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Lessons from Business Online, Life Online (BOLO)
by Chris Young
I recently attended BOLO2009 in Scottsdale, AZ, a digital media conference for small-to-mid sized, independently minded agencies, focusing on search, social, mobile, & email advertising. There, I spent two and a half days (plus several late nights) focused on digital marketing: where it’s at, and where it’s headed. As the Interactive Director here at Callis & Associates, I definitely felt in my element!
Since 2008, we’ve been expanding our digital marketing efforts and capabilities. BOLO2009 confirmed that we’re on the right track and it gave me additional fuel to help us get even further.
Online marketing has evolved into something very different from previous media. Logically providing information to the consumer (i.e., an online brochure) does little to take advantage of truly unique online marketing opportunities. Social media - practically any tool that allows Internet users to share info and become active particpants in their online experience - has changed all of that.
Companies that “get it” have expanded beyond traditional advertising. These companies see (and often, their competition sees) new, far more powerful opportunities.
So here are a few take-aways from BOLO2009 that you might consider applying to your organization, if you aren’t already doing them:
Strategize. Whether you’re looking at social, search, mobile, or email marketing (or all of them), developing a well-founded strategy is the first key to success. You’ll save time and frustration by engaging a well-informed, well-connected interactive marketing specialist in the planning process. And remember that social, search, mobile, and email marketing are all about marketing beyond your website - not on it. The company that designed your website is not necessarily in the best position to talk with you regarding these off-site marketing strategies.
Listen. The marketing megaphone is now in the consumer’s hands. Place it to your ear. Savvy marketers are spending more time listening to their customers - and learning from them - than ever before.
Converse. Public discussions with your customers create opportunities to connect target audiences to brands. These are not momentary connections, but long-term, meaningful dialogues that nurture customer relationships.
Act. Every day that passes can be measured in missed opportunities. There is a tremendous competitive advantage to moving quickly in the online marketing world. As Jim Lecinski, Google’s Managing Director of Sales, said at BOLO2009’s first Keynote speech, “Speed beats perfection every time.”
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Fall is the Time to Plan
by Cliff Callis
Recently I participated in our semi-annual peer group meetings in Cooperstown, New York. What a great place to get away! Not only is it a cool town with a world class resort, The Otesaga, but the trees and scenery were spectacular.
These sessions with my peers have proven to be invaluable over the years as we share what’s new, what’s working and how we’re going to help our clients grow their business (and hopefully our own). The thoughts that are stimulated from these meetings are usually so significant that I find it beneficial to wait to start our agency planning for the coming year until after these meetings so we can incorporate new ideas into our planning process.
For us at Callis & Associates, we’re not only doing our own marketing planning for the coming year, we’re in the process of planning our client’s programs as well. We call our approach Discover/Aim/Target and it starts with a discovery session that serves as the foundation on which the marketing plan is built. Aim is a simple plan without significant primary research, budget and timeline. The Target Report is a comprehensive marketing plan that’s more necessary when you’re launching a new product, entering a new market or repositioning your brand. The process works, but I’m sure there are other approaches that work equally well.
Whatever approach you take, it’s time to begin if you haven’t already….then follow through. It’s too easy to come up with great ideas but fail to execute them. Many times, that’s why companies use firms like ours. Planning works. Failing to plan is planning to fail. I know that sounds cliche’ because it is, but it’s true. |
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Prevent Swine Flu: This may not prevent it, but it can't hurt.
We recently ran across this and thought you might find it interesting and beneficial.
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps can be practiced
1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine. *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive, and powerful preventative method.
2. Blow the nose hard once a day and swab both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water. This can be very effective in bringing down viral population.
3. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
4. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm. |
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Are you using LinkedIn?
Are you keeping it current? Are you inviting people you know to join your network? Are you joining user groups? If not, why not? As a professional social network with over 39 million users, growing at 1.5 million users per month, it's a good source for qualified employees, prospects, and leads. It's a great way for any business person to get involved in social networking and your participation is likely encouraged by your company. Here are some ways to help maximize your participation:
- Complete your entire profile, and include a picture. Your marketing agency can create bios for the principals within your organization if that is a hold-up.
- Link to appropriate web and social media presences, which could include company or personal websites, blogs, or Facebook. You can also create multiple links to a website (i.e., link to your company's homepage, your personal profile page, your blog, etc).
- Search for contacts through past associations, jobs, universities, cities where you have lived - anything where you might have a connection. Work to build your network.
- Look at your profile regularly - once a week. Put it in your PDA/planner. Is your information still current? Add anything new that you can. Are you attending a trade show in a few weeks? Add it on. Read a good book? Talk about it. These updates will appear to your connections as “news items” when they next log in to LinkedIn.
- Forward profiles of people to people you know who might be interested. Ask for introductions. We all know it's all who you know.
- Join interest groups. Be involved: don't be afraid to start a discussion or answer questions. You may not be known today to others in your group. Your participation provides an opportunity to gain credibility.
- Take it one step further by creating a new group if you find a need. As the group owner, you'll have access to each member's inbox!
- If you write for a company blog, you can pull its content into your profile page.
Working your LinkedIn network doesn't have to take a lot of time, but it can pay off down the road in getting a referral, getting your foot in the door to a new prospect or getting someone you don't know (but should) to check you out. You just never know.
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