With 2016 officially in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to start thinking about how your marketing strategy will evolve in 2017. It’s a good idea to step back for a moment, assess the success of last year’s marketing campaigns, and consider ways to evolve your digital strategy in the year to come. Overall, 2016 was a year filled with changes and advancements in the digital space.…
Read MoreIf you've written out a marketing strategy, you’re already ahead of the game: Too many companies neglect the act of formalizing their plans, instead relying on general ideas and improvisation, which almost never turns out well. Thinking through and documenting your strategy separates you from the pack, but there’s a harsh truth about that first draft you whipped up in the meeting room: It probably sucks.…
Read MoreIf one of the greatest marketers of his time were to tell you what he considered the essential elements of a sales letter, wouldn’t you listen to what he had to say? Well, that’s exactly what Robert Collier provided for us. In the last chapter of The Robert Collier Letter Book, he summarized what he saw as the attributes of the ideal sales letter. Collier was…
Read MoreSteve Jobs didn't have a master's degree, and he certainly wasn't an engineer, but he excelled at marketing. Those marketing skills propelled Apple into the top spot and turned the company around from near bankruptcy. Apple’s marketing has become a benchmark for other companies that want to reach similar heights of recognition and revenue. Whether you are a top tier content marketing agency or a SaaS (software as a service)…
Read MoreBelieve it or not, the USPS really does know a thing or two about direct mail marketing. Not only do they provide a delivery service for your packages, but after years of delivering direct mail they have compiled a helpful list of what not to do with your campaigns. 1. You don't identify your audience. I say this a lot, but it’s worth saying again, the more you target your most responsive prospects,…
Read MoreYes, Hollywood may dramatize the plight of the entrepreneur. But sometimes the best way to capture reality is through fiction. Wherever you are in your business venture, you can glean some insight from these 18 provocative and wildly entertaining films. Subject: Entrepreneurship. 1. Startup.com. Startup.com is a 2001 documentary film that examines the rise and fall of the real-life startup GovWorks that raised $60 million from Hearst Interactive Media, KKR, the…
Read MoreNot every marketing plan is a good marketing plan. There are certain qualities it needs to meet to be able to do what it is supposed to do and be considered an effective plan that will convert customers and be successful. It is easy to tell a "potentially successful" marketing plan apart from a mediocre marketing plan. Generally, there is a framework that a killer marketing…
Read MoreCustomer loyalty is everything for a new business. Customer acquisition is important -- otherwise, you’ll never build up a customer base -- but if those customers don’t stick around long enough to make multiple purchases or subscribe to your services for longer than a month, you’ll end up spending more in the acquisition phase than customers are actually worth to you in the long run. Why loyalty…
Read MoreIt’s no secret that the tech sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Staying relevant and, indeed, staying ahead of the curve, can be a challenge. Part of the challenge facing any tech sector company is finding and developing the talent that will help you grow a successful business. An even bigger challenge is retaining them. Though, according to Accenture’s chief leadership and…
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