A double-standard on social media marketing?
If you’ve been reading the blog posts this week about social media and measurement, you owe it to yourself to read the fascinating comment section under the article The biggest lie in social media marketing. Smart people read this blog!! One commentary from Trey Pennington reflects a common obstacle for many of us — a […]
Twitter for business: Four breakthrough insights
I’m privileged to introduce a week-long series of B2B social media insights with Dr. Ben Hanna, Vice President of Marketing for Business.com, where he oversees brand strategy, online marketing, public relations, social media, direct marketing and events. Ben is a true online marketing pioneer. Prior to his current position, Ben led the eBay B2B trading […]
Your website is NOT a strategy
Your website is not a business strategy!
Lessons from a marketing strategy gone wrong (mine!)
The theme for the blog this week is “strategy” and the first thing I needed to do is turn the microscope on myself. It’s ugly. I have not been following my own rules … but let’s see what you might learn from my mistakes. Something I have preached relentlessly: When you start a social media […]
A great example of B2B social media marketing
Two weeks ago I named GE as one of the Top 5 B2B superstars utilizing social media marketing strategies. Yesterdays’ announcement on a new R&D Center in Michigan and 1,200 new jobs is a wonderful illustration of why they earned this honor. 1) An “announcement about the announcement” was broadcast over the GEreports website, blog, […]
Why B2B’s MUST adopt social media strategies
With most of my career with Fortune 100 blue chip companies, I know what it’s like to market in a hyper-competitive, show-me-the-money environment. I’ve been aggressively skeptical about the role of social media in an environment where there is a finite number of customers, an emphasis on long-term contracts, and no patience for fluff. But […]
Are you big enough to have a brand?
Many business owners think their companies are too small to have a brand. Do YOU have a brand? Yes, you do! A brand is your promise to your customers. It is the personification of your company. It is defined by … … everything you do and say … everything you DON’T do and say … […]
What to do when customers are pounding you
It’s a buyer’s market and you are probably getting whacked with a big heavy customer stick to LOWER PRICES! There’s nothing you and I can do about the balance of power right now. However, I wanted to provide eight ideas for you to eke out some competitive advantage even in an environment of buyer power: […]
The writing’s on the wall: An interview with Sharpie’s Twitter Queen
When I first learned that Sharpie pens had its own Twitter-er, I couldn’t believe it. How in the world could you spend your day writing 140-character statements about INK PENS? I decided to “follow” SharpieSusan and see for myself. I’m hooked. The enthusiasm, authenticity and wit driving her stream of tweets is addictive! A former […]
Your website is not a strategy
Here’s a mistake I see repeated so often by small business owner — assuming that their website IS the marketing plan. Many people imagine the Internet like a Mississippi River of money — a wide, swollen sea of cash just rushing by! All you have to do is put an Internet site out there and […]