Google Therapy?

For some reason CNN is reporting that consumers are just now getting a little uncomfortable with all of the information Google collects on internet surfers. Just now? Google has been collecting information on web searches for years. So why are consumers suddenly starting to squirm? It's Google's new line of "therapy" services.

Google has such a large share of the search market that it makes more money in one quarter than Yahoo does in an entire year. People don't say, "Do an internet search for that." They say, "Google it". I'd say that's nearly a monopoly. (And Google was mad at Microsoft?)

Google supposedly keeps track of nearly 1 billion web users. That includes their other services such as Gmail. If you have a Gmail account, you should take note of the ads next to the email you are reading. Your email has been scanned to make sure the ad matches the content of your mail.

As if Google holding your mail up to the light wasn't enough, they also have the nifty Google Desktop search that scans your computer's contents for you. Just a friend coming over to help you look for those files, right?

Then there's Google Earth. Not only can it show you what a town looks like at street level, some of those street level photos include people going about their day. How long before Google works out an arrangement to tap into city surveillance so you can get an up-to-the-minute report of what's going on down on 4th Street?

Some products, such as Web History, make the general public a little more edgy. Web History is supposed to keep track of searches and website content for years. Right now Google holds your data for two years. Why would you want that information stored for that long?

According to CNN “Users learn what predictable creatures they are -- what good and bad habits they have -- when their entire Web search record is revealed, stretching back days, months, even years.

By offering a digital record of users' daily interests, Google is giving those who choose the service an unprecedented level of insight into their own thinking.

Computers have begun to play the confessional role once reserved for the local priest, or psychotherapist.”

Nice try, but no.

Conspiracy theory is not something that drives my day, but this is the stuff sci-fi thrillers are made of. Right up there with surveillance cameras being plugged into every street corner and fingerprints being held on record just to go to Disneyland; Google is topping the list of “Companies that know more about me than my own mother”.

(Photo Source: Mike Reed)

Google’s Data Vault: Why they need to know you searched for “Paris Hilton” 20 times in the last 2 years

Recently Google spurred some debate centered on how long they keep consumer data they have collected through internet searches and various other Google outlets. Up until the EU made it known they were unhappy with Google’s data saving policies; Google held on to data stamped with personal information for 2 years.

In a recent blog, Google tried to clarify their reasons for collecting such information as well as why they tuck it away for so long.

“We have a legitimate interest in retaining search server logs for a number of reasons:

• to improve our search algorithms for the benefit of users
• to defend our systems from malicious access and exploitation attempts
• to maintain the integrity of our systems by fighting click fraud and web spam
• to protect our users from threats like spam and phishing
• to respond to valid legal orders from law enforcement as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes like child exploitation; and
• to comply with data retention legal obligations.

We are announcing a new policy: to anonymize our search server logs after 18 months, rather than the previously-established period of 18 to 24 months. We believe that we can still address our legitimate interests in security, innovation and anti-fraud efforts with this shorter period…”

Google went on to explain that the time period may have to be upped again to 24 months or even longer, but at no point could it dip below 18 months.

Anyone unnerved yet?

Photo source: Aceshowbiz.com

Small Business vs. Corporations: Are you trying to slay the giant?

Did you know that in 2004, out of twenty-five and a half million registered US businesses, only about six million were considered corporations or employer firms? That means roughly 75% of US firms are considered small businesses, and that number has been growing more rapidly than employer firms since 1997. Yet, this mass of small businesses only account for 3.4% of the $22.8 billion dollars in sales receipts that year. Why the gap in earning power between corporations and small businesses? Stellar copy coupled with appropriate marketing venues.

These days, there are a lot of corporations that did not start out as a “Mom and Pop” operation. Many were launched with enormous budgets with an especially large chunk set aside for marketing. How does a small business compete with that?

What eventually set them apart from other businesses was not necessarily their amazing product that mows your lawn, records your movies and increases your energy all at the same time. No. What set them apart was the extensive research that provided them with a ticket to the latest movie of “Who our customers are, what they need, and why they need it.” Once they had that information, they visited the prestigious advertising firm of “We kick marketing tail” and found a way to connect to their consumers on an emotional level. The rest is profit history.

Competing against corporate giants and their huge marketing budgets is no small feat. If you are running a small business, you probably have little in the way of funds to direct towards marketing. Most of your business probably comes from word of mouth and repeat customers. When it comes to marketing your business, not only do you lack the corporate-sized funds; you also lack the time to research, write and implement marketing techniques yourself. It’s time to find a freelance copywriter.

It’s true; some freelance copywriters are more expensive than others. Still, there have been great marketing campaigns that were created by a greenhorn who possessed little in the way of experience but a lot in the way of creativity and a fresh perspective.

A good freelance copywriter will know how to “juice the orange” before creating copy. Pat Fallon and Fred Senn, cofounders of the Fallon Worldwide marketing firm, spell out how to create a powerful business advantage from a creative perspective in their book Juicing the Orange, from the Harvard Business School Press (2006). Take it from these marketing masters; you don’t need a huge marketing budget to outpace the corporations and gain a larger consumer base. You need a copywriting extraordinaire who possesses the creativity that will generate a foundation of loyal customers who have been “branded” for life.

How do you choose the right copywriter?

The best way is to find a copywriter who either clearly expresses knowledge in your product or service, or is willing to put in the time to research it thoroughly. You don’t have to pay top dollar for a good copywriter. You have to pay top dollar for copywriters who have been in the business long enough to know they deserve more than they charged when they first started out.

There are many inexpensive copywriters that excel at what they do, they just haven’t figured out they’re worth more than they charge. This relationship between you and your copywriter is a symbiotic one; you get great copy and marketing know-how for less than half the price and they get another notch in their belt that reminds them they are only a few years away from charging much more than they do now.

It’s time to get out there and hire a freelance copywriter that can help your business slay, or at least kick, the corporate giants and take a bigger slice of that $22 billion dollar pie.

Photo Source: FreeFoto.com

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