Ryan Shell, Author at RyanShell.com

My Plan to Eat Healthier and Save $200 a Month

This isn’t the typical subject matter for this site, but lots of people struggle with bad eating habits and weight issues, so I thought I’d share what I’m doing to start eating healthier, lose a few pounds and also save money.

If you know me, you’re probably familiar with the fact that my eating habits are less than stellar. I’m not overweight, but wouldn’t mind losing seven or eight pounds. My schedule stays pretty busy which means I find myself eating out a lot. And to be honest, I’ve eaten out for lunch almost every day for the past year (work 30 min from home). That alone is insane. Not only does it cost a massive amount of money to eat out, it also makes me susceptible to one of my biggest food weaknesses – French fries!

The madness has to stop.

I’m not going to go on some crazy diet or pledge to never eat out again because that simply isn’t realistic. Here is what I’m going to do to hopefully start eating healthier and saving money.

Monday – Thursday I’ll be eating lunch here at work. And I’m not packing a lunch in the morning… that has been a pitfall in the past. If I was running late or felt slack I could just skip out on making a lunch for the day. Instead, I’ll be stashing some bread, lunch meat (turkey) and chips (or something like that) in a fridge here at work and will make my lunch on a daily basis. Friday will be a cheat day.

In doing this I will not only be cutting calories out of my diet and reducing the amount of fried food I eat, I’ll also be saving a nice chunk of money. If I can stick to this plan I’ve estimated that I’ll save, at a minimum, $200 a month by not eating out for lunch.

This is something I’ve struggled with for a very long time and sharing this with you is an attempt to hold myself accountable.

Online Banner Ads. What’s next?

By Ryan Shell

“What’s next?” By asking that question you will help yourself stay ahead of the game and also open yourself up to brainstorm new ideas.

Earlier today while I was reviewing performance numbers for a series of online ads I stopped and asked, “what’s next?” The primarily reason for doing so was because I found myself wanting more out of the online ads. Impressions were high, click through rates were good… but I wanted them to do more.

But how do you get more (not meaning impressions) out of a banner ad? Here is what came to mind after a couple minutes of thought.

Let them help Create Relationships

If you click the image below you will see an enlarged photo of the New York Times home page. Notice the J.Crew ads in the upper left and right corner.

Now that you’ve glanced at the previous image, click the one below. Notice the J.Crew ad in the upper right hand corner – I’ve added the Facebook and Twitter (example only) logo to the ad in the top right corner.

The way this ad would function is pretty simple. If you click the Facebook or Twitter logo you would be taken to the J.Crew page on each site. Clicking anywhere else in the ad would take you to a page on the J.Crew homepage.

By adding social media links to online banner ads you now give consumers the opportunity to connect with your brand while they have the power to do so at their fingertips, and possibly enhance your ability to reach them in the future. This isn’t overly groundbreaking, but it’s something that’s not being done and what I think is next.

Is Twitter Killing Blogging?

By Ryan Shell

Forgive me for not keeping track of the article that hit on this subject, but the idea that Twitter is killing bloggins it isn’t something I necessarily agree with. My reasoning is pretty simple.

Twitter is a great for connecting, but it only lets you say so much.
On the other hand, blogs provide the space to elaborate and dive deeper into a discussion.
Twitter moves – and it moves really fast. The message you are trying to get across could quickly be lost in the shuffle.

In my opinion blogs are an important aspect of the Twitter conversation. Next time you log on to Twitter make sure you pay attention to the number of tweet links you click that end up taking you to someone’s blog (many blogs now look like a typical Web sites. For example, this entire site is run by Thesis, a blog theme/platform). Furthermore, notice how many blog links end up getting retweeted.

Giving Guidance Online is Crucial – Moses Cone Example

By Ryan Shell

Taking part in social media is one thing, but how you promote your involvement is another.

Last night I found myself taking a look at a few different hospital Web sites; one of which was Moses Cone, a large hospital in my hometown of Greensboro, NC. This is what you see when you first arrive to the Moses Cone homepage.

If you scroll down a bit you might happen to see four small icons – one for Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin.

When I noticed the hospital was using social media I thought to myself, “Hey, that’s cool.” Then, not even one second later I thought, “Oh, that’s not good.”

Rather than ask you to go to their Web site and try and figure out what made me say that last statement, I’ve copied the social media links they are sending people to and hyperlinked them here for you (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin). Go ahead, give them a click.

When you clicked the links you may have noticed that you were taken to each respective Web sites homepage. This wasn’t a mistake on my part – that is where they are dropping people off at. I can only imagine that this was an oversight, but it’s one that I would highly recommend fixing.

When promoting social media you need to send your audience to the exact location you want them to visit. If not, there is simply no telling what they will see when they visit X Web site or if they will ever find your page. For example, when I clicked the YouTube link on the Moses Cone page I saw what is below.

I seriously doubt they mean to help promote that fact that the TV show nip/tuck is on tonight at 10 pm. There are several other suggestions I have that could easily enhance the hospitals social media program and will share those suggestions if asked.

The Web is a huge space that can be extremely useful for brands, but giving customers/potential customers the proper guidance is crucial to creating a positive experience.

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A Brands Facebook Landing Page

By Ryan Shell

If you’re like me you’ve started to notice brands using statements like “Become a fan on Facebook,” or something of the sorts in both print and online marketing. That’s cool… but there are a massive number of brands missing the boat in terms of their Facebook landing page.

When I go to your Facebook page what are you telling me? For a lot of brands the answer to that question is “absolutely nothing.” You typically get dropped off at the “Wall” and read comments random fans have left, which I consider to be a bit dangerous.

For example, let’s say you decide to go to X financial institutions Facebook page. Upon doing so they drop you off at the Wall and the first thing you read is a complaint from a consumer that says, “You did X that made me feel ripped off and now I’m going to go bank with X.” Not a very good first impression right?

Fortunately, there are some very simple things you can do to make sure you are making a good first impression.

Solution

Facebook allows users to control which tab non fans are dropped off at – meaning you have control over that vital first impression. You can simply change your settings to make the Info tab be the first thing that is seen, but I would suggest that you use the Facebook box option. By using boxes you can incorporate fbml, which is simply the Facebook version of html.

Let me give you a couple examples of brands that I think are doing things right/wrong.

Right

When you visit Victoria’s Secret Facebook page (no I don’t stop by there a lot, just a good example) you immediately get taken to their Spotlight tab where they share information (as of this writing) about winning a trip to their fashion show, new designs, special events and more. It’s very informative.

Wrong

I don’t know if you are familiar with Bruegger’s or not, but they make a pretty good breakfast bagel. I digress. While eating breakfast at one of their locations the other morning I noticed that they were promoting their Facebook page and asking people to become a fan. Being a curious marketer I eventually made my way to their page.

Unfortunately they dropped me off at the Wall and after reading a few posts from random people I didn’t feel the least bit compelled to become a fan. They offered no value.

Another “Right” Approach

The clothing company Guess has started promoting their Facebook page on the checkout screen in their stores. I noticed it, maybe others do as well.

Upon checking out their page I noticed that they make good use of the boxes option, but the big difference in their page and the Victoria’s Secret page is that they immediately drive you to various landing pages on the Guess Web site. They seem to be focused more on the sales aspect than building a community. That isn’t necessarily bad, just a different social media strategy.

Don’t just drop people off on a Facebook page and expect them to know where to go or assume they will simply become a fan. Give some guidance and do it in a way that allows you to control that valuable first impression.