Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Maximizing LinkedIn for Sales and Social Media Marketing: An Unofficial, Practical Guide to Selling & Developing B2B Business on LinkedIn Review

Image via Amazon  
"Maximizing LinkedIn for Sales and Social Media Marketing" is the second LinkedIn related book by author, consultant, and speaker Neal Schaffer and is a follow-up to his first book "Understanding, Leveraging, & Maximizing LinkedIn" Before I share with you my review of the book, a little background may be in order.

LinkedIn was the first, and at the time, only social networking application that held any interest for me when I first began to look into it. This was maybe 3 years ago. Of course, it did not come with an instruction manual so, off to Amazon I went in search of answers. I did buy the only two LinkedIn related books that were available at the time and they were abysmal. My search for answers via Google began. Somehow, I happened upon a site called "Windmill Networking" and this guy, Neal, talked about LinkedIn a lot. I mean a whole lot and, better yet, he seemed to know what he was talking about. Sweet! I believe that this may have also been the very first site where I actually got up the nerve to leave a comment. To my amazement, Neal even took the time to respond! This, of course, ruined me for most other sites where nobody seems to want to actually "engage" (smile).

Fast forward to today and Neal and I still communicate regularly via Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, and email. While his first book was phenomenal, the focus of his new book, Sales and Marketing, is exactly what I needed and it may be that also for you! I am a fairly ravenous reader but, I do struggle with books (attention span of a 2-year old). This is not the case with Neal's books. His writing style makes for very easy reading. He speaks to you, not at you.

Like many folks, I must admit that despite knowing better, LinkedIn had become the proverbial "red-headed step child" to my social business marketing efforts. While I seem to spend most of my time on Twitter, LinkedIn is where I belong. I am a life-long B2B sales person and LinkedIn is business. I also think that it is important to note that Neal shares this same background. Well, I am now a "born-again" convert and already am at work following Neal's advice for my profile! What do I like about this book?
  • It is written by a sales and marketing person for sales and marketing people.
  • It's loaded with real case studies and practical selling advice. Neal even includes a chapter devoted to prospecting on LinkedIn!
  • Neal goes into great detail about all aspects of LinkedIn and how to put its powerful features to work for you today. He also provides step-by-step instructions for all areas of the application. If I were LinkedIn, I'd be negotiating for the rights to use this as my reference guide (smile).
  • The book does not preach. Neal gives you your options, the pros and cons of each, and lets you decide what is right for you. Of course, he does provide you with recommended courses of action.
  • The book constantly reinforces the goals for social networking and LinkedIn while at the same time stressing that the rules of selling still apply as it relates to creating and nurturing relationships in real life.
  • I like Neal's attitude that "you might as well go big or go home". There is no middle road and it does require your commitment.
  • The book is both timely and up-to-date. What I see in this book matches LinkedIn's present UI and feature set.
  • Neal's advice on LinkedIn Groups is awesome! I thought that I understood the power and flexibility of groups before I read this book. I was wrong. Not only has Neal encouraged me to evaluate the groups I am currently in, I am putting the finishing touches on creating a new group, "Boise B2B Sales & Marketing Professionals".
  • Like many sites, LinkedIn's large number of features can be overwhelming. I now have a much clearer understanding of applications like Companies, LinkedIn Signal, and LinkedIn Today.
  • Finally, Neal spends time discussing a recommended daily routine and how to determine your ROI. Who cares about ROI anyway? Well .... I do!

I could go on and on but, simply stated, Neal's new book is the ultimate road map to LinkedIn!


Article Source:
http://www.amazon.com/review

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Mobile Advertising: Supercharge Your Brand in the Exploding Wireless Market Review

Cover of "Mobile Advertising: Supercharge...
Cover via Amazon
Chetan Sharma, Joe Herzog and Victor Melfi have provided a comprehensive analysis of the growing field of mobile marketing and advertising--deftly illuminating the refinement of advertising arts from persuading the customer to now engaging the customer wherever, whenever, and whatever they may be doing via their mobile or wireless phone.

As an executive and consultant in the mobile marketing business, I especially liked their engaging tone and educational style which truly separates them from other books which spend too much time on the bits and bytes of mobile technology and fail to take on its complex commercial methods.

Mobile Advertising's extensive review of this developing and lucrative field will supercharge beginners understanding and even polish a professional's perspective.

Setting the stage with an evolution of the advertising business and how its convergence with mobile technology will transform marketing, they take the reader from baby steps to the most current uses and applications of mobile marketing including an entire chapter covering 20 case studies drawn from in-market company experiences around the world--well beyond the now 5 year old scenario of mobile coupon delivery as you walk past a Starbucks. That chapter is worth the cost of the book on its own if you want to learn about this business.

They demonstrate a full command of the complex ecosystem as reflected by their technical diagrams illuminating the magic of mobile, their illuminating business model analyses as well as comparative pricing methods and current levels for mobile advertising. These guys know all the buzz around mobile advertising and show the reader where the biz is. Very valuable for anyone interested in this new medium for mass advertising.


Article Source:
http://www.amazon.com/review
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Monday, October 1, 2012

Location Based Marketing For Dummies Review

Location-Based Marketing For Dummies
Location-Based Marketing For Dummies
These days, there's a lot of talk about location-based services and marketing via those channels. Some of that information is good and some not so good. I was very happy to hear two people who are very knowledgeable in the web marketing arena, namely Aaron Strout and Mike Schneider, were going to tackle this very important topic in book form.

Location-Based Marketing for Dummies is packed full of useful information broken up into five sections:

  • Putting a Little "Location" in Your Marketing Campaign - which goes over the different location-based services and how they are used by consumers
  • Location-Based Marketing in Action - which covers the tactical parts of putting together a location-based campaign of your own
  • Integrating Location into Other Channels - covering the more strategic aspects of incorporating location-based activities into a larger marketing plan
  • Measuring Your Return on Investment - there's no point in implementing an online marketing plan of any kind if you don't attempt to measure its success; very important information is in this section
  • The Part of Tens - which is a collection of lists with a lot of interesting and useful information including some possibly up-and-coming location services

All in all this book is easy to understand and breaks down the information in such a way that it's more of a step-by-step guide rather than just a "for Dummies" book. I very much liked how it was organized to take someone from "zero to sixty" in a short time, getting them going on using location-based services as part of their marketing strategy. It's full of useful ideas and tips to help anyone plan and run an excellent program, complete with coupons and loyalty rewards, if those are desired components.

I especially appreciate the measurement section. All too often we're told that online marketing efforts really can't be measured. This is not true, and I'm happy to see this book includes an entire section devoted to this very important aspect of a successful online location-based program.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about location-based technologies and how to use them for business purposes. I think it would be especially useful to the small- or medium-sized business owner or marketing person who is looking to get an edge over the competition. That being said, those with larger companies, especially those with multiple locations, can also learn a lot from this work.

Disclaimer: I requested an advanced copy of the book and received one free of charge to me. This is, still, my honest opinion of the work.


Article Source:
http://www.amazon.com/review
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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Marketing Weight Loss As Your Home Business

AURORA, CO - NOVEMBER 20:  Zoe McCoy, 9, lifts...
AURORA, CO - NOVEMBER 20: Zoe McCoy, 9, lifts weights in exercise class during the Shapedown program for overweight adolescents and children on November 20, 2010 in Aurora, Colorado. The 10-week family-centered program held by the Denver area Children's Hospital teaches youth and their parents ways to lead a healthier more active lifestyle, as a longer lasting weight-loss alternative to dieting. Nationally, some 15 percent of children are overweight or obese, as are some 60 percent of adults. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

You tell yourself when you are in doubt; you can't do this. Who cares about what others think and what gives them the right to judge? This is some of the crap we feed ourselves as we put on the pounds or avoid getting starting at owning your business. We stop looking in full length mirrors knowing you still look good from the neck up and your unemployment hasn't run out yet. It is also what you think when others put you down for marketing on- line when you don't make money when you start out.

We think about others judging us and assuming we know what they think. Truth is that no one really cares. You would think your spouse should care, but he or she doesn't notice. My husband and children don't have more than one thought at a time and it usually is about them. My health and wealth is my responsibility. My responsibility is to myself and my family. Change the thought change the person from the inside out.

When you see an old friend and they are so glad to see you, they ask about everything except your weight. They are never interested in hearing about the marketing business and they are your friend so they will let you ramble on just don't throw your pitch at them. They will ask if they want more information. The only one that can make you feel bad about yourself is you. Why beat yourself up on what others may think of you. If you don't look at yourself in a full length mirror you are the only one that can change it. Don't be afraid of what you see and you might decide to do something about. Wouldn't you rather have walked away feeling the pleasure of the visit, feeling comfortable in your own skin and confident in who you are. You are a marketer so offering them a product that you know will help them solve a problem.

I'm fifty-one, I look at myself everyday in a full length mirror, I try to change the things I need work on. Every day I am improving, every day I learn something new about myself and my business. I know what my friends and family think of me. As you get older things that matter change for all of us and everyone's need are different. Some of us want to age gracefully and others will fight it tooth and nail. Then there are those of us who want to take charge of our wealth and build our own business but are afraid to get started. The fact is you have to do what's best for you. Take a good long look at yourself from top to bottom, if what you see is working for you, great. If not change it!

You can improve, if you really want to. There are companies that can sell you health in a bottle and have it delivered to your front door. The best part of these companies is the products; they let the science back up the products and the testimony by pleased customers who have found the answers that they are looking for. The opportunities with these companies are great if you are will to work for your future. They supply you with a web site, training by the top earners in the company and compensation plans to support you. Now you are on your way to creating a business.

So many people are looking for products that support their weight loss efforts. I work directly with some of these companies. These companies are great; each has a weight loss program different from the other, they all are great tools to help you with your weight loss efforts, I know that when you find something that you like, you want to share it with everyone you come in contact with. So get paid for your recommendations. There are so many people looking for away to start a home business and companies that put your health first.

I am a marketer and I can tell you this it does not matter what product you use to help support your weight loss. First you must check with your doctor and run the product information by them. Then you must stop making excuses, weight loss and marketing both take a lot of work and your choice to join the marketing community is not something you should do if your heart is not in it. The choices you make in business have to come from the knowledge you gain and the training you apply. Remember if you want it bad enough you will use these products and the weight loss programs as a tool to gain success. You know that there is no magic pill for weight loss and there is no business that becomes successful without working hard at it. Good Luck with both your weight loss and your business choices.


Article Source: 
http://EzineArticles.com/6087812

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Money Saving Marketing for Industrial SMEs

Johan Staël von Holstein, Chief Executive Offi...
Johan Staël von Holstein, Chief Executive Officer, Mycube, Singapore - on social media (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of us prioritise quality above all - some of us prioritise low cost - it seems to me that successful SMEs seek a balance - having neither the budgets to achieve the very highest in quality, nor the desire to be seen as cheap and tatty - so we play the odds and guided by Pareto's law we aim for an 80/20 balance - in this case 80% of the effect with 20% of the spend.

This may sound like a big ask - but compare with elsewhere - what is the cost comparison between mainstream technology e.g. cars, music systems, computers etc. and the very highest specs available? If you could have promotion categorized like cars what would you choose - Ford/GM? VW? Landrover? Mercedes? Ferrari? Rolls Royce?

Would you be happy with the quality/performance of a VW or would you demand Rolls Royce - what is appropriate to your company - perhaps this should relate in some way to the level at which you work - if you are a leading edge technology company focused on the highest quality and performance e.g. working in Formula 1 or aerospace, then you will probably take a different view than if you are in a more widely based lower tech industry.

Even so I doubt you are interested in throwing money away - so at whatever level - most of us are interested in value for money - and for industrial SMEs I believe we should always be looking to achieve the biggest bang for our buck - making our company look bigger and better over a sustainable long term growth path. To do this we can follow a few simple guidelines.

Perhaps most important is that you form good supplier relationships with people who can understand your needs and where you are seeking to go - which of course pre-supposes that you know yourself - so if you don't know then fix that first - long term good relations with good suppliers can save you a lot of money and heartache.

This is not to say never change - but change for the right reasonsand with a better option in view - indeed if you can, then choose suppliers who can not only perform at the level you require now but are also capable of developing along with you. For example most of our business as a marketing agency is with clients who have been with us for around 15 years - over that time they have grown and we have guided their activities into the internet age while their competitors have faltered. We and our clients have grown together - to mutual benefit in achieving that cost/performance balance.

As a principle "do deals" for programs - you would elsewhere. Your marketing/publicity program is little different to any other investment - it has an entry cost, a learning curve, and a cost of ownership including maintenance and development - what you buy is market awareness, reputation, presence, being in-front of the right people at the right time leading to interest in you as a supplier. You may be sure that when it is known that you are open to a deal then publishers will soon put you on their list of people to call with last minute low cost offers and you can do one-off deals there as well.

Match quality appropriately - remember good enough is exactly that -so you need to understand what is appropriate as do the Marketing agencies that you deal with - in this respect learn to brief your own staff and 3rd parties fully and clearly so that you get what you need at a price you are comfortable with - none of us like over spend surprises (!) and you can minimize these in the way you handle your relationships.

Especially if you have not done any marketing/promotions before then it may be a good idea to dip a toe in the water i.e. do the activity initially at a low cost level, if you can't afford the expensive one or are unsure of what exactly you need - feedback into the program as it develops and you see the benefit. This is a fluid process - unlike a fixed investment you can adapt easily and adjust as you learn and your needs change.

I have often gone through this process with new clients, coming to us on the basis of trust-by-recommendation but no experience - summed up as "I know we need something (promotion) but I don't know what". Over a period of years we transition through an initial "getting to know you" phase of a few months developing trust and understanding - then working from the most cost effective activity through to the many others as their business develops and budgets grow with them. Essentially what a good marketing agency will do is to help a client grow from a small company to a large one - and that means both parties being sensitive to the process and the pace of change possible - and as ever to the budget.

Be aware that you can do a lot of it in-house - but do check out the real cost to your company - for example if the Managing Director is going to do it personally then work out how much their time is worth to the company - if he/she were being charged out what would the hourly rate be? £100ph - £300ph? Be realistic. A good marketing agency could save you a lot of money just on that basis alone quite aside from questions of capability, efficiency, effectiveness, focus, etc.

So brief your suppliers clearly- if your supplier is in-house then still brief them clearly - if your supplier is you personally then it is just as important - remember how much you cost.

Keep it simple - KISS - keep the brief simple - keep the promotional product simplee.g. the press release, article, advertisement, social media campaign, etc.

Please don't agonise over P.R. subjects. Taking them too seriously is simply procrastinating and time wasting and expensive - if you know your business then sit down and make a list of P.R. subjects off the top of your head or work through your catalogue. You can always modify your list.

Balance your marketing activities so that they work together and complement each other,e.g. use press release content as blog posts, as Tweets, as newsletters, put on your website news page etc. Create adverts and whitepapers around the products and services you give high priority and then channel them into the PR and Social Media programs.

Enroll your sales people in supplying P.R. material - the media and readers love application storiesthat they can relate to, especially if they are a bit different/quirky/humorous or whatever - this usually proves difficult to achieve - I know one company who offers a substantial cash bonus to sales engineers just for the customer contact details of an interesting application and still has very few takers - but the stories that do come through work very well indeed.

Now how obvious is this - take lots of pictures of products in-situ, applications etc. - you never know when they will come in handy. Buy a good automatic camera and carry it with you. Use it to document applications at reasonable resolution e.g. a 1Mb file size or better. Remember a good application shot will overcome lack of quality and is easy to do while you are there - and generally at zero cost. It can always be cut onto a suitable background later if necessary. Whereas organising to come back later will cost a great deal more.


Article Source: 
http://EzineArticles.com/7294309

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Guerilla Marketing Ideas for Real Estate

English: guerilla marketing - heb עברית: שיווק...
English: guerilla marketing - heb עברית: שיווק גרילה (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In every business, the marketing strategy being used is vital. This is what determines how successful an individual will be able to sell of his products and services to other people. For this reason, it is vital for a business owner to make use of aggressive marketing techniques in order to attract the right people. This is where Guerilla Marketing ideas for real estate sales are highly appreciated.

Since every marketer needs to have leads that translate to a successful business, the importance of using a marketing strategy should never be neglected. For every new business owner, generating fresh leads is difficult. This is why they need to be aggressive and look for people who might be more than willing to join them in their business. Given the fact that it's already difficult to find leads, it is even more challenging to keep consistent leads. For this, some online tactics are highly needed.

4 Ways to Generate Consistent Leads Online

Tip #1: Have Your Own Website

Having your own website has certainly paid off for many business owners. This is because it has allowed their audience to see what the business is truly about. In addition, it allows them to gain trust in the company because they have been able to get ideas about the establishment.

Tip #2: Write Articles

There are now several article submission sites where you can publish your articles to. This will allow individuals to see different information that you have provided about your business. When they are looking for a particular product, they will get to find your articles and will visit your website. This is a great way they can get in touch with you.

Tip #3: Paid Advertising

Online advertising is done through banner ads and by sending out newsletters. By using this method, you can pull in the right people who will want to buy your products and services. Since they have already been targeted by the niche you used to advertise in, you can be sure that your efforts are not turned to waste because they generate the right people for your products and services.

Tip #4: Social Networking Sites

Nowadays, almost everyone is on Facebook and Twitter. If you decide to join these networking sites, you will be able to connect to thousands of people throughout the world. This lets you attract a wider scope because these people already know what your business is about. As a result, they just have to follow news that you post on these networking sites.

Guerilla Marketing is a very effective strategy that can be used on any business. When you integrate it into your marketing plan, you can be sure that your efforts will not turn to waste because of it! or you can download your FREE report of Auto Mass Traffic™ directly here !!!


Article Source: 
http://EzineArticles.com/6411786

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Monday, September 24, 2012

Mobile Marketing with Mobile Monopoly 2.0

Image representing Adfonic as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

Mobile Monopoly is at present the hottest internet marketing course available. In this outstanding video online course, teen marketing guru Adam Horwitz teaches you step by step of how to conduct a successful mobile marketing campaign using your cellular phone. If you still live in a cave, there are at present over 6 billion cellular phone users on this planet. In just over three years time, there will be more mobile phone users surfing the net than PC users. Needless to say, the potential to make money with cellular phone marketing is huge.

You may wonder where most of the mobile traffic come from. According to Mobile Monopoly. a lot of it comes from a group of mobile ad platforms such as Admob and Adfonic. Google recently acquired Admob which shows that the mobile web is in deed where the action is. At present it is still relatively cheap to start a PPC pay per click campaign. It is therefore important to act now before you miss the boat.

There are several ways to monetize cellular phone marketing. CPA cost per action is the most popular way to profit from this traffic according to Mobile Monopoly. Email marketing and pay per call are other options. There are companies such as OfferMobi that specialize on mobile only traffic. It is important to note that North America still lags behind Europe and Asian in terms of mobile marketing acceptance. Some of best mobile marketing customers are located in places like Kuwait and Australia.

You must do split testing with different ad platforms in order to identify successful and profitable cellular phone marketing opportunities. One thing is for sure. The next gold rush has already started. What are you waiting for?

To learn more about cellular phone marketing and how to conduct a successful mobile campaign, check out Mobile Monopoly 2.0


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/4866121

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