Jeff Klopmeyer Communications

What's Cool: Micro-Sites

2011-01-24T10:56:00.001-08:00

I'm currently working on two new micro-sites for my newest client, Seymour Duncan. I'll let you know more about them after they're complete and live on the web (in the next week or so), but for the time being, let's take a look at micro-sites and why you may want to consider one for your business.

A micro-site is exactly as the name implies. It's a small web site that can act as a sub-category of your own site, or can be a standalone site for a particular product or service you offer. The micro-site often has a unique URL or supplemented URL to your existing site. Why not just integrate this content into your existing site?

1. You need to call attention to a special market.
If you have a product that requires a higher level of attention than the rest of your line, a micro-site is a great way to do it. Nintendo Corporation has a main site at www.nintendo.com, a separate site for their Wii gaming system at www.nintendo.com/wii, and an entirely different micro-site for their Wii Fit Plus system at wiifit.com. Each of these sites get more focused and specific in content that relates to each product category.

Nintendo has individual sites that get more and more specific as they delve deeper into each area of their product lines.

2. You have an area of your line that's different than the rest.
Let's say you're a manufacturer of microphones, but you decide to build a guitar amplifier. While the popularity of your microphone brand might give you a step up on a competitor who's just starting out in the business, it's likely that you'll want a look and feel that pertains to the guitar amp market which may be different than your brand vibe for your microphones. A micro-site is probably the way to go.

3. You want better search engine results.
Having a separate site that is able to prioritize the inclusion of content and keywords that will draw online customers to this specific product line or service is a great reason to build a micro-site. Your main site might have information on dozens of other products, and the content and keywords for the other area of your line might get lost in the shuffle. Having the specific URL to your micro-site that's been optimized for search results will allow search engines like Google and Bing to more easily enable your customers to find you online.

What NOT to do with a micro-site
- Unless you have a very compelling reason to, don't completely abandon your main brand in the development of the micro-site. Your logo, fonts, and other elements that presumably have helped your brand thus far shouldn't be left in the dust unless the new area of your business is so far removed that it would actually be to its detriment to be associated with the rest of your line. In those cases, I'd instead recommend a whole new site, rather than attach it to your current site.

- Don't do micro-sites for every area of your products or services. The end result is that your entire "main" site will become sublimated by the micro-sites, and your brand consistency and recognition will fall rapidly.

- Again, unless there's a great reason to avoid the connection to your main brand, let the micro-site draw traffic to the main site as well. The micro-site should be self-contained, but should also point customers to your main site where it makes sense.

- Keep in mind that micro-sites will eventually require some level of maintenance as well, even if it's just making sure that it remains compliant with new/updated browsers. Before you tackle a micro-site, make sure you have a resource who can continue to make sure it remains functional and vibrant.

If you're interested in putting together a micro-site for a special product or service area, contact us to talk about the details! Micro-sites can be more affordable than full-fledged sites, and every bit as effective!

NAMM 2011: The Aftermath

2011-01-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that the 2011 NAMM Show was nothing short of terrific for myself and all of my clients. Here's a little diary of how we spent our annual sojourn to Anaheim.

On the evening of Wednesday 1/12, my lovely lady Christina and I left our beachfront home and headed east toward Anaheim. Christina isn't totally out of place at NAMM; she's a senior business analyst working at Universal Music Group, so her familiarity with music-related business isn't far fetched. Mostly, she was coming to offer moral support to me as I worked through my most important trade show of the year.

Bright and early on Thursday morning, I made the short trek from my hotel to the convention center. It's been 20 straight years that I've been attending NAMM: three as an independent musician and audio engineer, seven with Alesis, three with TASCAM, and seven in my current incarnation as Jeff Klopmeyer Communications. That's why I feel a pretty strong level of familiarity with the show; after all, I've been doing it nearly half of my life. On the first day of the show, my first priority is to make sure that my exhibiting clients are ready to go with their show, and I chip in any way they need. Fortunately, my main 2011 NAMM client ESP Guitars had things well planned and executed, and beyond a couple of tweaks to the placement of their reception area, demo room 213D was ready to rock.

NAMM gets started and I head toward my main exhibiting client this year, ESP Guitars.

The inside of the ESP demo room is already rocking.

My next step is to start getting my clients' NAMM news out to the world, so I swing by the NAMM press room to drop off discs full of press materials and product photos. This becomes part of my regular NAMM routine during the show, a constant back-and-forth to drop off more electronic press kits as they get devoured by the world's music products media.

I design my clients' press kits so that they're easily identifiable, and consistent with their marketing look and feel.

After that, things settle down a little... but not much! NAMM is a huge opportunity for people in my position who have a responsibility to publicize their clients' products and other news, so I am constantly having meetings with magazine editors, bloggers, and anyone else who can help spread the word.

Another thing that happens at NAMM each year for me is catching up with old friends in the industry. As usual, I run into too many people to list them all (there are some 150,000 people who attend NAMM, and I seem to know most of them somehow). But it was particularly great to get some face time with...

• Dave Bryce (Wave Distribution)
• Dave Hampton (MATK)
• Derek Snyder and Rick Plushner (Guitar Center Professional)
• Gustavo Lozada and Taiho Yamada (Avid)
• Jane Byer and Karen Dunn (TEC Foundation)
• Jeff Laity and Neal Faison (TASCAM)
• Joe Fallon (Elixir Strings)
• Ken Lee (Ken Lee Photography)
• Phil O'Keefe (Sound Sanctuary Recording)
• Stacey Moran (Blue Microphones)
• Sue Horwitz (Audient Marketing)
• Tom Menrath (Seymour Duncan)

Harmony Central editor/EQ columnist/engineer/producer/my good friend Phil O'Keefe visits me at the ESP demo room.

Hanging out with another old friend, producer/engineer Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, Frampton, many more).

By Friday 1/14, everything was rocking at NAMM. It was already apparent that the doom-and-gloom predictions of a low-attended show couldn't have been more mistaken. I divide my time on this day between taking care of ESP's needs and spending some time walking the show floor, hanging with some old friends.

With my musician pal John Jurovic being as metal as possible near a wall of Marshall amps. Photo by Michael Gale.

I'm surrounded by Avid's Gus Lozada (L) and musician/photographer/guru Ken Lee (R).

Reliving your youth: meet high school musician friends at NAMM and pretend you're 17 again. Photo courtesy of Ken Lee.

According to the Anaheim police department, Saturday January 15 was the biggest day of NAMM in the show's history, with some 90,000 attendees visiting on that day alone. What a coup it was, then, that we were able to get ESP's photo in the top spot on the cover of the official NAMM daily news publication, UpBeat Daily, on that very day. It actually went more like this: the Daily had had a miscue with ESP regarding their new product photos, but being the very cool people they are, they sent an editor upto rectify the situation on Friday, and my client ended up getting amazing coverage on the biggest day in NAMM's history. It's great to have those long-term relationships in place with the media of our industry that could allow this to happen. Massive thanks to Music Inc.'s Frank Alkyer and Zach Phillips for following through and making it work.

Waking up on Saturday morning to see my client ESP Guitars in the top spot on the Daily's cover put me in a great mood for the rest of the day.

By Sunday, I'd really accomplished all of my plans for NAMM, and it was time to head home to get some other important face time... with my son, watching NFL playoff games on TV. So we packed up the car and made the long and arduous (read: 30 minute) journey back to the South Bay. I can say that NAMM 2011 was one of the most fulfilling shows I've done in many years. Thanks to all who helped make it so.

It's time for the 2011 NAMM Show!

2011-01-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

First, my apologies for not updating this blog in 732 years.

You know what they say: the car mechanic always has a vehicle that runs terribly, since the last thing he wants to do is work on his own car after servicing everyone else's. That's why, despite my being involved every day on blogs and social networks for my clients, I rarely make updates to this blog. Mea culpa.

Anyway, it's January, and that means it's time for NAMM. What is the NAMM Show? It's a trade show for the music and audio products and retail industries. Any company that makes or distributes products for the music and audio market is bound to exhibit at NAMM. That includes everything from drums, guitars, horns and strings to recording gear, live sound reinforcement systems, sheet music, software, and every possible accessory you can imagine.

That's me, running around between client booths and meetings as usual at a NAMM Show.

What is NAMM like?
I've been to every Winter NAMM Show for the last 20 years, so I have a pretty good handle on it by now. My role at the show has been that of working with an exhibiting company, or (since 2003) as an independent marketing agency who has several clients who exhibit at the show. Here are a few observations on how to have a successful NAMM, no matter who you are.

NAMM Tips
If your company is exhibiting at NAMM, it's almost never too early to start planning for a successful show. I won't go into extreme detail here, but some of the important elements are...

- Booth Design: Is your booth easy to find? How is the line of sight through your booth? Is your booth inviting for passers-by, or exclusionary? Are the products you're prioritizing at the show put in a place where people won't have to hunt for them? Do you have space to do business (i.e., the reason you're at the show in the first place)?

- Supporting Your Products: Do you have ways of showcasing your company's products? Will your products require demonstrations? Do you have something for your visitors to walk away with that will help them remember the advantages of your product versus your competitors?

- Getting Attention: There are over 1,500 exhibitors at NAMM. What are you going to do to stand out? From your booth design through performances, booth babes, signage, lighting, and more, there are dozens of ways you can make sure that the money you've spent to exhibit at NAMM gets a good return on investment.

Never underestimate the power of booth babes. However, keep in mind that they're going to attract people who aren't necessarily a qualified customer for your products, and can cheapen your brand's image if not done tastefully.

- Use the Media: One great thing about a big trade show like NAMM, CES, NAB and the like is that your industry's media will be there, and it's their job to catch scoops on what the hottest new products are. If you have important news, set up and schedule your press conference plenty early (a month before the show is a good time to send invitations to a press event). Make sure the media can get marketing materials (product photos and information) in an easy format for them to use to submit their stories.

- Celebrity Appearances: If you have well-known endorsees of your product, nothing grabs a crowd better than the opportunity to meet and greet with these stars. Be forewarned, though: celebs often require a lot of hand-holding, and you may need to plan for added security and other aspects to accommodate your famous endorsee. Also, you'll probably need to make arrangements for the celeb to schedule the appearance months in advance. Don't wait, or you'll lose.

If you think that having celebrities perform at your booth is a waste of time, think again.

- Use Your Time Wisely: Chances are, your sales reps and distributors will be in town for the show. Make sure to slot times to meet with them beforehand so they can confidently present your new products and sales policies to your customers.

- Follow Up: Whether it's through a lead retrieval system or general news you post on your company's web site, be prepared to do fast followup on the show. It's the only way to really take advantage of the time, money, and effort you spent while doing the show itself. Also, in this world of immediate gratification, you can use social media like Twitter and Facebook to give live reports from the show that will allow customers to feel like they participated even if they weren't there.

Some personal tips for a happy show.

- Keep your feet happy: Seriously, you're going to be walking for miles as you make your way through dozens of aisles in five different halls. Those cute pumps or shiny cap toe loafers might look great, but after a couple of days of feeling like knives are poking into the soles of your feet, you'll regret prioritizing style for comfort.

- Have fun, but not too much fun: We all know that social activities are an important part of doing business at a trade show. So do go to the parties, and take your clients out for dinner and drinks. But trust me here: there's no way to be more miserable than to have a terrible hangover, or even an extreme lack of sleep, while trying to continue on with the show the following day. NAMM is about the worst place to be feeling badly. Why? Here's one reason...

- NAMM is LOUD!: I'm not kidding. The entire show is based on people who like to play loud guitar amps, bash cymbals, toot trumpets, and generally do things that make your head want to split open. Even if you like loud music, the cacophony of sound coming at your from every direction can drive you a bit insane, even on a good day. Try and walk outside every so often, or find a secluded spot where your ears can take a break from the assault every so often.

- Get in Condition: Seems silly to train for a trade show like you're getting ready to run a 10K, right? Wrong. A lot of people get injured at NAMM during setup and teardown. For those of you who spend more time straddling an office chair than a weight bench, NAMM can represent a whole lot of physical effort to which you may not be accustomed. Moving gear, displays, boxes and literature and so on can put you in a lot of pain (not to mention days of standing, walking and so on). Try and get in better shape before the show, and remember to stretch each morning before you start your day.

- Be prepared to deal with crowds: If you don't like being in a mall a week before Christmas, you probably won't like NAMM much either. NAMM is a crowded show, and just moving through aisles can test your patience.

If you don't like crowds, you probably won't like NAMM. Be forewarned.

There's Much More...
But I can't tell you everything you need to know to have a successful NAMM Show in one blog post. If you'd like a free initial consultation on making the most of the show, contact me and let's talk about your specific goals!