Archive for June, 2021
Tuesday, June 29th, 2021

I saw a very interesting question in an online group I monitor recently: “Is it ever a good idea to give your work away?”
In this case, the question was related to consulting services but the question could just as easily apply to companies selling tangible products. And, perhaps, it is in comparing the two ─ services and tangible products ─ that this answer can make the most sense: “Yes, there are definitely times when giving your work─or your products─away can be a good idea!”
But when?
(more…)
Tags: Business development, charging for your services, charging for your work, Customer Communication, giving your work away, pro bono, product sampling, speaking fees, Strategy
Posted in Business Development, Client Relations, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, June 24th, 2021
I have been fortunate enough to practice marketing before and after the emergence of the internet, social media, and digital marketing. While the channels for communicating have changed and grown significantly, the basics of good marketing have remained the same. These new channels also often come with something that traditional marketing efforts usually lacked─analytics. Or, at least, lacked the sophistication that now exists to understand the nuances of the target audience’s response. (more…)
Tags: analyzing data, analyzing web data, data, Google Analytics, marketing strategy
Posted in Analytics, Internet Marketing | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021
Video continues to be a popular and effective way to boost marketing efforts, especially with the emergence of video-first platforms such as TikTok. And, with the proliferation of do-it-yourself (DIY) video options, the demand for professionally produced, high-production-value video content no longer looms as the must-do priority it used to be. Today, marketers of all types and sizes—even those with very small budgets—can successfully use video to augment their marketing communication efforts. (more…)
Tags: 360 video, communication during COVID, COVID-19 communications, Customer Communication, explainer videos, Instagram video, professional video production, Sales, short-form video, Technology, TikTok video, video marketing, video script, white board videos, YouTube marketing
Posted in Content Marketing, Marketing and Branding, Marketing Communication | No Comments »
Thursday, June 17th, 2021

COVID-19 has upended a number of industries and jobs. Among the professions that have been hardest hit are sales and business development, which have traditionally relied on face-to-face interactions to build networks and relationships. People who ply those trades have had to pivot to remote selling with mixed success. (more…)
Tags: best practices in social media marketing, Customer Communication, Customer Service, effective sales, Innovation, online marketing, Sales, sales and marketing, selling online, Technology
Posted in Business Development, Client Relations, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Branding, Remote Work | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 15th, 2021

Every organization has a culture whether it has worked hard to establish one or not. Just like brands, cultures exist whether we are deliberate about defining, nurturing, and managing culture or not. In fact, organizations often have multiple cultures just as they may have multiple brands. The process, far simplified, for managing both is the same:
(more…)
Tags: corporate culture, culture assessment, culture eats strategy for lunch, Employee Communication, employee culture, managing corporate culture, managing culture, measuring corporate culture, signs of a strong corporate culture, signs of a weak corporate culture
Posted in Internal Communication, Remote Work | No Comments »
Thursday, June 10th, 2021

There is no such thing as “the best” communication channel whether considering internal channels for employee communications or external channels to connect with customers and potential customers. All organizations can benefit from having a wide variety of communication channels (both synchronous and asynchronous) to ensure that employees throughout the organization, regardless of role or communication channel preference, are receiving key messages.
(more…)
Tags: communicating with customers, communicating with employees, creative communications, Customer Communication, Employee Communication, internal communication, strategic communications
Posted in Internal Communication | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2021
Vinyl records. Audiotapes. Typewriters. Carbon paper. That white stuff that Mike Nesmith’s mom invented that we used to use to correct typing errors. Rotary phones. The Post Office (well, not yet…). Look back over the past 10, 20 or 50 years, and you’ll find countless examples of products and services that simply no longer exist — or that have morphed into something else. Products and services that, for whatever reasons, have become obsolete.
We tend to think primarily of obsolescence being driven by technology, and that certainly is common these days. But obsolescence can occur due to non-technology-related impacts as well. (more…)
Tags: brand failures, Brand Management, business failures, business longevity, Customer Service, Innovation, obsolete brands, product failures, standing the test of time, successful businesses
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2021
As summer approaches, and as restrictions related to COVID-19 begin to ease around the country, tourism is likely to pick up significantly. That’s great news for the many hospitality and destination businesses that took a hard hit during the pandemic. Now they have an opportunity to hit the ground running to attract the attention of consumers with pent-up demand.
But how can your company effectively connect with travelers to ensure that 1) they know you exist and 2) they believe spending their time and money with you will provide higher value than spending their time and money elsewhere? (more…)
Tags: boosting business during the summer, hospitality industry, Innovation, marketing strategy, restaurant industry, summer destinations, summer marketing techniques
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021

Over the past several years, a growing number of wineries, microbreweries, and distilleries have been springing up across the Chippewa Valley where we’re based. It’s a trend that is mirrored in other states around the country, as entrepreneurs seek to address a growing market not simply for alcoholic beverages but for local destination experiences.
Consumers have long been able to buy wine, beer, or spirits at local liquor stores with no discernable lack of brand options available at varying price points. Why, then, are these relatively small players having such a big impact on the economy?
(more…)
Tags: brand experience, buy locan, consumer experience, customer experience, Customer Service, experiential marketing, Innovation, the local movement
Posted in Business Development, Competition, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »