We just got back from our summer family vacation, and it was terrific! This year we decided to spend some time, in the “off season,” in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Everything was nearly perfect, aside from airline delays and having them lose our luggage (It finally got to us, but in the Caribbean, who cares?). The beaches were beautiful, the water amazing – the perfect relaxing time with the family.
The only thing odd about the whole thing is that the people drive on the wrong side of the road. OK, maybe it’s not wrong, but it’s completely the opposite of how we drive in North America. It takes a little getting use to driving on the left, but it’s not too bad, except with turning right, or left, or dealing with the roudabouts.
It forces you to pay very close attention to what you’re doing. Normally driving is something that we can practically do in our sleep, and by the traffic here in Central Ohio, many of the drivers are definitely dozing. However, making a change to driving on the left meant that not only did I have to pay attention, but everyone in the vehicle was also paying close attention to making sure I didn’t screw up and get us all killed in paradise.
Now that I’m back, I think I’m a better driver. I’m less on autopilot, and I’m more conscientious of the act of driving. I don’t know how long this awareness will last, but it’s a good thing.
See where I’m going (this is a marketing blog, after all)? Is your marketing on autopilot? When was the last time you stepped away from your desk and looked at everything from a fresh perspective? Can you see how your marketing works from your customers’ and prospects’ perspectives?
That’s tough to do, especially when you’re in the trenches, trying to make your business run efficiently. But, it’s critical that you do it every now and then. The more you can change your perspective and give your marketing a hard look, the more likely you’ll be to find successful approaches.
One of the best ways to gain this perspective is to take an occasional marketing holiday. Get away from the office, step outside your comfort zone, and look at what’s happening with a completely different market. Don’t look at your things or your competitors. Spend some time looking at what a completely different industry is doing. If you can, find a guide that can help you find the really interesting and effective material. Find out how it works, and why.
Then, go back and look at your marketing with fresh eyes. You’ll be more aware and more thoughtful about what you’ve been doing, and you will be prepared to make the necessary changes.
If you need a guide, I’d be happy to take you on a marketing vacation. Let’s drive on the other side of the road together and see some really interesting, exciting, and effective marketing. Then, take a look at what you’ve been doing with fresh eyes. Give me a call or drop me a line.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tom Goes on a Diet and Thinks about Marketing
I’ve been working out for almost a year now. Like a lot of you, I’ve made various attempts to get in or stay in shape over the years and I’ve had trouble sticking to it. But this time, I’m really enjoying it. Maybe it’s turning 40, or maturing in more ways than just the graying hair. Whatever the cause, this time working out is fun and I’m planning on making it a lifelong activity.
I’m feeling great and recently decided to improve my diet, too. I’m a guy, so I don’t like to say, “I’m on a diet,” but technically, what we eat and how we eat is our diet and that’s what I’ve changed. And, as you might suspect, if you know me or have been reading this blog, it’s occurred to me that these changes are a great metaphor for achieving marketing success.
Here are the four steps you need follow to succeed with personal fitness:
For marketing, it’s exactly the same approach, but instead of “eat” in Step #4, change that to “Market” or “Promote”.
For some, these steps might appear out of order, but let me tell you why it’s important to do it this way. You have to make the commitment up front, not after deciding on a plan or budget. Those are tactical decisions. Before you start on marketing for your company, you have to decide what you want, not how you’re going to get it. Pick something like, “I want to grow my sales by 5% in the next 12 months.” Commit to that and the choices you make about what to do will support that goal. You can change any individual exercise or program as long as you keep your goal firmly in mind and fully committed.
Next, you’ll need your plan. If you’re like me and didn’t have a clue about how to work out the right way, you’ll need help. You probably won’t achieve your goals if you don’t have a plan that will do the right things at the right time. There are so many things you can do when you go to the gym, so many choices. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s intimidating. You’ll probably just end up on the treadmill, putting on the miles but getting nowhere. With a plan, you can see real progress.
The other part of working out and marketing is changing things up. If you do the same workout over and over, you’ll see results rather quickly, and then you’ll suddenly stop changing. That’s called a “plateau.” A small change in your workout will bring new results. The same things will happen with your marketing. You might have a great campaign, but it won’t keep attracting attention forever. You have to be prepared before you start, and know when to change things up and how to keep the results coming. That means measuring, analyzing, and being prepared in advance to know what to change and when, based upon your measurements and results.
Diet is that final piece. What I’ve learned recently, and it’s not obvious, is that I’m not eating often enough. I’m now eating seven meals a day (including snacks). I’ve made the choice to eat good quality foods, get rid of the junk, and not to concentrate everything into one or two big meals a day (and getting hungry in-between). Good marketing follows the same pattern. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen companies blow their entire marketing budget on one or two big pushes or events, and then starve for the rest of the year. Effective marketing means consistency, repetition, and ALWAYS having something going on. I’m dropping the pounds and getting leaner. Is your feast or famine marketing generating leads?
And the most important thing for me in making fitness and diet work is that I found a friend who knows what to do, has been there before, and pushes me to keep at it. The real difference that is helping me succeed now, where I’ve failed before with diet and working out, is having someone to work out with and keep me motivated — a coach, a trainer. You’ll need that same thing to be successful with your marketing.
That’s the role that Minds On takes for our clients. I’d love to talk with you about getting your marketing efforts in shape. There’s plenty of time left in this calendar year to make things happen and it’s never to early to plan on what comes next. Let me know what you’re doing to get fit or tone up your marketing! Give me a call or drop me a line.
I’m feeling great and recently decided to improve my diet, too. I’m a guy, so I don’t like to say, “I’m on a diet,” but technically, what we eat and how we eat is our diet and that’s what I’ve changed. And, as you might suspect, if you know me or have been reading this blog, it’s occurred to me that these changes are a great metaphor for achieving marketing success.
Here are the four steps you need follow to succeed with personal fitness:
- You have to commit to change and decide on a goal.
- You need to create a plan.
- You need a routine, but that routine must change over time so you don’t plateau.
- You need to eat the right things and eat them more often.
For marketing, it’s exactly the same approach, but instead of “eat” in Step #4, change that to “Market” or “Promote”.
For some, these steps might appear out of order, but let me tell you why it’s important to do it this way. You have to make the commitment up front, not after deciding on a plan or budget. Those are tactical decisions. Before you start on marketing for your company, you have to decide what you want, not how you’re going to get it. Pick something like, “I want to grow my sales by 5% in the next 12 months.” Commit to that and the choices you make about what to do will support that goal. You can change any individual exercise or program as long as you keep your goal firmly in mind and fully committed.
Next, you’ll need your plan. If you’re like me and didn’t have a clue about how to work out the right way, you’ll need help. You probably won’t achieve your goals if you don’t have a plan that will do the right things at the right time. There are so many things you can do when you go to the gym, so many choices. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s intimidating. You’ll probably just end up on the treadmill, putting on the miles but getting nowhere. With a plan, you can see real progress.
The other part of working out and marketing is changing things up. If you do the same workout over and over, you’ll see results rather quickly, and then you’ll suddenly stop changing. That’s called a “plateau.” A small change in your workout will bring new results. The same things will happen with your marketing. You might have a great campaign, but it won’t keep attracting attention forever. You have to be prepared before you start, and know when to change things up and how to keep the results coming. That means measuring, analyzing, and being prepared in advance to know what to change and when, based upon your measurements and results.
Diet is that final piece. What I’ve learned recently, and it’s not obvious, is that I’m not eating often enough. I’m now eating seven meals a day (including snacks). I’ve made the choice to eat good quality foods, get rid of the junk, and not to concentrate everything into one or two big meals a day (and getting hungry in-between). Good marketing follows the same pattern. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen companies blow their entire marketing budget on one or two big pushes or events, and then starve for the rest of the year. Effective marketing means consistency, repetition, and ALWAYS having something going on. I’m dropping the pounds and getting leaner. Is your feast or famine marketing generating leads?
And the most important thing for me in making fitness and diet work is that I found a friend who knows what to do, has been there before, and pushes me to keep at it. The real difference that is helping me succeed now, where I’ve failed before with diet and working out, is having someone to work out with and keep me motivated — a coach, a trainer. You’ll need that same thing to be successful with your marketing.
That’s the role that Minds On takes for our clients. I’d love to talk with you about getting your marketing efforts in shape. There’s plenty of time left in this calendar year to make things happen and it’s never to early to plan on what comes next. Let me know what you’re doing to get fit or tone up your marketing! Give me a call or drop me a line.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Where Does Social Media Fit in B2B Marketing?
I recently did a series on Empowering Your Sales Team. I’d like to turn my attention to another topic for a few posts: B2B Marketing. But before all of you B2C folk click away, I think you’ll find that some of the same lessons apply to you.
Business-to-Business marketing is often thought of as less sexy and interesting than consumer marketing. That may be true for some companies, but certainly not all. But there are a lot of very innovative B2B companies out there that understand this one fundamental principal: businesses buy like consumers today and consumers are all over social media.
Social media is the term we apply to a collection of Internet tools that include blogging and tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Foursquare. At first glance, they all appear to be exactly what they claim: social, trivial, and fun. B2B shouldn’t be fun, should it?
But there’s a lot going on here that makes perfect sense for B2B marketing. Social media is all about spreading the word about things individuals like and dislike. In social media, things can happen quickly. Good news grows real roots and bad news moves at the speed of light.
Social media is actually the perfect set of tools for the B2B marketer. It’s a way to grow and share content about your business, your market, and your customers. It’s a way to establish credibility, and it’s a set of tools to let you address PR disasters in minutes.
The core of any good B2B social media approach is content...lots of content. That’s where your blog comes into play. Nothing increases Search Engine Optimization (SEO) like great content that's frequently published. And if you’re publishing things that are interesting and valuable to your customers and prospects, you’ll quickly find it is one of the most cost- effective ways to spread the word about your products and services.
Then you can move on to Facebook Fan pages and other social media tools. It’s worth nothing that Facebook has over 500 million users. How many of your customers are also Facebook users? There are endless things you can do. It’s helpful to have a strategy and make social media part of your overall marketing plan. Your social media strategy and plans don’t have to be difficult and you don’t have to employ a team of teenagers to make it work. It’s just another way, perhaps a better way, to communicate directly with your customers and prospects.
I’d love to hear what you think about social media and how you’re using it in your business and as part of your overall marketing plan. Give me a call or drop me a line.
Business-to-Business marketing is often thought of as less sexy and interesting than consumer marketing. That may be true for some companies, but certainly not all. But there are a lot of very innovative B2B companies out there that understand this one fundamental principal: businesses buy like consumers today and consumers are all over social media.
Social media is the term we apply to a collection of Internet tools that include blogging and tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Foursquare. At first glance, they all appear to be exactly what they claim: social, trivial, and fun. B2B shouldn’t be fun, should it?
But there’s a lot going on here that makes perfect sense for B2B marketing. Social media is all about spreading the word about things individuals like and dislike. In social media, things can happen quickly. Good news grows real roots and bad news moves at the speed of light.
Social media is actually the perfect set of tools for the B2B marketer. It’s a way to grow and share content about your business, your market, and your customers. It’s a way to establish credibility, and it’s a set of tools to let you address PR disasters in minutes.
The core of any good B2B social media approach is content...lots of content. That’s where your blog comes into play. Nothing increases Search Engine Optimization (SEO) like great content that's frequently published. And if you’re publishing things that are interesting and valuable to your customers and prospects, you’ll quickly find it is one of the most cost- effective ways to spread the word about your products and services.
Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents, says, “Content is my best B2B social media lesson. I’ve seen many companies learn that providing interesting content (like video testimonials or how-to information) is a great way to encourage prospects, warm up leads, and convert to sales opportunities.”Once you’ve got your blog in place, you can start using Twitter to spread the word. You should also consider getting your customer service team up on Twitter ASAP. Having your team watch Twitter for your company name and keywords on Twitter are great ways to spot a problem. Responding to it and fixing it immediately can win you big praise.
Then you can move on to Facebook Fan pages and other social media tools. It’s worth nothing that Facebook has over 500 million users. How many of your customers are also Facebook users? There are endless things you can do. It’s helpful to have a strategy and make social media part of your overall marketing plan. Your social media strategy and plans don’t have to be difficult and you don’t have to employ a team of teenagers to make it work. It’s just another way, perhaps a better way, to communicate directly with your customers and prospects.
I’d love to hear what you think about social media and how you’re using it in your business and as part of your overall marketing plan. Give me a call or drop me a line.
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