marketing strategy Archives

Are You Engaged in Marketing Malpractice?

I responded to a reporter’s query this week related to best (or I should say worst!) practices in marketing. His question was related to “marketing tactics that don’t work.” I had two initial thoughts about that query:

I definitely believe that many of the marketing tactics being deployed today are ineffective—not worth the time or money spent on them and not generating relevant results
The reason this is true, though, is not because of the tactic–but because of the strategy, or lack thereof Continue reading “Are You Engaged in Marketing Malpractice?”

How Can You Measure Your Advertising Effectiveness?

It’s very important for businesses of any size to track the results of their marketing campaigns. Small businesses, in particular, are often “budget-challenged,” so it is especially important that they know that their marketing efforts are achieving desired results. The biggest benefit is that they will have information to tell them how to use their marketing budget most effectively.

There are a variety of ways they might track the effectiveness of these campaigns: Continue reading

#1 Marketing Tip

What does it take to be an effective healthcare marketer?
What does it take to be an effective B2B marketer?
What does it take to be an effective retail marketers?

Regardless of the audience asking, or the way the question is posed, my #1 recommendation is always a two-part recommendation and it’s one that I convey to clients and students communicating in both internal and external settings. Continue reading “#1 Marketing Tip”

What to Avoid When Marketing to Women? Defining the Audience Too Broadly

Marketers often pose questions like: “What are the best practices when marketing to women?” In my opinion, that question is far too broad. Women are not a homogeneous market segment. There are a myriad of variations among them. I was recently asked this question; here’s how I responded: Continue reading “What to Avoid When Marketing to Women? Defining the Audience Too Broadly”

How to Generate Leads With a Limited Marketing Budget

In our technology-driven world, the good news for marketers is that lead generation does not have to take a huge investment. Traditional media still have a place, but the Internet and social media make it more cost-effective than ever to raise awareness, generate leads and ultimately create sales.

The process of lead generation is the same as it ever was, but Continue reading

What I’d Like To Do Better in 2013: New Year’s Resolutions

I love a new year. Although I realize that, technically, every day is the beginning of a new year, there’s something about the New Year that makes me both reflective and optimistic about what lies ahead. As a pretty goal-oriented person, I enjoy the process of looking back, learning, and looking forward. It’s the basis of strategic planning, after all, a personal passion of mine. Each year I spend time to commit my goals to writing and I track my progress throughout the year. I don’t achieve every goal, but I do belief that I’m more effective than I would be if I didn’t take the time to plan. I had some great successes in 2012 and a lot of very rewarding experiences–both personally and professionally. But there’s always room for improvement and, regardless of what I achieve, I always want to achieve more. So, in 2013, there are a number of things I’d like to do better: Continue reading “What I’d Like To Do Better in 2013: New Year’s Resolutions”

To Discount or Not to Discount – the Potential Perils of Perks to Drive Social Media Engagement

I was interviewed recently for a blog on the use of perks to drive social media engagement. It’s an interesting topic and judging from the proliferation of such contests and competitions online an important one. Aside from questions related to the efficacy of such competitions, businesses should also be aware of–and knowledgeable about–the impact of these perks on their desired brand image and the laws related to contests, sweepstakes and lotteries.

Continue reading “To Discount or Not to Discount – the Potential Perils of Perks to Drive Social Media Engagement”

What Every Strategic Plan Should Include

A journalist asked me last week what I thought the key elements of a successful strategic plan should be. That’s not an easy question to answer and there are, in fact, a wide range of inputs and elements that go into ensuring strategic plan success. But it was a legitimate question and one that I know many strategic planning consultants–and their clients–are deeply concerned about. Continue reading “What Every Strategic Plan Should Include”

Markets Can’t Really Tell Us How They’re Influenced

I’m a proponent of marketing research and the use of data to drive business decisions at every level and in every aspect of organizational performance. I recognize, though, that sometimes the predictive value of research can be questionable and that it can be most useful to evaluate actual behaviors to support future decisions.

Advertising efforts are a good example of this. Continue reading “Markets Can’t Really Tell Us How They’re Influenced”

Are You Prepared to Become Obsolete?

While watching the local news my husband made a comment about the weatherman: “You know – who really needs him anymore? You can just look at the radar yourself any time you want to online.”

True. You can. Wonder if people going to school to be “weather people” have thought about that. Wonder if the schools that teach them have thought about that. And, most pertinent for this blog, wonder if all of us have given Continue reading “Are You Prepared to Become Obsolete?”