Vol. 6 , No. 1     January 2, 2007

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Premium Content

Roy Young
The 10 Biggest Mistakes Marketers Make—No. 8: Swallowing Fads Unthinkingly

New opportunities for marketers sometimes come quickly and take many forms: marketing technologies, "best practices" applied by leading-edge organizations, new services and products offered by vendors. And marketers may be tempted to jump onto the closest bandwagon.

But to reinforce Marketing's role as a generator of cash flow, you need to separate fads from the real deal. How? Follow these guidelines...

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Please note: This article is available to paid subscribers only. Get more information or sign up here.

Stephan Spencer
Marketing on MySpace

The cardinal rule in MySpace is the same one as in the blogosphere: Keep it real.

Before you leap in to MySpace as a marketer, you'd best understand it. Because if you don't, the MySpace community can turn on you the moment you make your first misstep. Just like bloggers can (many MySpace users are bloggers, too, since MySpace supports blogging within its platform).

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Ann Handley
Seven Lessons From a Blogging Year

Chief Content Officer Ann Handley takes a look back at the blogging year that was for the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog—and the lessons learned from launching a group blog for marketers.

If you're thinking of starting your own blog, or if you're just curious about what it takes, take a gander.

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A Note to Readers

Kick-Starting 2007

Greetings, discerning readers... and Happy 2007!

With the new year come new initiatives (and, in one case, a renewed focus) here at MarketingProfs:

First up, starting with next week's newsletter we'll introduce a new and regular feature for Premium members with the launch of MarketingProfs Case Studies. Each week, we'll bring you one new case study to deconstruct successful marketing campaigns and record the lessons learned. Next week, we'll look at how a small specialty software company managed to get on the radar of Fortune 100 companies, its target market.

The launch of our Case Studies is one thing bringing a sharper focus to our Premium Member program, which we think makes MarketingProfs Premium membership darn near irresistible. In addition to our regular supply of free content, Premium members have access to four Premium articles a month, four case studies a month, at least four virtual seminars a month, and one marketing guide or template. Pretty compelling, right? (Check out the Premium library here.)

The first of the year is giving us a chance to look at a Second Life, too. Next Thursday, Digitas's Greg Verdino leads a virtual tour of Second Life for marketers. If you've been curious about Second Life but haven't had an opportunity to see what the fuss is all about, hop on the bus.

And, finally, next week is the start of the group discussion in the 500-member-strong MarketingProfs Book Club, hosted by the unparalleled Christina Kerley (CK). Be sure to get in on the fun when CK kicks off discussion on Citizen Marketers by Jackie Huba and Ben McConnnell. There's still time to sign up—check the FAQ page for more information.

Once again, Happy New Year. May this year offer you boatloads of peace and prosperity.

Until next week,

Ann Handley
ann@marketingprofs.com
Chief Content Officer
MarketingProfs

Last Issue's Top 5

Newly Posted Jobs

Laura Patterson
Using Personas as a Sales-Enablement Tool

Think of personas—customer archetypes—as "stand-ins" representing the needs, goals, and personal characteristics of various groups of your customers.

They are invaluable for giving salespeople insight into the behaviors, expectations, and motivations of users and buyers in the buying process.

Get the full story.

Stanislav Kravets
When PowerPoint Is Not Enough

Microsoft's PowerPoint long ago became one of the most popular tools for business presentations. That's likely because of its efficiency and simplicity.

But what about cases when PowerPoint's resources are not enough to deliver on the goals of communication?

Get the full story.

Joseph E. Bentzel
Ten Major Asymmetries on the Software Market Landscape

Startup and emerging independent software vendors (ISVs) in the current market landscape are confronted with an asymmetric playing field that is fast defining the ground rules for marketing strategy development.

The 21st century software industry is superpower-dominated, and today's software marketers must plan for success in the midst of software giants.

Get the full story.

Meryl K. Evans and Hank Stroll
Marketing Challenge: Turning Management Skills Into Experience

You can't judge a job by its title.

Whatever your background, if you're trying to move into a new area you can get potential employers' attention. Job titles and job experience can be transferred from one job to another. It's all in how you present yourself.

Get the full story.

Contact

Publisher:Allen Weiss
amw@MarketingProfs.com

Content: Ann Handley
ann@MarketingProfs.com

Strategy and Development:
Roy Young
roy@MarketingProfs.com

Director of Premium Services
Val Frazee
val@MarketingProfs.com


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