Articles in " Social Media "
Squirrels Gone Wild and 4 Lessons about Online MarketingJuly 6 2010 | General, Marketing Basics, Social Media
These squirrels were chattering, squeaking and flying through the air in what seemed to be a territory dispute. Amused, we watched them for several minutes. As I returned to my desk, I began to think about the improbability of watching a full-blown squirrel fight. Cat fight? Yes. A bar fight. Yep. Squirrels though? Not until today. The whole hilarious (and dramatic) incident made me think about other things I have observed recently that seemed counterintuitive but valuable. In no particular order, I wanted to share a few marketing truths that fit this category of ‘strange but true’: 1. Long emails are Ok if the content is compelling. As a marketer, I like using bullet points and keeping it short and sweet. Earlier this summer, I dug my heels in as a colleague proposed an email marketing campaign that I secretly (or not so secretly) dubbed the Sominex Special. The email was at least 400 words, lacked bullets and seemed endless. But we sent it because the content was direct and purposeful. Guess what? The click thru rate was an impressive 37%! Lesson: if the content is great, people will read it and respond. 2. Share the love. No, I don’t mean it in a dirty way. The more I participate in forums, comment on Q&A, post answers, etc, I realize that almost all of our marketing automation competitors are using the same places to share expertise and promote themselves. At times, LinkedIn Q&A can closely resemble a vendor comparison matrix. But, marketing automation is relevant for companies of all sizes, and that translates to a pretty big pool, so there’s plenty of room for us all. Lesson: A good attitude and good manners go a long way so play nice. 3. You don’t need 140 characters to express yourself. About 18 months ago when I started Tweeting, I found the character limitations oppressive. I would struggle to optimize every Tweet, ensure hash tags were perfectly placed, etc. These days, if I need to share something socially, I try to keep it to the point and interesting…and 140 characters is plenty of room to accomplish that task. Lesson: don’t use 12 words if you can say it in 5. 4. Old school marketing still has a place. Yep, I said it. Traditional marketing still has a place, and regardless of how much I love online marketing — event sponsorships, chamber of commerce events, speaking engagements, etc. still prove themselves as valuable ways to educate audiences, develop relationships and generate leads. Lesson: don’t keep all of your marketing eggs in one online basket. With these thoughts in mind, I think I’ll head outside and see if Squirrels Gone Wild Part II is playing. Trust me, it’s a great show! What truths have you seen in your own marketing efforts this summer? Please comment or Tweet. 8 Free Online Tools for Your Marketing ArsenalJune 25 2010 | Email Marketing, General, Social Media
While people aren’t necessarily spending more time online, the internet remains an absolutely essential part of everyday business and personal life, so what could explain this static usage? Online users are becoming smarter, more knowledgeable and putting up with less…well…bologna to get to what they want. Their need for immediate results has created the demand for quick, easy and (oftentimes) free services and tools that help execute and measure social engagement, marketing campaigns, business processes, news distribution, etc. That said, we’ve come up with a list of free tools we love that make your life easier, whether you’re creating your company’s next email marketing initiative, researching the competition, or just trying to find out who’s going to your high school reunion (so you can make your “non-biased” decision based on anticipated attendance). 1. Tiny URL.com (or bit.ly.com) 2. Google Alerts 3. Picnik 4. Hootsuite 5. Lightscreen 6. dBusinessNews 7. Klout 8. StumbleUpon With the speed of communications moving more rapidly every day, and prices increasing faster than you can say, “inflation,” having free and easy tools at your fingertips is just one way we’d like to make your online marketing life easier (and enhance your multimedia search for Britney Spears). Have a favorite free tool or app that you can’t live without? Leave a comment or tweet it @NetResults.com. Social Media Rehab – Being Socially ResponsibleJune 11 2010 | Social Media With celebrity tweets about botched Botox, personal agony over the tanning bed tax and Justin Bieber as a trending topic, it is sometimes hard to see the legitimacy of using social media as a way to communicate with your prospects. While it’s easy to get frustrated with the noise of social media and give up on it entirely, it is a cost-effective and engaging way to communicate with prospects, customers and technology partners. The question we’re tackling today is, “How do you establish a strategy that enhances your brand — without ruining your street cred?” Read more Socially Challenged? Tips for Dealing with Negative Social Media CommentsMay 24 2010 | Social Media Social media remains a hot topic and one that many Net-Results customers explore to build brand awareness, and ultimately, to drive qualified traffic and conversions to their website. There is no doubt that social media is awesome because it enables customers to have one-to-one, personalized conversations with virtual strangers and to communicate with prospects, clients and peers on an intimate level. However the very premise of social media – giving everyone a microphone – can create awkward and frustrating situations. Net-Results Stays Classy In San Diego: DMA 2009October 28 2009 | Events, Lead Management, Marketing Automation, Social Media, Website Visitor Identification Article marketing, blogging, pay-per-click advertising, banner ads, search engine marketing and optimization, social media, web design and development- These ideas and strategies that were meaningless 10 years ago were the hot topics at the Direct Marketing Association conference in San Diego this year. Net-Results showcased their state of the art intelligent email marketing and lead management automation tools in the exhibit hall amongst the industry’s latest in technology, services, and strategy providers including conglomerates like Google, Experian, and Kodak. Read more Net-Results Highlighted as a “Cool Tool”June 24 2009 | In the News, Social Media B2B Marketing Examiner Camberly Bates calls Net-Results “one cool tool for managing website, tracking and activities” in her latest article, “Social media: is this listening or a new way of broadcasting?” Camberly is an influential B2B marketer and sales professional with 20 years of experience. She currently runs a business consulting firm that provides a wide range of services “from fine tuning sales and marketing efforts to product management processes”. Thanks for the honorable mention, Camberly! |
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