Every day when I wake up in the morning I do three things on my laptop before I pack it up and get going for the day. I check the sports scores I might have missed from the night before, I check my e-mail and I look to see what is going on with people I know on MySpace Facebook LinkedIn… You get the picture.
The point is social networking has worked its way seamlessly into the daily life in netizens - so much so that any serious political candidate (and many candidates that are not so serious) now has a MySpace page. This is an interesting social phenomenon and one that is making serious inroads into the business and marketing schemata of many intelligent organizations.
Jack Felsheim, a VP at Ovation Marketing wrote an interesting blog the other day regarding the relationship between social networking and website traffic. The idea is simple, get your website referred to as much as possible on as many sites as possible and you will see an increase in website traffic. Sounds easy enough right? Well with so much competition out there for space in the minds of your target audience, simply being a part of social network sites is not enough. Read the rest of this entry » »
When I first heard the term ‘Sales 2.0′ my first thought was “oh dear, not another sales gimmick!”
For those who’ve been in sales a while, you probably know what I’m talking about. We tend to get inundated with hundreds of articles on new sales approaches, how to be a more efficient sales person, reduce or eliminate cold calling, present better, so on and so forth. Some articles are indeed good — don’t get me wrong — but some tend to feed the “flavor of the month” trap of excuses of why sales don’t happen.
I’m a firm believer in the tried and true sales approaches like SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham and have felt that some Web 2.0 tools (Instant Messaging, LinkedIn, Facebook, LiveHelp, etc.) actually enhance these proven approaches. In my mind, the most successful sales people are master social networkers and multi-taskers where these tools come in handy and lend to what is coming in Sales 2.0. Read the rest of this entry » »
One thing I love about the Enthusiast model is how we are able to interact in creative ways with our clients. Not just once but along the journey as we all grow, mature, and learn. One client of note is a great local city paper out of Culver City, now 100% digital, called The Front Page. I wish my home town had such great coverage on the details of city hall, the school board, and land development activities.
I was graciously invited to begin a column on marketing and Internet related topics. I am happy to say my first article has been posted and I hope you enjoy it. Everyone in business wants their core business to be remembered and stick to their buyers. How this happens can be a mystery but there is a method to the madness. Read on to learn how your ideas can be like “gum on the brain.”
Here is an excerpt:
“All too often, the delegate sent in place of true audience understanding in marketing today is the common platitude.
Please welcome the meticulous “Quality is Job No. 1” to the podium. He is flanked by the energetic “Providing Innovative Solutions” and the plural presence of “Our People Make the Difference.”
Not only can these phrases be wielded by any competitor without malice, they lack the concrete, real life details that make schema connections with your audience. “
I invite you to read “SSKI vs. KISS: Schema and a Smooch for Marketing” for more.
– jc
Enthusiast is in the business of helping organizations grow leveraging the Internet. We do this by providing services that make the planning, execution, and measurement of a web solution simple and effective.
One of the ways we help clients and the public is through the information available here on our own web solution. We use this blog and news, editorials, success stories, and other articles to highlight important events, noteworthy solutions, or just areas of opportunity commonly overlooked. Read the rest of this entry » »
Recently, we interviewed Christine Whitmarsh of Christine, Ink and she had a few things to say about what makes good writing. I wanted to get your feedback on a couple specifics and see if we can get Christine to join the dialogue as you ask your questions.
Christine was asked “what are your thoughts on the way company insiders try and talk to their potential buyers?“
Read the rest of this entry » »
If you are curious about the latest in home theatre and gadgetry, you have probably been watching the wall-to-wall coverage of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Lots of interesting things being debuted including using your cell phone as a credit card someday. In a rare and ironic scheduling overlap, the Apple focused MacWorld Expo is happening at the same time in San Francisco. Read the rest of this entry » »
With all the new buzzwords and acronyms going around these days, it is more than a bit challenging to keep up with it all. From your best friend sending over a TTYL to the late advent of “educational” radio ads to help us learn the technical differences between LCD and Plasma televisions.
Do these marketers really expect me to learn what 1080p or 1080i means or what more or less “amazing” mirrors has to do with my Super Bowl watching experience in 30 seconds? Read the rest of this entry » »
