Both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies are using social media networks to connect, engage, and influence their target audiences. How to best measure the results of social media marketing continues to evolve. Among the most common measurements are: Facebook: Number of fans, likes, comments, and shares Twitter: Number of followers, likes, favorites, and retweets LinkedIn Group: Number of group connections and posts LinkedIn Company ... – Read More

When developing a plan—business plan, marketing plan, event plan—it’s important to distinguish between goals and objectives. What’s a Goal? A goal is a broad target that your business wants to achieve. In the case of a 3-day trade show that anticipates 3,000 decision-making directors of human resources (HR), the primary goal may be to generate sales. What’s an Objective? Objectives define how you know when you’ve achieved your goals. They must be ... – Read More

   A marketing strategy is the choices you employ to achieve an end result. Strategy is different than tactics, which are actions.  Strategy comes out of knowing and understanding the target customer, the value proposition that resonates with the target customer, and your company’s unique capabilities or advantages to deliver the value proposition. Let’s look at Lululemon as a case in point. Target audience: Middle- to upper-class females aged 16 to 45 in ... – Read More

The majority of my time is spent promoting products and services to prospective customers. Once in a while, though, a client needs to promote their company to prospective new employees. Here are just 10 ideas to let new talent know that your company is hiring. Advertise jobs on an “advertising truck” ($): This is memorable! The truck drives around the city during the morning and evening commute. Run a monthly event (time): Are the majority of your employees engineers? ... – Read More

Clients and creative professionals consistently commend me on my communications briefs. That’s because a solid brief gets the team to the desired result faster and more affordably. There are many variations of communications briefs. There’s the Creative Brief (advertisements, direct mail, etc.), Public Relations Brief, and Copywriting Brief, to name just a few. I believe that the primary purpose of the brief is to articulate what you are trying to achieve. By going through the ... – Read More