In the last couple of years, as companies have become more interested in social media, they have tried to find ways to use these tools to reach "influencers." Sometimes these initiatives are referred to as 'blogger outreach' programs. But there is a much more influential and important group that most ... more

I work in a professional services firm and in order for firms like ours to differentiate themselves, they have to create perhaps hundreds of personal brands around individuals who understand niche topics extremely well. And since buyers have transparency through the use of search engines they can really get a ... more

A few weeks back, Geoff and I wrote an off-the-cuff, tongue-in-cheek "Top 25 Ways to Tell if Your Social Media Expert Is a Carpetbagger" and it drew the most interesting conversation around ghostwriting (#7 was "Will ghostwrite blog posts and other social content for There are lots of writers, agencies ... more

Not all leads should be treated equally. In our business, for example, the sales cycle can be upwards of 9 months .... so lead nurturing it critical to stay in front of your prospect during their journey from awareness to consideration to Furthermore, you are never quite sure when that ... more

Social media has long been lauded as a wonderful way to connect with customers and to build excitement for your But social media can also be an amazingly effective crisis management tool. That is, if the tools are in the hands of someone that knows how to utilize them properly, ... more

Deloitte LLP issued a very important report this fall, based on a survey the company commissioned. "Food and Product Safety and its Effect on Consumer Buying Habits" put hard numbers to what marketers have long Pat Conroy, Deloitte LLP's vice chairman and consumer products practice "Our research shows that consumers ... more

Alan and Paul recently wrote posts here that tackled the questions of credibility and trust. Those of us who are consultants understand well that to get work, we must project both Businesses won't hire us unless we appear credible and trustworthy. The questions come down 1) How do we project ... more

Come from myriad sources such as friends, family, co-workers, online reviews and even e-commerce algorithms. have shown that recommendations are trusted more than information proffered by media sources or corporate advertising. However, with daily reports of fraud and deception in political and financial spheres, a tide is building that threatens ... more

On the face of it, it seemed like a good idea – work with an existing and well-known meme to promote the Age of Conversation why don't they get in the lead-up to the new year. It would give the contributing authors some content to blog about, hopefully create some ... more

A year and a half ago when I was researching how to start a wiki and looking for best practices in wikis .... there was little information out there about it. So I decided to reach out to our internal consultant and found out there were already six wikis within ... more

I know it's not sexy. We're not tossing web 2.0 phrases around or sharing some hot, new creative aimed at a brand new target audience. In fact, this marketing truth is downright boring. Keep talking to your current Whether you are trying to increase sales or retain the sales you ... more

Back on July 30th, I about Truvia in a post dubbed, "Marketing the New Sugar." In my post, I commented on this new sweetener derived from the leaf of an herb called stevia. Now, many food companies, including the major soft drink companies, are scrambling to add the "new sugar" ... more

If you've ever purchased kids' clothing at a consignment shop or garage sale, you won't be able to do it after Feb. 10, 2009. In this tough economy, that's going to hurt a lot of working families. And why? Because Congress passed a new regulation under the Consumer Product Safety ... more

I've often written about NASCAR " -- the strongly held belief that if no one in your little bubble of upscale artsy friends is into something, then clearly no one else could be either-- and how it afflicts the advertising community. But there's an equally insidious syndrome affecting the tech ... more

Here's one of my worries as we continue to trudge through the murky waters of the recession. Business owners have always been an impatient lot, when it comes to marketing efforts. They plant the seed and then two days later, when nothing has sprouted, they dig up the seeds before ... more

For most businesses, customer segmentation -- the act of dividing customers into similar groups for the purpose of targeting -- is something that you did as a marketing exercise many years ago or at best, at the beginning of last year. In a challenging economy, a different and very powerful ... more

Dale Carnegie's timeless classic How to Win Friends and Influence " is a book about building winning , both business and personal. As an example, his advice about how to make people like you Become genuinely interested in other Smile. (i.e. Have a sense of Remember that a person's name ... more

Have you ever fantasized about curling up by a roaring fire with a cup of cocoa and your favorite whitepaper? Probably not. Because, while we crave the information they contain, they are too often dry and long-winded. But in an article at MarketingProfs, Jonathan Kranz explains how to improve your ... more

Cognitive enhancement drugs such as are routinely used in an off " manner by students, doctors and other professionals to increase memory and concentration. And while the use of any medication–especially for off label purposes should be strongly cautioned–some experts are now saying cognitive enhancement drugs are no more dangerous ... more

Cognitive enhancement drugs such as are routinely used in an off " manner by students, doctors and other professionals to increase memory and concentration. And while the use of any medication?especially for off label purposes should be strongly cautioned?some experts are now saying cognitive enhancement drugs are no more dangerous ... more

It seems like months since I have been participating in my usual rounds of marketing world discussions. Probably because it has. My travel schedule has been "nutty" for the past several months, to say the least. To borrow from oh-so-many of my ex-girlfriends from over the years, "it's not you, ... more

A commenter to one of my recent posts whether more personal, "slice of life" style content -- such as posts about staff days out office antics -- is appropriate for a corporate or business blog. Here's my It depends on your Every blog needs to have a reason to exist. ... more

Christmas might be over but the spirit of giving continues here at MarketingProfs. Until New Year's Eve, December 31, you can buy a Premium Membership for someone else, and get another one for yourself, ! That means that as a MarketingProfs Premium Member, each week you'll get exclusive new case ... more

I have established brands of gifts that suit Christmas, weddings and funerals. I use them whenever I need to and feel that they enhance and express my personal brand with humor, compassion and taste .... all qualities I strive towards. I'm not a pitchman for any of these products (last ... more

I had dinner the other night with a buddy of mine who runs a company that produces major corporate events. You know the kind with a stage, lighting, stadium seating and a day or two of PowerPoint presentations designed to pump up the troops. Interestingly enough, he reported their business ... more