Posts Tagged ‘blog’
Does social media cut it for B2B sales & marketing?
14 December 2010 | 
Author The current hot stories about B2B marketing and sales eminating from the US are about Facebook and its use in the mix. This may well be valid but I guess these messages are also being propogated by people with a vested tech/social media interest.
Andy Maslen on his blog reports that his successes are primarily all techniques and approaches that could have been executed in the 18th century. In ranking order of business success Andy reports this list:
- Referrals/word-of-mouth
- Attending conferences
- Running workshops
- Having coffee/lunch with prospect
- Speculative meetings
- Writing books
- Writing article
- Giving speeches
- Telephoning client
- E-newsletter
- Sending emails
- Direct mail
- Search
- Blog
So if you read this blog and visit Andy Maslen’s Sunfish site, do let him know a blog got you there 
But in all seriousness, if your business is B2B and you want to develop sustainable relationships I would wholeheartedly recommend referrals/word-of-mouth, attending conferences, running workshops, having coffee/lunch with prospect and speculative meetings as ways to get those conversations started.
Posted in Marketing | 
Tags: Andy Maslen, B2B, B2B marketing, blog, books, conferences, direct mail, Facebook, meetings, referrals, relationships, Social media, speeches, Sunfish, Twitter, word of mouth, workshops | 
No Comments »
Marketing professionalism
Now here is a subject to debate: is marketing a profession? David Pearson, a previous managing director of mine, says on his blog:
Some argue that Marketing is the oldest Profession because the ladies who traditionally claim that status must have their charms Marketed. I am not sure I am comfortable with equating Marketing with pimping. Marketing is not a Profession in the strict sense of the word.
The December issue of Management Today magazine is suggesting that there is always expenditure and now this is the role of business. They go on to say that Marketing should lead us out of our recession.
In his blog David Pearson goes on to argue: Marketing does not meet the historical standards of a Profession; Marketing does not meet the academic definitions of a Profession; Professionalism can be over-rated and stifle imagination and flair; and good Marketing is characterised by operating to high standards as is found in Professionalism.
Perhaps I’m being unfair: a bunch of amateurs is to solve our problems then? Blimey, that’s a wonderful distortion of things. My future in tabloid journalism looks secure.
Incoming search terms:
- marketing professionalism
3 years old and lots to learn
May 2007 saw the start of this blog. Three years on it’s still here! The cosmetics have changed a couple of times, it’s moved from Blogger to WordPress, but it’s still here.
It made me wonder how old some of the more famous blogs are. It appears that the top 100 blogs had an average length (mean) of blogging of 33.8 months. And the median figure was 28 months (ie half the blogs have been going for longer than 28 months and half shorter than 28 months. Source: Problogger.
Overall it looks like there are around 150,000,000 blogs globally(source: Hat Trick Associates). So I’m always rather chuffed that this one gets so many readers. Thank you.
A lot of my activity on this blog has been about learning what works and what doesn’t. It’s helped me form an understanding to help me do things better elsewhere. But, as is the way with these things…on with the learning.
B2B marketing in second place
Charlotte Graham-Cumming, joint managing director at Ice Blue Sky started a debate recently on LinkedIn about B2B marketing.
B2B Marketing Focus – is there an appetite? I have had a couple of discussions with Marketing Society members around increasing the amount of events and information that the Marketing Society provides for B2B marketers. I wanted to see if there is anyone else in this group that would have an interest in B2B specific information?
I’ve been following the debate and comments (in the Marketing Society group area) and it has helped me observe other things going on. And yes; B2B marketing does take second place in many magazine titles and trade organisations. Charlotte debates the point further on the Ice Blue Blog.
Like Charlotte, I’m keen on the idea of trying to raise the profile of B2B marketing. Oddly one of my fears is a bunch of agencies using it as an opportunity to sell to me. But the reality is always going to be that FMCG and consumer marketing disciplines are the sexier and more attractive areas.
Incoming search terms:
- kevin harrington charlotte facebook
Posted in Consumer marketing, Marketing | Tags: B2B, blog, Charlotte Graham-Cumming, Ice Blue Sky, LinkedIn, Marketing Society | 1 Comment »
What brand do you most admire and why?
Image via Wikipedia
Man and boy Scottish & Newcastle marketer Jeremy Blood said, in answer to “What brand do you most admire and why?:
Champagne. A brilliant combination. A simple gimmick (bubbles and a popping cork) global appeal, and ownership of ‘celebratory drinks’. And on top of that huge margins and enormous barriers to entry.
Excellent choice and an excellent answer. See his other replies to questions at the Marketing Society website.
Jeremy Blood is the managing director of Heineken UK.
Incoming search terms:
- which brand do i most admire
Posted in Marketing | Tags: Barriers to entry, beverages, blog, business, Champagne, Heineken, Jeremy Blood, Marketing and Advertising, Products and Services, Scottish & Newcastle, Social media | No Comments »
Definition of great marketing
Seth Godin, on his blog, challenges us all to define great marketing in fewer than four words.
His four words are: “Make big promises; overdeliver.”He goes on to say, “If you can define great marketing in fewer words than that, you win.”
I really like this definition. In fact it is so good I’ll forgive him for creating the word overdeliver and thereby getting from five words to four.
Read Seth’s article for his rationale as well.
Marketing 2.0 session at online marketing show – Eyefall search marketing blog
I used to spend a fair bit of money with the PPC (pay per click) specialists, Eyefall. They did an excellent job for me in the world of pay per click advertising, an area that is still as much an art as a science.
Eyefall set a good example by running a blog with some quite varied content. This article about the search marketing show talks about consumers controlling their own media when we, as brand owners,are trying to control our message to the potential customer. Some good food for thought.
One thing is clear: we need to start operating differently.
Incoming search terms:
- keven harrington blog
Posted in Marketing | Tags: 2.0, advertising, blog, consumers, Eyefall, internet, media, PPC | 1 Comment »