Although companies know they need a marketing message that stands out in the marketplace, 62 percent of executives rate their company's message as average to poor and only 38 percent say their company has a differentiated story, according to a survey from Corporate Visions. Dissatisfaction with sales messaging is so high that many sales teams have taken matters into their own hands: Nearly three-quarters of salespeople (74 percent) say they rewrite messages and tools created by marketing departments at least sometimes, including 41 percent who rewrite collateral frequently and 10 percent who always do it. More
Use Social Channels to Improve Direct Response Marketing
from BtoB Magazine
Social media is everywhere—whether or not you need it, or think you need it or even quite understand what it all means. The array of social media outlets has quickly evolved into a communications channel attracting a savvy audience of like-minded individuals, each with a variety of interests. One critical question for business marketers is: can it be a direct response tool at the same time? The answer is yes, but the key challenge is to treat this evolving medium as you would any other marketing tactic—that is, by applying expert data interpretation and creative resources and executing relevant programs to achieve powerful, measurable results. More
Digital Marketers Tweak Practice from the Past
from the Chicago Tribune
Putting the right promotional offer in front of the right person at the right time was the mantra of old-school direct-response marketing. But it's becoming even more relevant in the digital age. At a time when marketing spending has taken a hit from the economy, programs that can deliver customers affordably are standing out.
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Kill the Messenger, Not the Message
from Fast Company
The social marketing tsunami continues to roll. You can barely open a newspaper, blog, or start a conversation without the words Facebook or Twitter coming up. The allure of creating "true" one-to-one relationships with strangers is seductive. There are many companies who successfully used Web 1.0 and are now using Web 2.0 technologies to do real business. What's the secret? More
Keeping Your Web Site Interesting, and Visitors Coming Back
from Marketing Profs
There's nothing we love more than solutions — top-notch insights from top-of-the-line experts that help solve common marketing problems. Here's an expert solution on how to keep visitors interested enough to revisit your Web site. More
How to Improve Your Site's Search Ranking
from Inc.
Search engine optimization can raise your Web site's profile, delivering more traffic, more customers, and bigger revenues. Here's how to make the most of this essential marketing tool. More
Social Networking: Five Tips to Build a Better Business
from E-commerce Guide
When it comes to building online communities and interacting with customers, social networks can be a big help--especially for small businesses that can’t afford to launch their own private online communities. More
Super Bowl Shuffle: Why Marketers Will Shift to 'Platforms'
from Advertising Age
The teams playing in this year's Super Bowl have already been decided, but the Super Bowl shuffle for advertisers began in earnest last month when marketing mainstays like FedEx, General Motors and Pepsi made news by announcing they were opting out of this year's ad extravaganza. There certainly will be advertising winners (and losers) on Super Bowl Sunday but let's hope that the Monday morning quarterback chatter doesn't obscure the larger shift at hand for marketers this year. 2010 will be the year of the "platform" for advertisers.
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Blogging is for Old People, Pew Report Finds
from the San Francisco Chronicle
Teenagers and young adults spent less time blogging during the past three years as social networks like Facebook became more popular, according to a Pew Research Center study released Wednesday. The study conducted by the Washington, D.C., nonprofit think tank was designed to gauge the online habits of America's "millennial generation," a demographic group that is considered a bellwether of the nation's future technology trends. More
