Marketing

9 Ways Your Business Needs To Change To Become Social

by Ilana Rabinowitz · August 16, 2011

Social media has changed the way we do almost everything. We make buying decisions, find jobs, play games, listen to music and learn socially. But for business it’s clearly been a more challenging shift. Engaging in social media requires a fundamental change to the way businesses function and think. No wonder so many are slow to embrace social media and devote budgets to it.

The challenge is that most businesses are stuck in traditional thinking and marketing that doesn’t translate well to a social atmosphere, on- or off-line. While many people are advocating the evolution of businesses to becoming, “social businesses,” few people are outlining specific changes that will help them.

43 comments

Google’s Big Play on Content Marketing, Influence & SEO

by Adam Helweh · July 22, 2011

If you are an early adopter or digital marketer then you have likely hunted down your invite, registered and created a few circles worth of connections on the shiny new social network known as Google+. Google’s latest attempt at social networking has been the talk of most towns since it was first announced less than a month ago. What do I think? In short, I think Google+ is great and can only get better. For the long version I would refer to Jason Falls’ spot on and poignant post from last week.

19 comments

That Website Ain’t Gonna Visit Itself

by Andrew Hanelly · June 28, 2011

If you build it, they will, well, probably go somewhere else.

Your target audience probably doesn’t share the same level of enthusiasm that you have toward your new website/redesign/mobile app/digital venture. More than likely, they won’t even notice. They’ll go about visiting their normal destinations online; checking Facebook, maybe Twitter, and dipping into their pool of RSS subscriptions.

But your target audience almost definitely won’t just come to your website because it happens to be there.

Launching your endeavor is a big first step. But it’s just the beginning of a long, long marathon.

69 comments

Should We Be Un-Integrating Our Marketing?

by Eric Brown · June 14, 2011

Ever notice that there are always two camps: One that wants to split things down the center and be all things to all people, and the other that is radically on one side or the other sucking down the Kool-Aid with a giant straw?

As of late I have found myself trying to be closer to the center, saying such things as you need an integrated marketing approach. I think that is a mistake. I should be asking, “What marketing venue or platform are you going to stop doing, before you start doing social media marketing?: The best way is NOT an integrated marketing approach. Businesses simply cannot add more things. More marketing equates to spending more money. A more appropriate question would be, “What are we going to stop doing in order to allow room for worn out ways to pass and new ways to emerge?”

33 comments

Want Your Message to Resonate? Say it Again. Want Your Marketing Message to Resonate? Say it Again.

by Andrew Hanelly · June 7, 2011

Growing up, my mom had to constantly remind me to do the things she needed me to do.

After the fifth or so reminder, I’d reluctantly get up and put my clothes in the hamper (or complete whichever menial task she’d requested of me). On my way back to couch potato land, I’d let her know how much of a nag she was under my breath.

She’d almost always counter (correctly) with the same argument: “Well, if you did it the first time I asked, I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.”

14 comments

The Network Does the Targeting

by Jason Falls · May 23, 2011

Editor’s Note: Today’s offering is a guest post is by Jeremy Epstein, founder and chief marketing navigator at Never Stop Marketing.

Here’s the thing about radical transformations: They are radical and they are transformative.

Duh. I know.

But, if you agree that the arrival of the Internet, social tools, and mobile technologies are radically transformative, then it’s not such a far stretch to ask yourself “well, shouldn’t marketing be radically transformed?”

Image via Wikipedia

And then, it stands to reason, that the canon of marketing as we have known it, also requires that it be challenged.

3 comments

5 Reasons Your Marketing Is A White Hot Mess

by Heather Rast · May 5, 2011

“Whaa? Are you talkin’ to me?” Yeah, I’m talking to you. Whether you’re part of a small marketing team or just a regular ol’ small biz (where everyone wears a marketing hat), I’m talking to you. Specifically, you team managers or small business owners who, along with an assistant and intern, do it all.

Or maybe I should say, do it all wrong.

White. Hot. Mess. Your marketing programs may be in poor shape for some of these reasons (why stop at 5?):

Misplaced value
Vague or inconsistent priorities
Not beginning with the end in mind

9 comments

If Facebook Comments Are Gold, Here’s How To Dig For More

by Ilana Rabinowitz · May 4, 2011

Imagine that you are standing at the podium in front of a large audience who purchased tickets to see you. After speaking for a while, you start to see their eyes glazing over. You are not connecting with them. As their attention wanders, you see people start to filter out of the room. Eventually, you find yourself speaking to a room where the seats are half empty.

18 comments

Solve Problems for Your Customers with Content, Don’t Create New Ones

by Andrew Hanelly · April 26, 2011

We in marketing love us some big ideas.

Attention-getting, jaw-dropping, breathtaking ideas that captivate our audience and sway them into taking action. It’s how we get noticed. It’s how we win awards. It’s how we achieve ROI.

Or so we think.

On paper, the ideas we come up with are brilliant. The storyboard is compelling. The concept will change everything. The “personas” are delighted. The idea is a success.

On paper.

But our audience doesn’t live on paper – they live in the real world. And they aren’t personas, they are individual people.

20 comments

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →