Yes, publishing has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Getting editorial coverage in the magazines read by your prospects and customers is still an effective (and necessary) way to support your business development efforts. This marketing channel also increases visibility in the marketplace, positions your company as an industry leader and helps your company
Eliminate These 5 Business Phrases From Your Vocabulary
Sometimes people vent by talking about their pet peeves. These are behaviors that are the topic of constant complaints. When it comes to business, some of these actions include rudeness, inefficiency, bullying, lateness and a lack of integrity. In addition, there are as many sources of irritation that come from the utterance of certain business
Seven Great Tips to Improve Your Website
Personal and corporate websites have been around since the early 1990s. In the beginning, sites were purely informational and were limited by the slow Internet speeds that plagued the early dial-up days of the World Wide Web. With text-heavy content, the sites served as online brochures. The same copy that was used in a marketing
What’s Keeping You from Delivering on Your Marketing Plan?
So, here we are, in mid-September, rapidly approaching the fourth quarter, and your manager says to you, “How’s it coming?” Before you answer, you stop to think about what you’ve accomplished this year with your marketing plan and how those accomplishments may be falling short of your intended goals. When this happens, know that you’re
10 Marketing Resources for Growing Businesses
Most of us spend hours each day trying to keep up with the latest and greatest technologies and business news. Likewise, we must keep up with growth opportunities and continuing training and educational programs in our industries. We’re all bombarded daily with hundreds of emails, texts and social media posts. So, how can we put
The Zen of Business Marketing
Twenty years ago Trade Press Services created a marketplace niche: writing articles and getting them published in trade magazines for clients who recognized the value of increased visibility, credibility and name recognition in their marketplaces. And we did it using a proactive process and performance-based business model. That made us different from PR firms that
16 Tips for Managing Business Relationships
Because we live in a 24/7 connected world, many business people rely solely on emails and texts to manage relationships. While these mediums are convenient and easy, they are lacking in other ways. It’s very difficult to build and maintain relationships without the personal touch. If you are willing to go the extra step, consider
5 Lessons Learned from the Trenches
In more than 40 years in business, I’ve been very fortunate to have had some great mentors, clients and associates who have taught me principles that I have used throughout my career. I am grateful for the contributions each of these people has made to my life and business. Some of them seem obvious and
6 Ways to Create Content that Drives Business
Salespeople know that presenting a list of features for a product or service isn’t enough to make a sale. Instead, they understand that it’s essential to focus on the benefits of the product or service and how it solves a problem. In other words, it’s the difference between selling the sizzle or the steak. Similarly,
Go for the Jugular – Jugular Marketing
In marketing, “Go for the jugular” is a phrase that describes a jump-start approach to supporting a company’s business development goals. It is aimed at getting to the heart of an issue and doing it quickly. It is an “in your face” marketing tactic, which is anything but subtle. Jugular marketing involves stepping outside the
Frequency of Marketing Outreach – It Depends…
The debate about frequency of marketing outreach continues. You want to stay in touch with your prospects often enough to make sure they don’t forget you, yet you don’t want to be a pest. Is daily, weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual contact best? Just like with other marketing issues and the resulting decisions,
Developing Meaningful Connections
What is the first thing you do when you meet someone new? You ask them questions to reveal their life story. Where did you grow up? What do you do for a living? What is your family like? Asking questions of a stranger is more than a polite way to start a conversation. It is
3 Ways to Increase Profitability
Old school or not, when companies want to increase profitability, there are three common strategies to implement: raise prices, reduce expenses and sell more. Profitability Strategies Raise prices. While sometimes necessary, this is not a popular strategy in any business environment. Customers often respond negatively. They wonder what additional value or improvement they will be
Decision Making in a Complex World
We live and work in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. Companies are bought and sold. New products and services are developed. Emerging marketplaces evolve. Revolutionary technologies are introduced. With all these changes taking place, is it any wonder why people are overloaded and overwhelmed? In this chaotic environment, how does anything get done or decided?
How Important Is It To Listen To Each Other?
It’s a fact. Some people would rather talk than listen. Perhaps you know individuals like this. They seem to thrive on the sound of their own voice. Yet, when one person does all (or most of the) talking, it is less of a conversation and more of a monologue. This limits the opportunity to learn,
What Are Your Values?
Corporate culture is a topic that receives a lot of buzz. In part, that’s because it is the foundation that defines and drives the business. It emanates from the values the company holds dear. Also, it is manifested in the attitudes and behaviors exhibited by all leaders, managers and employees. So the question is, how
Content Is King…if
Creating a company’s marketing materials can be nearly as difficult as developing the strategies for the campaigns the materials are intended to support. What used to be relatively straightforward has become increasingly complex. This is because of two main reasons: 1) the number of marketing channels is expanding; and 2) the marketplace expects more personalized
4 Essentials of Marketing Technology
Is there any company in business today that doesn’t use some form of marketing technology to conduct business? Probably not. But the usage varies from company to company depending on where the company is in its evolution, its size and structural format, the industry it’s in and the target markets it serves. In general, the
Mobile Apps: Time to Jump on the Bandwagon?
Let’s face it. Mobile apps are hot. More than 60 percent of adults in the U.S. have smart phones, and their use of apps is on the rise. Some might argue that in the B2B market, apps are not as “sexy” as in the B2C market. While not necessarily used to make online purchases, their
ROI: The Elephant in the Room for Marketers
When it comes to marketing initiatives, getting the biggest “bang for the buck” is essential. Accordingly, defining and analyzing the success of everything from tradeshow participation to social media campaigns is critical. At the same time, some marketers wonder at what point return on investment (ROI) became the holy grail of measuring success. Other business
Secrets of Successful Storytelling
What do great books, movies and marketing campaigns have in common? A great story. With the plethora of advancing technology—including one that limits our thoughts to 140 characters or less—it’s ironic that the hottest trend in marketing might be the ancient art of storytelling. A great story can entertain, inspire, ignite and even move people
5 Best Practices for Texting
There’s no question about it. Mobile technology has transformed the business practices of many companies—from consumer products to professional services. Even the baby-boomer generation has joined the mobile generation with their smart phones, smart TVs, tablets and online shopping. But according to Techcrunch, “millennials represent the largest group of smartphone owners, and their adoption of
Content is King: Cliché or Not?
Did you know the phrase, “content is king” was used by Bill Gates way back in the 1990s? Isn’t it interesting that 15 years later, we’re still talking about it as if it’s a new phenomenon? Well it isn’t. In 2015, marketing prognosticators think content will be bigger than ever, which is why companies have to
Want A Thriving Business? Focus On Your Company Blog!
What would it mean to your business if you could generate 100 million unique website visitors each month? According to eBizMBA Rank, Huffington Post’s blogs have accomplished just that. With numbers like that, does the popular online news and feature site sit back and rest on its laurels? Hardly. Huffington Post continues to post new
