Top of mind for most CEO’s these days is a return-on-investment in every area of their companies’ spend.  Most marketing pros know that marketing is always under the microscope, pushing marketing analytics front and center on a daily basis.

CMO’s now need to set the stage in their organizations for achieving the CEO’s confidence in the marketing spend and marketing dashboards can help step up that process.

Demand Metric , the Analyst Perspectives Blog, frames the importance of a good marketing dashboard and how to build one.

The 7 key stages of implementing a marketing dashboard:

1. Discuss the Project with Steering Committee
2. Assemble a Project team & Complete Project Plan
3. Review Data Sources & Identify Gaps
4. Select Critical Performance Metrics
5. Build a Framework for Measuring Results
6. Develop a Brand Scorecard
7. Select a Marketing Dashboard Solution

Read more on the execution at Demand Metric.

While marketing dashboards are not for every organization, measuring marketing effectiveness and identifying gaps in opportunities may result in gaining or losing revenue, as well as increasing the efficiency of the marketing spend.

According to MediaBistro, only 22% of Fortune 500 companies have corporate blogs.  That percentage should climb considering that corporate blogs have so much upside.  PR works.  More important, a corporate blog is interactive and gives you instant connectivity to all your stakeholders.  A well done corporate blog can communicate a company’s values, pride, passion, and customer engagement, as well as delivery performance, all in one platform. 

One corporate blog that often gets showcased as a best practice by blog reviewers is General Motor’s Fastlane blog.   GM’s Fastlane blog is packed with information, is well organized, includes lots of pictures, and is updated frequently.  It implies action and innovation.

Like other marketing platforms, you decide your rules of engagement.  In addition to your company spokesperson, you can open the doors to other industry gurus as well.  You can continually replay your messaging in a variety of ways.  Keep it interesting.  Make sure it’s interactive.  Serve your customers.

 Frequently visited sites such as Bloggingtips.com can give you guidance from coming up with content ideas to production and posting.  Copyblogger.com is one of the kings on blog writing.  Technorati.com provides some useful tips including what not to do with a post on some reasons why corporate blogs fail.

In the world of business buyers, product directories are essential.  Marketers looking for product directories to do business with should choose directories that offer state-of-the-art technology.  Reason:  When buyers go to a directory to do research, they want as much information as possible on the products and the company in a single user experience.  Once a directory becomes a research destination, it quickly becomes a transaction destination as well. That translates into more leads and more sales.

At the same time, you want to make sure that the directory you choose is supplier-friendly.  You too want a good user experience as you upload your products specs and other sales collateral.

State-of-the-art directory features include:

1. Powerful search functionality that helps buyers quickly and easily find and research your products.
2. A comprehensive taxonomy.   The classification system of content items assigned to hierarchical categories is relevant.
3. The ability to conduct side-by-side product comparisons.
4. Request-a-quote capabilities.
5. A content library to host all types of collateral from whitepapers to videos.
6. Self-service capabilities so suppliers can load their own content onto their product pages.
7. A variety of online marketing tools beyond category placement, including lead generation, display advertising, and content push such as placements in content newsletters.
8. A choice of advertising bundles to get the right fit for your needs.
9. An easy-to-use supplier portal.
10. Real-time marketing metrics that is easy to understand.

Your marketing goal in a product directory is to get on the radar screen of every potential buyer. Choose a product directory where you can gauge the buyer experience and get the most for your marketing spend.

As business-to-business marketing focuses more on using technology and less on creative, the argument for using MaaS platforms becomes more compelling. Self-service means low cost. Transactional payments mean efficient pay-per-use. Budgets are controllable. Return on Investment gets easier to measure. You can take steps toward relationship marketing in a more cost-effective manner than through traditional channels.

Traditional ways of driving marketing campaigns that include using print, tradeshow advertising, billboard exposure and others channels involve high labor costs, long process times and expensive creative work, and ROI is less readily apparent. The unqualified reach that often comes with using these tactics over vast audiences is expensive. You can isolate wasted reach with MaaS. You can test audiences and decide early in the marketing spend if you are getting good rates of return.

Marketing-as-a-Service revolves around the ability to lighten financial burdens on marketing budgets while zeroing in on target audiences.

But, the relationship with a MaaS supplier should be the same as it would be with any supplier of traditional marketing services. While MaaS is self service, choose providers that support strong customer service. Make sure you can always call someone at the company if your account is not functioning correctly or you need to change the way you derive value.

Make sure also that metrics reporting is simple and easy to understand. You should be able to see in one screen what your marketing dollars are producing. For example, if it’s lead generation, make sure each type of lead is defined. From beginning to end, you are accountable for your firm’s marketing dollars; make sure your Marketing-as-a-Service supplier is accountable as well.

The new JAZD reporting system:

• Saves you Management Time
• Gives you Metrics that Matter
• Provides Lead Nurturing Intelligence at your Fingertips

The dashboard below demonstrates your payout.

• You get details on the number of touch points to your potential customers and fine-tuned metrics.
• We’ve calculated your dollar value for you.  You don’t have to pore through reports.
• We have categorized your online leads with behavioral data and other elements to help you transition effectively from marketing through the sales cycle.

All the online leads in the world aren’t good unless lead nurturing is given the same priority as the goal of getting the leads in the first place.  Sales executives don’t really care about leads unless they know those specific leads have already put them in the running. So how do you give them leads that put them in the running?  You give them leads that may or may not be ready to buy but they are ready to establish a relationship, an introduction that guarantees connecting buyers with sellers especially in a complex sale.

In the online directory world, Category leads are real decision-makers who have been actively exploring your product and services in the past 30 days under your category heading.  They have been out fishing.  So handle the big fish with care.

When you want the attention of a busy person, your chances are greater if you introduce specific information on how to help them versus general information.  It’s the same with leads.

Category leads are specific, not general.  They are leads that live in your discipline.  They are leads that say I want to establish a relationship that will most likely lead to a sale.  Your Company has something that I am specifically seeking.  Find a way to nurture them.   Get sales to understand where Category leads sit in the sales funnel.  They are the ones that count.  And, that their first approach to these leads is to warm them up to your Company.  The close isn’t always on the first call.  But, the first step in an important relationship is always in the first round.

And by the way, an important tip and a one line commercial that’s relevant to you:  The ROI of a Category lead in the JAZD Marketplace is the best in the industry.  You get a lot of demo data about  buyers who are actively searching for your products and services (within 30 days) for less CPL, making the true value of these leads the economic win in your marketing funnel. 

Jazdlifesciences.com – jazdchemcials.com –jazdcommunications.com – jazdpackaging.com –jazdhealthcare.com – jazdsupplychain.com – jazdprocessing.com – jazdhotels.com – Jazdtech.com

Today is a great day at Jazd Markets. We are thrilled to announce we’ve formed a partnership with the technology content gurus at Technology Business Research, Inc. (TBR)!

We’re committed to forging strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with like-minded businesses (learn more about partnering with Jazd Markets here) and this relationship with TBR is a perfect fit for us.

Both TBR and Jazd Markets are committed to providing their customers with the expert knowledge they need to make smart buying decisions. This mutual commitment to empowerment through education is at the core of this new content interchange.

TBR’s expert market research and analysis will contribute to and enhance the industry news and analysis Jazd Markets directories already offer.

Come August, Jazd Markets users will be able to leverage new content on computer, software, telecom, mobility and the professional services industries through TBR’s market research and customer satisfaction studies.

That is the question.

Ever tried to use a hammer to tighten a screw? No? Then I would stay away from using Twitter as a push marketing tool.

Confused? Well, I bet if you did use a hammer to slam in a screw you wouldn’t be irate at the hammer manufacturer for the dents and cracks its product left behind. You’d know those marks were left because you used a great tool for the wrong purpose.

This is how I approach the Great Twitter Debate. Is it a huge Marketing Time Suck or is it an Innovative Marketing Tool?

Now, I’m by no means a Twitter fan girl. Its frequent crashes are frustrating and finding the right platform with which to access your stream can be annoying. I mean, come on. Why isn’t the Twitter platform the best platform?

That aside, I believe Twitter is an Innovative Marketing Tool . . .  When used correctly.

I’ve found it to be a very useful to listen in on conversations about my company’s brand.

Twitter allows us to be the flies on the wall in our customers’ and in industry experts’ closed-door meetings. Think your latest product launch went off without a hitch? Well, before you give you and your team the proverbial pat-on-the-back, head to twitter and search your company name. What was your customers’ experience? Did the industry have a reaction to your incredible new product or service? If they did, was it positive or negative?

In the positive and negative scenario, creating and keeping up a corporate Twitter account allows you to react to customer feedback and industry feedback in real-time.

Find an unhappy customer? Reply to their Twitter handle and offer your personal assistance. Find a brand evangelist? Reply to their Twitter feed with a heartfelt “Thank You,” or better yet, a tangible reward. Doesn’t need to be big reward – ask them to Direct Message you their address and send them a tchotchke you keep on hand. The people at TechSmith do this very well. Tweet something positive about their screen capture tool Snagit and they’ll send you a titanium spork!

My advice to you is, if you haven’t set up a twitter account for your brand yet, do so soon. Use it as a tool to engage your customers and to network with like-minded businesses in your industry.

Just stay away from hammering your products home. You’ll only wind up bruising your brand.

Video adds immediate value to any marketing campaign. It’s an engaging means of communication and if done well can enjoy a life long after its initial marketing campaign is completed.

Here a few suggestions where to use a video after its campaign has run its course.

• Social Media: Don’t forget to update your corporate Facebook or Twitter status to include a link to your video and a quick sentence telling your fans what they’ll get out of watching it. Include it on your company’s LinkedIn page. You could add a link and a call to action in your status or you could create a discussion forum for your customers based on the subject of your video.

• Newsletters/Emails: What benefit to customers does your video spotlight?  Create a newsletter or an email campaign around this topic and send it to your customers and prospects down the line.

• Blog: Embed your video in a blog on the same topic. Including video to a blog not only adds content value, it also adds value from a visual standpoint.

• Other People’s Blogs: Add a google alert on the subject of your video and see if you can find people writing about a similar subject. Leave a thoughtful comment – no dry marketing speak allowed – along with a link to your video.

• Press Releases:Don’t forget to include your video in a press release! Studies have shown press releases with video included see more views. It’s great for SEO purposes as well.

Have other ideas on where to post video? Let us know in the comment field below – we always love feedback!