In my own new business development process, I come across businesses all too often that simply don’t understand good marketing vs. bad marketing. And while that’s a good thing for me, I suppose, I nonetheless want to share some tips for how to avoid bad marketing pitfalls and instead use good marketing tactics and better understand good marketing strategies. Because bad marketing can hurt you. Using the “Spaghetti” Approach Are your marketing efforts akin to throwing a handful of spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks? Are you strategically mapping out your marketing approach or tossing your money behind the first strand of pasta that comes along? Once you’ve cooked up the right strategy, are you spending time and ...
Continue Reading A lot has been published on societal polarization, usually relating to political ideology but I contend it also relates to sales, especially cold calling.
Continue Reading Have you created your new marketing plan for 2017? If you’re like many busy entrepreneurs, the answer might be, “Not yet,” or “We’re using the same one as last year,” or worse, “I don’t have one.” Yikes! If you’ve been flying by the seat of your proverbial pants, you may be suffering from what’s known as Shiny Object Syndrome. This insidious disease tends to develop quickly in new entrepreneurs and can become chronic if steps aren’t taken to prevent and treat the condition. The new year is right around the corner, so it’s high time you take a step back and look at the big picture. Look not just at your company, but at yourself. Do YOU suffer from SOS? ...
Continue Reading There was, and still is a fair amount of divergence as to how and where email became what it is. Some believe that it came about as a tool of ARPANET1, the interconnected mainframes between the Pentagon and universities. Some interpretations explain that the ARPANET was created to perform doomsday scenarios of nuclear attack sequences, but the government denies that ever occurred. Surely we can believe in everything our government tells us, can’t we? Others say email came about part of the originally planned for communications tools included in the early Internet. Email was intended and was introduced with rolling out Internet 1.0. It just sort of “always was.” Just like some believe the cosmos simply just always was. Still, ...
Continue Reading In today’s internet reality, you simply must be hyper-vigilant with your inbox. What do I mean by this? I decided to write this article as a result of one of my clients contacting me with disturbing questions. I answered my client with what I think are the top three reasons to become hyper-vigilant when it comes to email and your inbox. Email has been around for so long, that just about everyone knows to watch out for suspicious emails. Thankfully the spam filters catch the majority of problem emails. Those emails from ambassadors from African countries are getting better, but How many foreign dignitaries are there that have millions to share if we’ll only agree to help them move it ...
Continue Reading Do you know spam when you see it? If your inbox is like mine, you probably do. But inboxes across the globe are also seeing a new threat, a usually-malicious email purportedly from a friend, or sometimes even from ourselves.
Continue Reading I just finished reading something that is very timely. It’s the best reason ever to have a professional email address.
Continue Reading A lot has happened in the world of marketing since the dawn of the digital revolution. Email and direct mail marketing have mostly been used independently, but savvy marketers are today joining them together as a multi-channel strategy. If you’re not getting the results you expect from an email-driven campaign, even after A/B testing, consider augmenting (advantaging!) it with direct mail. So, how can direct mail bolster email? Consumers gather information in different ways, and sometimes your email never finds your target’s inbox. Many email marketing platforms make promises of high deliverability, but how can you be certain your message is actually getting there, let alone read? Zen Marketing heavily relies on the expertise of Constant Contact® to insure deliverability ...
Continue Reading In the web design and search engine optimization business, creativity rules just ahead of intellect and expertise.
Continue Reading Email marketing is a process of which everyone is aware. How can one build engagement and grow organic referrals through email marketing? The answer might surprise you. When a client asked me the other day which email marketing platform was the best one to use, I turned the question around on her. “What are your goals,” I inquired. Her response (or lack thereof) made me think hard for my next response. I didn’t wish to put her on the spot, but as it appeared I had already done so I continued. She looked at me in complete amazement, unsure of what she should or shouldn’t say. In what seemed like an eternity she stated, “I guess I want to send ...
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