So I know it has been awhile since I have posted here on Contagious and I swear it’s not because I am slacking. It’s because I have been spending the majority of my time here and here recently.

This morning I was inspired to update this blog to talk about being a finger, not a nostril. There is a joke that I heard a long time ago that I always seem to whip out at parties during that time after you meet someone and you realize you have very little in common with that person but you need to say something. Here’s how it goes:

Why do gorillas have big nostrils? Because they have big fingers.

Funny right? Yeah, not one of those jokes where people leave the party commenting on how hilarious I am by any stretch. But this joke does bring up an interesting topic on how you do work, push the envelope, and blaze new trails. The joke insinuates that the gorilla’s nostrils got big because his fingers were so big and it stretched them out. It did not mean his fingers grew larger to accommodate the large nostrils. This is an interesting distinction.

Playing in an existing space, bouncing around on the inside and exploring is fine. You see people and companies do it all the time. But until people start “enlarging the nostrils” by pushing from the inside, nothing will ever grow, evolve, and advance.

We’ve had our fun in the social media/Web 2.0 space. We’ve gone to the parties, the Tweetups, and the conventions. We’ve tried “our best” to convince big companies and clients to have a social media presence only to fall short with a measley Facebook page that hasn’t been updated in 2 months. Now it’s time to enlarge the nostrils. Who’s ready to wield a bigger finger?

Gorilla image from Nailbender. Some rights reserved.

It’s really fun to think about your marketing plan on a global scale. It’s big time with a potential to reach billions of people. But like any great marketing plan, its quality, not quanitity to brings paying customers to your door.

I am very interested in the idea of hyper-local marketing that Michael Lefebvre, The Uncommon Agent is doing in Norfolk, MA. Mike is a real estate agent in metrowest Boston that has begun doing feature videos of local town businesses. Take this one for example of Joe’s Barber Shop.

This video is successful in many ways: you get to know a town business and some history of the town, you get to know Mike and his “giving back” to support local businesses, and you are entertained by the story. This is a perfect vehicle for someone like Mike who is in the business of making connections and convincing people about hisknowledge of the area.

But this could work for corporations as well. Imagine a company like Comcast (who tries to be involved in a local level) highlighting local businesses like this. It would do wonders for their brand.

What do you think about hyper-local marketing?

With the ever-changing postal rates and regulations, it is important to notice the details in how you can streamline efficiencies. Here is the author of the blog “Hacking Netflix” in a very interesting video comparing the envelopes of Netflix and Blockbuster.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcPTjBdRStQ[/youtube]

One of the most commonly overlooked opportunities in creating effective direct mail, is the real estate inside the envelope. Frequently, marketers will spend many hours crafting a perfect teaser line or developing a compelling intro to a letter only to stuff it into a default outer envelope.

In fact, Nearly 3/4 of envelopes sent through the mail are 24lb white wove #10s. With that type of volume, you need to be able to break through the clutter. And techniques pertaining to the envelope is a great place to start. After all, it is the first thing your target will see. They say never to judge a book by it’s cover. The reality is people do anyways—and the envelope is the cover to your communication.

Of course if money was no object, marketers would be printing with gold leaf and playing around with materials designed to stimulate the senses. Although there are companies where those techniques would be applicable, there are many cost-effective ways to stand out from the crowd. Although some companies have strict brand guidelines to adhere, there are ways to use the inside of the envelope to maximize response. Here are 5 examples of how to effectively push the inside of the envelope. Read more…