By eliminating the costs and headaches associated with corporate travel, Web Conferencing can boost business and enhance employee productivity. Unlimited usage starting at about $1 / day! http://www.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Discover Web Conferencing
Friday, July 9, 2010
Morgan Stanley - The Mobile Internet Report
 | | | | | |
|
As a summary, it talks about how in the next few years, a large percentage of PDA and iPhone type users will be doing a great amount of internet communique through their personal devices and not PC's. According to the report, within five years more users will connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs.
YouTube consumption on mobile devices has also grown considerably: playbacks were up 160% in 2009 over the previous year. And we’re excited to announce that YouTube Mobile now receives more than 100 million video playbacks a day. This is roughly the number of daily playbacks that YouTube.com was streaming when we joined forces with Google in 2006.
From what I gleaned from the blog that speaks of this report, in my humble opinion, it seems inaccurate (or too early) to say this conclusively about the business community in general, as there is nothing like using a bigger screen. As such, maybe the iPad will revolutionize it all!
~ Enjoy!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
So…. Does Social Media (like Facebook) Have an Effect on Workplace Productivity?
Nucleus Research released a study in July 2009 entitled "Facebook: Measuring the Cost to Business of Social Networking," which found that "companies effectively lose an average of 1.5 percent of total office productivity when employees can access Facebook during the work day."
In summarizing its findings, Nucleus said: "Although for specific users this may drive greater productivity, companies should carefully weigh the total business benefit of lead generation and qualification or responding to comments on social networking sites about their operations or products against the potential broader productivity loss of all employees with access to those sites."
The survey's findings appear questionable in several respects. First, how did Nucleus arrive at the figure of 1.5% productivity loss through employee use of Facebook? Nucleus said it interviewed 237 randomly selected office workers about their use of Facebook and found that:
"The average employee who accesses Facebook at work uses it for 15 minutes each day, with a low of one minute and a high of 120 minutes per day - so it's not surprising that more than a few respondents identified with the term 'social notworking.' Given that 61 percent of employees access Facebook at work, companies can reasonably estimate a cost of 1.5 percent of total employee productivity."
This methodology is vague and does not seem to reliably answer the question of how much, or even whether, productivity was lost. The specific calculation used to attain the 1.5% figure is not given, and Nucleus simply asserts that companies can "reasonably estimate" a loss of 1.5% productivity. Nucleus seems to have simply counted employees' minutes on Facebook, deducted that number from an overall workday total, and assumed that any time spent on Facebook yielded lost productivity.
However, Nucleus does not seem to take into account the possibility that employees might make up any lost time at work or home, or that no overall productivity was lost. As Kevin Tampone wrote in an article entitled "Web surfing at work becoming more prominent" in CNY Business Journal on October 7, 2005, "In some studies employees actually suggest that Web surfing at work makes them more productive by providing an easy way to escape the pressures of the day." Studies cited below reinforce this view.
Likewise, as Michael Masnick wrote on July 13, 2009, on techdirt.com:
"For years we've pointed out how silly it is for companies to use filters and other tools to try (and fail) to block 'personal surfing' at work. It's based on the faulty notion that every second you're at work should be focused on work. But offices provide water coolers for a reason, and people take breaks for a reason."
Indeed, in places I have worked, employees typically take breaks to chat, read news, attend to personal matters, pay bills, call home, arrange for babysitters, make appointments, drink coffee and tea, have holiday luncheons and parties, etc. Sometimes hours, half days, or whole days are taken off for emergencies, appointments, or critical matters that arise. These employees still complete their work assignments, and some exceed expectations. Thus, time spent on Facebook does not necessarily translate into lost productivity.
On the seemingly insubstantial 1.5% productivity loss that Nucleus found, Der Meister commented on hothardware.com, "lol 1.5%!!! What is that? Like an extra trip to the bathroom?"
Another questionable finding of the Nucleus Research survey is that social media has no real business value because the employees it purportedly surveyed could not identify business uses. Said Nucleus: "Although industry pundits may tout Web 2.0 and social networking as the next big thing, when asked to actually identify business uses for Facebook, Nucleus found that few employees could point to a true business reason."
Nucleus seems to present its survey subjects' ignorance of social media's business uses as proof that business uses do not exist. However, there is plenty of evidence from other research firms of social media's business value-including recent studies from Aberdeen Group, Forrester Research, Association of National Advertisers, Deloitte LLP, and others that show that companies are reaping benefits and increasing investment in social media marketing initiatives.
Moreover, a large number of social media case studies have been collected and made available, including Peter Kim's list (http://www.beingpeterkim.com), which contains more than 1,000 marketing examples, Monty C. M. Metzger 's "300 Case Histories of Social Media" (http://www.scribd.com), and Robin Broitmin's Social Media Case Studies Superlist (http://www.interactiveinsightsgroup.com).
It would be reasonable to assume that, as researchers, Nucleus Research's analysts might be aware of the multitude of research studies and case histories, and that in analyzing social media use in business, Nucleus itself would be compiling its own list.
However, as Amy Vernon noted in her report on hothardware.com, "Nucleus seems to be rather down on Facebook, as well as Twitter and other social networking tools."
That Nucleus Research seems to have a social media bashing agenda is seen in the dismissive manner in which it frames social media, including lines such as "it's not surprising that more than a few respondents identified with the term 'social notworking.' "
Moreover, as is typically seen in this type of negative survey, Nucleus Research's bottom-line recommendation is that companies should consider blocking access to employees. Says Nucleus:
"Companies should evaluate their Facebook policy and the cost to the organization in allowing access to Facebook, as today blocking Facebook may actually result in a 1.5 percent gain in productivity."
Nucleus on its Web site says "Our clients include many of the Fortune 1000, numerous mid-sized organizations, state, federal, and international government organizations, and almost every leading technology vendor."
It would be interesting to know whether any of Nucleus's technology vendor clients sponsored its social media productivity survey.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
In summarizing its findings, Nucleus said: "Although for specific users this may drive greater productivity, companies should carefully weigh the total business benefit of lead generation and qualification or responding to comments on social networking sites about their operations or products against the potential broader productivity loss of all employees with access to those sites."
The survey's findings appear questionable in several respects. First, how did Nucleus arrive at the figure of 1.5% productivity loss through employee use of Facebook? Nucleus said it interviewed 237 randomly selected office workers about their use of Facebook and found that:
"The average employee who accesses Facebook at work uses it for 15 minutes each day, with a low of one minute and a high of 120 minutes per day - so it's not surprising that more than a few respondents identified with the term 'social notworking.' Given that 61 percent of employees access Facebook at work, companies can reasonably estimate a cost of 1.5 percent of total employee productivity."
This methodology is vague and does not seem to reliably answer the question of how much, or even whether, productivity was lost. The specific calculation used to attain the 1.5% figure is not given, and Nucleus simply asserts that companies can "reasonably estimate" a loss of 1.5% productivity. Nucleus seems to have simply counted employees' minutes on Facebook, deducted that number from an overall workday total, and assumed that any time spent on Facebook yielded lost productivity.
However, Nucleus does not seem to take into account the possibility that employees might make up any lost time at work or home, or that no overall productivity was lost. As Kevin Tampone wrote in an article entitled "Web surfing at work becoming more prominent" in CNY Business Journal on October 7, 2005, "In some studies employees actually suggest that Web surfing at work makes them more productive by providing an easy way to escape the pressures of the day." Studies cited below reinforce this view.
Likewise, as Michael Masnick wrote on July 13, 2009, on techdirt.com:
"For years we've pointed out how silly it is for companies to use filters and other tools to try (and fail) to block 'personal surfing' at work. It's based on the faulty notion that every second you're at work should be focused on work. But offices provide water coolers for a reason, and people take breaks for a reason."
Indeed, in places I have worked, employees typically take breaks to chat, read news, attend to personal matters, pay bills, call home, arrange for babysitters, make appointments, drink coffee and tea, have holiday luncheons and parties, etc. Sometimes hours, half days, or whole days are taken off for emergencies, appointments, or critical matters that arise. These employees still complete their work assignments, and some exceed expectations. Thus, time spent on Facebook does not necessarily translate into lost productivity.
On the seemingly insubstantial 1.5% productivity loss that Nucleus found, Der Meister commented on hothardware.com, "lol 1.5%!!! What is that? Like an extra trip to the bathroom?"
Another questionable finding of the Nucleus Research survey is that social media has no real business value because the employees it purportedly surveyed could not identify business uses. Said Nucleus: "Although industry pundits may tout Web 2.0 and social networking as the next big thing, when asked to actually identify business uses for Facebook, Nucleus found that few employees could point to a true business reason."
Nucleus seems to present its survey subjects' ignorance of social media's business uses as proof that business uses do not exist. However, there is plenty of evidence from other research firms of social media's business value-including recent studies from Aberdeen Group, Forrester Research, Association of National Advertisers, Deloitte LLP, and others that show that companies are reaping benefits and increasing investment in social media marketing initiatives.
Moreover, a large number of social media case studies have been collected and made available, including Peter Kim's list (http://www.beingpeterkim.com), which contains more than 1,000 marketing examples, Monty C. M. Metzger 's "300 Case Histories of Social Media" (http://www.scribd.com), and Robin Broitmin's Social Media Case Studies Superlist (http://www.interactiveinsightsgroup.com).
It would be reasonable to assume that, as researchers, Nucleus Research's analysts might be aware of the multitude of research studies and case histories, and that in analyzing social media use in business, Nucleus itself would be compiling its own list.
However, as Amy Vernon noted in her report on hothardware.com, "Nucleus seems to be rather down on Facebook, as well as Twitter and other social networking tools."
That Nucleus Research seems to have a social media bashing agenda is seen in the dismissive manner in which it frames social media, including lines such as "it's not surprising that more than a few respondents identified with the term 'social notworking.' "
Moreover, as is typically seen in this type of negative survey, Nucleus Research's bottom-line recommendation is that companies should consider blocking access to employees. Says Nucleus:
"Companies should evaluate their Facebook policy and the cost to the organization in allowing access to Facebook, as today blocking Facebook may actually result in a 1.5 percent gain in productivity."
Nucleus on its Web site says "Our clients include many of the Fortune 1000, numerous mid-sized organizations, state, federal, and international government organizations, and almost every leading technology vendor."
It would be interesting to know whether any of Nucleus's technology vendor clients sponsored its social media productivity survey.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The well-known Conversion Sequence heuristic
Are you into the science behind todays web marketing?
Conversion Index analysis is based on the well-known Conversion Sequence heuristic. This framework brings structure and clarity to analysis of the conversion process and directs the focus and prioritization for optimization.
The Conversion Sequence is expressed as follows:
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a
Wherein:
C = Probability of conversion
m = Motivation of user (when)
v = Clarity of the value proposition (why)
i = Incentive to take action
f = Friction elements of process
a = Anxiety about entering information
Please note: For the purposes of the testing methodology, Friction is defined as a psychological resistance to a given element in the sales or sign-up process. Anxiety is a psychological concern stimulated by a given element in the sales or sign-up process.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Conversion Index analysis is based on the well-known Conversion Sequence heuristic. This framework brings structure and clarity to analysis of the conversion process and directs the focus and prioritization for optimization.
The Conversion Sequence is expressed as follows:
C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a
Wherein:
C = Probability of conversion
m = Motivation of user (when)
v = Clarity of the value proposition (why)
i = Incentive to take action
f = Friction elements of process
a = Anxiety about entering information
Please note: For the purposes of the testing methodology, Friction is defined as a psychological resistance to a given element in the sales or sign-up process. Anxiety is a psychological concern stimulated by a given element in the sales or sign-up process.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Is the headline important?
Sean D’Souza - the legend behind psychotactics.com and The Brain Audit – has developed a system that can increase sales from your website by helping you understand why your customers buy and why they don’t.
Here is an excerpt from his system:
So, is the headline so very important? Let’s put it this way. If a customer doesn’t read the headline, they are more than likely not to read any more information. So it doesn’t matter what information you put in, if the customer doesn’t see a headline, that’s all of that information wasted.
And most people don’t learn about headlines because they think headlines are for copy writers. When we want a headline, they think, we’ll get a professional to write one for us. And there’s where you’re wrong (yup, wrong!), because a headline isn’t about copy. Or advertising. Or marketing.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Here is an excerpt from his system:
So, is the headline so very important? Let’s put it this way. If a customer doesn’t read the headline, they are more than likely not to read any more information. So it doesn’t matter what information you put in, if the customer doesn’t see a headline, that’s all of that information wasted.
- It’s an attraction device
- You need powerful headlines for email.
- You need powerful headlines for a book.
- You need powerful headlines for a speech.
- You need powerful headlines for a presentation.
- You need powerful headlines for your articles.
- You need powerful headlines on your website.
- You need powerful headlines when you’re in an interview.
You just need powerful headlines all the darned time. And what frustrates me is that people give up. They think headline writing is for someone else.
Read his entire part one here.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Secrets to Getting Listed High in Search Engines
While many online resources will tell you it is easy to get listed, that statement is pretty much true.... but to get list with high rankings is another story altogether.
I will now release the secret to getting high listing results. If you are reading this you really should send in a donation ($100 is suggested) as the value will return at least 10x's that much!
Okay all kidding aside, SEO is a four pillar process and anything less will NOT generate good results in Google, the only search engine you should really be concerned with.... not that Yahoo & Bing (the two second biggest SE's) do not matter, but the reality is that Google holds almost 90% of the market share and if you optimize to Google, you will optimize for the rest automatically.
Phase I
Quality keyword content. Now what this means to a search bot is that whatever your site is about, there are common words that people look for when searching for the subject matter that you spout. You want to load your pages with content that contain those words.
Phase II
Good coding. Good coding consists of proper meta coding and site content coding. The main elements include: page title, description, keywords, revisit and follow coupled with header tags, alt tags, a site map and how Phase I and Phase II work together.
Phase III
Inbound links. I am not talking link exchanging systems here. That concept only works with strong relevant sites. The more effective way, is to write white papers, blogs and articles and be sure to include your link back to your site(s). Relevant back-linking is absolutely crucial to getting higher rankings in search engines.
Phase IV
Submission. This is a crucial step towards getting listed and getting listed quickly. While this used to be true, search bots do not just come looking for new sites anymore, You have to submit your site. The exception is if you are currently listed and your code has told the bots to come back periodically.
Good Luck!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
I will now release the secret to getting high listing results. If you are reading this you really should send in a donation ($100 is suggested) as the value will return at least 10x's that much!
Okay all kidding aside, SEO is a four pillar process and anything less will NOT generate good results in Google, the only search engine you should really be concerned with.... not that Yahoo & Bing (the two second biggest SE's) do not matter, but the reality is that Google holds almost 90% of the market share and if you optimize to Google, you will optimize for the rest automatically.
Phase I
Quality keyword content. Now what this means to a search bot is that whatever your site is about, there are common words that people look for when searching for the subject matter that you spout. You want to load your pages with content that contain those words.
Phase II
Good coding. Good coding consists of proper meta coding and site content coding. The main elements include: page title, description, keywords, revisit and follow coupled with header tags, alt tags, a site map and how Phase I and Phase II work together.
Phase III
Inbound links. I am not talking link exchanging systems here. That concept only works with strong relevant sites. The more effective way, is to write white papers, blogs and articles and be sure to include your link back to your site(s). Relevant back-linking is absolutely crucial to getting higher rankings in search engines.
Phase IV
Submission. This is a crucial step towards getting listed and getting listed quickly. While this used to be true, search bots do not just come looking for new sites anymore, You have to submit your site. The exception is if you are currently listed and your code has told the bots to come back periodically.
Good Luck!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Boosting Your Landing Page Phone Call Conversions by 42%
There are some fantastic blogs out there and one of the one's I watch is this one by Raquel Hirsch. This week she wrote about "Boosting Your AdWords Landing Page Phone Call Conversions by 42%" and I thought I would share her fine words since I am currently learning all I can about the latest disipline for Internet Marketers like myself: "Conversion Optimization".
By: Raquel Hirsch
Date: January 3rd, 2010
“Out with the old and in with the new”? Not quite, when it comes to what marketers are doing to improve the online conversion rate. More like “Keep up with the old and ADD the new.”
And “the new” is Landing Page Optimization for more PHONE CALL conversions.
We at WiderFunnel are certainly seeing an increase in the number of clients wanting to drive not only more online conversions on the site but more phone calls as well (sometimes the objective is to increase both; other times, it’s only about driving more phone calls to the call centre).
Another “new”: The pay-per-call business model
But marketers are not only increasing their demand for more phone call conversions on their own landing pages. A whole new business model is emerging: the pay-per-call business model (or PPCall).
Pay-per-call is like the cost-per-click (CPC), CPA and CPL marketing model but done with phone calls, not clicks.
According to Telmetrics, the pay-per-call models are poised to experience “explosive growth” in 2010.
Now, while Telmetrics has an incentive to forecast this trend (they provide “innovative call measurement solutions to help advertisers maximize the effectiveness of their marketing programs” as well as “track and analyze consumer response to any direct response broadcast, online or print campaign that features a call-to-action response phone number”), marketers committed to improving the ROI of their marketing investments need to pay attention, especially if they drive local business.
PPCall online ads encourage the user to establish phone contact rather than sending them to a web site – and this is where the real potential lies. And big players are entering the industry.
According to Marketing Vox, vendors are rolling out pay per call ad products. AT&T Interactive has updated its YELLOWPAGES.COM iPhone app called YPmobile (the latest version has new features including Video Profiles and Pay Per Call Ads). Following a pilot program, ShareASale.com opened its ShareASale Pay-Per-Call Center to its network of 2,500 merchants last month. RingRevenue provided the platform for the ShareASale Center. It has also partnered with LinkTrust to offer similar services to merchants and other networks.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
By: Raquel Hirsch
Date: January 3rd, 2010
“Out with the old and in with the new”? Not quite, when it comes to what marketers are doing to improve the online conversion rate. More like “Keep up with the old and ADD the new.”
And “the new” is Landing Page Optimization for more PHONE CALL conversions.
We at WiderFunnel are certainly seeing an increase in the number of clients wanting to drive not only more online conversions on the site but more phone calls as well (sometimes the objective is to increase both; other times, it’s only about driving more phone calls to the call centre).
Another “new”: The pay-per-call business model
But marketers are not only increasing their demand for more phone call conversions on their own landing pages. A whole new business model is emerging: the pay-per-call business model (or PPCall).
Pay-per-call is like the cost-per-click (CPC), CPA and CPL marketing model but done with phone calls, not clicks.
According to Telmetrics, the pay-per-call models are poised to experience “explosive growth” in 2010.
Now, while Telmetrics has an incentive to forecast this trend (they provide “innovative call measurement solutions to help advertisers maximize the effectiveness of their marketing programs” as well as “track and analyze consumer response to any direct response broadcast, online or print campaign that features a call-to-action response phone number”), marketers committed to improving the ROI of their marketing investments need to pay attention, especially if they drive local business.
PPCall online ads encourage the user to establish phone contact rather than sending them to a web site – and this is where the real potential lies. And big players are entering the industry.
According to Marketing Vox, vendors are rolling out pay per call ad products. AT&T Interactive has updated its YELLOWPAGES.COM iPhone app called YPmobile (the latest version has new features including Video Profiles and Pay Per Call Ads). Following a pilot program, ShareASale.com opened its ShareASale Pay-Per-Call Center to its network of 2,500 merchants last month. RingRevenue provided the platform for the ShareASale Center. It has also partnered with LinkTrust to offer similar services to merchants and other networks.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Happy New Year!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Today's Technology is Yesterday's Magic
So it seems that more people now hover over iPods, iPhones or iWhatevers - eternally searching for the next song we want to hear, app we want to play/use or task that will make our day easier. I am also noticing significant changes to the landscape of business as usual... especially in corporate marketing.
There is now a shift happening and it is as significant as the fax machine; email; and how PDAs have changed business communication.
As a marketing professional, I am witnessing the next revolution in how we (as a culture of buyers, sellers and consumers) will behave when we (as the manufacturer, distributor or service provider) push our brand onto the market. It seems like magic to make your message stand out from the jumble of ads, signs, fliers, faxes and last but not least, email.
So - have you ever stopped to count the number of advertising messages you're subjected to in a day? Or, how many of them you actually remember?
I challenge you to actually count the number of messages that come your way... or more importantly, how they are coming your way.
My guess is that you will notice the shift in brand power advertising. I found this great video that explains this well... enjoy!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
There is now a shift happening and it is as significant as the fax machine; email; and how PDAs have changed business communication.
As a marketing professional, I am witnessing the next revolution in how we (as a culture of buyers, sellers and consumers) will behave when we (as the manufacturer, distributor or service provider) push our brand onto the market. It seems like magic to make your message stand out from the jumble of ads, signs, fliers, faxes and last but not least, email.
So - have you ever stopped to count the number of advertising messages you're subjected to in a day? Or, how many of them you actually remember?
I challenge you to actually count the number of messages that come your way... or more importantly, how they are coming your way.
My guess is that you will notice the shift in brand power advertising. I found this great video that explains this well... enjoy!
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Telecommuting a win-win situation, study finds
Working from home, or "telecommuting," is becoming more commonplace and popular among workers as technological advancements allow for it.
By The Vancouver Sun
Working from home, or "telecommuting," is becoming more commonplace and popular among workers as technological advancements allow for it.
But is everyone a fan?
The conventional wisdom is that allowing people to work from home can hurt business. Telecommuters may be less productive, more inclined to quit and perform less well than workers at the office. Employers may be concerned that at-home workers are more easily distracted by family and social obligations and opportunities, perhaps doing less in a day and negatively affecting business results.
Critics also maintain that letting employees work from home should be avoided since it damages staff chances for promotion, undermines supervisor-subordinate relationships and increases family conflict. When staff aren't in the office, they appear to be less loyal and committed as a result. This damages their reputations as promotion-ready and they are sidelined.
Relationships with supervisors are supposed to suffer under these arrangements as well. Managers rely on observing staff to evaluate their performance. When the manager can't see what staff are doing, distrust could develop, causing supervisors to monitor employees more closely. They may implicitly suspect that the worker is not pulling his or her weight by hiding out at home.
Families could suffer more under telecommuting arrangements since technology reduces boundaries between work and family. People find their loved one constantly working and unavailable, see no downtime for the telecommuter and as a result conflict increases.
Right?
Not according to a recent study in The Journal of Applied Psychology, which firmly debunks these claims. Ravi Gajendran and David Harrison at the Department of Management and Organization with Pennsylvania State University, conducted an extensive review of 46 studies on the subject featuring 12,883 employees. Their results show that working from home is good for business and for staff.
The researchers identified seven positive results of working at home:
INCREASED CONTROL
A key positive aspect of telecommuting is the opportunity for workers to have maximum control over their work and work environment. Staff have control over when they take breaks, what they wear to work and the layout of their office space. They can make individualized decor choices, alter the ventilation to their liking, change the lighting or even include their own music. They get to decide when and how they do their job and schedule their time accordingly. As long as the work gets done, staff are free to choose what they do and when.
INCREASED WORK/FAMILY BALANCE
When staff can decide when they are going to work and what particular tasks they will work on, they are afforded the opportunity to integrate work and family obligations. This means they can make work and family schedules fit together. Staff can plan uninterrupted work time as well as catering to family needs. Some workers find that they have a room set aside for an office and thereby reduce disruptions. Telecommuting reduces time spent in traffic and can ostensibly increase the number of hours telecommuting staff work. Taking time to take a child to a sport or pick up groceries can be scheduled into the day along with work "to-do's". Telecommuting reduces the tension that can exist between doing one's job and meeting family obligations.
IMPROVED SUPERVISOR-STAFF RELATIONSHIPS
The researchers found that telecommuting had a positive effect on supervisor-staff relationships. They speculated that the reason for this is that both parties make an extra effort to stay in touch when staff work from home. Supervisors who have less opportunity to see home-based staff, may contact them more and have longer and better quality conversations. Staff may also seek the supervisor out to update him or her regularly. When supervision occurs in the office environment it may be more casual and on a "catch-as-catch-can" basis. Telecommuting may mean supervisor and subordinate see each other less, but the quality of their contact may increase.
REDUCED STRESS
Not having to rush to work through commuter traffic, spend extra money on lunch and business attire or worry about being late can reduce stress. Coupled with improved supervisor-staff relationships and less tension at home, working from home causes a reduction in common irritants, subtle pressures and concerns that other workers find pervasive.
INCREASED JOB SATISFACTION
Workers who have increased control over their work, who can attend to their familial obligations and experience autonomy are more satisfied and less likely to quit their jobs. Being provided with the means to take charge of their own schedule and having choice is key to ensuring that workers are satisfied. Being given the option to work at home also promotes a sense of loyalty to the organization. Staff feel cared about and their concerns taken seriously when they are given the option of alternate work arrangements. Increasing staff satisfaction benefits businesses hoping to attract and retain talent. Job hunters talk to employees and former employees, gleaning important information about the company and its policies. Knowing that a prospective employer is flexible and recognizes the needs of its workers is attractive to prospective employees.
WORKER RETENTION
Staff who are ready to quit their jobs often cite tensions between work and family, lack of employer flexibility and difficult supervisors as reasons for their desire to leave. Some employers introduce flexible work arrangements to induce overwhelmed or stressed workers to stay. By finding a way for an employee to do their job and lower their stress, companies keep valued, experienced people on the payroll. Working from home is attractive to many and being offered that choice, can mean the difference between staying with an employer or looking for another job. People stay at jobs where they feel respected, trusted and allowed to complete tasks in ways that get the job done and suit the individual. Working from home can provide this kind of allure since the trust and autonomy implied by giving an employee the option to telecommute increases commitment to the company.
IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND CAREER PROSPECTS
Contrary to those who oppose work-at-home arrangements, productivity increases in these scenarios. Staff are less distracted and when supervisors examine objectively what actually gets done, they note that at-home workers deliver. The researchers debunked the concern that not being seen in the office was considered career limiting. Participants in the studies they reviewed did not consider their work arrangement a liability and when taken with improved supervisor-staff relations and increased productivity, the at-home work arrangement may help those who wish to advance in their careers.
Gajendran and Harrison report that telecommuting is largely beneficial for companies and workers. But they warn that care needs to be taken to nurture at-home worker relationships with their co-workers. These relationships can suffer the most from the telecommuting work arrangement.
Ensuring that employees have time together, some face-to-face meetings or social gatherings is helpful to reduce isolation and encourage co-worker camaraderie.
- Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg are registered psychologists and directors of Newman & Grigg Psychological and Consulting Services Ltd., a Vancouver-based corporate training and development partnership. Identifying information in cases cited has been changed to protect confidentiality. They can be contacted at: sunmail@newmangrigg.com
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
By The Vancouver Sun
Working from home, or "telecommuting," is becoming more commonplace and popular among workers as technological advancements allow for it.
But is everyone a fan?
The conventional wisdom is that allowing people to work from home can hurt business. Telecommuters may be less productive, more inclined to quit and perform less well than workers at the office. Employers may be concerned that at-home workers are more easily distracted by family and social obligations and opportunities, perhaps doing less in a day and negatively affecting business results.
Critics also maintain that letting employees work from home should be avoided since it damages staff chances for promotion, undermines supervisor-subordinate relationships and increases family conflict. When staff aren't in the office, they appear to be less loyal and committed as a result. This damages their reputations as promotion-ready and they are sidelined.
Relationships with supervisors are supposed to suffer under these arrangements as well. Managers rely on observing staff to evaluate their performance. When the manager can't see what staff are doing, distrust could develop, causing supervisors to monitor employees more closely. They may implicitly suspect that the worker is not pulling his or her weight by hiding out at home.
Families could suffer more under telecommuting arrangements since technology reduces boundaries between work and family. People find their loved one constantly working and unavailable, see no downtime for the telecommuter and as a result conflict increases.
Right?
Not according to a recent study in The Journal of Applied Psychology, which firmly debunks these claims. Ravi Gajendran and David Harrison at the Department of Management and Organization with Pennsylvania State University, conducted an extensive review of 46 studies on the subject featuring 12,883 employees. Their results show that working from home is good for business and for staff.
The researchers identified seven positive results of working at home:
INCREASED CONTROL
A key positive aspect of telecommuting is the opportunity for workers to have maximum control over their work and work environment. Staff have control over when they take breaks, what they wear to work and the layout of their office space. They can make individualized decor choices, alter the ventilation to their liking, change the lighting or even include their own music. They get to decide when and how they do their job and schedule their time accordingly. As long as the work gets done, staff are free to choose what they do and when.
INCREASED WORK/FAMILY BALANCE
When staff can decide when they are going to work and what particular tasks they will work on, they are afforded the opportunity to integrate work and family obligations. This means they can make work and family schedules fit together. Staff can plan uninterrupted work time as well as catering to family needs. Some workers find that they have a room set aside for an office and thereby reduce disruptions. Telecommuting reduces time spent in traffic and can ostensibly increase the number of hours telecommuting staff work. Taking time to take a child to a sport or pick up groceries can be scheduled into the day along with work "to-do's". Telecommuting reduces the tension that can exist between doing one's job and meeting family obligations.
IMPROVED SUPERVISOR-STAFF RELATIONSHIPS
The researchers found that telecommuting had a positive effect on supervisor-staff relationships. They speculated that the reason for this is that both parties make an extra effort to stay in touch when staff work from home. Supervisors who have less opportunity to see home-based staff, may contact them more and have longer and better quality conversations. Staff may also seek the supervisor out to update him or her regularly. When supervision occurs in the office environment it may be more casual and on a "catch-as-catch-can" basis. Telecommuting may mean supervisor and subordinate see each other less, but the quality of their contact may increase.
REDUCED STRESS
Not having to rush to work through commuter traffic, spend extra money on lunch and business attire or worry about being late can reduce stress. Coupled with improved supervisor-staff relationships and less tension at home, working from home causes a reduction in common irritants, subtle pressures and concerns that other workers find pervasive.
INCREASED JOB SATISFACTION
Workers who have increased control over their work, who can attend to their familial obligations and experience autonomy are more satisfied and less likely to quit their jobs. Being provided with the means to take charge of their own schedule and having choice is key to ensuring that workers are satisfied. Being given the option to work at home also promotes a sense of loyalty to the organization. Staff feel cared about and their concerns taken seriously when they are given the option of alternate work arrangements. Increasing staff satisfaction benefits businesses hoping to attract and retain talent. Job hunters talk to employees and former employees, gleaning important information about the company and its policies. Knowing that a prospective employer is flexible and recognizes the needs of its workers is attractive to prospective employees.
WORKER RETENTION
Staff who are ready to quit their jobs often cite tensions between work and family, lack of employer flexibility and difficult supervisors as reasons for their desire to leave. Some employers introduce flexible work arrangements to induce overwhelmed or stressed workers to stay. By finding a way for an employee to do their job and lower their stress, companies keep valued, experienced people on the payroll. Working from home is attractive to many and being offered that choice, can mean the difference between staying with an employer or looking for another job. People stay at jobs where they feel respected, trusted and allowed to complete tasks in ways that get the job done and suit the individual. Working from home can provide this kind of allure since the trust and autonomy implied by giving an employee the option to telecommute increases commitment to the company.
IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND CAREER PROSPECTS
Contrary to those who oppose work-at-home arrangements, productivity increases in these scenarios. Staff are less distracted and when supervisors examine objectively what actually gets done, they note that at-home workers deliver. The researchers debunked the concern that not being seen in the office was considered career limiting. Participants in the studies they reviewed did not consider their work arrangement a liability and when taken with improved supervisor-staff relations and increased productivity, the at-home work arrangement may help those who wish to advance in their careers.
Gajendran and Harrison report that telecommuting is largely beneficial for companies and workers. But they warn that care needs to be taken to nurture at-home worker relationships with their co-workers. These relationships can suffer the most from the telecommuting work arrangement.
Ensuring that employees have time together, some face-to-face meetings or social gatherings is helpful to reduce isolation and encourage co-worker camaraderie.
- Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg are registered psychologists and directors of Newman & Grigg Psychological and Consulting Services Ltd., a Vancouver-based corporate training and development partnership. Identifying information in cases cited has been changed to protect confidentiality. They can be contacted at: sunmail@newmangrigg.com
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Content Marketing?
Content marketing is using relevant and valuable information to attract potential customers to you. This information will not only attract but, if done correctly, will engage your target audience and drive profitable action to your business.
Think of content as a way of interacting and communicating with your customers without selling.
Need proof it works? Think of an article you read that captured your attention and really engaged you. Did you look to see who the writer was? Were you interested in the company that they worked for and the products or services that they offered? If they were using the skills of content marketing, I can almost guarantee you did.
A great article can market your product or service in a way that the consumer is not interrupted. You are using that article to educate your consumer and create an awareness on information that is important to them. This makes your potential buyer more intelligent.
A successful content marketing strategy will deliver consistent valuable information to your target market, when this strategy works you turn the consumers you have targeted into buyers.
Look, it's no secret that consumers are tired of traditional marketing. This is why you see a rush to social media and permission based marketing rather than intrusive marketing that doesn't allow consumers to make the choice of when they want to be marketed to. Why do you think consumers skip commercials, tear out magazine advertisements, and turn on online ad blockers? Because they are taking back control and they will decide when they want to be marketed to.
As a business, you have to be smarter in your marketing efforts and this includes writing content that is not only interesting but relevant and valuable to the market you are targeting.
How do you know if your content is marketing for you? It's easy really. Answer the following questions when reviewing your content or use them as a guideline when creating new content.
You can use content marketing in all areas of your marketing including print, media, events and online. You want to make sure that your website has content that markets to your audience. You also want to make sure that if you have a blog, you are also using it for content marketing.
Content marketing is valuable and often leaves a longer impression than any other method of marketing.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Think of content as a way of interacting and communicating with your customers without selling.
Need proof it works? Think of an article you read that captured your attention and really engaged you. Did you look to see who the writer was? Were you interested in the company that they worked for and the products or services that they offered? If they were using the skills of content marketing, I can almost guarantee you did.
A great article can market your product or service in a way that the consumer is not interrupted. You are using that article to educate your consumer and create an awareness on information that is important to them. This makes your potential buyer more intelligent.
A successful content marketing strategy will deliver consistent valuable information to your target market, when this strategy works you turn the consumers you have targeted into buyers.
Look, it's no secret that consumers are tired of traditional marketing. This is why you see a rush to social media and permission based marketing rather than intrusive marketing that doesn't allow consumers to make the choice of when they want to be marketed to. Why do you think consumers skip commercials, tear out magazine advertisements, and turn on online ad blockers? Because they are taking back control and they will decide when they want to be marketed to.
As a business, you have to be smarter in your marketing efforts and this includes writing content that is not only interesting but relevant and valuable to the market you are targeting.
How do you know if your content is marketing for you? It's easy really. Answer the following questions when reviewing your content or use them as a guideline when creating new content.
- Is it targeting a specific market? If not the content will be too broad to attract a targeted audience.
- Is your content informative, relevant and valuable to those you are targeting? Or is it just a sales pitch?
- Does it educate your target audience about your industry without being too sales oriented and pushing just your products or services?
- Does your message include a subtle marketing message that grabs the reader’s attention and gets them interested in what you offer?
- Does it leave the reader wanting more?
- Does it stir emotion within the reader and inspire action?
You can use content marketing in all areas of your marketing including print, media, events and online. You want to make sure that your website has content that markets to your audience. You also want to make sure that if you have a blog, you are also using it for content marketing.
Content marketing is valuable and often leaves a longer impression than any other method of marketing.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
What Is Social Networking?
Social Networking - perhaps you've heard of it before, but are not quite sure what it means.
Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups - like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will.
Although social networking is possible in person, the Internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other Internet users, to gather and share first-hand information or experiences about any number of topics from golfing to gardening, developing friendships or to start a professional relationship.
The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Other benefits include local & cultural diversity, idea development and potential business partnerships, of which you never would of had otherwise.
For what it is worth, I suggest that you embrace the technological times and enjoy social networking online. However, just like in the real world, in the virtual world, use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something feels right or not.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups - like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will.
Although social networking is possible in person, the Internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other Internet users, to gather and share first-hand information or experiences about any number of topics from golfing to gardening, developing friendships or to start a professional relationship.
The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Other benefits include local & cultural diversity, idea development and potential business partnerships, of which you never would of had otherwise.
For what it is worth, I suggest that you embrace the technological times and enjoy social networking online. However, just like in the real world, in the virtual world, use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something feels right or not.
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The New Rules Within Social Media
Okay.... I know I said "new", but really these 'rules' are a culmination of the common sense guidelines that is naturally present in friendship social circles. So what are the guidelines and how do they impact businesses within social media? Has the internet yet again twisted the playing field on what is okay and what is not when it comes to interacting with the public at large.
Social media is rather simple in its core. It works on the same principles that you deal with at any face-to-face social event. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 'guidelines' for social media success:
Be Real or Be Funny...
Over-the-top marketing is out. The use of comedy is in. Just as in patterns of the past, over the past 15 years there has been a shift in how businesses advertise. However, rather than shifting like the industry has in the past 100 years, social media style advertising is delivering a whole new untapped highway on how to pull the subtle heartstrings of the end buyer.... or in this case, cause an endorphin rush.
That said, 'good' social media has been shown to be a success when you can drive the desire of an audience to repeat the experience; just like in other advertising mediums. However, finding the balance of ensuring they remember your brand, that is now hidden within an endorphin rush, can be tricky. You can read more on this here >>
Be Generous...
Follow the 12:1 social media formula: provide information and advice to others 12 times as often as they push their services. The smartest people in any field look at other smart people in their field as collaborators, rather than competitors. They brainstorm with colleagues, provide resources to them, and aren't afraid to ask for or provide help.
Understand KISS...
"Keep it Strategic Silly" - (Thank you B.L Ochman)
Let's look at KFC as an example of what NOT to do:
KFC Strategy:
Some of this blog was excerpted from B.L Ochman's Web Site
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Social media is rather simple in its core. It works on the same principles that you deal with at any face-to-face social event. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 'guidelines' for social media success:
Be Real or Be Funny...
Over-the-top marketing is out. The use of comedy is in. Just as in patterns of the past, over the past 15 years there has been a shift in how businesses advertise. However, rather than shifting like the industry has in the past 100 years, social media style advertising is delivering a whole new untapped highway on how to pull the subtle heartstrings of the end buyer.... or in this case, cause an endorphin rush.
That said, 'good' social media has been shown to be a success when you can drive the desire of an audience to repeat the experience; just like in other advertising mediums. However, finding the balance of ensuring they remember your brand, that is now hidden within an endorphin rush, can be tricky. You can read more on this here >>
Be Generous...
Follow the 12:1 social media formula: provide information and advice to others 12 times as often as they push their services. The smartest people in any field look at other smart people in their field as collaborators, rather than competitors. They brainstorm with colleagues, provide resources to them, and aren't afraid to ask for or provide help.
Understand KISS...
"Keep it Strategic Silly" - (Thank you B.L Ochman)
Let's look at KFC as an example of what NOT to do:
KFC Strategy:
• Introduce grilled chicken to the menu
• Call the campaign Unthink
KFC Tactics:
• Hook up with Oprah to offer coupons for free grilled chicken to everyone on the planet.
• Wring hands and say OMG OMG when everyone in America showed up and there wasn't enough chicken
• Run YouTube video contest for people to say how much they love KFC, get 4 entries in a month
• Expand contest to MySpace page
• Keep asking people to tell them what is so great about KFC
• Run print ads about the contests
• Be on Twitter. And Facebook.
• Give away a life-time supply of chicken
Even though they've thrown a whole bunch of tactics in the chicken bucket, the strategy is still "Tell us why you think we're wonderful" and that's not what social media is about. In an information age reality check, businesses have to remember that social media is about actually being wonderful. In KFC case, That would have started by having a strategy for the Oprah give-a-way.
So tread gently. Don't hit people over the head with a sales message. Remember: we're all humans. In social media - People are what matters, not companies.
And don't forget to KISSSome of this blog was excerpted from B.L Ochman's Web Site
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Marketing Success In The Information Age
Ahhh... the "Information Age". What is it really?
I ask this as I was talking with a friend and we were discussing how marketing has changed with the "Information Age".
After about 20 minutes she asked me, so how exactly do we navigate through this age of such technological advancement in that we use the term 'information age' and everyone knows exactly what you are talking about... and... Exactly what is the 'information age'?
Even though I knew she knew the answers to her own questions and was merely toying with me,
To start, there are many factors but if you have simply two questions answered, you will hit pay dirt every time.
Those questions are:
1 - Why are some people so much more successful than others?
...and...
2 - What is the "Information Age"?
Since my conversation, I did a lot of research on this as I wanted to be accurate in this blog, and of course I found a lot of varying answers, but I did find a common thread that I took away from the conversation and the research combined.
In the words of Don Schultz, one of the foremost scholars of Integrated Marketing, “today we live in an interactive, globally connected, customer-driven, service economy where time and speed are of the essence.” As a result of these changes, a whole new marketing model was born; one that was no longer founded, exclusively, on the power of the “4P's” (product, price, place, and promotion) but instead hinged on four new principles:
1. Target
2. Experiment
3. Measure
4. Adapt
Some may argue that targeting is not a new concept. While consumer product giants such as Procter & Gamble have, indeed, been at this game for a long time, new technologies have enabled companies of all sizes to successfully deploy highly personalized campaigns.
Experimenting, on the other hand, has not only dramatically changed, but also grown in importance in most marketers’ minds over the past fifteen years.
Savvy executives worldwide quickly learned that, in order to ensure the success of highly targeted campaigns, they must earmark part of their budget for testing. Some analysts, including McKinsey’s David Court, go so far as to say that 20-25% of all marketing spending should be used to finance well-structured experiments. The days of the old saying “I know that half of my advertisement is wasted, I just don’t know which half,” are long gone.
After thinking about this on and off for almost a decade, I’ve reached the conclusion that 4 factors are responsible for success:
1. Hard work — “work smarter, not harder,” is largely B.S. Yes, you have to work smart. But most of the really successful people I know have a puritan work ethic, despite the claims of some of them to the contrary.
2. Persistence — the only way to ensure permanent failure is to give up. Successful people never give up.
3. “Smarts” — successful people are either highly intelligent or have some aptitude that helps them in achieving their goals.
4. Luck — some people are just luckier than others. They are fortunate to be born with an aptitude (#3 above) that makes money in today’s society. Or they benefit from timing: market factors align favorably with their ventures and goals.
I am debating adding a fifth factor to my list above: ambition. The difference between a humble successful person and an egotistical one? The humble achiever acknowledges the role #4 played in his success, and the egotistical one does not. Do you think my 4 (5) factors above adequately explain why some people are so much more successful than others?
.... Or am I missing an important factor required to achieve success? Tell me by commenting or contacting me
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
I ask this as I was talking with a friend and we were discussing how marketing has changed with the "Information Age".
After about 20 minutes she asked me, so how exactly do we navigate through this age of such technological advancement in that we use the term 'information age' and everyone knows exactly what you are talking about... and... Exactly what is the 'information age'?
Even though I knew she knew the answers to her own questions and was merely toying with me,
To start, there are many factors but if you have simply two questions answered, you will hit pay dirt every time.
Those questions are:
1 - Why are some people so much more successful than others?
...and...
2 - What is the "Information Age"?
Since my conversation, I did a lot of research on this as I wanted to be accurate in this blog, and of course I found a lot of varying answers, but I did find a common thread that I took away from the conversation and the research combined.
In the words of Don Schultz, one of the foremost scholars of Integrated Marketing, “today we live in an interactive, globally connected, customer-driven, service economy where time and speed are of the essence.” As a result of these changes, a whole new marketing model was born; one that was no longer founded, exclusively, on the power of the “4P's” (product, price, place, and promotion) but instead hinged on four new principles:
1. Target
2. Experiment
3. Measure
4. Adapt
Some may argue that targeting is not a new concept. While consumer product giants such as Procter & Gamble have, indeed, been at this game for a long time, new technologies have enabled companies of all sizes to successfully deploy highly personalized campaigns.
Experimenting, on the other hand, has not only dramatically changed, but also grown in importance in most marketers’ minds over the past fifteen years.
Savvy executives worldwide quickly learned that, in order to ensure the success of highly targeted campaigns, they must earmark part of their budget for testing. Some analysts, including McKinsey’s David Court, go so far as to say that 20-25% of all marketing spending should be used to finance well-structured experiments. The days of the old saying “I know that half of my advertisement is wasted, I just don’t know which half,” are long gone.
After thinking about this on and off for almost a decade, I’ve reached the conclusion that 4 factors are responsible for success:
1. Hard work — “work smarter, not harder,” is largely B.S. Yes, you have to work smart. But most of the really successful people I know have a puritan work ethic, despite the claims of some of them to the contrary.
2. Persistence — the only way to ensure permanent failure is to give up. Successful people never give up.
3. “Smarts” — successful people are either highly intelligent or have some aptitude that helps them in achieving their goals.
4. Luck — some people are just luckier than others. They are fortunate to be born with an aptitude (#3 above) that makes money in today’s society. Or they benefit from timing: market factors align favorably with their ventures and goals.
I am debating adding a fifth factor to my list above: ambition. The difference between a humble successful person and an egotistical one? The humble achiever acknowledges the role #4 played in his success, and the egotistical one does not. Do you think my 4 (5) factors above adequately explain why some people are so much more successful than others?
.... Or am I missing an important factor required to achieve success? Tell me by commenting or contacting me
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Benefits That Marketing Online Provides
Most of us have personally experienced or heard someone talk about how marketing online provides many benefits to those who do. Among those are the incredible ability to track your efforts with the feedback that allows for focused marketing.
Online marketing ties together the creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including design, development, advertising and sales driven copy, with the cost savings and ease of production that would have our marketing forefathers green with envy.... oh yeah, let's not forget the huge 'Green' advantage inherently provided by focusing your marketing online.
Online marketing ties together the creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including design, development, advertising and sales driven copy, with the cost savings and ease of production that would have our marketing forefathers green with envy.... oh yeah, let's not forget the huge 'Green' advantage inherently provided by focusing your marketing online.
If you have a website (and most businesses do these days), you can now track the who - what - when - where aspect, to easily gain the 'why'. I mention this as the 'why' is an extremely powerful tool in the development of your online marketing. If you know this [why] aspect of your target, you can create and develop your marketing like a lazer beam towards your prospects, or even existing clients, giving you an advantage over any business that does traditional marketing.
Email Marketing falls within this same benefit catagory as you can see 'who' and 'when' a recipient has opened your email; 'when' and 'where' they clicked; even if thier address is still valid - you will now know.
Let's be clear here that I do not recommened buying email address lists, as the bought list will bring a lot of unwanted negativity to your campaigns as most lists are generated through data mining, a highly controversal, (and in my opinion) borderline illegal, activity. In addition, most email market company have strict policies to advert this practice.
All in all, I highly recommend that you look at your website and campaign tracking to gain powerful insight as to which 'fish in the barrel' are biting. If you do this, you WILL see the clear benefits of marketing online.
Here are a couple of solutions...
SOLUTION 1: Website Tracking = www.extremetracking.com
SOLUTION 2: Email Services = www.constantcontact.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
17 Ways To Use Twitter - Some of it even for business
I love lists! I knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before the experts weigh-in with their lists of ..."do this", "don't do that".
That said and with twitter being so young, I ask how can anyone truly be 'an expert'; not yet at least.
I do find a lot of the writings to be interesting and thought provoking however. Here is a list I thought was fantastic enough to share!
List Source: Dosh Dosh
Having read a great deal of other articles on Twitter, I decided a do a quick summary of all the ways you can use Twitter for both your professional or personal life. Some of these methods go beyond the use of Twitter as a lifestreaming device:
Personal Branding.
Twitter is a social media platform you can use to build your personal brand. It has the primary benefit of developing a casual persona and establishes you as a social personality that is connected and approachable. As Twitter adoption increases, new users will be drawn towards well established Twitter personas.
Get Feedback.
Need an alternative perspective on how a website looks or the right course of action to take? Blast out a message asking for advice and you’ll receive replies from other users. This collective intelligence can be used as fodder for articles or projects.
Hire People.
Need a good logo designer, marketer or programmer? Send out a message asking for recommendations. This is a very quick and easy way to hire freelancers or even companies based on familiar recommendations.
Direct traffic.
Twitter can be used to get traffic to your websites or the sites of friends. If you ask your friends to tweet about it, the message will spread faster and further as other active users pick it up. There is a viral nature to all types of news, even on a site like Twitter.
Read News.
Twitter users often link to useful sites or articles and can be a source of scoops and alternative news. You can also subscribe to Twitter feeds for specific websites/conferences, which allows you to receive and view content quickly. This is very useful for active social news participants.
Make New Friends.
Like any other social network, Twitter has a built-in function for you to befriend and track the messages of other users. This is an easy way for you connect with people outside of your usual circle.
Make an effort to add active users you find interesting. A Twitter acquaintance can be developed into a long lasting friendship.
Network for benefits.
Twitter can be used as a socializing platform for you to interact with other like-minded people, especially those in the same industry. It can be used to establish consistent and deeper relationships for future benefits such as testimonials or peer recommendations.
Use it as a ToDo list.
Use Twitter to record down what you need to do while you are away from the computer. Mark the tweet as a favorite to file it for referencing. Another alternative is to use an Online task management service that is synced with Twitter. One example is Remember The Milk.
Business Management.
Twitter can be used as a company intranet that connects employees to one another. Workers can liaise with each other when working on group projects. Particularly useful when certain workers go out often in the field. Updates could be set to private for security reasons.
Notify Your Customers.
Set up a Twitter feed for the specific purpose of notifying customers when new products come in. Customers can subscribe via mobile or RSS for instant notification. Twitter can also be used to provide mini-updates for one-on-one clients.
Take Notes.
Twitter provides you with an easy way to record important ideas or concepts you want to explore further. Include links relevant to ideas you want to explore. Note taking can also be done offline via mobile applications.
Event Updates.
Businesses can use Twitter as a means to inform event participants and latest event happenings/changes. This is a hassle-free way of disseminating information, especially when you don’t have the means to set up a direct mobile link between you and the audience.
Find Prospects.
Twitter can be used as a means to find potential customers or clients online. Do a search for keywords related to your product on Twitter Search and then follow users. Tweet about topics parallel to your product and close prospects away from public channels by using direct messages or offline communications. Discretion and skill is needed in this area.
Provide Live coverage.
Twitter’s message size limit prevents detailed coverage of events but it can allow you to provide real-time commentary which may help to spark further discussion or interest on the event as other Twitter users spread the message. Very useful for citizen journalism.
Time Management and Analysis.
Twitter can simply be used to keep a detailed record of what you are doing every daily. This might be boring for others but this type of usage is useful when you want to analyze how you spend and manage your time.
Set Up Meetings.
Twitter can help you organize impromptu meetups. For example, you can twitter a message while at a cafe, event or art gallery and arrange to meet fellow users at a specific spot. It’s an informal and casual way of arranging a meeting.
Acquire Votes.
Send a link to your stories you’ve submitted in other social news sites like Digg. Sometimes your followers will vote up the stories because they agree with it. This allows you to acquire more support for your efforts on other social media websites.
See you on twitter: www.twitter.com/econference
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
That said and with twitter being so young, I ask how can anyone truly be 'an expert'; not yet at least.
I do find a lot of the writings to be interesting and thought provoking however. Here is a list I thought was fantastic enough to share!
List Source: Dosh Dosh
Having read a great deal of other articles on Twitter, I decided a do a quick summary of all the ways you can use Twitter for both your professional or personal life. Some of these methods go beyond the use of Twitter as a lifestreaming device:
Personal Branding.
Twitter is a social media platform you can use to build your personal brand. It has the primary benefit of developing a casual persona and establishes you as a social personality that is connected and approachable. As Twitter adoption increases, new users will be drawn towards well established Twitter personas.
Get Feedback.
Need an alternative perspective on how a website looks or the right course of action to take? Blast out a message asking for advice and you’ll receive replies from other users. This collective intelligence can be used as fodder for articles or projects.
Hire People.
Need a good logo designer, marketer or programmer? Send out a message asking for recommendations. This is a very quick and easy way to hire freelancers or even companies based on familiar recommendations.
Direct traffic.
Twitter can be used to get traffic to your websites or the sites of friends. If you ask your friends to tweet about it, the message will spread faster and further as other active users pick it up. There is a viral nature to all types of news, even on a site like Twitter.
Read News.
Twitter users often link to useful sites or articles and can be a source of scoops and alternative news. You can also subscribe to Twitter feeds for specific websites/conferences, which allows you to receive and view content quickly. This is very useful for active social news participants.
Make New Friends.
Like any other social network, Twitter has a built-in function for you to befriend and track the messages of other users. This is an easy way for you connect with people outside of your usual circle.
Make an effort to add active users you find interesting. A Twitter acquaintance can be developed into a long lasting friendship.
Network for benefits.
Twitter can be used as a socializing platform for you to interact with other like-minded people, especially those in the same industry. It can be used to establish consistent and deeper relationships for future benefits such as testimonials or peer recommendations.
Use it as a ToDo list.
Use Twitter to record down what you need to do while you are away from the computer. Mark the tweet as a favorite to file it for referencing. Another alternative is to use an Online task management service that is synced with Twitter. One example is Remember The Milk.
Business Management.
Twitter can be used as a company intranet that connects employees to one another. Workers can liaise with each other when working on group projects. Particularly useful when certain workers go out often in the field. Updates could be set to private for security reasons.
Notify Your Customers.
Set up a Twitter feed for the specific purpose of notifying customers when new products come in. Customers can subscribe via mobile or RSS for instant notification. Twitter can also be used to provide mini-updates for one-on-one clients.
Take Notes.
Twitter provides you with an easy way to record important ideas or concepts you want to explore further. Include links relevant to ideas you want to explore. Note taking can also be done offline via mobile applications.
Event Updates.
Businesses can use Twitter as a means to inform event participants and latest event happenings/changes. This is a hassle-free way of disseminating information, especially when you don’t have the means to set up a direct mobile link between you and the audience.
Find Prospects.
Twitter can be used as a means to find potential customers or clients online. Do a search for keywords related to your product on Twitter Search and then follow users. Tweet about topics parallel to your product and close prospects away from public channels by using direct messages or offline communications. Discretion and skill is needed in this area.
Provide Live coverage.
Twitter’s message size limit prevents detailed coverage of events but it can allow you to provide real-time commentary which may help to spark further discussion or interest on the event as other Twitter users spread the message. Very useful for citizen journalism.
Time Management and Analysis.
Twitter can simply be used to keep a detailed record of what you are doing every daily. This might be boring for others but this type of usage is useful when you want to analyze how you spend and manage your time.
Set Up Meetings.
Twitter can help you organize impromptu meetups. For example, you can twitter a message while at a cafe, event or art gallery and arrange to meet fellow users at a specific spot. It’s an informal and casual way of arranging a meeting.
Acquire Votes.
Send a link to your stories you’ve submitted in other social news sites like Digg. Sometimes your followers will vote up the stories because they agree with it. This allows you to acquire more support for your efforts on other social media websites.
See you on twitter: www.twitter.com/econference
William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup.
You know the old saying: "Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup". Well that can be true in marketing too, especially in the information age as we are bombarded from every angle available to todays' marketing professionals
Here are a few thoughts on focusing your marketing...
It is vitally important to customize your marketing using ideas' from co-workers and partners but, too many opinions seem to 'water-down' the flavor of your marketing soup. The point here is that, as it has been for years, the key to successful marketing is targeted or focused marketing.
I mention this because if you want to add significant impact to a your marketing efforts in a short period of time, with limited resources, a "focused marketing" effort is advisable.
In focused marketing, the specific targets for the campaign are pre-selected. A list of potential new or existing clients is compiled and a systematic approach to engaging these individuals is pursued. Unfortunately, focused marketing is an organized based of on-going cultivation in a way that few businesses pursue.
The first step in creating a focused marketing effort is to develop a list of targets. Each organization must decide how many prospects it can properly service. The initial list of prospects should be long enough to have an impact while short enough to be manageable. Clearly, preference/priority should be given to those businesses known personally however, as the focused marketing campaign is successful, additional prospects can always be added.
The goal, of course, is to encourage people to become more involved with your business. To build involvement means that one has to do more than just send a series of newsletters and other mailings. These will invariably go unread unless they are connected to events that are more engaging.
There are a number of more sophisticated cultivation tools available. For example, invitations to tour the offices and meet people, or to an event can be very enticing. Most people appreciate unusual experiences. Sometimes bringing a powerful prospect to a behind-the-scenes look can be more exciting than inviting them to try the service for free. As a guideline, prospects never need to know that they have been targeted in this manner. In fact, most will only become subtly aware that they are more involved than other prospects.
A dinner or cocktail reception is an ideal forum for educating prospects about a business too. These need not be "hard-sell" events, but rather enjoyable activities that introduce the prospects to other clients of the business. Inviting one or more celebrities (from the corporate, political, entertainment or arts world) will only help to encourage participation.
Remember, however, that one is hoping to find those individuals who will be interested in providing substantial usage of services from your business; this will usually only be successful if the meet & greet matters to the prospects on some level. For this reason, these social events should be linked to a product releases, special events, or other program designed to bring people together.
Prospects should also receive systematic mailings of newsletters, articles and reviews of upcoming programming, and should be marketed with special attention given to major events (such as product releases). The goal of this consistent infusion of information is to create the feeling that the organization is incredibly productive, successful and important.
A tracking system should be developed. Over time, a profile of key interests and contacts will emerge. This information can only help in strengthening any future large account solicitations.
Prospects who show absolutely no interest in any activities over an entire year can be removed from the list. But be careful to not remove a prospect too quickly; someone may not show personal interest but may have the power to affect a corporate, foundation or government
decision that could affect you. Your campaign to involve that person may be working without your even knowing it!
Pursued properly and in an organized fashion, focused marketing can have a major impact on the fiscal health of a business without a significant investment of scarce resources.
Now go have some fun & market your butt off!
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Here are a few thoughts on focusing your marketing...
It is vitally important to customize your marketing using ideas' from co-workers and partners but, too many opinions seem to 'water-down' the flavor of your marketing soup. The point here is that, as it has been for years, the key to successful marketing is targeted or focused marketing.
I mention this because if you want to add significant impact to a your marketing efforts in a short period of time, with limited resources, a "focused marketing" effort is advisable.
In focused marketing, the specific targets for the campaign are pre-selected. A list of potential new or existing clients is compiled and a systematic approach to engaging these individuals is pursued. Unfortunately, focused marketing is an organized based of on-going cultivation in a way that few businesses pursue.
The first step in creating a focused marketing effort is to develop a list of targets. Each organization must decide how many prospects it can properly service. The initial list of prospects should be long enough to have an impact while short enough to be manageable. Clearly, preference/priority should be given to those businesses known personally however, as the focused marketing campaign is successful, additional prospects can always be added.
The goal, of course, is to encourage people to become more involved with your business. To build involvement means that one has to do more than just send a series of newsletters and other mailings. These will invariably go unread unless they are connected to events that are more engaging.
There are a number of more sophisticated cultivation tools available. For example, invitations to tour the offices and meet people, or to an event can be very enticing. Most people appreciate unusual experiences. Sometimes bringing a powerful prospect to a behind-the-scenes look can be more exciting than inviting them to try the service for free. As a guideline, prospects never need to know that they have been targeted in this manner. In fact, most will only become subtly aware that they are more involved than other prospects.
A dinner or cocktail reception is an ideal forum for educating prospects about a business too. These need not be "hard-sell" events, but rather enjoyable activities that introduce the prospects to other clients of the business. Inviting one or more celebrities (from the corporate, political, entertainment or arts world) will only help to encourage participation.
Remember, however, that one is hoping to find those individuals who will be interested in providing substantial usage of services from your business; this will usually only be successful if the meet & greet matters to the prospects on some level. For this reason, these social events should be linked to a product releases, special events, or other program designed to bring people together.
Prospects should also receive systematic mailings of newsletters, articles and reviews of upcoming programming, and should be marketed with special attention given to major events (such as product releases). The goal of this consistent infusion of information is to create the feeling that the organization is incredibly productive, successful and important.
A tracking system should be developed. Over time, a profile of key interests and contacts will emerge. This information can only help in strengthening any future large account solicitations.
Prospects who show absolutely no interest in any activities over an entire year can be removed from the list. But be careful to not remove a prospect too quickly; someone may not show personal interest but may have the power to affect a corporate, foundation or government
decision that could affect you. Your campaign to involve that person may be working without your even knowing it!
Pursued properly and in an organized fashion, focused marketing can have a major impact on the fiscal health of a business without a significant investment of scarce resources.
Now go have some fun & market your butt off!
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What ever happened to the Encyclopedia salesman?
If there is one career choice that has drastically changed in the face of technology, it is the encyclopedia salesman. I suppose they have filtered into society as other careers have done every time there is an 'age' changing event. I wonder, with all that knowledge at their fingertips, did they even see their demise coming?
OK... what about one of the least changing careers?
That has to be the people/companies who make calculators. They have done a great job of finding their niche market and holding onto it through this device creation era. Even though phones, wrist watches, PDA's, and laptops all have calculators, it seems most of us still like our stand-alone calculator.
I'm just sayin'
OK... what about one of the least changing careers?
That has to be the people/companies who make calculators. They have done a great job of finding their niche market and holding onto it through this device creation era. Even though phones, wrist watches, PDA's, and laptops all have calculators, it seems most of us still like our stand-alone calculator.
I'm just sayin'
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Marketing In A Down-Turned Economy
I do my best thinking at night. Not that this will be my best writing.
As the world turns into a giant meshing of LANs and RSS feeds, we all need to approach things a bit different. I was watching "Confessions Of A Former Teen Idol" .... wait, please let me clarify, my wife was watching and I was hanging out with her. Anyway... I was just fantasizing about how I could just dial into a server address and get the same feed, but a different channel.
Then I starting thinking about the possibilities of the marketing. I almost blew a fuse as I fathomed the depths of it all. I predict the time coming withing 10 years that CTV (Computer & Tele-Vison will be a mainstream reality.
There are some great articles about this subject so here is one that I found most interesting:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/Reports/DownturnReport.pdf
Talk soon,
Will
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
As the world turns into a giant meshing of LANs and RSS feeds, we all need to approach things a bit different. I was watching "Confessions Of A Former Teen Idol" .... wait, please let me clarify, my wife was watching and I was hanging out with her. Anyway... I was just fantasizing about how I could just dial into a server address and get the same feed, but a different channel.
Then I starting thinking about the possibilities of the marketing. I almost blew a fuse as I fathomed the depths of it all. I predict the time coming withing 10 years that CTV (Computer & Tele-Vison will be a mainstream reality.
There are some great articles about this subject so here is one that I found most interesting:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/Reports/DownturnReport.pdf
Talk soon,
Will
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
More Marketing, or More Careful Marketing...
So what happens when one group, the "official" marketing group loses its centralized control over marketing?
Do the marketing activities go away or disappear? No, they move to other parts of the arena ... they become diffused within (and sometimes outside) the company.
In general, we are now out of the industrial age and information is flowing faster and faster down the pipe to the end user. Does this require more marketing? I say no, just more careful marketing.
Since research is so easy and sometimes dangerous, it is imperative to approach your marketing with a level of caution in researching what you print, post, blog or 'Twitter' about.
It is really amazing that I get anything done with all the reading I have to do these days to keep up with what is current. I clearly see the importance of keeping it strait to the point, as well as having your facts straight. I love the Internet, but there are many 'experts' out there who's expertise seems a bit suspect, so when you find one or two that you trust, stay with 'em!
So how are you working your marketing? Are you a one person show or do you have minions working to get things done? I would love to hear from you!
Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup. That sounds like a good topic for next time
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Do the marketing activities go away or disappear? No, they move to other parts of the arena ... they become diffused within (and sometimes outside) the company.
In general, we are now out of the industrial age and information is flowing faster and faster down the pipe to the end user. Does this require more marketing? I say no, just more careful marketing.
Since research is so easy and sometimes dangerous, it is imperative to approach your marketing with a level of caution in researching what you print, post, blog or 'Twitter' about.
It is really amazing that I get anything done with all the reading I have to do these days to keep up with what is current. I clearly see the importance of keeping it strait to the point, as well as having your facts straight. I love the Internet, but there are many 'experts' out there who's expertise seems a bit suspect, so when you find one or two that you trust, stay with 'em!
So how are you working your marketing? Are you a one person show or do you have minions working to get things done? I would love to hear from you!
Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup. That sounds like a good topic for next time
William S. Dickinson (william.dickinson@momentumconferencing.com) is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Is your moment of opportunity, providing you with a leveraging moment
Okay, so some of us have used a variety of techniques to leverage our marketing. Everything from raw creation, to referrals, to being at the right place at the right time.
Seeing a need and approaching it is by far the most used form of leveraging, although some would suggest that opportunity is not a leveraging tool. I suggest that in today's information age, it is precisely that.
I was born in 1965 and my Grandparents will be the first to tell you that life was much harder than "kids today" have it. I make this point as I think in truth, that statement is a double edged sword. On one side they are right... On the other, you could not pay me enough to grow up when they did as I enjoy my modern amenities too much!
In addition to my own personal luxuries, the information age has brought forth many wonderful easy-to-use tools that can be utilized in today's business environment. Let's take this blog as an example....
For those of you who do not blog, please know that blogging is quite cathartic in nature. To be able to speak your mind with (for the most part) no repercussions a welcome moment in my daily grind. Personally, I like to mull over my topics for a bit, and then bang them out in a free flowing conversation with the people envisioned as the end user.
Since marketing is a passion for me, I find abundant opportunities all around me, but for those who are not as passionate as I, i realize that the task of looking for opportunities may sometimes overshadow the opportunities you see around you.
Here is what I suggest:
- Look at your business goals; More than likely it has something to do with sales of your services or product.
- Look around at your competition; How are they doing things?
- A lot of marketing ideas are regurgitated and it is almost impossible to create something that has not been done; Use bits and pieces to create a unique message or angle.
I will leave you with that until next time.
Talk soon,
Will
Seeing a need and approaching it is by far the most used form of leveraging, although some would suggest that opportunity is not a leveraging tool. I suggest that in today's information age, it is precisely that.
I was born in 1965 and my Grandparents will be the first to tell you that life was much harder than "kids today" have it. I make this point as I think in truth, that statement is a double edged sword. On one side they are right... On the other, you could not pay me enough to grow up when they did as I enjoy my modern amenities too much!
In addition to my own personal luxuries, the information age has brought forth many wonderful easy-to-use tools that can be utilized in today's business environment. Let's take this blog as an example....
For those of you who do not blog, please know that blogging is quite cathartic in nature. To be able to speak your mind with (for the most part) no repercussions a welcome moment in my daily grind. Personally, I like to mull over my topics for a bit, and then bang them out in a free flowing conversation with the people envisioned as the end user.
Since marketing is a passion for me, I find abundant opportunities all around me, but for those who are not as passionate as I, i realize that the task of looking for opportunities may sometimes overshadow the opportunities you see around you.
Here is what I suggest:
- Look at your business goals; More than likely it has something to do with sales of your services or product.
- Look around at your competition; How are they doing things?
- A lot of marketing ideas are regurgitated and it is almost impossible to create something that has not been done; Use bits and pieces to create a unique message or angle.
I will leave you with that until next time.
Talk soon,
Will
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
