Marketing Articles About Marketing Communications Search Results
- Email Marketing: Potent tool of Internet marketing. Keeping a contact with friends and relatives living overseas has now become so easy because of the online communication tools. Pen friends hardly exist now,as email friends are more prominent. Writing...
(09/07/08 09:00 AM)
- The Necessary Dialogue. One of the biggest misconceptions I?TMve come across in the field of marketing is the notion that advertising is a one way form of communication. If you give this notion careful consideration, though...
(09/06/08 09:00 AM)
- Biz Resource: Promoting You and Your Online Biz in 140 Characters Or Less.
Home Biz Notes:
Geekpreneur offers a free Twitter ebook with a difference. If you want to get into using social media for business, this book is a great start.
With huge companies like Zappos and SouthWestern using Twitter as major communication and marketing channels, it gives you an idea of the power of Twitter as a social [...]
(08/25/08 09:00 PM)
- So You Think You’re Different?. This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
So You Think You’re Different?
Being different, or more accurately, having a point of differentiation that matters to a market, is one of the most critical marketing strategies for the small business.
Intentionally finding and centrally communicating that point of difference is what sets the truly successful business apart from the businesses [...]
(08/25/08 09:01 AM)
- Clearing the Air About Word-of-Mouth. Michael Antman's recent article, "Six Reasons Word-of-Mouth Doesn't Work," struck a chord. He raises reasonable points about the limitations of WOM; after all, it can't completely replace other forms of marketing communications.
However, we can't ignore the impact of WOM. What's more, here's what companies should be doing to leverage it.
(08/19/08 09:01 AM)
- Blogging Customer Stories. This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Blogging Customer Stories
There are so many good reasons for small businesses to use blogging as an essential marketing and communications tool that I can only hope my occasional examples turn the light bulbs on for those who still don’t yet see the value.
Lincoln Sign Company in Lincoln, NH - a [...]
(08/13/08 09:00 AM)
- Six Reasons Word-of-Mouth Doesn't Work. Is there any form of marketing communications more compelling than word-of-mouth, the enthusiastic and genuine recommendation of a person you like and trust? It's no wonder that virtually every business-to-business marketer prizes this organic, spontaneous, and?perhaps best of all?practically cost-free method of bringing in business.
But some businesses, especially on the B2B side, rely far too heavily on organic word-of-mouth strategies and, specifically, on acquiring new customers primarily through referrals.
(07/29/08 09:01 AM)
- Your Customer Lifecycle Of Needs And Wants. No one is the same when they come to you for a product, service or opportunity. Everyone needs something specifically for THEM. If you're marketing online, first start communication and build a relati...
(07/29/08 09:01 AM)
- Beyond YouTube: Getting Started With Video for Marketing and Sales. Do you want to record a video message for on-demand access? Do you want to do live video from a large meeting, conference, or other event? Or do you have completely different objectives?
For marketers truly interested in putting video communication to good use, the key to getting the job done is finding the right tools. Here's a great place to start.
(07/15/08 09:01 AM)
- How’s Your Personality?. I had a great interview with Rohit Bhargava over at the Duct Tape Marketing podcast. He is a founding member of the 360 Digital Influence team at OgilvyPR, award winning author of The Influential Marketing Blog and author of Personality Non Included, a book that urges business owners to find and communicate a unique voice [...]
(06/09/08 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)
- Email Marketing for Nonprofits. Nonprofits are confronted with many of the questions that any other enterprise often ponders: How do I connect with my customers? Which communication vehicle will provide my organization with the highest return on investment? How can I determine what my target market wants?
While many of our corporate friends have turned to email marketing to help answer these questions, the concept is comparatively new to nonprofits. Email marketing may not be the silver bullet for every problem, but it provides us with an efficient and affordable tool to communicate with our constituents.
(05/13/08 09:01 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.
Instant Download in Adobe PDF
(04/04/08 09:00 PM)
- 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!
(04/04/08 09:00 PM)
- Real-Time Messaging: Targeted Email Communications to Drive Web Site Traffic and Increase ROI. Much is being said these days about how marketing effectiveness can be increased by targeting customers with the right message at the right time based on customer behaviors and buying patterns.
However, many companies have not been able to evolve past text-based confirmation messages.
(04/01/08 09:01 AM)
- Preparing for the Future: How the CIO and CMO Must Collaborate to Win. In the past, the CMO and CIO have had a tenuous relationship, with both roles vociferously complaining about the other's lack of understanding, knowledge, and respect.
But two powerful exponential trends are forcing Marketing and IT to communicate and collaborate like never before.
(03/18/08 09:01 AM)
- Marketech 08: Using Emerging Media in Marketing.
Marketech 08: Using Emerging Media in Marketing - AMA Members-Only Webcast
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.
Register 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
You'll also receive a complimentary copy of the Marketech 08 Guide PDF that shows how to put these technologies to work for you.
This program 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.
Date: December 6, 2007
Times: Session 1 - 10am PST/ 11am MST/ 12pm CST/1pm EST or Session 2 - 12pm PST/1pm MST/2pm CST/3pm EST
Register Here for the Marketech 08 Webcast.
Host: The American Marketing Association and Dana VanDen Heuvel, a highly recognized expert on blogging, podcasting, RSS and other interactive marketing trends and a frequent guest speaker at many AMA live training programs, including the recent premier Training Series: Technomarketing event.
(12/05/07 09:01 PM)
- New Social Media Presentation Released.
I'm just putting the finishing touches on a new Social Media/TechnoMarketing presentation that I'm pretty excited about. For those organizations that make the distinction between a 'client' (long term relationship) and 'customer' (transactional relationship), I've developed a program that illustrates how to put the latest tools & technologies in play for your service organization.
Want more info? Drop me a line!
Social Media for the Service Industry Enterprise
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.
This program will provide a focused, service-organization perspective on:
- What are the 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.
- How do these integrate with existing common customer loyalty, retention, referrals and reactivation initiatives?
- What are the 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.
- 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.
Want more info? Drop me a line!
Check out my marketing speaker page more info on my other marketing related speaking engagements & programs.
(10/11/07 09:00 AM)
- Brand Management Position Available in Eau Claire, WI. Hey Folks, I recieved an email today seeking some referrals for a brand management position in Wisconsin.
The role is based in Eau Claire, WI
If you're interested, please contact:
Leasa Sanders McIntosh
leasa [at] shouldbeskiing.com
303-757-4103
Position Details:
- Develops marketing strategies and programs to drive corporate revenue and communicate corporate vision/strategy.
- Leverage market knowledge, customer understanding, marketing research, competitor assessments, and analysis to develop clear customer acquisition, retention and recapture strategies.
- Partner effectively across the organization, including corporate sales, development, operations, technology, and finance.
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously with attention to detail, tenacity, and a focus on results.
- Identify new product and market opportunities and develop/execute plans to realize revenue goals.
- Analyze program results using qualitative and quantitative techniques.
- Develop and manage marketing budget.
- Works to build and maintain relationships with all internal management team members to provide the highest level of service to our clients and their consumers.
- Provides feedback, including appropriate reporting to key management personnel in order to identify continuous quality improvement opportunities.
- Develops sales support materials, including presentations, brochures, and proposals.
- Develops materials to support internal communications and strategies.
- Develop client communications and strategies.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
(10/04/07 09:01 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)
- Podcast: The New Rules of Marketing & PR Interview with David Meerman Scott . Before the Internet and social media tools, companies could only communicate through the filter of advertising or media ink placed by a PR firm. But fortunately the rules have changed. I just interviewed David Meerman Scott author the new book,...
(06/08/07 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."
UPDATE: Kathy Sierra latest post complements (adds to) this one: Hooverin' and the space between notes (07/29/06 02:28 PM)
