Marketing Automation Technology

Business and Karma

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:21:00 +0000

If your business is to succeed, you must remember to sit on your customer's side of the desk to keep you centered and to make sure you are providing the true value of your experience.

Too often, when we are focused on getting the customer to buy, it's hard to for us to get out of our own way. Ask yourself this question; When you are visiting with a customer, are you ACTIVELY listening to what they are saying? Are you listening to only what you want to hear?

We often find when visiting with a customer that their previous engagements were more manipulative and directed than open and focused. If you are attached to you own success and not focused on making the best possible recommendations, you create potential roadblocks by limiting the customer's comments, your ability to engage on key issues and you may loose the deal or a long term relationship.

Listening can be tough. Sometime they are telling you that your solution won't fit. Sometimes they are telling you they may not have confidence in your abilities. That's OK! The more you can get your customer to open up, the greater your ability to craft a solution and a proposal that hits all the points. You can also powerfully position your organization as the "best of class" in the way you engage and provide relevant insights.

If you take the steps necessary to engage and listen with intelligence, your success will go beyond closing that deal, but rather business karma will keep you and customers open to everything and attached to nothing. It may also create references and referrals to other business that will reward your patience and diligence in delivering the best solutions and an attentive ally in meeting their needs!

Be Equal to the Challenge

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:02:00 +0000

With a great President-Elect on deck, the challenges will no doubt be huge and will demand every ounce of strength, intelligence and support our new Commander in Chief can muster!

There are equal challenges in the business and financial marketplace, which should be helped by the new government's awareness of the pain the economy and world events are creating.

You might ask, what can I do? The answer is to re-think you and what you are doing to improve your situation and by default, those who depend on you! In the good old days, it can sometimes be easy to be complacent and forget how you got where you are in the first place.

When considering marketing and web applications as technologies, a similar self-examination needs to take place. Customers are SO BORED with flash and confusing web pages . . . they don't have time. Any technology seeking to draw their commitment is: 1) not going to insult their intelligence and 2) will be intuitive to their search criteria.

Can you honestly say that your lead capture tech creates this environment? If not, there are specialist like us that have taken the time to understand and leverage the true advantages that exist on the Internet, if properly deployed, managed and executed.

In these dire financial times, interestingly enough, the uninformed start cutting marketing and advertising resources. Be equal to this challenge by getting ahead of the curve and create understanding around how your company can TRULY achieve more sales with less.

That may take the target reticule off of you and focus it on other dead wood that doesn't have the same drive and aptitude represented by you making intelligent recommendations and crystallizing the opportunities to accomplish reduction with an uptick in lead conversions and sales productivity!

It's out there . . . and it's all good! Go, Do, Be!

Be Relevant

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:39:00 +0000

In this day of shrinking budgets, it's increasingly necessary for technologist within organizations to take an active role in advocating technology driven by cost optimizations. There are several reasons this technology "evangelism" will highlight your evolving role as the next generation, instead of what exists.

Understand, it's not IT's fault. The traditional mode is being ignored when things are working fine and vilified if something breaks. Noone in my experience really "enjoys" the constant pressure of IT, wringing more from less, managing challenges and long range planning in the same timeframe. Inevitably maintenance and moving parts allow the system to take on a life of its own because path of least resistance replaced migration and re-thinking how to assemble MAT applications into a cost-efficient and cost-effective way to manage leads and prospects.

Here are the reasons why you should become a technology advocate:

1. Being advocate broadens your role - providing better visibility and can develop a charter that exceeds the normal ho-hum of back-office maintenance.

2. Outsourcing Applications - makes more room for your team and staff to have better control of your monthly costs, offering the potential to "package" certain funtions that can be done more effectively via outsourced organizations.

3. Cross Application Advantage - means you have exposure to more resources in solving problems that are similar to MAT, and offer solutions that are relevant to that department and their application issues or problems.

4. Poised for Change - means you're not waiting for the CIO or CFO to have the "budget" conversation. You can present your manager with answers that have been researched with the future and smooth, seamless migration, instead of knee-jerk reaction.

Whatever your goals in your IT organization, MAT is a great way to sell the sizzle and inject yourself into a world in which results bring money, credibility and career success.

You also start remembering why you got into IT and the potential that intelligence of forethought can render technology answers that offer orders of magnitude in response to your prospects, customers and important internal constituents.

Stand up and be noticed - Be relevant!

When the Economy Gets You Down

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:34:00 +0000

Imagine a world without the media's influence over the weak-minded. I believe the media is responsible for literally freaking out most American citizens and businesses. The slowing of our economy did not go sideways until the television networks decided to spread their poisonous spin of gloom and doom. Naturally, they blame everything from an ingrown toenail to a cloudy afternoon on George Bush. Now, they blame Wall Street and BIG business for making too much money when everyone else is starving. This is simply NOT reality. This is only the media's slanted perspective from their brand of "if it bleeds-it leads" approach.

During these temporarily troubled times, you cannot allow yourself to be fooled into thinking all is lost. At present, there are those who are making a financial killing. Do you think you know how they are doing that? The answer is really not that hard to grasp. These positive and passionate entrepreneurs remain fervently focused on their mission; plan; objectives. We must all take a lesson from their playbook if we want to keep moving forward and upward. You cannot allow yourself to buy into a defeatist attitude; you do need to play smart.

This week, I challenge you to purposefully visit Google and search for those clouds with silver linings. Identify the Wall Street winners and ask yourself, how is it they are not only staying afloat, but prospering. Be open-minded as your read these success stories; be prepared to modify your plan if required, but do keep in mind, you can be victorious all through this recession; you must remain positive and on point.

Remember, your business is the lifeline to our present and future economical growth. America needs you! Get back to basics; work hard; work smart. Never say "die!"

You are a champion. Believe it-become it!

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Podcasting: A Definitive Marketing Solution

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:53:00 +0000

Each day starts and usually ends with the same BIG question. Our clients and prospects ask us, "How can I grow my business and capture my fair market share?" Our answer is quite simply, "Build yourself a base of prospects and work that pipeline relentlessly and efficiently."

One BIG tip that I can offer you as read my short synopsis today, learn how to become a successful podcaster and watch your bottom-line begin to move skyward.

Over the past decade, the Internet has created many new breakthrough marketing mediums. From successful ezine publishing and distribution, straight through to more pronounced search engine optimization practices.

As a television and radio broadcaster/marketing consultant, I have had the sincere pleasure of understanding just how important both the radio and television marketing methods are to businesses and individuals in getting the word out to their prospective audience.

Our weekly online radio show, Marketing Antics LIVE has been received very well amongst global listeners and advertisers alike. (I guess I always knew that in time, connectivity speeds and portable hand-held devices would ultimately allow for a more expansive target audience reach.)

Although, we began using our online talk radio format years ago, we are now able to sweeten the pie by allowing our listeners to almost effortlessly download our show (information and entertainment) right into their iPods and other handheld devices including mobile phones. Now our audience can listen where ever and whenever "they" like. Plus, as an added-value benefit to us and our valuable advertisers, we can track every hit (listener) around the clock for about the cost of a cup of coffee. We make all this happen by deploying one of today's best emerging audio/blogging technologies popularly referred to as, "podcasting".

Podcasting is a term that manifested as a fresh way to describe the technology used to push (share) audio content from web sites down to consumers (clients) of that content, who usually listen to it on an iPod (hence the term "pod"), or any other type of .mp3 player (iRiver), or mobile phone device at their command, convenience and control.

Podcasting is somewhat similar to the concept of time-shifted video software and storing video, except that podcasting is primarily used for audio to date. (Universal video deployment is most likely just around the corner.) With that stated I should explain, however, that this easy to use emerging technology can be used to push (deploy) any kind of file such as photos (images), software updates, videos and/or text.

Podcasting uses an XML-based technology called RSS (Real Simple Syndication). Content publishers (podcasters) describe new content in an XML RSS file which includes dates, titles, descriptions, and specific links to the .mp3 files. This "automatically" generated file is referred to as an RSS feed. Dave Winer is considered by many to be the creator of RSS and a pioneer in the environment of applied XML. The component to making podcasting work with RSS is"enclosures" (remember that term), an element supported by RSS 2.0.

As a consumer or end-user, you simply run an "aggregator"(remember this term, too) program like MTV's Adam Curry's iPodder software on your local computer, which lets you easily subscribe to RSS feeds. Programs like Adam's will either by schedule or by random design, download the RSS files, and check to see if any fresh content is available. If new content exists, the audio files are automatically downloaded and put into a folder (of your choice) on your hard disk or directly routed to your mp3 player.

Anyone can podcast. Perhaps, I should more accurately $state,"Anyone who properly learns and activates their own podcast process can reap the significant harvest of BIGGER numbers by creating and nurturing their own emerging community." As an online business owner this is HUGE and required. This marketing solution can not only make you financially solvent, it can even make you a star.

Here now is a list of things to do to prepare yourself for your first podcast presentation.

1. Research the podcast element.

Learn precisely what podcasting is all about and how it works. I recommend visiting Podcast Media Services.

2. Seek guidance from seasoned podcast professionals.

Create a list of those podcasters that undeniably know exactly what they are doing. Align your yourself with only the best. From this list, call them on the phone and pick their brain(s). If you cannot locate an actual telephonic point of contact, I strongly urge you to wipe them from your list. You want to do business with those that believe in"touching" their market with more intimacy and one-to-one personalization rather than just an email. Remember, you are looking for a friend. A mentor. Not necessarily someone to take your money and be off. A solid partnership (friendship) is your objective here.

3. Discover your passion.

What passion do you share with others? What true value will your audience glean from you? Who is your target audience? Understand your "why."

4. Develop your plan and work your your process.

What do you need to learn? What do you need to do? What specific date will you be ready? Who will provide you with the support you will need to fulfill your plan. What equipment is required?

5. Make your podcast happen.

As you roll out your "new-to-you" adventure, don't expect total perfection on day one. Be kind to yourself and know that you will evolve. We all started from square one. You should have heard my first radio air check from my first radio gig in Bakersfield, California. I sounded just like a bumbling knucklehead. :-) Enough practice and desire can make you near perfect, but do be fair with you and give yourself time to grow.

Listen to other pro-podcasters. Listen to your local radio stations, too. Read books and articles like this one on a daily basis. (I do.)

6. Finally, make no excuses.

If you "really" want to crank up the heat on your marketing efforts, than podcasting will give you the significant marketing advantage.

In closing today, I have illustrated only a fraction of what you must know before you go piling into your podcast endeavor full steam ahead. Be sure to identify and podcast production for all the world to hear and take notice!

Happy podcast marketing!

Internet Marketing Trumps Cable TV

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Do you ever wonder why we pay for cable TV and yet we are still forced to view more commercials than ever before? Why is it that gobs of Internet social media web properties such as BlogTalkRadio.com give us a choice as to whether or not we want to feed our audience banner and pop-up ads? Would it not be wonderful if the television cable systems gave us that same choice?

I say, we are given the opportunity (control) of deciding upon one of two service pricing models. For instance, Verizon could offer Package 1 which would cost you a few more dollars a month with no commercial advertisements (almost like Pay-Per-View). Package 2 would be regularly priced, and would include commercial advertisements.

The cable outlets are already making money from a variety of sources. They are already paid by the myriad of sponsors that run their commercials around the clock and by us for our standard monthly subscription service. Now I know that if they gave us a choice, advertisers might fold into a fetal position because fewer viewers will see their spots. If you think about though, we can easily TIVO our favorite shows and simply skip ahead of those long and pesky commercial breaks anyway.

What if we could at least choose the type of commercials of which we might be most interested in viewing?

I think the cable systems will sooner than later have to come to terms with these consumer centric thirst and hunger pains. What do you think?

Technology - A Two-edged sword

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:18:00 +0000

As companies consider marketing technology, they must remember a key fact: Technology must be managed and thought through to avoid creating problems instead of solutions.

I was looking through some quotes from industry luminaries and Bill Gates jumped off the page at me! He said “....the first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.”

Before making extensive changes to your marketing technology, evaluate what's working. In creating this kind of assisted assessment, you can define a plan that builds or interoperates with your successes. This also makes it easier to talk to the CFO about migration instead of displacement.

Just like a physician, when changes are made, seek to "do no harm" and success will follow.

2008's Marketing Strategic Inflection Point

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:24:00 +0000

With the financial strategic inflection point we are now facing, fortunes will be made and some rightfully lost (i.e. those that put us there in the first place!) Selling improvements and upgrades in a down ecomony can be done, but fold these discussions in the context web 2.0 marketing to best postition your sales people and leveraging the core of next-gen marketing technologies moving forward..

Right now, companies need to be focused on "building the list" through verification intelligence and a supply chain mentality around bringing new leads. The tech is affordable and it lessens the stress around "cold calling", allowing sales teams to consider a fundamental shift, from 'total hunter' roles to a hybrid role that adds marketing automation technology (MAT) to provide verified, qualified leads.

MAT provides deliverables to your sales teams, allowing them to change the amount of prospecting they have to do, versus "farming" their existing accounts for growth. A formulation and training agenda could allow salespeople to shift to a higher percentage of "farmer time", working the new leads coming from MAT and doing much more with less.

MAT can also provide a domain that addresses the reality of growing a business: the requirement for a regular sales contact with existing customers, in an effort to review potential opportunities, growing their businesses potential and fostering longevity by driving deeper and more "stickily" in their larger business operations.

In the coming months. the companies that get MAT will prosper and optimize, while developing an awareness of how intuitive and diverse formulations can allow customers to be engaged and "ingratiated" by the process, pulling them to a place that can allow their sales teams to communicate without distraction. By trying to understand the prospects mind-set and designing programs that bring them to a trust level, we are allowed to request an exchange of information and engage the opportunity!.

Be Brilliant. Be the Master Closer.

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:21:00 +0000

Never say quit.

Did you know that nearly every one of your perceived competitors will fall far short of closing the BIG DEAL. Do you know why? Well, there are actually a variety of reasons and funky excuses as to why and how you will capture the flag and leave these big dreamers and over-thinkers in the wake of your brilliant success.

So, let us think and act like Master Closers.

A Master Closer does not take no for an answer.

A Master Closer will not settle for mediocrity.

A Master Closer conducts all prospective client research before making the attack.

A Master Closer strategically creates pin-point targeted scripting before ever coming face-to-face or phone-to-phone with their laser-sited audience.

A Master Closer remains fervently focused forward and upward.

A Master Closer learns and discovers new tactics and techniques every day.

A Master Closer operates from a concentrated, yet natural superior attitude, superiors state of mind philosophy.

A Master Closer is open to everything and attached to nothing.

A Master Closer physically, emotionally, and mentally aligns with those who are brilliant and above station.

A Master Closer believes not in failure, but in calculated experimentation and experience expansion.

A Master Closer always takes idea to action, never suffering from analysis paralysis, or making excuses.

Be brilliant. Be the Master Closer. Namaste'

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Marketing Technologist Do It Right!

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

As my business partner and I see talk with marketing professionals in all walks of industry, one thing unites them all . . . . . no leads=no money.

The other common item is their belief that whatever the "leads" answer is, they can probably get it done "on the cheap" and end up with exactly what they paid for! No one does their company any good by "by-guess or bye gollying" one of the most important aspects of their ability to grow a business and make a profit.

Now that our financial hens have come home to roost, the importance of making critical, tactical decision about marketing technology is even more important. Companies don't have the trial and error dollars they had a few years ago.

More than ever, business leaders need to seek the counsel of marketing technologists that truly understand the commonality of business, while at the same time, customizing and meld the "nuts and bolts" of the solution that are technically sound.

More importantly, they realize the importance of considering the beneficiaries of their "output" from the new lead system. Taking in to consideration the salepeople, and training them to intuitively leverage the system's capability avoiding barriers to closure, either logistically or psychologically.

Stop drinking the kool=aid folks! These experts are affordable and available. Just Do It - a little plug for Nike - Happy Marketing.

Hype, Lies, and Video Tape

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0000

I would like to say that I feel entertained by those individuals who pop out of a university, apply for a $5000.00 a month Marketing Director position, get hired, and then toss their new employer down the steps, but I am deeply saddened by these almost standard operating practices being unleashed by even the Fortune 500 leaders. I am disappointed that most companies are not getting what they think they are paying for.

Here is a case in point...

Why in heaven's name do companies and individuals drive freezing-cold prospects to their main web page property, only to confuse the prospective buyer, while at the same time convolute their own messaging. Companies need to hire the right web expert, with the ability to create and manage a lead/prospect/subscriber pipeline for statistical and follow-up purposes.

Here is another case in point...

As a funny or sad story, depending how you look at it, we were hired last year by a network marketing start-up organization. They contracted us to create a online television prospect capture system. The job rendered out at about $72,000. Now, can you believe that after we built this state-of-the-art lead capture machine, some half-witted moron, a self-proclaimed, so-called lead's expert approached and sold the company a toy model of what we had developed. This ninny hammer minimized all technological aspects and the robust power of our prospect conversion machine and somehow convinced our client that all they needed was a talking-head video slapped into a basic lead capture form.

After only about 10 days, our client realized that they had been duped and played by this marketing popinjay who not only lied to our client, but also swindled company distributors into paying into his $600.00 per distributor, per month phoney lead delivery scam. The most frustrating part of this story is that had our client simply called us to the table, the professional consultants they hired, we would have smelled this stank 25 miles away and prevented all the turmoil and thievery from going down in the first place.

The morale of this story is as follows...

If you want the best marketing tools, solutions, and processes, do not rely on your friendly neighborhood college graduate to get it done. Go outside and job it out. Remember, those who lead the marketing industry do not work as a hired employee. They already have a job. They are solid professionals with proven track records. They will more than likely be the CEO of their own company. This mindset is well worth the investment of time and money.

One caveat...

If you are smart enough to hire an outside consulting or development firm, never make a marketing or development decision without them. After all, they are on your clock.

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Building Your Podcast Traffic Magnet

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

As many already know, we have been streaming media (audio and video) since 1998 in many of our sites and our client's web properties, too. Deploying the right message via audio and video from your web property to notably set you apart from your perceived competitors is both paramount and the "right" thing to do. Podcasting done right, can attract web traffic and more web traffic means you have a great potential to sell more product.

In 2005, we began to take full advantage of both audio and video podcasting. (Podcasting is simply a new way your target audience can listen to or see your marketing messages. Often referred to as, "Time-Shifted, Location-Shift Media". (People now listen and watch what they want, where they want.)

The key to success (when implementing this hot technology) is a balanced combination of solid production quality, timely information, robust message content and even a hint of entertainment. To ignore this cutting-edge medium would almost be considered foolish. Always market with eye open wide.

As a bit of a "podcast boost", I invite you to get more details about a media solution that will benefit your online business and marketing practice significantly by building an interactive warm prospect-base.

Podcast Media Services has developed a wide variety of free podcast learning tools and solutions to help you better understand how to seize and apply the power of professional podcasting.

Here now is the direct link for you:
Podcast Media Services
http://www.podcastmediaservices.com/

Once you arrive, you will find an "easy-to-navigate", web interface to guide you through the many available online Podcast departments.

From increasing visitor traffic levels to making you a true global celebrity in your particular niche', the art and sciences of podcasting should become your next online marketing super-tool.

Contributor: Tony Marino

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Prospecting. Web Page Landing Troubles.

radio@americawebworks.com (Tony Marino) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:07:00 +0000

All web pages may contain many of the same source codes elements such as HTML, ASP, PHP, Java, and others, but who cares? As a serious business player, you should only be concerned about how you can successfully sell more of your wares? Believe it or not, most companies and individuals get it painfully wrong. This even includes the BIG FISH and not just the mom and pop shops.

If you take a moment to browse over to Google, type in your search query, and note the pay-per-click offerings, you will clearly realize that most AdWord advertisers are blowing big bucks with dismal results. Not that I am advocating that you start aimlessly clicking these opportunities, but for research sake, you may sample a few these Ad Ops the next time you find yourself in search of a specific product or service.

As you conduct your research mission, you will note that these pay-per-click advertisers are spending over a buck a click and not able to capture or pipeline a single prospect. This is simply because their web landing page or web site drives traffic away within seconds after their arrival.

Your web landing pages must do the following in short order for you to make more sale. Keep in mind your visitors will only about 20 seconds before they leave you in the dust with nothing but another pay-per-click fee.

Element 1. Messaging. The message on your landing page better be fully understood.

Element 2. Incentive. You must have a valuable incentive to giveaway.

Element 3. Call to Action. You need to tell your visitor exactly what they need to do.

As an another powerful piece of performance, you should be sure to let all visitors know that their email address will be verified before they will receive their valuable incentive or additional information.

Remember, you want quality before quantity. Eliminate the tire kickers. Your time is money.

Contributor: Tony Marino

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