station or stranded in NYC.  Still a little scary.  

  

 

How to Start Digital Advertising for Restaurants

As I write this post, I'm down in my southern NJ home. As some of you long time readers know, when the weather gets warmer, my family heads to the southern NJ beaches. Father's Day also just passed about 2 weeks back. One of our favorite things to do when we migrate south is to eat in some of the best restaurants in the state. In fact, years ago I tried starting a restaurant review blog called ieatoutalot.com. It's still live but I haven't posted in a while; believe it or not, it's a lot of work to blog on eating out and when you frequent the same places, it becomes a little repetitive. Anyway, what's Father's Day and the south NJ restaurants have to do with digital advertising? Well it occurred to me that it was actually hard to find if anyone was running specials or had anything special going on for Father's Day. 

I've helped a few restaurants over the years with their digital advertising. Here's what I suggest. Let me know your thoughts.

DIGITAL ADVERTISING TIPS FOR RESTAURANTS

Generally speaking, Google Ads (aka AdWords) is not your best choice. Sure you should be running some ads but given how much attention it takes to run a restaurant, I think it is only valuable for certain holidays and I'm not sure Father's Day is one of those. Like my last post, you do need to have Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to understand where your traffic is coming from, what they are searching on, and who they are. That needs to be done. However, here's what I'd recommend....

1. Build Your House File - So it's dirt cheap to send email. Have you heard? There are a few restaurants that I subscribe to that I think do a great job with their email campaigns. When I get an email from them, it's usually their specials and events which is awesome. I actually unsubscribed from a restaurant today. Not because they sent me too much emails but because they allowed other people/events to email to their list. My favorite restaurants that I receive email from are Redwoods, St. Moritz, and Metropolitan Seafood. They send me emails on specials and special dinner events. For me, their emails are a must read.
2. Facebook and Instagram - You are probably doing an awesome job posting your specials and events. However, believe it or not, I'm not seeing your posts on a timely basis. There are two reasons for that. The first is the FB newsfeed algorithm. If I like a post or interact with a page, I'll start seeing more. If I scroll on by, I'll see less of it and maybe not even on time. The second reason is, not everyone is so glued to their social media that they see them in the timeframe you want them to see it. Running a great dinner special on Tuesday? Awesome except how many of them see it on Wednesday. Don't let that happen to you. The best thing to do is to run promoted post advertising targeted to your followers so they see you post on the day you want to see it. So for that Tuesday special, starting running it Monday evening and end it Tuesday evening. Let's say 7PM Monday - 7 PM Tuesday. Then Tuesday start your Wednesday special. Depending on how many page likes you have, this might amount to just a few dollars a day but I guarantee you people will see it when you need them to see it.
3. Google Local Listing - Make sure you control your Google Local Listing. You can add pictures, update your hours, even post weekly specials. This listing is even more important than ever before because very often it has the prime real estate on your search results page and if people keep interacting with it, perhaps you'll get a high priority in Google Map results for more generic searches. It's a simple process but between keeping your searches up to date on your restaurant local listing the better your organic search results will be. Did I mention Google Map results for more generic searches?
4. Paid Yelp/Open Table Ads - Yes I went there. You know the review websites you love to hate. I've read tons of complaints on how they hold you hostage. How a single bad review can cause you problems. Also, how everyone with an internet connected device is now suddenly a NY Times restaurant critic. Look I've left my share of bad reviews, but in my opinion the place was truly dreadful and did something that deserved a bad review. Very frequently, if I think the place is ok, say a 2-3 star restaurant, I just refrain from posting. Unfortunately, I do think this is one your best places to advertise because people are LOOKING TO EAT OUT. That means they are searching for you. Don't leave it to chance. You should be running paid advertising. Bite the bullet. Do it. Here is a screen shot of two ads from two restaurants that really don't need to run them but are anyway.
5. Paid Google Search Ads - Yes last and unfortunately it really is least on this list. Yes you should be running Google Search ads but I can't recommend updating them daily. Maybe seasonally if you have different menus or different hours. I'd recommend a very robust Brand campaign where you buy up versions of your name and when people click, you should take them to a form to capture their email and contact information. Maybe in exchange for a free dessert or if you have a loyalty program, free points. Now some of you might be thinking, why do I need paid search when you just told me to work on my Google listing. That's simple, a large percentage only click on paid ads AND you can (and should) rotate in at least three different ad creatives. That's not possible with your local listing. Additionally, I'd recommend some very tight (10-15 mile radius) generic search on restaurant keywords. Don't spend a ton here unless you see results. Oh and BTW, you should have conversion tracking set up for click to calls from the ads as well email sign up so you can get an idea of how your ad campaign is doing besides just generating clicks to your website.
6. Google Analytics - Besides using GA for tracking email signups, site visits, and bounces you should also have remarketing audiences enabled so you can start to build up a pool of people that visited your website. Then you can remarket to those cookies when they start searching again (yes this is a great idea) or you can run display ads. Basically, you tie your GA account to your AdWords account. Then create audiences in GA and export them to your Google Ads (AdWords) account. Finally, set up your campaigns targeting these audiences. This is probably too much for you to do as a restaurant owner but it's really easy for a good pay per click consultant.

 

And that's it. Those are my digital advertising quick tips for restaurants. Let me know your thoughts.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

How to Start Advertising Online: Part 1 Tracking via Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager

No matter who we meet with and no matter the industry, I usually start with the same question. Can I have access to your Google Analytics account? I usually get one of two answers: 1) Sure but my developer might get upset and 2) What's Google Analytics?

Answer #1 usually means it's a basic setup especially if you are a small business without eCommerce and when I look in, I can see the need for some basic upgrades. If it's Answer #2, that usually means you have no idea it was added and probably don't have access to it. Granted Google Analytics is usually something your web designer put on there and they are usually the ones that have carnal knowledge of it, but it's still very important for your business. You should know why you need it and the basics reports you should be looking at.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is simply Google's free website tracking tool. I don't care what kind of business you are, if you have a website, GA needs to be installed (note: you actually shouldn't be installing GA's code anymore but instead Google Tag Manager but humor me for a few minutes). As a business owner, there are really only a few reports you should care about. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of reports and information available to you, but if you are worried about stocking shelves or going over a legal case, you don't have time to dig into everything. So here's what you need to do...

1. If you can take online orders on your site, make sure you have someone enable eCommerce tracking
2. Someone needs to create a filtered view for you. What's a filtered view? Think of GA as just a machine that gathers website data and then displays it in easy to read format. Think Garbage In = Garbage Out. Filters can better organize the data. For example, do you care about international traffic? If not, filter it out. Is Facebook.com and fb.com the same traffic source? Yes of course it is, then you need to replace some of the source information. Do you use your website as your homepage? Yes, then filter out your IP address.
3. Enable audiences and demographic reporting. Audiences are how you build retargeting lists and if you don't enable them for all, you get nothing. The same person also should create audiences of people who buy your product, make conversions, and visit important pages of your site. You need to link those audience with a Google Ads (aka AdWords) account.
4. Finally, someone needs to create conversions or goals. For example, email signups.
5. And even though you don't need it in the initial setup, you need to be aware of how to construct click thru links so your source and medium track through. You need to visit Google's URL builder and familiarize yourself with the source, medium, and campaign variables. Sending an email out to your house file? You want the URL builder to look like this: www.ericfrenchman.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=hf&utm_campaign=summer so the source in your report says "email" rather than direct/(none)

Once you have those 4 to 5 basic steps accomplished (it's really easy and it would take me about 15 minutes to take care of it), there is only one real report you need. It's the source/medium acquisition report. Someone can set it up for you so you receive it every Monday (for example). It's found on the left side under Acquisition-->All Traffic-->Source/Medium. You can adjust the date range. The report shows you HOW your visitors got to your site (did that ad in the local news site really get traffic?), whether they were new or returning, how much they bought or signed up for email, and a bounce rate. A bounce rate is simply a stat that shows you the % of times someone visited the one page they landed on and then immediately left. If you are paying for that traffic and you get a 90%+ bounce rate, that's really bad.

Another useful report is the geographic report so you can see where your site visitors are located. That's under Audience-->Geo-->Location. Also, under the same Audience tab you can see the demographics of your site visitors (you might be asked to enable so enable so you can see what your audience looks like).  Finally, the other useful (really must have if you are eCommerce) is the transactions report which you can find under Conversions-->eCommerce-->Transactions. This is the report to see what product has been selling.

What is Google Tag Manager and Why You Need It?

OK so I sold you on why you need Google Analytics and the basic reports you should be looking at on at least on a weekly basis. So why do you need Google Tag Manager? Simply GTM allows you to have your website developer place one set of code (called a container tag) on all pages of the website and then allows you (if you want to play around with it) or your developer to then add multiple tracking tags in the GTM platform. So the very first tag you would put in would be basic Google Analytics. Your next codes? Google Ads (AdWords) and then most likely Facebook and perhaps Bing. So now instead of having multiple tracking codes on your website, you put them in the GTM platform and then tell GTM when to fire the tags. Your developer (or someone like me) can assign triggers that tells GTM when to fire the tag (all pages or completed sale or sign up for email). Most likely they would also set up multiple GA tags to track eCommerce, Goals, and more. I'm not going to go into details because the odds are you aren't going to do it yourself and if you want to do that, there are better sources online to help you with it. However, here's what you need to know when asking for GTM to be added:

• Ask your developer to add Google Tag Manager rather than Google Analytics
• When they grumble, it's a sign that they don't know what GTM can do and just want to slap a GA code on but insist on GTM.
• Once they add GTM, they need to set up triggers (eCommerce, Goals like email signup), and multiple GA tags (one for basic, one for eCommerce, one for your Goals). Someone like me can have this setup in about 30 minutes.
• Then add in multiple tags with triggers like Google Ads, Facebook, etc

And that's it. If you have questions, let me know below and I'll answer them (I really will). Just remember, add (or ask to add) Google Tag Manager first and then add Google Analytics to the GTM platform. Setup basic filters in GA, activate eCommerce if you need it, setup goals, and then monitor your reports on a weekly basis. Good luck.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

Google Ads Universal App Campaign Setting is Not Universally Good

I know it's been a while since I've posted. I've been very distracted lately and when ideas pop into my head for a post, if I don't act on them it's usually too late. So, this is a post I thought about making a year ago but didn't act fast enough. So here goes...

Google Ads Universal App Campaign Settings is really not that great and I think it's a necessary evil if you have want to promote your app. It needs an upgrade badly but I'm afraid that Google's move into more automated campaign management means more of the same and less customizations rather than more. My biggest issue (and I'm not alone) is that you really can't optimize the campaign. You basically hand the keys over to Google to promote your app, hoping Google can deliver at your CPA. It's basically a magic box where you input basics like a link to your app, link to a YT video and some ad images. Yes I do believe after some time Google can deliver app downloads at your allowable cost but I want more control and I want it faster. I want more visibility but it's not there. What can you change? Not a whole heck of a lot.

SETTING UP A GOOGLE UNIVERSAL APP CAMPAIGN

When you set up a Universal App campaign, you can choose the following:

1. Which App Store you want to promote downloads from
2. Location options including exclusions. Note, when you do set this up Google automatically defaults to an option that infers location interest which I can't stand. Yes it works for restaurants and stores but when you are trying to specifically target people in an area you need to adjust this.
3. Target CPA
4. Budget, language, start and end dates
5. Creative Assets where you can specify a YouTube video, 5 lines of text, and images to upload

What else can you do? Well you need to make sure you set up your app conversions. If you don't have that then you are just throwing your money away with a Universal App Campaign setting. Here's what that looks like: Notice the grey text below the setting you typically could change; all of that "Not Editable" language. Yes that means you can't edit how Google counts App installs. Now, for me most of the settings are what I recommend except for one. That's the conversion window of 30 days. That means if someone clicks on a Google ad and installs the app within 30 days Google will attribute it back to the campaign. I'd shorten it to 2 days but can't. I've seen other clients want to change the attribution model but I usually go with last click too.

UNIVERSAL APP RESULTS

So after you get going you'll have to look in a few spots to see how you are doing. First if you want to see the creative results you click the Ad Assets tab and you can see results by the assets you've uploaded. Think your video should get served more because it performs the best? Guess again, you can't do that. 

Next you can click on overview and you get some pretty charts. You'll see a tab for devices but can you shut off any? No. Right below that is a tab for Network? Want to shut off say the display network? No can do. Next box over is time of day/ day of week targeting. Want to change that? Sorry, not available. Finally right above that you get a box for location results? Want to change that. Actually you can. That one is allowed (whew). How about adding some negative keywords? Nope.

When you dig around looking for help from Google you get basic platitudes about how to find the right user and how to optimize your universal app campaign. What does Google recommend? Add in more creative assets and adjust your bids slowly. That's nice. Looking for more tips? Well don't call their help line because after explaining your problem, you'll get no more answers than what's on those links. So what can you do? 

ERIC'S TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR UNIVERSAL APP CAMPAIGN

1. Follow Google's advice and just make tweaks to the creative and adjust your bids.
2. Maybe setup separate campaigns on your own breaking up search, display, and YouTube. That can work but you run into a few issues. The first is, you need to send your clicks somewhere. Your choices are the app store link or your website or perhaps a landing page hanging off your website. You will most likely run into some Quality Score issues sending into the app store link because it isn't your domain while the website/landing page adds extra steps. Sending them into your domain can help your QS issues but now you added at least one step to your user downloading the app.
3. My favorite option --> The Hybrid Option. If your results look anything like mine, maybe you can run both. Maybe you run Universal App Campaign settings for search and video and a separate campaign for the Display Network clicking through to a landing page. GDN campaigns use relevancy but I've found the penalty a lot less severe than search.

I get that Google wants to move to more programmatic optimizations. I'm willing to give Google some control but not letting me opt out of networks, optimize ads, etc is a bit much. Google will say, we can do it better but as of right now, I don't see it. There are differences between apps and the users of those apps; not being able to make changes is a problem. There are good work arounds that give you control and I suggest you do them. Good luck.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think Twice Before Getting that Cheap .US from GoDaddy (or anyone else)

Just last week I bought a new URL for restaurant reviews - the very awesome IEatOutALot.com and of course during the GoDaddy checkout process I was upsold to a .US domain and threw it in my cart.   As usual GoDaddy automatically added private registrations which of course is great, so I left that in my cart but something bugged me at the final checkout.  It appeared that private registration was only added once.  I tried poking around and figured to myself, not sure what's going on but let me keep going.  So I moved on  - all excited about my new blog and went over to Typepad to set up the domain mapping and design..

GoDaddy Private Registration

The next day I was still playing around with the design when I got a call from a random number I didnt recognize.  I picked it up - not sure why and it was from "tech support".  After less than a minute I realized it was a spam call and hung up.  Later on in the day, I got another call and this one was easily recognized as a telemarketer - you know, the long pause and then the crowded call center.  This call mentioned GoDaddy and website support so I hung up.  

I then called GoDaddy and after a few minutes with a very nice customer service rep we determined that the calls were coming from the non-private registration of the .US domain.  The rep didn't realize that .US domains couldn't be private registered and of course I was a little surprised too.  So, I told her I'm getting calls and emails from the registration and she had no solutions on how to shut them off.  I did the only thing I could do which was delete the .US domain and asked for my $3 back.

Now you might be thinking - well how is this GoDaddy's fault?  Simple - go buy some domains and see how often they cross sell you into other products.  Go see how they preload the private registration in your cart (screen shot to the right) but where is the warning that the .US domain loaded in your cart CAN NOT be private registered?  It's not there unless you dig into the terms and conditions which isn't very fair.

If GoDaddy pushes products and even pre-loads your cart with a private registration, shouldn't they also load up a warning that one of your cart items can't take advantage of the private registration.  I think they should because the phone calls and spam emails are brutal.  If you know of a better solution for .US registration, I'm all eyes and ears.  If you are buying .US domain keep the non-private registration in mind because the spam calls and emails are brutal.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

Confessions of an Old AT&T Landline Junkie

I remember when AT&T broke up into long distance and local.  Like a lot of people I didn't understand what divestiture was or why I needed to dial a "1" before making a long distant call.  I remember going to my grandparents house and using their old red telephone mounted on their wall.  Back in those days, those phones were like bricks and they always worked.  Sometimes my grandmother would ask me to call someone and when I asked her what number, she'd always says something like "Elizabeth 3" and then the number.  I shockingly remember their phone number 353-8872 even though they haven't used that number since 1991 (yes I remember a non-useless phone number that hasn't been used in 25 years).

When I was a sophomore at Rutgers, there was a job fair at the student center and the crowd around AT&T looked like the pit at a Springsteen concert.  Finally, the AT&T recruiter yelled "if your GPA isn't 3.5 don't bother dropping off your resume".  At the time, my GPA wasn't that good so I walked on.  

I did get a job as an intern at AT&T when I was in graduate school.  I can still see the job posting and the person doing the recruiting was named Jim Watson and the division was called Business Operations Analysis or BOA.  It was an internal analytical group.  I passed the phone interview (BTW - my GPA the last two years of Rutgers was over 3.5 and my MBA GPA was very good as well) and was brought into 295 North Maple Avenue in Basking Ridge NJ for a full day of interviews.  I remember the interviews and the building very well.  I got the job after making a presentation on the predicted value of a Fantasy Baseball player based on their past and predicted performance.  I also ordered a beer at lunch not because I'm an alcoholic but because I was stressed out and needed the comfort from a beer.  Well I got the job, made it through several downsizes, launched bundled wireless and long distance plans, was one of the youngest Division Managers in the company (a division at the time had about 4-5 direct reports and each direct report had about 4-5 managers or more), and then left after 10 years to get rich on the internet which of course never happened.  I still remember my AT&T phone number of 908.221.7723

Fast forward a few years and in 2006 when I was about to be let go from E*trade after their purchase of DLJ/CSFB/Harrisdirect, I set up my home office.   I of course got a work phone number, the now defunct 908.876.1149.  Add to that my cell phone number and my home phone number so I now have three numbers; that's way too many numbers to reach me at.   So when I could,  I got a Google Voice number (that was little later); that number is 908.867.8001.  The Google Voice number still works but not for the use of having one number ring me on multiple phones but as a filter for calls I receive.  Here's why....

In 2006/2007 I remember sitting at my desk working on something or I was on a call and my dad called my mobile phone so I didn't pick up.  He then called my office number and I didn't pick up.  Dad then called my home number and by then, of course I didn't pick up.  Dad then called my mobile phone and left a message.  So that's 4 phone calls all ringing in the same office --> Sigh

Around 2008 or so I canceled my work phone number and started using my mobile phone as my primary phone.  Unfortunately, I never adjusted my calling plan on my mobile and was getting hit with massive overages but I didn't know.  Well I didn't know until a bring your daughter to work day.  Kaela was working at home with Mary.  Mary was in charge of billing - kind of my CFO for Eric Frenchman LLC.  Mary took a look at my AT&T bill and saw a bill of at least $1000 so she sent a young Kaela marching into my office with the bill. She handed it to me and said "this looks a little high".  I was confused, called AT&T and found out that the bill was correct and they graciously back dated my unlimited bucket plan, wiping out my overages.  So my mobile phone is my only phone number - similar to how my dad used his phone back in the mid-2000s.  Yes my dad was ahead of his time in using his mobile phone as his only phone.

So let's skip ahead to 2016.  I have a mobile phone and my home phone.  The kids have their own phones too.  I also have a shore house and there isn't a home phone there because, well, people can call my mobile phone number and reach me anywhere I am. Nobody calls us on our home phone...Well nobody except the schools for school closing and telemarketers  - a lot of telemarketers - that bad kinds of telemarketers - the scam artist, the IRS calls, calls that get through the do not call registry which of course I was on from Day 1.  The cost of that phone with taxes and fees was about $70 per month.  That's right I'm spending $70 per month for telemarketers and scam artists to call and leave me messages.  Why would I do that?  

So I called up my local phone company and put our home phone on vacation mode for about $14 per month and guess what the telemarketer calls have stopped.  The only push back from the local company about keeping my number was for emergencies but the most major emergency we had recently was Sandy and guess what?  My home phone didn't work because years ago they switched us to DSL.  The home phone doesn't work without power.

Nostalgically, my few month experiment with keeping a phone line just in case is almost up and it's time to ditch my home phone.  My dad ditched his home phone about 10 years ago and didn't need it.  I no longer get bothered by telemarketers (for the time being) and I don't seem to need it for emergencies.  Both kids are in high school so they don't have my home phone for closings and delays.  I guess that means, why does anyone have a home phone number anymore?  I don't need it.  Not sure you do too...

PardonMyFrench,

Eric 

Dear UnitedHealthcare - Your 2016 Healthcare Plans in NJ Suck

I have been a customer of Oxford Health Insurance since 2001; yes for you math geniuses that's 15 years.  I first got Oxford Health Insurance when I joined what was then known as DLJdirect and kept it - I even used COBRA to keep it when the company formerly known as DLJdirect was purchased by e*Trade.  I remember sitting in a conference room with my fellow employees going over e*Trade's benefits and I was the only person that raised their hand when I asked about using COBRA to keep Oxford Health Insurance.  Why did I do that?  Well, because my wife Mary had breast cancer and the moment I switched over to e*Trade's health coverage, I'd be looking at thousands of dollars in deductibles almost immediately, so I kept Oxford.  In fact, I added Oxford as my LLC's health coverage and throughout Mary's battle with breast cancer, I never paid anything more than co-pays.  That's 10.5 years worth of cancer bills.  After Mary passed away, my small business plan was no longer allowed so I went with Oxford's platinum health coverage.  That includes when they were purchased by that awful company, UnitedHealthcare.

So, let's now skip to Obamacare and in full disclosure, as part of my work with political advertising, I've run tons of ads online against Obamacare.  I know a lot about Obamacare.  Yes - we all know by now that if you liked your healthcare plan, you definitely never kept it through the implementation of Obamacare.  However, it didn't bother me too much except for that part of being deceived in the marketing of Obamacare to the public. Yes - I get the good things about Obamacare; your kids can stay on your plans longer, there is marketplace for plans, and you can't be denied coverage for preexisting conditions.  However, rates have gone up, coverage has gone down, and deductibles kept going up.  That awful company UnitedHealthcare kept tinkering with the Oxford plans and up until recently they were still good; that is until this year when they sunk the Oxford brand and are trying to force migrate customers to UnitedHealthcare plans that truly suck.

At the beginning of October I got an unmarked white envelope that I happen to open up out of mere curiosity.  To my utter disappointment, it was a giant get lost letter. It's the kind of mailing that a marketing team is forced to mail out in the hopes that their customers throw it out and NEVER read it.  It's the kind of letter that a marketing team and their legal team puts their minds together to figure out how to make sure the vast majority of customer don't read it so the marketing team meets their retention goals for the year. It's the kind of letter that you get when you raise rates but don't want your customer to see while you blast these misleading ads that make you think that UnitedHealthcare isn't a company that's going to screw you over when in fact they are.  The rest of the letter was plain paper with black lettering without even the blue typeface of UniteHealthcare's logo.  It's just a plain screw off letter.

Page 1 (shown here) was definitely the start of the goodbye but their lawyers wrote it as an negative opt out which means IF YOU DO NOTHING THEY AUTOMATICALLY ENROLL YOU IN A CRAPPIER PLAN.  That's totally unfair and definitely a deal cut between the marketing, legal, and product teams to get people off of a legacy plan and force migrated over to a worse plan.  They even confuse people by giving you two dates you must be enrolled in - December 15 to take action and then December 31 if you want coverage with a new plan to start on January 1.  Again, written by a lawyer with input from marketing so to increase the chance of confusion.

Next up, this plan, if I somehow lost my mind and agreed to it, costs me $200 more per month and as you will see in a few lines, for far worse coverage.  It also neatly comes in $3.74 below  $1,600  - again probably a negotiated number to make it appear not as sucky as it really is.  The minimum $1,600 per month translates into $19K in cash per year from me which makes this letter even a larger screw you by the UnitedHealthcare vultures.  That's like 20x larger than a car payment - do you think you'd get a giant white ugly marketing piece from a car company when they try and get you to spend less than that per month?  Oh that cost includes the lovely processing of having to choose a PCP to get referrals (I technically know that's a bit whiny but this is about being charged more for less)

Next up is page 2 of the letter which is conveniently printed double sided - probably not to save money but in the hopes that the customer doesn't read the second page.  It has two lousy giant screw you points: 1) if you don't like your plan they suggest you go to the healthcare marketplace and find a new one AND 2) an 800# to call if you have questions.
 

First I called the 800#.  Guess what - they couldn't help me and transferred me.  So, the next transfer number couldn't help me either so I picked up my insurance card and called the number on the back.  That number explained to me that Oxford wasn't being offered in NJ and that UnitedHealthcare would handle my insurance but they werent prepared to take calls until open enrollment on November 1; that's right - the lousy marketing geniuses at this vulture of an insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, sent out a letter 30 days before they had phone support - that's another screw you. Oh and how about sending people to the marketplace to review competitive plans.  This is terrible terrible customer service and further proof UnitedHealthcare doesn't want your NJ business.

There are more lousy pages but the real kick in the NJ family jewels comes from this last page which shows my changes from the old plan to the new plan: deductibles going from $0 to $2,250, no co-insurance to 20%, increases of opt of pocket expenses and then additional increases across the board.  I don't believe there was a single item that improved.  Not one.  Just more money per month for worse coverage.

After 15 years, I expected more but UnitedHealthcare doesn't care.  You see all of those funny commercials which they are plowing big money into, but at the end of the day, they are not interested in being your healthcare provider.  UnitedHealthcare hopes that you don't notice the auto enrollment into a more expensive plan for worse coverage.  Oh and when you have any questions about the screw you letter you just received, there isn't anyone there to answer your questions - so your only option is to go to the Obamacare marketplace but that's not available until November 1. So you are stuck with piles of fire starter until then because if you forget about this letter, they will auto enroll you into a worse plan.  

The UnitedHealthcare vultures don't want your business - they don't want to help your health, all they are really interested in is making a buck.  True marketing vultures - do not use them. Avoid UnitedHealthcare in your open enrollment and pay attention to who you vote for in future elections - it's past time to fix what's going on in Obamacare.

PardonMyFrench, 

Eric

Running Ads on Snapchat - Your Best Way to Reach 13 - 34 Year Olds

I had the chance to try out advertising on Snap Chat recently.  I thought it would be a great way to get some quick easy press for a client and a great way to get noticed by younger users.  Well it turns out the above assumptions were true.  Not familiar with Snap Chat?  Well, let me give you a quick over view and some good reasons to try it for your advertising.  Note, I’m not being paid or asked by Snap Chat to do this.  I actually love the product (phew - got that PSA out of the way).

Snap Chat is basically like a closed environment (if you want it to be) where you can post videos and photos that don’t live forever for someone to find in the future when they are doing opposition research on your campaign for President.  You know, all those dumb, fun photos that you don't want everyone to see?  It’s perfect for Snap Chat (and to the Snap Chat fans out there, which includes me,
that was meant to be complimentary). It’s just not for those nude pics which I frequently get asked for… Personally, I like posting to Snap Chat when I’m at an event or doing something fun and fantastic.  I still make a lot of posts to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook but Snap Chat is really for my close friends so that I can make them jealous OR to communicate with my teenagers.  And (BTW I love starting a sentence with AND even though I should have used a semicolon {I also love semicolons and try to use them whenever I can) if you do have teenage kids, you better fire up your account and figure it out quickly.  Don’t worry, your kids can give you a tutorial and the other good news is that you probably won’t find a ton of your friends on there, yet.

As of right now, there are only a few ways to advertise on Snap Chat.  The first is a sponsored Geo Filters.  Geo Filters are filters for photos and videos that can let your viewers know where your picture/video was taken.  I didn't try that out for my advertiser, not because I didn't like the idea ,but we were advertising around a specific event and the better advertising options were taken.  Here’s an example of a Geo Filter (not paid).

The next opportunity are Sponsored Lenses.  Lenses are ways for you to jazz up your photos.I like using this one:  My kids really love the lens that flips heads if two people are in a picture.  Again for this one client I wasn’t able to try this; not that I didn’t like it, it just didn’t fit in.

The third option and the one I used (yeah!  about time right?) was their 3V creative which is really a 10s video incorporated into their Live Stories or Discover.  You can buy it via a specific audience that’s available (could be a liveramp integration for targeting your customized audience) or just by buying a specific story.  A Live Story are video curated by Snap Chat editors and you can view them and submit your own videos.  Whenever I post to Snap Chat I always look for Live Stories but unless I’m in NYC or a specific hot event, I don’t usually find them.  Discover are curated posts made by publishers (ex-ESPN, WSJ).  

So why advertise with Snap Chat?  Pretty simple. Their audience is young and highly engaged (try ignoring the Snap Chat iPhone alerts when you are  driving 2.5 hours down the shore with your teenagers).  According to a presentation I received from Snap Chat, more than 60% of the United States’ 13-34 year olds are active Snap Chat users.  Yeah 60%.  Try finding them on Facebook (well you can but if the rest of the Snap Chat users are like my kids, they aren’t there).  Want some Snap Chat engagement? On average, users view 60 Snap Chat videos per day.  I don’t think I do anything 60 times per day - well if you ignore bodily functions.

If you are looking for a younger audience, then Snap Chat is definitely you should give a try.  If possible, I’d definitely try sponsoring a Live Story.  That’s what I tried to do but it was already sold out so my advertiser ended up in the Discover channels.  If you also have an ongoing monthly ad plan and want to reach the younger generation, then Snap Chat is a must use.  If you aren’t an advertiser or marketer and are reading this post, go sign up for Snap Chat and have some fun with your video and pictures; go an enjoy what all of your super fabulous friends are doing while you sit at home and try to binge watch The Walking Dead.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

 

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Living with an Apple Watch for 1 Year

I was working on a different post when I got distracted by a Facebook update.  When I checked on my memories from last year, I saw that 1 year ago today I ordered my Apple Watch at 3AM EST (thanks for that Apple - couldn't you just make it midnight East Coast time).   Then I remembered that I started working on a post about living with it for 6 weeks and then decided to resurrect it for a 1 year anniversary.  So, here's my own experience with it for 1 year.

What I Like About My Apple Watch

I love the notifications I get because I don't need to constantly check my phone and with a simple glance I can see what's going on.  I think that makes my phone battery last longer.  Also, I like using it to track my pulse rate over the day.  I do sometimes wear it in bed to see what my resting hear rate is while sleeping; however, when I do wear it in bed, it sometimes wakes me up because I move my arm and the watch turns on.

I love the home screen notifications.  I get the time, any calendar items, and a quick glance at the weather.  Plus, the music you are playing as well as heart rate are quick swipes away.

I do enjoy using it while working out - pretty much for tracking my time and my heart rate.  It's also super helpful while driving because without taking my hand off the wheel, I can skip songs, respond to phone calls, and even easily follow directions (when it's time to make a turn you get a little vibration).  If I was commuting a ton, the Apple Watch would be indispensable. However, it's not indispensable for me because I don't commute like I used to.

Here's What I Don't Like About My Apple Watch

I don't really use a lot of the applications that are available.  I probably could delete most of the apps that are loaded on my phone.  The apps themselves seem like cheap stripped down version of their iPhone app counterparts.  Shazam?  Never seems to work. The other news apps - just really push a lot of alerts.  Starbucks?  Not even sure I need to use it.  Also, if I'm not exercising or driving for a distance, I don't wear my watch and to be blunt, I don't miss it.

A year later, I do enjoy my Apple Watch.  I highly recommend it to people that commute any distance or go to a lot of offsite meetings.  I'm glad I bought it but it really isn't this awesome earth shattering device wearing product.   It's more like a great notification device that extends the life of your iPhone's battery.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

 

 

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Dear Ticketmaster, You Really Suck Now.

I can't stand Ticketmaster.com anymore.  It's to the point where honest fans can no longer get seats for premium shows.  In the past, it used to be hard work that would allow you to buy tickets for a hot act but no more.  The ticket bots and scalpers have won and Ticketmaster could care less about fans.  Here's my recent experience - it was bad all the way around.

I'm a huge Springsteen fan (no surprise based on some of my previous Springsteen posts).  It almost always involves hard work and determination.  My strategy up until recently was - multiple computer screens with multiple accounts and then work the phones.  If for some reason, that didn't score me tickets, there was always ticket drops.  Every decent Springsteen fan knows that Bruce holds back tickets and then releases them usually the day of the show (they could be friends/family or final tickets once the stage is done).  One time for a show at Metlife Stadium, I didn't like where my seats were, so I sold my pair of tickets for whatever I could in the parking lot and then went online and bought row 1 side stage.  Even way before the internet was around, I'd wait in line outside a ticketmaster location (Scott's Records or Cheap Thrills) with a friend to get my bracelet and then depending on how good my number was, I'd either use my number or my friend's number.  That's how I scored row 1 at a benefits show in MSG.  Sure we always thought the ticketmaster locations were skimming tickets but they were your local record store guys and everyone kind of won.  Not any more because Ticketmaster let the ticket bots and big scalpers win.

Ticketmaster.com sucks now because it can't handle the volume, the ticket bots regularly defeat ticketmaster.com's technology, the technology for ticketbots is so cheap almost everyone can afford it, ticketmaster.com's website is horrible, and you can't even talk to someone anymore.

The Website is Horrible and They Know It - Ticketmaster Sucks Part 1:

So I was watching Springsteen tickets at the two MSG shows as well as the Prudential show.  I even used a guy that setup a website called ticketdrones.com. It's a service he started so that when he found out about a Springsteen ticket drop, he send out a blast call to your mobile phones (more on that service in a bit). 

After constantly trying and failing, using ticket drones or not, I started getting super frustrated about the status of the tickets shown for the shows.  I couldn't stand it anymore and called into Ticketmaster.com and finally got a hold of a sales person.  While on the call, the status on the website went from "No Tickets Available" to "Not Many Left" so I told the women and she checked and couldn't pull a ticket.  When I asked her what's going on, she said "sorry but the website needs an update".  Argh - why should they care about crappy status on their website?  They don't.

Ticketmaster Doesn't Have Any Incentive to Fix Their Problems - Ticketmaster Sucks Part 2

Buying tickets now a days reminds me of an IPO.  Quickly, in an IPO the Underwriters are in charge of "selling" the stock.  They work with the company to determine an IPO price and then the Underwriters "sell" the stock at the agreed price to their clients.  So by the time the stock is put on the exchange for the rest of the public to buy, the Company has made their money.  The Underwriters have made their money.  Then the stock goes up or down.  Ticketmaster acts like the Underwriter when the tickets are sold to the public.  For a hot selling item like Springsteen in the Boston to DC corridor, everyone has made their money so why do they care how good Ticketmaster's website handles the volume or how often the status is updated.  They don't because Ticketmaster already made the vast majority of their money.

Ticketmaster's Bot Protection Software Doesn't Stop Bots but Stops Consumers - Ticketmaster Sucks Part 3

While trying to get Springsteen tickets especially on ticket drops after the initial sale date, I typed and selected almost every damn captcha image that Ticketmaster used.  My least favorite was the "select street signs".  After I did some research on ticket bot software, I realized that Ticketmaster's bot protection software did nothing except slow down real consumers.  I don't understand why if I have a registered account AND have bought tickets in the past why I have to continue to be served the damn captcha screens.  Why doesn't Ticketmaster view me as a legitimate consumer?  Why isn't there an upfront verification process?  Why doesn't Ticketmaster have software to recognize real people versus bots?  You know why?  They don't care as long as the tickets are sold.  They put the bot software in place to make it look like they are battling bots but I think they've really just given up and don't care.

Ticketmaster has lost the battle to ticket scalpers.  After scratching my head on why I couldn't get tickets this time around yet on the previous Wrecking Ball/High Hopes tour, I was able to get tickets, I googled ticketbots.  You know what I found out?  A desktop version of the best ticket bot software cost only $999 for one user.  That's it.  That takes NO EFFORT to pay that back.  I didn't buy it because, well, it's illegal, but I did seriously consider it.  What I also learned was that you needed to pay additional fees for a ticketbot to access Ticketmaster's mobile site.  

When the first round of tickets went on sale for Springsteen, I heard from my friends that the mobile app was the way to go.  So I figured, well, it costs extra for the mobile ticket bot, maybe that's why people were able to get tickets.  So when round 2 was announced, I had two iPhones plus the desktop to get tickets.  I got in immediately when the tickets went on sale but ended up with NOTHING.  So did a lot of other people.  I guess the scalpers went and upgraded their software to access the mobile app.

You Rarely Can Speak to a Live Person - Ticketmaster Sucks Part 4

With all this trouble on their website, you'd think I'd be able to speak with a live person.  However, I had a horrible time.  I called and called and even tried their IVR system but could never get ticket nor a real person.  Finally, I get a live person but they couldn't help.  Why should Ticketmaster have a staff of people to speak with if they don't care about customer service.

I think Springsteen's people should try to do something.  I get that the venues they play in probably demand ticketmaster but this is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Pearl Jam has a ticket policy for fans that they administer.  I get that it probably isn't perfect but perhaps it's better than what we have now with ticketmaster.  Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown have membership clubs.  Surely something else could be done.

Until something changes, I'll continue to try my luck.  My strategy now is to just try to pull pairs of tickets.  So, if I do get a pair I can then go into eBay or StubHub and supplement the tickets for that night if more than 2 people are going with me.  The days of me buying a bunch of tickets and helping out friends and family are long gone.  There are no other options.  Ticketmaster sucks and they let the ticketbots win.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric 

Google Tag Manager - Turning Your Marketing Side to the Coding Dark Side

Admit it.. All those years of working in online advertising you had to rely on your coders and site owners to implement your tags, you were always just a little bit jealous.  If only marketing could implement some basic codes.  All those years of getting the pixels and writing an email to your website and/or programming teams asking to implement your tags and telling them which pages to add the tag.  You'd pray you communicated properly, only to find out once in a  while your conversion counts matched your click counts (unless you are giving away free beer).  Well with this version of Google Tag Manager you can embrace your coding dark side and it least manage your conversion and marketing tags while controlling most of what you need to do.  Google Tag Manager is definitely a way for you to manage your conversion and remarketing programs while at the same time only turning towards your programming team when you really need some help.

I first heard of GTM about a year ago and I looked like a complete idiot.  I just landed a new client and I dutifully passed on Google AdWords and remarketing codes to the client for implementation.  I waited a day or two and checked out the code on the thank you pages and couldn't see my pixels.  When I followed up I was told they were implemented via Google Tag Manager which sent me scurrying off to see what that was.  

GTM version 1 wasn't very good so I really didn't pay much attention to it.  It was a way to consolidate my tracking tags on one platform.  Basically, you add the Google Tag Manager container codes to the pages of your website and then using the platform you implement the tracking and conversion pixels.  

So a year passes and I didn't pay a lot of attention to it other than it was a way to make my programmers a little happier with working on my projects.  Then I received notification in one of my Google Analytics accounts about getting Google Tag Manager certified by taking their fundamentals in GTM class.  I decided to take the plunge while sitting on the beach in Avalon NJ and was I ever surprised about how useful GTM 2.0.  It's so useful that I don't even take a whiff on setting up a new advertising account without thinking through the tracking setup.

 The Good in Google Tag Manager

There are a lot of great things about GTM but the most important part of GTM is the ability to give the marketer complete control over which tags are included and how they are fired. Before GTM it really was an adhoc process with little controls. Here's how it works from a marketing perspective.

1) Setup your own Google Tag Manager Account and then get a container code for each domain you are managing.  Have your programmers DELETE all other marketing pixels including Google Analytics and install your GTM container code on EVERY page of your website.  If you are an agency, it is better for the client to set it up and give your agency permission.

2) Figure out what types of actions you want to track and what they are.  Let's keep things simple and say you want to track email signups, sales, and build a remarketing list.  For each one of these actions, you'll need to know how they are defined - changes in URLs (thank you page), changes in messages, submit buttons or even all pages (especially for GA and remarketing tags) as well as how you want the event fired - page view, page load, DOM, and etc.

3) If your actions are based off of simple URL changes (like a confirmation page being served) you really don't need a lot of help from your coders.  You can actually DO THIS YOURSELF.  What you are doing is creating Triggers of your events.  Here's a simple list from one of my accounts.  I set all of these up myself - just needed to know the URLs.

4) Next up you need to set up your Tags.  Your Tags are just what you think they are - pixels from your media partners that you want implemented.  Some of the tag setups are already preloaded but for the most part you are creating custom HTML tags for your media parters.  DoubeClick, AdWords, and Analytics are already preloaded so you'd select them from the list and then add some of the ID numbers from those pixels.  Mind you, you still need to generate the conversion and remarketing pixels on each platform first and then instead of emailing your coder, you are taking care of it yourself.  Other tags I've implemented are Twitter, Facebook, Bing, Adaptv, and more.  For the most part all of the Tags are custom HTML but a few are image based (Adaptv was image based).  

So to setup Tags you need to know which Triggers to fire the Tags with.  Your Google Analytics (for a simple setup) should be ALL PAGES as well as your individual Remarketing tags.  Your Conversion Tags should be served when an event is triggered that you want to count (sales completion, email signup, etc).  Here's a sample list of my tags.  I've only had a few problems with this but that will be listed in The Bad section.

5) Before publishing you can use a preview tool and preview how your pixels fire.  Basically follow the steps of what you want to track (in a different window of your browser) and watch the preview pane to see which tags are firing and when.  If you aren't getting the expectations you want, then start checking your triggers and tags to make sure it is set up properly.

6) You can also pass transaction values into Google Analytics and back to AdWords for reporting and optimization.  It involves something called a Data Layer which is really a temporary field that your code can access to pass information from the page into say Google Analytics.  More on this in a second. 

In the end, a simple setup should take you under an hour to build and you should have control over your tags and triggers.  It's even easy to add more triggers in and tell your tags when to fire and when not to fire.  However, there is a hard side to this....

The Bad in Google Tag Manager

Most of what you need to do in GTM is very straight forward and your website manager and programmers will love you for simplifying the additional codes on your page and the fact that you pushed managing the codes from them to yourself (where it should have belonged in the first place).  However, there is a bad side to GTM

1) Passing variables like transaction amounts into the Data Layer for use in Google Analytics.  This isn't easy no matter how pretty Google makes it seem when the transaction amount is passed in a confirmation page URL.  I've watched that video almost 100 times AND I had to reach out and read this Google Tag Manager expert's blog for help.  Long story short on this is you need to create variables in GTM which isn't hard as well as in Google Analytics which isn't hard either and then create a custom report in GA to report on these new variables.  That's straight forward enough BUT you do need your programmers support in implementing additional tags on your transaction pages to actually create the Data Layer variable.  If you look closely on my Tags and Triggers you'll see a GA tag that is serve on DOM Ready transactions.  That's basically the same GA pixel duplicated but the trigger is a DOM ready event on the transaction page.  It had to be on the DOM event (and not page view or load) for the transaction to be picked up. You'll need help with that from someone who is writing code for your website.

2) Cross Domain tracking is another issue that seems like it should be solved easily using this lesson from Google but to be blunt, I'm not 100% sure if it works or not.  Basically the issue is whether other domains (say a transaction site or shopping site) and/or subdomains are passing variables and data properly through to your main GA account.  The only way for you to confirm whether cross domain tracking is working is if you look in your GA reports and it looks like what you'd expect.  I had trouble with passing the transaction amount from one subdomain to another subdomain so I ended up down this rabbit hole that after a few weeks, looks like it is fixed.

3) You are not a programmer.  Repeat it.  Say it again.  Memorize it.  Yes you are dealing with URLs, cross domain tracking, Data Layer variables, and implementing pixels that used to be done by your programmers but you are NOT ONE OF THEM.  Basically, you are taking a job from them that you should have been doing in the first place, only there wasn't an elegant way for you to do it.

The Ugly in Google Tag Manager

There isn't much that's ugly about GTM.  I did find two things that frustrate me still.  

1) There are a lot of mix ups between the old and new versions of GTM.  GTM 2.0 is a giant leap forward from the original version but unfortunately Google still maintains steps and procedures from GTM 1.0 and even if you ask them for help, often times you'll get redirected to an older page.  For example, in this instruction there aren't any cookie configurations even though Google still directs people to that page

2) I think Google sugar coats some of these procedures too much.  When I first contacted my programmers about passing transaction values into the Data Layer, Google made it look so easy but it wasn't.  Once you get beyond the basic GTM configurations you'll need to involve your coders and you'll need to do more than just pass them a link for it to get implementations.

I hope you are still with me at this point.  In the end, Google Tag Manager puts the conversions and remarketing in the hands of the marketers where it belonged in the first place.  It is an awesome tool that will have your website owners and programmers thrilled you have taken some work and management off their plates while also simplifying the amount of pixels on your website.  Just tread carefully when you start trying to implement Data Layer variables, cross domain tracking, and anything else like triggering an event off of a click to a button because you'll be sitting down with your programmers again.

Happy tagging and PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

Disney Making Your Trip Even Easier - May 2015

(Note: I know I haven't blogged in a long time - probably about 2 years ago, but I'm starting up again. Hopefully, a post a week going forward.  Well I'll just try and make 1-2 posts per month; during softball and soccer season it's difficult)

We just came back from our semi annual Disney trip and things were really smooth.  I think a lot of it has to do with the magic bands and fastpass+ reservations.  There are still issues with the fastpass+ reservations but if you learn to work that system it can make your trip really smooth and you will see other attractions besides the big ones.  What makes the trip so smooth reminds me of back in the early days with Phone service - sure AT&T was your only provider but you picked up the phone and made a call - it always worked, it always sounded great.  If you book your Disney trip at one of their hotels, your trip will be really smooth.  Here are some of my latest tips. 

Pre Trip

You can stay at a lot of hotels that are cheaper than Disney but I don't think it is ever worth it.  Besides the great customer service and design of the hotels, the concierge at the Disney hotels are really your keys to making your magic bands hum.  You have a problem (like I did) with your band, the concierge will fix it.  Also, when you stay at a Disney hotel you can prebook your ride reservations 60 days in advance which is really helpful.  

Plus you get access to the Magic Express or as I call it the Magical Mystery Tour.  At a minimum you log your flight information with Disney, tag your bags, and then let Disney take your bags and deliver to your room.  You can let Disney drive you via a bus run by Mears but then you will delay your arrival by a couple of hours.  Why do I call it the Magical Mystery Tour?  Because sometimes you leave early, sometimes you wait for more passengers, sometimes there are only a few stops and sometimes there are a lot.  If you want to get to the park with plenty of time - pay for a $70 taxi - that's what we do.

I like adding Disney's Memory Maker to our passes.  For $160 you and your entire party can download all the pictures Disney Photopass takes of you.  This includes ALL rides where the chip in your band captures the ride photographs and makes it available for your download.  So, I let Disney's photographers take as many pictures as possible.

Finally (and yes I do this), you can prebook your dining reservations 180 days in advance.  
I've found that your happiness with Disney is directly correlated with your Disney food selections.  For our November trip, I have a calendar alerts to start my dining reservations exactly 180 days out - 6 months in advance I have my daily dining reservations all booked.

Magic Bands

Everything is linked to your bands.  Sure Disney is tracking you which might make you feel squeamish but it really makes your trip smooth.  Once you land your bands start to work with Magical Express.  You charge on them.  You open your hotel doors with your bands.  It has your reservations for rides and dining.  I'm sure if you had an emergency they would scan your band.  My problem with my band was that there were so many on my account that my newest band wouldn't open my hotel room.  So I left it with concierge who cleaned it up while we went to the park.

Night 1 - MK

I made reservations at the Magic Kingdom and we did Peter Pan, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain plus a few other rides.  The biggest disappointment was our dinner selection.  Usually my go to in the MK is Columbia Harbor House but the rest of the team wanted to try something else so we went to Peco Bills.  Trust me avoid Peco Bills with a passion.  It's awful.

Day 1 - Animal Kingdom

The biggest tip I give people is get to the park early.  Getting to the park early almost always works so off to the animal kingdom we went and over to Exhibition Everest where we got the ride two times via the stand by line.  We had park reservations at the Safari, Kali River Rapids and back to Everest.  Our biggest surprise was our meal - we at at the Yak and Yeti restaurant. It's kind of like a greatest hits of Asian food.  I highly recommend it.  Dinner that night we went to the Yachtsman Steak House which was expensive but awesome; five of us at there for around $300 and that includes my 20% discount.  The steaks are butchered and aged on the premises.  After dinner we went back to the Magic Kingdom for rides and fireworks.

Day 2 Epcot

Here's where you run into a Fastpass + Reservation problem.  Disney only allows you to make a reservation in a day for either Soarin' or Test Track and not both.  Also, except for those two you really don't need a reservation for any other rides.  We picked Test Track with the idea of getting to the park early and riding Soaring.  Unfortunately, that day we kind of slept in missing the park opening so we missed Soarin' on this trip.  We love building our own simulated Roller Coaster inside Innoventions - give it a try - it's fun. After walking around Epcot we went to the large contemporary pool and then dinner at Akershus in Norway. 

Akershus was a little expensive for what you received.  Yes the food and atmosphere are great as is getting your picture taken with Princesses.  However, it's a fixed buffet dinner and unless you are going to really get your money's worth, the price of dinner was only a little cheaper than the Yachtsman.  For example. my daughter didn't want to try one of their entrees so she went with mac and cheese (which was made there and very good) and she chowed on cheeses from the buffet stations - add some sodas and that's like a $45 meal.  The kids liked it so they want to go back but I'm not sure it is worth it.

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios

Here comes another problem park for the Fastpass.  You can not reserve the Rock and Roll Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania.  So, you need to get the park prior to park opening to get on the one you don't have a reservation for.  I recommend reserving Toy Story Mania and getting to the park at opening to ride the roller coaster at least 2 times (in November Kaela and I got on it like 5 times).  The rest of our reservations were made with Tower of Terror and the Great Movie ride.  In general you don't need fast passes for anything beyond Tower, Rock and Roll, and Toy Story.  While there we watched Beauty and the Beast (yes it was good) and took cartoon drawing lessons.  We went back for a swim and then on to another favorite restaurant  - The Flying Fish.  It's as expensive as Yachtsman and even though it says "fish" in it's name - get the steak; it's awesome. 

Day 4 - Back to Magic Kingdom

As usual we like ending at the Magic Kingdom.  So first, we did the airline checkout which was smooth as usual - only because we leave enough time for any potential glitches.  There was a glitch with our reservation that got fixed in plenty of time and then we walked over to the Magic Kingdom to get there at park opening which I always enjoy; the train comes in with the characters and then there is a little song-dance routine.  After walking on Space Mountain (remember my trick about getting to the park at opening) we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then to our brunch at Crystal Palace.  Sure it's a little expensive because it is a character meal (fixed price) but the brunch is awesome and where else can you get great pics like this?

After that it was back to Space Mountain and then on to Splash Mountain.  We skipped 7 Dwarfs because I didn't want to waste a fast pass and the lines are ridiculously long.  We spent more time in the Magic Kingdom then we were supposed to because instead of taking the Magic Mystery Tour home we took a cab.  To grab a cab from the MK you either go to Tickets and Transportation or walk to the Contemporary which is what we did.  It cost us around $60 for the cab but it was well worth it because we gained over an hour extra in the park; Magical Express picks you up 3 - 3.5 hours before your flight.

Disney as usual was a blast.  We got plenty of pool time, fun in the parks, and good meals.  I've already planned our November trip.

Well that actually took me a lot longer to write.  I actually have another post in my head which hopefully won't take me a month to write like this one :-)

PardonMyFrench,

Eric 

 

September 11 Memories - 2014 Edition

***This is a repost from many years ago. I had considered retiring it this year, but I always get notes from friends thanking me for this. BTW - I still carry that Hale and Hearty Soup frequent buyer card.  Weird huh?***

I thought my post from the other day would be enough for me, but with my kids asking questions while we are watching the football game I feel like making a post.  Instead of the normal paragraph form, I'm just going to list out random thoughts that I'm having...

• No I never worked in the WTC and in fact the first time I even ventured into the Path Station was probably in the mid-90s
• No I didn't know anyone that was there that day
• When I joined CSFBdirect and had my office "downsized" I chose a cube by the window because at least when my AT&T friends called me I could say I had the greatest view in the world
• WTC became my beacon when I finally came out of the covered roadway after being stuck in traffic on my way to the Holland Tunnel
• I absolutely loved heading over to WTC during lunch to browse the Border's Book Store
• For some reason, I still carry a Hale and Hearty Soup frequent buyer card in my wallet, punched last on 9/7 at the kiosk that used to be in front of the Path
• I was supposed to have a meeting the morning of 9/11 in AOL's lower Manhattan offices that was canceled the day before - I still keep the copy of my calendar from that week
• We used to go for drinks in Moran's some times after work even though it had over priced drinks
• My last time through (9/7) I was in a hurry and didn't stop by the Warner Brother's Store to pick my son up a stuffed Bugs Bunny; 5 years later I don't let time get in the way any more
• My wife had a doctor's visit to determine whether she was pregnant (which she was); that still creeps me out when you hear about all of the people that didn't know they were pregnant that day and lost someone  
• My last normal time in NYC was watching the ladies US Open Final between the Williams sisters on 9/9; I haven't watched tennis live since then
• It helped me to write down what little things changed that day so I could remember what it was like before 9/11

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

 

P.S. 2010 update.   I think a lot of folks have wiped from their memory how horrific these attacks were.  So I added this photo from my own personal collection of pictures. As you can read above, I worked right across the river and a week after the attacks I was down at Ground Zero while everything was still burning; 9 years later I can still see the flames, the smoke and remember the smell 

P.S. 2011 Check back tomorrow.  I will add a link to more personal photos I took a few weeks after 9-11-01 when I walked around ground zero. It was still burning that day and a week later I came down with my only case of pneumonia.  

P.S. 2013 Reading this again is very interesting after everything I've been through in 2013.  I look back and think - wow this really was a different world

P.S. 2014 I reminded Kaela this morning.  I was supposed to have a meeting in lower manahttan that morning but the meeting was canceled the day before because my CMO wanted me in Jersey City on 9-11 to review budgets and plans.  I never believed I would have been trapped in one of the buildings, I either would have been turned around in the path station or stranded in NYC.  Still a little scary.