Multichannel Magic

1. Most don’t want a relationship with you. They want easy shopping, good value (different from cheap prices), and to be treated with respect. Make everything as simple and quick as possible so it is easy to be your customer.
2. The few who do want a relationship with you, don’t want to be managed. They want a real connection with a real person. If you are afraid to empower your team to be personable and approachable, stay away from social media.
3. Every time you change your website to make it fresh, they have to relearn how to use it. If you keep making changes because you’re bored with the look, they’ll stop visiting
4. You can reach out to them more often if the information is timely and targeted. Bombarding them with the same old marketing may generate short-term revenue gains, but it doesn’t build loyalty.

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The combination of laryngitis and integrated marketing expertise led to an interesting doctor visit this week. I’d been battling a cold for a week when my voice disappeared overnight. The only thing I could do was whisper softly. Two days later, it wasn’t back so I had my sister call for a same day appointment. (How do people make doctor appointments when they don’t have a voice, online scheduling, or handy friend?)

It was my doctor’s first day back from vacation, so I was surprised he had time to see me. After an exam, instructions to rest my voice (as in NO talking), and a prescription for antibiotics, my doctor said that he needed to ask me something. I presumed that it was something to do with my health or one of my family members, so when he asked, “has capturing information replaced service?” I was surprised. [click to continue…]

Launching an ebook is a scary process.

When you finish spilling your blood across the pages, sharing your expertise and experiences, there is a unique product ready for public consumption. The work that went into your manuscript is only the beginning. The next step, marketing your guide, is the hardest part. At least, it was for me until I discovered the best kept secret in social media.

Please bear with me a minute while I share a little history. I promise to tell you the secret and how to use it in a bit. It’ll be worth the wait. I’ll even include the results from my tests. [click to continue…]

When “The Cluetrain Manifesto” appeared in the spring of 1999, early adopters embraced it as the marketing guide for the new millennium. Web 2.0 started to change the way people interact online. Social networks began to appear and be embraced by people seeking connections with others without boundaries.

The first thesis in the manifesto, “markets are conversations” morphed into the mantra “it’s all about the conversation.” Advocates of the new social media marketing world cried for the elimination of direct marketing, calling it obsolete and archaic.

They got it half-right. Conversations are invaluable to building relationships between your company and customers. Social media provides unprecedented access to people with needs and wants that your organization can fulfill.

The new gurus missed one key point when they redefined marketing. Tools change, but [click to continue…]