The 4 Cs of Social Media
Social media is a paradox: it is the physical representation of a revolution in the way consumers obtain (and create) information. At the same time, it is just another marketing channel. The reason I believe marketers are so confused about social media is because of this paradox.
And the reaction of many is to rush into the technology. This misses the point, of course, since social media is about customer relationships and not really about the technology at all. In the past, I have written about the challenges of Social Media and The Brand, the power of Integrating Social Media and Search and asked Why Do You Tweet? Social Media And Your Personal Brand. So I thought it was best to identify a clear framework for marketers to use to create successful social media strategies.
What Is Marketing Acceleration?
What is marketing acceleration and why is it even worth discussing? In the larger context, acceleration refers to the increasing pace of change. In B2B Marketing, we are experiencing an unprecedented amount of upheaval in what defines our success. We not only need to be fast, we need to get faster. We need to be speed racers.
While we are being impacted by the rapid rise of social networks and the use of mobile technologies to connect business professionals, we are also being asked to produce more with less. More leads. More sales. Greater awareness. Less money. Less People. Fewer tools.
Marketing Leads: Quality Vs. Quantity
Last night I had the pleasure of dining with one of our media partners. We discussed the great lead quality vs. lead quantity debate. And the conversation went way later than the restaurant manager and our wonderful server wanted it to.
While we all want to be considered purveyors of nothing but the highest quality stuff, sometimes higher volume is the way to go. And when quality is required, you need to be able to deliver leads that convert.
Whatever Happened to Marketing Strategy?
The realities and pressures we all face in today’s economy are not easy. Too many times, the reaction of B2B Marketers is to pull out the fire house and start fighting the latest fire. I think one of the most important factors to success in B2B markets is simple: Strategic and Integrated Marketing Plans.
Oh and that means thinking ahead. (Disclosure: as a dedicated rant, this post is full of copious amounts of sarcasm).
Holy Cow! That Is A Lot Of Time Spent Online Using Social Media
Yes, that was my reaction to this online consumption study by the good folks at Nielsen. (Disclosure: I am a former employee of the Nielsen Company). To me this was the biggest news of the week. Bigger than Lindsay Lohan. Bigger than “The Bachelorette” finale. And bigger than the Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston breakup (I know, crazy right?).
Americans spend a ton of time on social networks and the growth is a bit startling. What we do online is changing. But what does this mean for the B2B Marketer?
Integrating Social Media and Search
Social media as a B2B Marketing technique is an evolution of the marketing tools that preceded it: organic search engine marketing and paid search advertising. But combining these techniques can provide tremendous uplift in results and ROI.
My sister blog B2C Marketing Insider recently ran this article called Where Search Meets Social: Integrating Social Media into Organic and Paid Search Can Generate Exponential ROI written by Kent Lewis, President and Founder of Social Media and Marketing agencies Anvil Media and Formic Media. The article has become one of the most popular we have ever done. And so with the author’s permission I am summarizing it here for our B2B audience.
Why Do You Tweet? Social Media And Your Personal Brand
I am an advocate for social media marketing and personal branding which I believe can help to benefit both your company and your career. And so I am often asked why I tweet, why I blog and why I participate in both online and offline social communities and events.
Despite the huge press coverage around social media, I am still surprised at how many marketers and other market-facing professionals resist the call to participate in social media and to be brand ambassadors. To me, social media is all about personal branding. Grow your personal brand, with respect and proper attribution to your company as an ambassador, and the company benefits through the greater exposure of a positive voice out to the market it serves.
7 Tips For Successful Lead Follow-up
A Guest Post By: Robert Krekstein
Telemarketing services are continuing to grow in popularity given the low cost and high return, and for most companies Tele resources are fully utilized in an outbound calling capacity. The companies that are able to create a sustainable responder generation program will see higher conversions and sales.
However, it is difficult for companies to gain inbound responders in large volumes, and too many companies do not have an optimal responder program in place to drive whatever responders they receive to an eventual sale. In my 20 years of marketing, sales and Telemarketing experience I have created many “Tele Web” programs, and here are the top reasons they succeed.
Top 5 Social Media Trends For The B2B Marketer
Are you a B2B Marketer looking for the real truth on how to make practical use of social media for your job? You are most certainly not the only one. And despite any reservations you may have, social media can help you get ahead.
In this post I will review a whitepaper produced last month by Toolbox.com in conjunction with PJA Advertising + Marketing called “Top 5 Trends in B2B Social Media Usage: What Every Marketer Should Know“ (registration required) on social media usage. The study included 5-waves with over 3,000 professionals on Toolbox.com.
67 Innovations To Help You Get Inspired
Every once in a while it’s important to step away from our everday responsibilities and ponder creative new ideas, new solutions, and innovations. Inspiration often comes from considering things outside our normal realm. One place I often turn for mental “fresh air” is the Business-to-Consumer space where there is certainly no lack of bright, creative minds dreaming up the next big thing.
Today I’m writing about a post I just re-read called “Innovation Insanity” produced by the excellent team at trendwatching.com. Here is how they describe the call to action: “the amount of talent, of creativity, of innovations, is staggering…Invent, improve, copy… or perish.”
