Web Marketing Now and Into the Future

After years of snail mail and newspaper advertising, Ryan Staffing is now fully engaged in online marketing.

It started with our e-mail newsletters in January 2008. We took the leap into Twitter and Facebook this past year. We have been blogging for almost two years now. We started using Google Ads this past two months and we plan on launching a Facebook and YouTube advertising campaigns in the next couple months. We also use Craigs List and Indeed.com to post our job openings.

Because of all this, I am very interested in Twitter's upcoming advertising plan.

But we won't spend our money on it just yet.

Peter Kafka of Media Memo wrote about Twitter's potential advertising plan this past week. From what Kafka wrote, it seems like Twitter will look to mimic Google Ads.

But do people use Twitter's search like Google? Kafka wrote:

The caveats: Everyone I’ve talked to cautions that the plans are evolving and that there are plenty of details to work out. Including a launch date, though it seems as if the first half of this year is a very safe bet.

But at first blush, this seems like a relatively straightforward way for Twitter to get into advertising, without upsetting its growing user base: You won’t see the ads unless you use Twitter to search for something, and Twitter’s advertisers will have at least a vague idea of what you’re interested in.

There are lots of gritty details that Twitter either hasn’t worked out or hasn’t disclosed to the people I’ve talked to. For instance:

• How will advertisers buy and price the ads? Will they use a Google-like cost-per-click model or something else?
• Twitter searches are popular, but very crude. Can Twitter refine them to make them more useful to users?

Twitter's search engine sucks, for lack of a better term. And until that gets fixed, there's no use paying for it.

Instead, we plan on launching a Facebook Ad campaign in May, just when college students will be looking for jobs during their summer breaks.

In doing so, we will probably cut back our Google Ad campaign in order to fund the endeavor.

Since Jan. 1, our ad has been displayed on 6,000 Google user's pages per day. That has generated about 10 clicks to our Web site per day for a $6 cost per day.

We are still working on determining if this has resulted in an increase in qualified job applicants or not. But regardless of those findings, it can be said without question that during that time span, we have had job openings and we have filled them.

Google allows us to advertise on the search pages of people who are searching words related to unemployment, job placement and open positions. We can also advertise strictly to people with IP addresses located within a 55 mile radius of Warren.

With Facebook ads, we will be able to reach an even more targeted audience (though at an increased price). Google Ads determine who is at a search result page by what the search. So it can be inferred that someone searching the words "manufacturing job" from an IP address in Akron is an experienced manufacturing worker, currently unemployed living in Akron.

Facebook incorporates profile pages, which you may or may not know. The site then uses that information as ideal market profile sheets, matching advertisers with the ideal market groups.

As Facebook expands its reach with more business and organization "Fan" pages, it may be able to form a search competitor to Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Marketing in the wireless/paperless era will never be as simple as the snail mail/newspaper ad days of old. But with all this competition and with the efficiency capabilities of the Internet, its the best way to bust your budget.

Banks want you to pay overdraft fees

A few good stories came out on the Web this week regarding overdraft fees. As part of new credit card laws set to go into affect on Aug. 15, purchases with a debit card that exceed a person's balance will be denied, according to a New York Times article.

Debit card users will need to sign up for overdraft protection programs with their banks, paying about $35 for any overdraft purchases. Currently, banks automatically enroll their debit card users in this program and use overdraft fees to generate $20 billion in revenue, according to the NYT.

So many people now dip their balance below zero that banks generated an estimated $20 billion from overdraft fees on debit purchases and A.T.M. transactions in 2009, according to Michael Moebs, an economist who advises banks and credit unions. All of this revenue is potentially at risk, since these are the two areas that the new Federal Reserve regulations cover. (Banks generate an extra $12 billion by covering checks and recurring bills; under the new rules, they can still cover those and charge fees without customers’ consent.)

Over the last decade, these fees have become an increasingly important source of income for banks as consumers have turned to debit cards to pay for a wide variety of their purchases, whether monthly bills or a pack of gum. (Many banks also offer less controversial overdraft programs in which consumers sign up to cover shortfalls in their checking account by pulling money out of a savings account or a credit card.) -- New York Times, Feb. 22, 2010

The "opt-in" overdraft protection program should be good for consumers with a back up plan in case of an emergency. If a person doesn't have enough money in their account, the card will be rendered useless without the overdraft protection. But that person should realize their account is dwindling, therefore should change their spending habits or carry an emergency credit card.

What this new regulation will do is prevent that person who thinks he/she has $10 remaining in their account (but only has $2) from buying the Subway $5 foot long at lunch (and paying $35 in overdraft fees).

So consumers can expect plenty of snail mail and e-mail from their banks in the next few months, advising them to sign up for the overdraft programs.

Some banks may be trying to confuse its customers in order to keep them in their programs, Planet Money's Jacob Goldstein wrote.

What's more, under a new law that takes effect this summer, overdraft purchases with debit cards will be automatically denied. People will have to sign up for overdraft protection if they want to be able to buy something that costs more than they have in their account. That means banks stand to lose a lot of the money they've been making from overdraft fees on debit-card purchases. (The new rules don't affect old-fashioned paper checks.) -- Planet Money, Feb. 24, 2010

Job Layoffs Increase in January

A few day's after Tim posed the question to everyone regarding their company's financial status, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly report brings unfavorable news.

Employers laid-off 182,361 workers, according to the BLS. Of that, manufacturing employers laid off 104,846 workers last month.

At least it was better for Ohio as opposed to the rest of the country. The BLS listed Ohio as recordin ght largest decrease in mass layoffs (when 50 employees or more are laid off) than any other state. Ohio had 13,850 less lay offs in January 2010 versus January 2009.

Read it at Real Time Economics on WSJ.com

Tim's Talking About Labor Stats, Classic Rock and Pay Cards

There are a lot of economic indicators published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One specific indicator can have a different meaning for one industry than it does for an other. Fortunately for Ryan Staffing, recent indicators support the notion that business is good.

But is your business doing better? That can depend on who you listen to or believe for that matter but consider this:

• There were more new temporary jobs created in December 2009 than in any comparable period in the past 20 years according to the U.S. BLS.
• The BLS projects job growth in the employment services industry will exceed overall job growth through 2018.
• The ASA staffing index is up 5 points from a year ago.  Staffing employment in January 2010 is up 4% from a year ago.

 How is your business doing?


Editor's Note: The ASA index is often referred to as an indicator for future employment. The idea is that the temps go back to work first, then the full time employees. So hopefully the ASA index's climb can be mutually beneficial for all. Also, a great source for making sense of economic indicators is a NPR podcast called Planet Money.  -- CR

Happy Together. . . American Band. . . Kicks and More
We’re going to practice a little discrimination of our own this month.  On March 27th the 2010 Moondog Coronation Ball will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena.  If you’re like me (a product of the 60’s) and love the oldies you’ll love this year’s lineup:

•     Paul Revere and The Raiders
•     Little Anthony and the Imperials
•     The Turtles
•     Grand Funk Railroad

So, this months contest is open to all of those born before 1970. . .  the honor system is in place.  Simply click on this month’s survey question and tell us who your favorite group from the 60’s was.  Four runner-ups will receive a special surprise!

The link to the survey can be found in the February News You Can Use e-mail. If you lost the newsletter in the cluster of your inbox, send a message to info@ryanstaffing.com asking for the survey link.  



Not Rich But. . .
Last months winners of our “Get Rich” lottery package didn’t get rich but had a little excitement trying.

Pam Mealy Personnel Services Manager at Commercial Metal Forming scratched her way to $31.00 while Michael Squibs of Latrobe Steel won a grand total of $8.00.  He did report having a grand time scratching with his 12 year old son. 

The winner of the Winter Olympic package is Peggy Mullins of Wellman Products.  She will be enjoying the games in her official USA Hockey jersey.



Pay Cards are Coming to a Temp Near You
One thing my boss a long time ago taught me is that everyone’s paycheck is sacred to that person.  On top of that with the state of the economy, people living paycheck to paycheck and the use of credit cards, getting employees their paychecks in their hands on time is a must.

With this in mind, Ryan Staffing will be working toward the elimination of paper paychecks for all of its employees in 2010.  In there place, our employees will be issued a pay card that acts just like a debit card.

The advantages are many but the biggest is the elimination of the need to mail checks. . . which can be lost or delayed causing a hardship.  Pay cards will allow our temps to get their pay quicker which means turnover should go down.

Stay tuned for more info on this program as it develops.  If you have any comments or experience with pay cards drop me an e-mail at tryan@ryanstaffing.com.

Some good can come out of this mess

Having now been around the block a few times, I can say with 100 percent accuracy that recessions make businesses better. . . . provided you survive.

Long continuous business expansions have a tendency to grow us fat. It takes a good recession to show us exactly what we can live nicely without. . . get us back to being lean and mean.

Take Ryan Staffing for example. 

In 2007 we generated $315 per staff hour worked. The same number today is $454 or about 44 percent higher.

Let’s face it, competition makes us better.

One of the downsides to this is that it may slow job growth and keep the unemployment rates high.

The unemployment rate has crept to about 10, and will probably stay there, as former chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan predicted in October.

Now, can someone explain to me why the spending on WWII and the Vietnam War led to booms while Iraq and Afghanistan are blamed for the huge deficits? And what exactly did wage and price controls in the early 70’s accomplish except to keep me making $2.10/hr at the hospital I worked at? Does anyone remember surplus cheese distributions?

Out here in the Mahoning Valley we’re petrified about the impact of losing GM-Lordstown’s 3,500 jobs but we’ve lost site of the fact that about 30,000 GM jobs have disappeared since the early 80’s.

I guess what living through all the ups and downs of the past 50 years has taught me is that like the dinosaurs only the strong survive and the smartest thrive. As with prior recessions this one too will pass and we will be the better for it.

Tip of the Month: Business Necessitates in Background Checks Cover Temps Too

Sometimes during the course of placing a temp on assignment there is a tendency for the client company to forget or minimize certain co-employment legal issues.

Some of these are clearly established under law.  For example in Ohio a violation of specific safety requirement (VSSR) is the responsibility of the client.  Job related injuries to temps while under the direct supervision at the client’s location are to be recorded on the clients OSHA Log.  Family medical leave responsibilities are a joint responsibility of both the client and the temp services.

One area that is receiving more attention these days is the requirement that temps go through a background check before starting an assignment at a client location.

Often times the client will establish guidelines for the service to follow concerning checks that may be discriminatory.  This is important because the EEOC is taking a more aggressive approach in investigating claims of this sort.

On September 30, 2009 the lawsuit EEOC vs. Freeman was filed in Federal Court in Maryland.  The lawsuit contends that Freeman used credit and background checks that were not job related and subsequently discriminated against blacks and Hispanics.

The lawsuit is based on prior EEOC precedent that established that employers that use a “blanket” policy of not hiring any applicant with a history of arrests or convictions violate the act.  It goes on to say that policies like these disproportionately discriminate against certain racial and ethnic groups without a demonstrated business need present.

So, as an employer what are some of the things to consider as part of your background checking policy?

1. Consider the nature and seriousness of the offense.
2. How long ago the offense took place.
3. The nature of the job in relation to the offense. 

Some things to keep in mind when using background checking information during the hiring process include:

1. Employers may not ask questions about arrests or detentions that did not result in convictions
2. Employers my not consider crimes that have been sealed or expunged.
3. Certain restrictions apply to misdemeanors
4. Federal and state laws my contradict one another and should be reviewed.

The bottom line is that felony-free workplace policies under the EEOC are illegal.  Employers are permitted to use convictions on the basis of “Business Necessity”.

Remember, mandating your staffing service to use background checking policies that do not meet these EEOC guidelines exposes your company to possible legal action as well as the Staffing Service.

For more information see the EEOC policy guidance policy on arrest or conviction records.  As always, seek legal counsel before placing any hiring policy in place.

Come To This Alzheimer's Benefit!

Click image to enlarge. E-mail Susan Ryan, sryan@ryanstaffing.com, if you're interested in attending or sponsoring this event.

PCHRA: February meeting set for 17th

Click image to enlarge

 

NPR: People Walk Away From Homes

At the recommendation of a colleague, I started listening to an National Public Radio podcast called Planet Money.

And it was a pretty good 25 minutes of financial/economics news. It worked for me, a person with a limited understanding of GDP and secured creditors.

In the latest podcast, they talked with a real estate lawyer about "strategic foreclosures." She said that in 2008, clients were frantic about losing their homes. Now, more and more people have realized that walking away from their homes may be the best business decision.

So people are trying to get banks to foreclose faster. They are exchanging poor credit scores for affordable rent payment.

Here's an example on a much larger scale than a single-family home of a real estate strategic default.