Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 11:04 AM
Fans of the TV show Mad Men know that Don Draper is the quintessential ad man. He is cool, creative and smart.
The show takes place in the 1960's and there are many vestiges of an era long passed:
- The characters all smoke - in their offices
- Drinking is encouraged and condoned during office hours
- The women in the office are objectified
So office life has changed dramatically since the 60's. But what about Don Draper's job? Back then he was focused on big ad placements and media buys.
Today, the spend in the traditional media outlets has plummeted as companies look to market digitally.
Unless Don adjusts, he's a dinosaur.
Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 @ 12:05 PM
Yesterday, a good friend mentioned his sister is using Twitter to notify the followers of her trendy restaurant in Miami when celebrities show up. He thought it was a great idea as did I.
I asked him how he was using Twitter in his professional services business and he looked at me like I was crazy.
Leo Dicaprio isn't really at our office. But Twitter can provide value beyond celebrity citings . Here's two ways:
- Use the Twitter "Follow" feature to receive the Tweets from industry thought leaders / Influencers . Additional insight into where your market is going is always valuable.
- Use the Twitter "Search" feature to learn what people are saying about your company, competition and/or industry. It is another resource where you can find valuable data points.
My first Sales mentor said to me: "You learn more by listening". Twitter doesn't have to be about telling people what you had for lunch. Listen and learn.
Posted by Frank Candio on Tue, Oct 13, 2009 @ 07:30 AM
The findings from a new study from comScore and M80 about the impact of Social Media are interesting. Here's the gist:
Internet users exposed to a brand in a social media setting were 1.7 times more likely to later search for that brand using keywords associated with a high level of loyalty and propensity to buy, compared with searchers not engaged with social media.
The study also showed a 50% increase in paid search click-through rates when Internet users were exposed first to social media mentioning a brand.
Validation for what we have been preaching to our clients: A defined social media strategy and consistent execution will yield results.
Posted by Frank Candio on Mon, Oct 05, 2009 @ 11:12 AM
From Dilbert. Enjoy.
http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2009-10-04/
Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 09:54 AM
Very cool video on Social Media.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8
Posted by Frank Candio on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 @ 05:38 PM
Great article from eMarketer about the effectiveness of Web 2.0 tools.
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007276
Posted by Frank Candio on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 @ 10:44 AM
You Tube is fast becoming an effective social media site for businesses. You set up a channel for your business and now want to post videos. Here's how to get the most out of You Tube.
You Tube will provide a default file name when you upload your video. Change it to something more descriptive to help people find you.
When you are thinking of a title for your video think search engines. What would someone normally type in to find your video? You need to tell the search engines what the video is about.
You Tube allows you to enter a description of your video. Take advantage of this by explaining to people why they should watch.
Be smart when you tag your video. Tags group your video with related content. The tags should be relevant keywords and include the words you used in your file name and description. You are not limited to the number of tags you can use - just make sure they are relevant.
Video is an excellent way of communicating your sales message to your target audience and delivering your sales message. And You Tube is a great platform for delivering that message.
Posted by Frank Candio on Fri, Aug 28, 2009 @ 08:56 AM
I was speaking with a client after a video shoot yesterday. Our discussion turned to Social Media. His company was testing a few strategies and he asked my thoughts about having his Sales Reps actively engaged on the Social Media sites.
Here's what I think:
Back in the early 1980's I was a Sales Rep for a large business process outsourcer . My territory was lower Manhattan. I had to call on 2 bank officers and 2 CPA firms each week to introduce our services / get referrals.
That was my "networking" objective.
Today, the networking is happening in the Groups on the Social Media sites. I would absolutely encourage any company to get their Sales Reps involved and engaged in those Groups. Clearly, you don't want them banging people over the head with a buy now sales message. However, most companies want their Sales Reps to be consultative and lots of people in those Groups are looking for help. Your Reps can add value and it is a great way to engage.
Posted by Frank Candio on Mon, Aug 17, 2009 @ 07:36 AM
Your marketing department runs a campaign.
The campaign generates a lead.
Marketing turns the lead over to your sales rep.
Your sales rep calls the client, has a good conversation,
but the client is not sales ready.
So - your sales rep tosses the lead in the drawer with the
intention of following up and moves on to the next prospect.
Sound familiar? The situation I just described happens
everyday in B2B sales organizations everywhere. The combination of monthly
quota pressures and lack of bandwidth causes cold leads to get tossed with
little to no follow up.
Except most of those leads aren’t cold at all. According to
SiriusDecisions 80 % of leads tossed by Sales Reps convert to sales for someone
within 24 months.
This means if you are spending most of your time and
marketing spend on finding sales ready leads you are missing a big opportunity.
Effective nurturing of the leads your Reps dismiss because they are not sales
ready can help you build a sustainable sales pipeline.
Posted by Frank Candio on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 @ 10:46 AM
Of all the social media sites with business potential, Twitter is the least understood. When we discuss inbound marketing strategies with our clients, Twitter receives the harshest reaction.
I came across this article in Businessweek that discusses how some CEO's are using it in their businesses. I found it interesting and hope you do as well.
http ://images.businessweek .com/ss /08/09/0908_microblogceo /index.htm