Category: What’s New

How to Earn Respect in Social Media

Both of my grandmothers always told me, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.” I never understood why until later in life. This saying becomes more poignant when dealing with social media communities, although our ears in this case are our eyes because of the mode of communication that drives social media communities. When delving into social communities, be humble, don’t shoot off your mouth, and don’t announce your arrival with ticker tape parades and bullhorns. No one likes a showoff or know-it-all. Continue reading How to Earn Respect in Social Media

10 Proven Applications for Social Media

Tenured digital marketing professionals have been applying social media for end business and marketing objectives for years. But what is clearly valuable to some is still a mystery to many. Whether you’re a marketer trying to get buy-in for social media from the top or a small business owner wondering why you should bother, knowing high impact applications of social media are helpful. If you’re looking to build relationships with connected, influential individuals (and what business isn’t?) then it’s no longer a question of if you should engage in social media, rather it’s the how and the why. Continue reading 10 Proven Applications for Social Media

What Direct Marketing Needs Now: A New Shot of Creativity

Updating Five Principles From David Ogilvy to Help Connect With Consumers

As The DMA dissects the state of direct marketing in San Diego, we have a solution behind which the industry can rally right now: re-inject creativity. Creativity is both ideas and innovation — creative ideas which will persuade and modern experiences through which customer relationships will thrive. It comes from looking at challenges differently, imagining not what is, but what can be. Creativity will free the work (and remember, it’s about the work) from the “prison of the proven” in which too much direct is currently stuck. Creativity will help our brands get on our customer’s short list, motivate action, and earn a deeper and longer-lasting relationship. Creativity also will return us to an industry with guts, and frankly, that will help us attract the young and smart. Don’t we want that? Don’t we need that? Continue reading What Direct Marketing Needs Now: A New Shot of Creativity

5 Need-to-Knows for Successful Social Media Marketing

Social media has taken off so quickly this year that, hopefully, by now you’ve set up social profiles on the appropriate networks to reach clients and prospects, and your brand profiles are showing up in natural search results. But what about paid search? Many of the most popular social networks, such as YouTube and Facebook, offer paid ads. But do people look at these ads when they’re on the sites? Continue reading 5 Need-to-Knows for Successful Social Media Marketing

Lumpy Mail: An Engine for Lead-Generation

There’s nothing quite like a box or bulging padded envelope in the mail. It makes your inner child hop up and down, tug your sleeve and ask — nay, nag: “What’s inside? Huh? HUH? WHAT’S INSIDE?” This happens even when the package contains something you ordered. The effect is multiplied when it’s something you didn’t order. An eager, inner child dwells within us all. Even hard-to-reach corporate curmudgeons, who take pride in chucking unopened direct mail or delegating the task to administrative assistants, harbor such a child. And that is precisely why well-executed lumpy mail works. It has the uncanny ability to find its way to the curmudgeon’s hands — and heart. It even charms their administrative assistants, some of whom, rumor has it, also once had hearts. Continue reading Lumpy Mail: An Engine for Lead-Generation

7 Steps to Social Media Success

Viral marketing is tantalizing. The promise of vast coverage with minimal cost is alluring. The problem is bad news travels faster than good. Creating campaigns designed to become the next trending topic on Twitter is risky behavior. When attempts to manipulate the marketplace are discovered, the negative response irreparably damages the brand. Using social media to engage your customers is a better investment. It improves loyalty, increases sales and reduces costs. The secret to successful engagement is having conversations that are interesting to the participants. And this requires talking with your customers one at a time. If you do it well, there is a chance your message will go viral. But that isn’t the objective. It is a bonus feature. Continue reading 7 Steps to Social Media Success

Five Fundamentals of Integrated Marketing

multi-channel-marketingV2A top exec from an online marketing services company recently asked me if I had any great examples of companies
that truly excel at integrated marketing. Sadly, my response was, “No.”
Perhaps that’s not entirely fair. There are lots of good examples of integrated marketing campaigns. We read about them in the press all the time, and we watch companies and agencies win accolades for them. But the keyword is “campaign.” These typically isolated campaigns leverage multiple tactical elements across channels. I’m not aware of any company that’s truly integrated in its approach to marketing. Why? Well, truly integrated marketing is hard, darn it… Continue reading Five Fundamentals of Integrated Marketing