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Part 3: Meeting Customers Where They Are.
This is 101 stuff. Know your client base and how to reach them. Obviously you can’t fuel your brand without defining those two items. In this tech world, you also can’t send out a direct mail piece and expect the return on it like we once did (depending on what you’re selling – direct mail can make sense if done properly). Inbound marketing is redefining the game. That being said, there are dozens of online social networking platforms out there…
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Part 2: Brand Boarding.
In Part 1 of this series, I wrote how to ignite the love of the brand starting with the CEO and trickling down to the employees. The employees + the product/service is the foundation on which everything else stands. Ok, so you’ve got passionate employees, you’ve got a killer product/service…how does that passion and love for the product translate to the customers? How do you get customers on board to be an extension of the brand? 1. Influence marketing is…
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Be More Human.
Last night I attended the Pump Up Your Line 12! event put on by the UT Federal Credit Union and had the privilege of hearing from a marketing and social media great, Mark Schaefer. His presentation was hot off the press from the South by Southwest event. I got to hear it. It was stocked full of statistics, advice, and predictions on the future of social media. Incredible stuff. I jotted down a few comments he made. “Connect to people in their…
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Part 1: Igniting Love of the Brand.
As it’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air…. I find it fitting to start a series of posts based on the theme of my blog: Igniting Love of the Brand. I’ll start by asking the question, how. How do you ignite this love of your brand? How do you fuel it? In the next few blog posts, I’m going to explore just how to do that. I think most of this is common sense and when you read…
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Progressive Marketing Summit Re-cap
Yesterday afternoon I attended the Knoxville American Marketing Association’s Progressive Marketing Summit located at The Foundry (side note: pretty sure that was the best “conference food” I’ve had in a while…it was delicious!). The agenda was full of sessions dedicated to the theme: “Not Every Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.” The opening keynote was given by the dynamic Rick Elliott whose passion for storytelling was evident. There were a few things he said that stuck with me, but one in…
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Keepin’ Current.
I enjoy reading up on the latest industry news, trends, and technologies. I sign into Feedly for instant access to the top resources in my profession allowing me to easily stay current and connected. Here are a few of the outlets I follow: Social Media Daily Socialmouths likeable media Heidi Cohen PR Daily PR News
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Snail Mail: Yep, It’s Still Effective.
Inbound marketing is the buzz word and the thing to do…and rightly so. Inbound marketing is all about providing added value: what a company can show and give to customers to not only attract them but to make them stick to the brand. The traditional marketing practices, termed “outbound marketing,” in short refers to direct mail, e-blasts, TV ads, cold calling, etc. I’m a big believer and proponent of inbound marketing – distributing blogs, whitepapers, video, podcasts through social channels…
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Managing the Relationship.
I’m not a fan of cold sales calls. I think, for the most part, they are ineffective and produce little result. I prefer building a relationship over time that leads to not only a one-time sell, but repetitive business. At times, it may be a “cold” introduction that bears fruit to a relationship. But, I believe, the initial sell isn’t going to happen on the first ring. In my opinion, that is why trade shows can be so effective – it’s a…
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2014 Resolutions.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve taken time to reflect and journal on my professional goals for this New Year – some of which I’d like to share here on my blog. I kept it simple. The simpler my resolutions the more realistic. Invest. I want to ensure my Communicating Passion website and brand remains fresh and current throughout the year – this includes engaging on Twitter + LinkedIn in particular. Creating a blog schedule and sticking to it (current goal is…
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How Many Is Too Many?
An e-Marketer report that was released in June of this year predicted that nearly one in four people worldwide will use social networks in 2013. I’m interested to know out of those four, how many people are on three or more networking platforms. I’m betting at least two participate in multiple channels. I’m an active user of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest (please be sure to connect with me!). But, I don’t do much past that. Whew. That’s enough for…
with Carrie Owens