The New/Old Media

I recently read a very informative article on “19 tips for Building an SEO Strategy for Ad Agency New Business" by Michael Gass, michaelgass@mailvresp.com.

As a veteran of the Direct Marketing business I have often thought of the similarities of the DM business and the Internet or Web-based businesses. They both speak directly to the consumer or selected audience based on the products and services that they want to market or sell to. The audience identification, which is the backbone of all successful marketing campaigns, is crucial in the Internet or Social Media world. Some other similarities that I noticed in this article by Michael Gass are outlined below. Using today’s terms I have highlighted related terms that apply to my business training.

Benchmark – Know what your current page rank is and continue to monitor it with tools such as Alexa and the Google Tool.
Corresponding DM Term – Control Package or Response Rate for the Control Package.

Blog Refer Log – Visitors to your site and where they are coming from.
Corresponding DM Term – Response Analysis.

Meaningful title and/or a descriptor statement. 
Corresponding DM Term – Teaser copy on an outer envelope.

Domain Name.
Corresponding DM Term – Product title or what your company does.

Fresh Content.
Corresponding DM Term – Interesting copy!

The more I learn from this new media the more it makes sense. It sinks in when I am able to relate it to what I already know – the trick is being open-minded enough to see the power of this new/old media. The one item that I am totally enamored with is the viral nature of this new media. I don’t ever recall a person sending along a direct mail letter or a free-standing insert to me.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

I follow a few cooking blogs to find new recipes to try out, and one of my favorite blogs to read is “Eat, Live, Run”. The author went to Le Cordon Bleu, and now develops her own recipes and blogs about them. She provides step by step instructions for each recipe, and takes beautiful pictures of each dish.

I came across her recipe for Asian Chicken Noodle Soup and tried it out last week. I loved the comfort of the chicken noodle soup and the heat from the jalapeno and sriracha sauce. I would recommend this soup to anyone who enjoys Asian flavors and would like to try a new spin on an old favorite!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4th tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 baby bok choy, chopped
5 oz chinese noodles (about half a package)
sriracha sauce for serving (optional)
chopped cilantro for serving (optional)

Directions:
Heat the sesame oil over medium high heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the minced garlic and ginger and briefly saute for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and bok choy, sprinkle with salt, and saute for another three minutes until chicken has turned white but not completely cooked all the way through.

Add the chicken broth, jalapeno and green onions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling salted water, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir. You can add a little more salt if you like, but taste first because soy sauce already contains a lot of salt! Add the noodles to the pot and serve with chopped cilantro and sriracha sauce on the side.

Time:
45 minutes