Marketing Articles About Marketing Communications

Marketing Articles About Marketing Communications Search Results

Results for: marketing and communications

19 items found:

A Cheat Sheet to Help You Conquer Social Media.

Social Media

Marketers who are still a little unsure about charting their path through the choppy waters of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn could do worse than check out this handy little guide to making social media work for them. The CMO's guide to the social landscape, created for CMO.com by client 97th Floor, takes all the major social media sites in the U.S. and analyzes their capabilities in four sectors: customer communication, brand exposure, driving traffic to your site, and SEOs. (For the full-sized version, click here.)

Cheat Sheet

Overall, it's YouTube and Digg that post the best results, although the former falls down on the traffic question, while the latter fails on customer communication. One thing that the cheat sheet neglects to mention, however, is how deeply you need to go into each Web site when launching a new campaign. It's pretty obvious that a softly-softly approach can get your message across on the social media. But if you over-market your product, it's un-friending all the way.

[CMO.com Via The Common Hoster]

(03/11/10 09:00 AM)

Extending Your Presentations Through the Backchannel.

Extending Your Presentations Through the Backchannel

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

ShareExtending Your Presentations Through the BackchannelThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing The term “backchannel” was coined in the field of Linguistics in the 1970’s to describe listeners’ behaviors during verbal communication. It is commonly used these days to describe the behavior or conversation going on in social media while a speaker is making a presentation. In [...] (02/05/10 09:01 AM)

Five Reasons Why Mobile Marketing Is Prime for B2Bs?And Five Key Questions B2B Marketers Should Be Asking. In the B2C space there's a lot of buzz around mobile marketing, but in the B2B sector it's more likened to a whisper. B2Bs are missing out on super-sized opportunities for integrating a valuable new brand touch point for their customers and establishing a dynamic new communications channel with professional ... (01/26/10 09:00 PM)

What Small Business Needs to Do to Get Ready for Mobile Marketing Now.

What Small Business Needs to Do to Get Ready for Mobile Marketing Now

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

What Small Business Needs to Do to Get Ready for Mobile Marketing NowThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing We’ve been talking about the coming of mobile marketing for a long time now. I remember talking about it when I was doing work for one of first PCS carriers, Aerial Communications (now owned by T-Mobile), back in [...] (12/28/09 09:00 AM)

Marketers' Choice: Run With the Big Dogs, or Stay on the Porch. Marketers need to establish and institutionalize the processes for drawing and communicating Marketing's impact, consistently and repeatedly. That means running with the "big dogs" in Finance, Sales, and the chief executive's seat... and speaking their language, and framing decisions in their terminology. (12/08/09 09:05 PM)

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Follow me on Twitter: @samdecker. I've had a couple twitter accounts for a while, but I've been more busy with two blogs, facebook, and LinkedIn. Ironically (because I'm the one who got him started with computers in the 80's!) I've been inspired by my father (@BertDecker) to give Twitter another go. Plus I've been able to synch my Twitter updates with Facebook updates with TwitterSync. Note I'm no longer going to use @deckermarketing. So follow me @SamDecker (posts on marketing, WOM, eBusiness) And also @Bazaarvoice (posts on social commerce and UGC) And my father @bertdecker (posts on communication, twitter, etc.) (02/24/09 09:00 AM)

New Event! What's Your Marketing Stimulus Plan?.

I've just launched the first of a series of marketing, thought leaderships and social media events that I'll be running in Wisconsin in 2009. If you're up for some 'marketing stimulus', I recommend that you check out this program!

The MarketingSavant Group invites you to attend the Marketing Stimulus Plan Boot-Camp, a one-day in-depth workshop that will jumpstart or revitalize your marketing efforts in these tough times. The best companies don't cut marketing spend in a downturn, they do the opposite. They know that even the toughest market conditions still provide plenty of opportunity.

Attend this one-day workshop to refine and revitalize your marketing strategy to help you swim upstream during the recession and position your company for long-term success.

Who: The MarketingSavant Group
What: What's Your Marketing Stimulus Plan? Workshop
When: January 27th, 2009 from 8:30 to 4:45
Where: De Pere, WI at the F.K. Bemis Center - St. Norbert College
How Much: $295 early reg / $395 after 1/9/09
Where do I Sign Up: At the Eventbrite website

Marketing managers, sales professionals, business owners, and executives within small to medium sized companies responsible for sustaining profitability and striving growth in a downturn will learn how to:

* Develop a road map for putting frugal, ethical and effective marketing strategies in place immediately
* Understand how new approaches in digital and social media marketing can catapult your company into new market opportunities
* Adapt your marketing spend for today's unpredictable economy
* Adjust prices and promotions without sacrificing market share or brand image
* Focus on accountability and obtaining measurable results from your investments
* Improve strategic and tactical planning with marketing ROI techniques and tools
* Manage your marketing budget and collaborate CFO and CEO

It's been said that "Every adversity carries a seed of equal or greater benefit." This program will help you and your business find the silver lining in those dark clouds by adopting creative, compelling, and low-cost/high-return marketing strategies. We'll discuss and learn new ways to devise new strategies to overcome economic turmoil, and execute new tactics to win, sustain and grow new business.
Bonus Item for Attendees:

All attendees will receive a copy of Marketing in a Downturn: Recession-Proof Strategies for Smart Marketers, a 90-page e-book featuring over 25 interviews with leading marketers, consultants, managers and business owners sharing their most effective marketing strategies for remaining profitable and sustaining growth during a downturn.

Who Should Attend?
* Marketing and communications professionals
* Small business owners
* Channel and brand managers
* Entrepreneurs and start-up managers
* Advertising and public relations professionals seeking new client solutions

You'll Walk Away With:

* Dozens of low-cost and effective ideas that you can implement immediately to jumpstart your marketing in the recession of 2009
* The tools, templates and action plans you'll need to succeed in the world of digital and social media marketing
* An idea packed e-book, Marketing in a Downturn: Recession-Proof Marketing Strategies for Smart Marketers, on how to make the most of your marketing in a recession

Register Now at Eventbrite

(02/24/09 09:00 AM)

New Event! What's Your Marketing Stimulus Plan?.

Attend this one-day workshop to refine and revitalize your marketing strategy to help you swim upstream during the recession and position your company for long-term success.

Register Now at Eventbrite

(12/17/08 09:00 PM)

Off to the ALI Social Media Summit in Chicago.

If you're in Chicago between Monday and Wednesday, drop me a line!

I'll be presenting at the ALI Social Media Summit in a pre-conference workshop. Check it out:

How To Use Social Media To Enhance And Improve Your Internal Communications Efforts - And 7 Steps To Take Your Internal Social Media Program To An External Marketing Program

Some people may think that social and emerging media tools are just for customers. However, they can greatly improve your internal communication, peer networking and knowledge sharing and management initiatives if used properly. This workshop will show you how to leverage the most prominent social media tools to strengthen your internal communications processes and improve the effectiveness of any customer-focused organization. If you're considering social media for customer/external communications, this workshop will also give you specific insights and help you to 'eat your own dogfood' before going headlong into social and emerging media & marketing with your customers and prospects.

Each attendee will take away:

A comprehensive understanding of each and every internal social media tool available to their organization
Concrete examples of organizations that are employing these tools
A roadmap of where to start and how to progress in your internal social media endeavor
Develop the business case to sell internal social media based communication tools to management
The seven steps to taking social media from an internal endeavor to an external marketing program
A comprehensive workbook which explains how to learn more about each of the tools discussed

(06/09/08 09:00 AM)

Isn't 'effective targeting' the point of e-mail marketing?.

I received this promotional email this morning from Makita Tools. For those of you that don't know, I'm a hardcore DIYer and LOVE powertools (in fact, I love tools in general...maybe I'll upload some tool collection pictures at some point). So, of course, I subscribe to the email newsletters of any power tool manufacturer that has one, even though I'm partial to Makita.

Have said all that, I find their email marketing efforts to be lacking in precision. As you'll see in the email screenshot below, they combine English and Spanish in the same email. I have nothing against Spanish - I spent 4 years of my high school and college life learning it - I do have something against poor targeting when you know that you can (and should) do better!

By simply asking for 'language preference' on their email signup form (which, by the way, is a pain in the ass to get to and is hidden under the "Team Makita" link that's hardly visible at the top of the page), you could not only eliminate the annoyance of a dual-language email, but be much more prudent in targeting by doing everything (including the subject line, which was English only...go figure).

Part of the value of email marketing is being able to tightly segment and market to your house list. Makita is missing out on a significant (though I'm not sure how big their house list is...it could be much, much larger if it were easier to sign up for!) opportunity to really communicate with your target audience!

(06/09/08 09:00 AM)

Purchase the Marketech '08 Marketing Technology Guide!.

$19.99

Marketech 08: Using Emerging Media in Marketing - eBook - $19.99

Today's service industry organizations depend on deeper and more relevant customer connections to drive loyalty, retention, referrals and reactivation within their coveted client base. These companies don't just need technology however, they need a systems perspective on how to integrate the ever changing world of social media, social networking and Web 2.0 into their core business infrastructure to meet their customers in their medium, now and in the future.

Purchase Now to Discover:

2008 Emerging Media Vehicles

How to Use New Media Vehicles to Your Advantage

The Latest Internet & Marketing Technologies that can Impact Your 2008 Marketing Plans

Your copy of the Marketech 08 Guide PDF will show you how to put these technologies to work for you.

This guide includes a service-organization perspective that will help you:

Utilize relevant marketing & customer service technologies that today's leading service organizations employ to connect with their customers. This includes an overview of tools from social networking via Facebook, organic corporate networks and customer community programs to communication vehicles like blogs, online video and podcasting.
Integrate with existing common customer loyalty, retention, referrals and reactivation initiatives.
Identify benefits and risks associated with these techniques and technologies such as lower cost to service and increased referrals vs. loss of central control and the increasing customer control of your brand reputation.
Discover who's doing this already examples and how is it working for them. We'll look at a myriad of case examples with learning's and action items than any organization can apply.

This eBook is available as an Instant Download in Adobe PDF *** Full disclosure: I wrote the e-book as part of a project for the AMA in late 2007 and retained the rights to publish. The response to the guide in my TechnoMarketing sessions and other speaking engagements has been so positive that I've decided to offer the item for sale.
(04/04/08 09:00 PM)

Isn't 'effective targeting' the point of e-mail marketing?.

(04/04/08 09:00 PM)

Disruptors Video: Social Networks for Healthcare (Sermo/PatientsLikeme). The problem with healthcare is that too often information does not flow easily between those who need it most: doctors and patients. In this week's episode of the New Disruptors, I speak with the CEOs of two startups—Ben Heywood of PatientsLikeMe and Daniel Palestrant of Sermo—trying to change all of that. Both are creating social networks for healthcare. PatientsLikeMe gathers together patients who suffer from the same diseases and compare notes, track their symptoms, and anonymously compare their progress with one another (read our profile here). On the flip side, Sermo is a social network for physicians to communicate directly with one another about the latest treatments and how they are working with actual patients. Watch the video. (Full transcript after the break). Subscribe to The New Disruptors Check out my weekly video series on CNNMoney and iTunes where I discover startups with the potential to overturn existing industries or open up new markets. (09/01/07 09:00 AM)

Tips for CIO / CMO Relationships. Forrester just published an in depth research paper titled Partnering for Success: The CIO - CMO Relationship They interviewed me months ago for this paper based on my experience working with IT in startups and Dell. Bottom line: the most important aspect to good relationships is open and frequent communication. Here was the sidebar on my answers to these questions:How can CMOs and CIOs build a more effective partnership? In my experience, there are four key principles for a culture ofeffectiveness: 1) agreement and accountability, 2) face-to-face work with no “over the fence” mentality; 3) open communications andsharing of plans and results; and 4) investment by the CIO, CMO, and their employees to build relationships. What can marketers learn from their IT peers? Marketers can learn that IT is interested in how its solutions impact the business and customer, and, by sharing this, IT is more invested in their work and have a better understanding of requirements. IT thinks in terms of architecture and how things are done. It needs to fully understand the spirit, intent, and detailed requirements of what needsto be done in order to avoid missteps. The more that marketing shares with IT, the better.... (07/18/07 09:01 AM)

Are You A Good Listener? - Small Business Podcasts. If you have ever studied marketing and communications you may have learnt about the different ways people learn and study - by listening, reading, watching or experiencing. Generally most human beings learn through one of these methods and they have a best way to digest and comprehend information. If you follow the 80/20 way of life where you maximize your working hours by only doing tasks that provide the most value for you, then discovering which way you learn most effectively is very important. While some people learn almost equally as effectively by listening to words as reading them, others... (04/06/07 09:01 AM)

A note for John Harrobin. To: John Harrobin VP Marketing--Verizon Wireless Verizon Communications Inc. 140 West Street New York, NY 10007 Happy new year, John. We've never met, and getting through to an individual at Verizon is (ironically for a communications company) pretty difficult, so... (12/26/06 09:01 PM)

B2B content trapped in need for completeness?. The one thing I like about writing is that I get to address the topic as completely as I feel I need to. Over the years I've found that the one detail I leave out in a email or brochure or webpage is the one piece of information that folks call back looking for. When blogging, I write until I feel I've addressed the topic until it is resolved in my mind. Writing saves interuptions and makes revising easy. The end result is a complete document.

Reading an article in this month's Wired called What Kind of Genuis Are You (a facinating article about two types of creatives, nicely summarized here at Reveries), I find myself identifying with 'experimentalist' creatives like Cezanne who only signed 10% of his paintings because he was never sure if they were complete or not.

Regardless, the point is that one goal of B2B marketing is communicating information effectively, which means completeness. But perhaps we are overachievers. Engineers need certain data from our materials, but they aren't dumb. They can connect the dots. We don't need to spoon-feed them.

Yet we continue to produce 'features and benefits' lists that treat them as dumb. That's because we are told that benefits sell, not features. And it becomes complete that way. How many of you have written something like this...

"Our latest model features a smaller footprint to save your valuable lab space."

Perhaps we are lacking feedback on our writing, because on the other side, this is what is happening:

Engineer reading web page: "Duh!"

How much smarter is it to leave your marketing incomplete and let the reader do the heavy lifting? The conclusion may be obvious, but the conclusion is now theirs. They own the idea now. Even complex concepts may fair better, because explaining them takes more effort then just pointing the reader in the right direction. (This happens in art and B2C advertising, but they also have the benefit of multiple mediums to make this more effective.)

Or to quote a Chinese proverb I saw somewhere else this week:

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."

I think I've reached the asymptote of completeness with this post, so I'll leave you to figure out what it means to you. (Of course I'm wondering if your reading this going 'duh', how obvious.)

UPDATE: Kathy Sierra latest post complements (adds to) this one: Hooverin' and the space between notes (07/29/06 02:28 PM)

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