16
Jul 2009

Public Relations sells!

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The art of selling through informing…

Throughout my career as a product marketer I tended to view Public Relations as a promotion activity. And with promotion I mean free publicity in media. As such PR is usually seen as a welcome addition to advertising.

With the rise of the social web, a different aspect of PR becomes increasingly important. On the web, the most valuable thing PR can do is to help businesses build relations with prospects, customers and stakeholders.

Building relationships. Right.
Does that sell anything?
The answer to that question is: YES. Public relations sells.

Why?

[Read more…]

Categories: PR 2.0 Tags: , , , , , ,
15
Jul 2009

Did I mention mass communications doesn’t work in social media?

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Getting in a targeted messaging headset…

Many businesses see the biggest advantage of social media as simply reaching more people. Is it true?

Well, yes, you do reach more people, but if you don’t also adapt your messaging for these people, you end up with what Seth Godin calls a ‘meatball sundae’: an unfortunate mixing of two good ideas.

In the days of mass media you would do one television or print ad for everyone. People were considered as mass markets – and your messaging was ‘one size fits all’.

The biggest impact social media has had for businesses, is that it has split mass markets into lots of niches.

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Categories: Social Media Tags: , , , , , ,
09
Jul 2009

First impressions

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The fundamentals of B2B Marketing…

I’m often being asked by friends why I dedicate so much time to writing my blog, maintaining my Linkedin profile, getting Twitter contacts, crafting presentations to publish on the web, commenting on people’s blogs et al.

This video answers all these questions:

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Categories: Online Reputation Tags: , , , , , , ,
02
Jul 2009

Smarter marketing: don’t advertise, help inform!!

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McKinsey change the purchase funnel!

Everyone knows the purchase funnel gets narrower towards the end, right? The entire marketing process has been aligned to this principle for more than forty years.

Well, now we can think again. McKinsey’s recent global study shows a definite change in the way consumers research and buy products. And that opens up ways of smarter marketing.

McKinsey have replaced the traditional purchase funnel with the ‘Customer decision journey’. At the beginning of this journey, the consumer begins with an ‘Initial consideration set’ of brands or products. So far, so much the same.

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Categories: Content Marketing, Content marketing strategy, PR 2.0, Social media strategy Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
24
Jun 2009

It’s all about them. Not you.

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A quick check to see where your company head is at…

Depending on which source you prefer, the average person is exposed to anywhere from 2 to 3,000 advertising messages each day. That’s an awful lot of noise, an awful lot of people shouting about their product.

People are so bombarded by advertising messages that they are becoming immune. It’s not just banners and display ads. Most companies treat their website just like an advertising brochure: a chance to shout about their product.

The challenge is to stand out. People are hardwired to notice things that are different. So instead of talking about ‘you’ – your product features and spec, try talking about ‘them’ – the problems you solve for your prospects and customers.

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Categories: PR 2.0, Social Media Tags: , , ,
22
Jun 2009

Harvesting emails the social way

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Using online content to build relationships…

Want to harvest emails? Then don’t ask for people’s email address. Not just yet. Instead, try giving them some great free content first.

It’s pretty amazing to see how much valuable stuff one can obtain via the World Wide Web. I’m talking not only about valuable content you can find on websites, blogs and forums, but also downloadable documents such white papers, e-books, case studies, trend reports and market research to name but a few.

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Categories: Social Media Tags: , , , , , , , ,
18
Jun 2009

Is email marketing better than social media marketing?

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Comparing apples and pears…

Recently a press release was put out by e-Dialog, a leading provider of email marketing solutions, which stated: “E-mail trumps other direct marketing channels for driving sales conversions”.

Unfortunately some media outlets especially in The Netherlands all gave it their own spin, leading to misleading headlines such as ‘Consumers are more sensitive to email marketing than to social media marketing’.

OK. Now I’m angry. Let’s look at the facts here:

[Read more…]

Categories: Social Media, Social media marketing
10
Jun 2009

Independent blog helps to keep corporate website on Google page one

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A successful case study on ‘Crisis Management’ SEO…

My last blog post talking about the benefits of an independent blogging platform and url as opposed to putting your blog on the root corporate web domain. My advice was catered towards small business blogs with a desire to establish thought leadership, build links, gain advocates and encourage conversations.

As a matter of habit I always submit my blog posts to the News and Discussion sections in relevant Linkedin Groups. The topic kicked off a lively debate between PR professionals with many valuable contributions. One of the contributors, Jonathan Bernstein – President at Bernstein Crisis Management Inc – brought some deeper and very practical insights to the table.

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Categories: Case studies, SEO Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
08
Jun 2009

Should I host my blog on my company website?

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The benefits of an independent blogging platform…

OK, you decided to start a blog for the benefit of your business. While you are developing your blogging strategy you will hopefully stop and think for a moment about where to host the blog.

I sometimes have the feeling that many companies automatically place their blog on the domain of their own corporate website. But is this the right choice?

[Read more…]

Categories: SEO Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
03
Jun 2009

Not convinced about Twitter yet? Why not start by listening?

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New service offers hourly Twitter alerts…

Twitter. Some love it, some hate it. Some say it’s a great platform to share your interests, reach new customers, promote your blog or voice your opinion. Others don’t see the value of telling the world what they’re up to in 140 characters.

But whether you are participating or not, it’s a pretty good bet that valuable conversations are happening on Twitter: conversations about your product, your brand or your competitors.

[Read more…]

Categories: Twitter Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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