1. Integration

Effective marketing campaigns reach their audience in several ways through multiple channels. Simply having a Facebook contest to complete strangers, and friends & family, will not accomplish your goal of populating your ghostly brand page. Integrating a Facebook campaign with email and paid search campaign can provide exponentially higher returns on investment for your marketing budget.

2. The Human Touch

People are on Facebook to connect with people. So if your brand wants to make an impact on its audience it can’t feel like there is a robot on the other end of the page. Facebook users want to interact with people, make comments, share stories, and discuss things they’re passionate about. Guide your audience with real world stories about the people in your company as well as your customers. Encourage them to share their own stories and jump in on the discussion like a real “friend” would. Speak to them like you would a friend, not a revenue target.

3. Chameleonism

I know it’s not a real word. But in this context a Chameleon is extremely adaptable to changing environments. Your marketing should do this as well. Of course this doesn’t mean changing your brand or key messaging, but it does mean that your social activities should be aligned with how your customers want to interact with your brand. The last thing a consumer wants to do is work for content. Make sure it’s easy to find, accessible across devices (desktop, mobile, etc.), and relevant to what people are talking about NOW on their social streams.

If you don’t know what your customers are talking about on your social streams, you need to start monitoring the networks. A great tool for this is Hootsuite, but you can certainly find the one that suits you best.

4. Think Beyond Your Friends List

Friends and family are great for supporting your ideas and referring others to your brand. But it can’t stop there. I started this blog by highlighting how many thousands of brand pages have little to no activity or active “Likes”. 9 times out of 10 it’s because marketers can’t see beyond the list of friends they have on their Facebook profile. The reality is, your friends are just like you. They want to “like” brands they are passionate about. Although they may want to help you out and lend a “like” to your business, do they really care? Are they going to help you get real world customers by liking your page?

In many cases this doesn’t happen. Instead focus your marketing efforts on the types of people who actually care about your business and who would be real life customers. A brand page with 100 loyal and active subscribers is exponentially more likely to drive revenue than one with 1000 friends who are just trying to “help out a friend”.

Putting it All Together

This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to improve your Facebook brand page, but it is enough to get you started. By digging down to the source of your unpopular page you should be able to gain some valuable insight as to why no one is clicking the “like” button. If the purpose of your brand page is to drive leads and purchases of your products and services, then start here and draft a strategy that attracts the right people to your page and gives them a legitimate reason to stay. It’s that simple.

In Part 1, I discussed the “Why” of choosing to optimize for mobile. In Part 2 of this 3 part series, I will share my experience in finding a vendor:

Part 2: Finding a Vendor

I have to admit that I have cheated a little bit on this one. A significant part of my consultancy practice over the past 4 years has revolved around planning, designing, and producing websites for my clients through partnerships with excellent agencies. However, I’m used to dealing with significant budgets and for this particular project, this was not the case. It required a bit of creative planning and an airtight scoping process to ensure vendors are able to provide only the leanest of quote.

Establishing Criteria

Knowing that a mobile site was extremely important for this project I needed to find a vendor that was experienced in producing both dedicated mobile and responsive design websites. Even moreso, they had to be good enough at it that they would understand how to make the best possible site for the mobile experience even if not optimized. From here I came up with the following list of factors to use in my evaluation:

• Agile Production Capabilities
• Proven Track Record (Portfolio)
• Knowledgeable Project Manager
• Ability to Meet Strict Timelines
• Efficient Project Budgeting
• Attentive Communication

Finding a Short List

Luckily I have a fantastic list of contacts of high quality, well established web designers in my phone which was able to cut a great deal of time out of my search. Through some brief phone calls, tweets, and emails I was able to narrow my list down to 4 local vendors that met all the items in my criteria. Some were stronger on their respective list items, but all would pass the acid test of “More than Capable”.

Evaluating Against the Criteria

In working directly with the various vendors, they helped me shape my project into one that could be completed within a short time and included my laundry list of demands without too much effort. Each vendor had great advice on how to optimize for mobile as well as some great tips for usability and workflow. It was a rewarding experience making my decision all the more difficult. Of course, only one could get the contract so I had to be diligent of making one stand out amongst the others.

I presented my recommendation to the client and here is what happened:

1. Two of the four scored better in areas that were important to my client – Proven Track Record and Attentive Communication.
2. Budgets across all four were nearly even, with only slight variations. In fact the top two were so close that we had to review and review and review before determining a winner.
3. Three of the four had strong recommendations on mobile optimization within the project budget
4. Ultimately it was trust that won out and my client chose the vendor with which they already had an existing relationship.

What We Found

In the end it all came down to trust. We knew that all four vendors would provide excellent service, agile production in order to meet our deadline, and would work off of their extensive experience to produce a solid end product. My client’s existing relationship based on years of consistent results and promises kept won out over other characteristics that ended up being more trivial when put under the microscope. I should note that this was not a decision based solely on this trust. The selected vendor is capable of producing top quality websites for a lean budget. Furthermore, their advice on mobile along with their unique production capabilities is certain to produce a strong mobile experience whether we chose a mobile optimized website or not.

In the final part of the series I will answer the question “Does the Budget Make Sense?” when considering mobile website optimization.

In Part 1 of a 3 part series, I will walk you through how we decided on the chosen strategy:

Part 1: Exploring the Why

There are many reasons to optimize for mobile, but for this particular project we looked directly at:

1. Who was going to use the site
2. Where were they going to use it; and
3. Why would they visit the site on a mobile device

Who?
Firstly, the target audiences vary but have one thing in common – they all include people who care about providing safe working environments for their employees, be it from a financial, human resources, marketing perspective, or a general sense of doing good. These people will take the time to find valuable content about safety online.

Where?
Secondly, each of the target companies have decision makers that operate onsite, whether at a mine, construction site, on the road, or in a manufacturing plant. When an unsafe incident happens, these are the same people who will have a natural reaction to want to find a solution. Hence mobile makes sense. The one question that remains to be answered is,

“Are these customers inclined to instantly find a solution on their smartphones or are they likely to wait until the incident is over to check for a solution on their office PCs?”

Why?
Finally, we looked at the motivating factors for seeking an instant solution, and explored whether or not this particular user would have the authority and/or inclination to make a decision to try my client’s product (free trial is the company’s primary call to action). Furthermore, would the mobile experience provide enough information for them to make a purchase decision?

What We Found

After careful consideration, it was determined that there is a strong reason to use mobile optimization for this company’s website. The typical usage situations do dictate that a mobile site will be valuable. However, we were still unsure if it was valuable enough to justify the added expense of either mobile optimized site or responsive design. In the next parts of the series I will share my experience in “Finding a Vendor” and “Does the Budget Make Sense?”

I thought about writing a long, convoluted post about all the ways you can navigate through Windows 8 but instead, view the video below to get an idea of how I feel, and click the following links to get some answers you more than likely need REALLY REALLY bad:

• Your Top 10 Windows 8 Answered
• How to Add Your Google Services to Windows 8
• Five Things Microsoft Should Do for Windows 8 in 2013
• How to Close Windows 8 Apps and Ditch That Pesky “Smart Screen”

Seriously though, who would really want to call that thing “Smart”? On a positive note, the OS is extremely fast, reliable (so far), and all applications run really smooth. If Windows is able to solve the “all-devices-must-run-on-one-OS” problem with a strong and intuitive UX update, they may just come back a category killer!

As a B2B marketing manager, you hear the rumors, see the articles, and generally get the idea that Sales hates you. You’re either not getting them enough leads, the leads are not good enough, or even some combination of both. It can make even the most grounded marketer feel like Rocky in the first half of any of his fights! In reality this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sales loves you – they’re just too proud to admit it!

So how do you know Sales appreciates what you do? They meet their quotas. They have regular appointments booked with potential customers that fit their sales “Sweet Spot”. They even find themselves closing more deals, faster. If your sales reports and marketing metrics confirm this, your sales reps don’t really mean that you’re not doing a good job. What they really mean is that they want you to do more of it because it makes their job easier. How? A better qualified marketing lead will bring a prospective customer more than half way through the decision process before Sales even picks up the phone.

So what can you do as a modern B2B marketing manager? Develop a thick skin. Understand that Sales reps are born with a distinctive personality that, although it may come across as abrasive and unappreciative, are actually really great people. Work with the Director of Sales and make sure the leads you send their way are quality revenue-generating opportunities. Do this, and eventually there will be nothing left to complain about. In fact, as one of my colleagues stated the other day, “you’ll never have to buy lunch again”.

Here are a few methods I use to keep sharp in my career:

Stay Connected
In-person, online, or mobile conversations keep me in the loop with real people who are doing my job every day in different industries, markets, and disciplines. By having meaningful conversations with my peers I not only get great ideas for my own practice, but I have a lot of fun doing it!

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs
Google Reader has been my best friend, allowing me to sift through hundreds of blog articles daily and choose the few that I feel will enrich my own marketing experience. For a guy who grew up reading the newspaper front to back while eating his morning cereal, this has added so much to my own knowledge base without changing one daily habit.

Read Books Too
Countless subject matter experts put out amazing titles on what seems to be an increasingly rapid pace. Topics are endless, ranging from the latest in marketing techniques to books on favorite holiday recipes can keep you thinking. Furthermore, if you spend most of your day in front of a computer your eyes will thank you when you read real print.

Seminars, Tradeshows, and Webinars
With content marketing taking the cake as the most popular marketing tactic of 2013 it’s no surprise that there are a vast catalogue of high quality events in virtually any industry. Keeping on top of what’s happening in your industry can be as simple as attending a webinar once every 1 or 2 months. Check your local trade association website for event calendars.

Hands-on Practice
A colleague of mine years ago taught me how to apply the scientific method to my marketing campaigns, where hypothesize, test, and re-test translated to plan, implement, track, measure, and optimize. Each and every campaign since has added to a library of learning that help guide me in future campaigns.

Research
One of my clients recently said that I “don’t suffer fools” when referring to continuous improvement in marketing operations. How do I do it? If I see a problem, I’ll dedicate my time and effort to finding a solution which always starts with good old fashioned research. It is truly amazing how many websites out there offer great advice and resources to help you with your marketing challenges. You just have to look.

If you are starting to see a pattern, you understand the value of content marketing. Afterall, nearly every one of my “Sharpen the Saw” techniques involve learning from someone else’s work. By downloading whitepapers, buying books, attending events, reading blogs, and conversing with experts in my field I keep on top of trends while learning from others’ mistakes and experiences so my clients don’t have to. That’s why when I plan a content marketing strategy for my clients’ or my own businesses I always think about why I would read this content. Developing quality content just comes naturally from there!

1. Make a Friend
Just like in the offline world, making friends is all about being likeable, having something of value to say, and being genuinely interested in what another human being is talking about (also known as “Listening”. Making friends online can be a valuable tool for learning about your industry or marketing/sales tips, or even be the first to learn of an exciting new event in your area. They can also eventually lead to referrals if you play your cards right. The trick is that it really is all about being genuine and contributing as much, if not more, than you gain from these new friends. Practice reciprocity and the most fundamental form of sincerity and you’ll watch as your online efforts not only become a valuable part of your marketing mix, but also an enjoyable part of your day.

Example: Zappos, the infamous shoe company, “Humanizes” their social media through an army of employee Twitter handles from which each employee makes genuine connections and serves their customers with passion. This of course leads to a number of benefits both personally and professionally for each of the Zappos Twitterers, but if you want to see how it’s helped their company, click here.

2. Fill Your Funnel (Top)
For the true sales person, every daily activity should serve to either fill the sales pipeline or move prospects through the buying cycle. Social media can be an extremely effective tool for driving traffic to your landing pages if the author has a cohesive closed loop strategy for turning Tweets (or “+1′s”, “Likes”, etc.) into closed business. By mapping out your customers’ buying cycles and offering valuable advice, offers, or stories to them via their preferred social networks, you will in effect alert them to your company’s presence and inspire them to act on them right away. How to accomplish this is to integrate your content marketing strategy with a conversion optimized social media promotions strategy.

Example: A company that really “gets it” when it comes to filling the funnel is Hootsuite, my personal favorite social media monitoring and management tool. Their entire marketing department’s goals are to drive as many people as possible to their blog, landing pages, or home page to try Hootsuite for free. Earning more registrations than any competitor by multitudes, this company knows how to fill its funnel!

3. Generate a Lead
Taking the Top of the Funnel idea one step further, it’s never enough to merely generate traffic to your website if you want to get a sale. With personal selling one-to-one relationships are very common. Therefore, making direct contact with a prospect through the right social network can lead to almost immediate responses that can and do turn into qualified sales leads on the first or second try. Not to take away from point #1 from this article, but some business people are straight shooters and, if interested in your product or service already, may jump at the chance to meet a sales person such as yourself. After all, if I’m in the market for a product and a salesperson for a vendor of that product contacts me, I’ll take the time to listen (as long as the company meets my selection criteria of course).

Example: From my own personal experience, I have been contacted via Sales Force Search recently to consider a position with a local technology company. Contacted through LinkedIn and confirmed through email, I was engaged by an enthusiastic recruiter who kept in regular contact with me while we discussed the opportunity. Although he did not get a “Sale” from me, he definitely peaked my interest and made me want to keep our discussion going using the social tools he had available to him. In a simple, non-threatening, and sincere manner, this particular sales person turned me into a qualified sales ready lead!

Wrapping Up
Social media is an effective, low-cost tool to help fill your sales pipeline one connection at a time. By being sincere and offering valuable advice, content, and a sympathetic ear, you can create strong and binding relationships with potential clients that help guide them towards your product or service while your competitors are still buying contact lists and making unwanted cold calls. So stay one step ahead of the “Cold Callers” and integrate a closed loop social media strategy that will help you make real connections and close more deals.

Does THIS Still Work? I Think Not

In the modern age of instant updates, connected social lives, and the world at our finger tips, life is moving at the speed of light – it’s no surprise business is as well. Ever heard of a business being blindsided by a new competitor that seemingly came out of no where? Well that’s what happens when you don’t move with the market.

I recently spoke to a very successful business person who had built his business over the years through good old fashion networking, direct sales, and a practice of under promising and over delivering. Great foundation for a business and I’m not surprised he’s where he is today. Based on my research into his market his position is not threatened right now.

However, I would caution that it is likely not a defensible position on the long term because a business built on relationships dies when people move on to other companies or when a clearly superior offering enters the market.

This particular business owner needs to defend his position in the market by adding strategies and tactics his competitors are using to try and take his business. That combined with his already stellar service, reputation, and business sense will ensure he is successful for many years to come.

If this sounds like your business, here are a few low cost and easy to implement strategies to keep in front of your competitors:

SEO
Maintain visibility on search engines can cost as little as a few hundred dollars a month with the right contractor

Twitter
Leverage your professional network and broadcast your expertise to the whole market by communicating regular with your prospective and current clients via this free social network. Find something online your clients might like? Again, share it with everybody by sharing a link!

Marketing Automation
Software like HubSpot can automate monotonous sales tasks like initial contact emails and follow-ups, saving you time to do what you do best: sell! Sure it’s not “cheap” but HubSpot has designed its service to be accessible to even the smallest business with tiered package pricing.

These are just a few tactics you can add to a strong relationship-based marketing plan that will help defend your long-term position in the marketplace. With just a little bit more budget allocated to marketing and some additional work each week, you will extend your reach beyond your professional network, leverage the strong relationships you already have, and likely even shorten the sales cycle which can lead to significant revenue increases.

Want to learn more about creating a defensible long-term position for your business? Contact Your Next CMO for a free marketing consultation.

Once more, Google has provided a free-to-use service for owners of its direct competitor’s products and have done so with style. The new app has a tremendous user interface that is both easy to use and a pleasure to look at. After doing a couple test runs, I was able to quickly find a couple obscure places here in Vancouver, learn more about their areas, and get GPS-like directions from my home in driving, walking, and transit. It is a significant step up from the former Google Maps program on iOS 5 and way more reliable than iOS Maps.

The quality and speed to market of this app makes me seriously consider why Apple chose to go with such an inferior product, not to mention going this long without a reasonable update. It has to be a business decision made without consideration of Apple’s dedicated user base. As with nearly every corporation in the world that slowly sneaks into the number one spot in their market, Executives at Apple are beginning to make decisions based on their wallets and not on the needs of their customers. Could this be the beginning of the decline of a dynasty? Maybe.

A message to everyone who works at Apple:
Please reign in your business team before it ruins what has been a decade of greatness from your company. Your products’ consistently great user experience and accompanying customer service has allowed you to become the most profitable company in the world and, as a fan, I am happy to pad your pockets as long as the good experience continues. Reject the temptation of raising the stock price even higher and focus on what’s made you successful for so many years – the user.

I for one am going to keep my iPhone and iPad and happily use them until something significantly better comes along. However, betray me again with something like this Maps debacle and I may just change my tune.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media puts communicating with friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers at your fingertips, and WOW is it ever helpful. In a recent meeting I found out how much.

I was heading to a coffee shop to meet a potential business partner last week (which is what we do in Vancouver). On my way, running slightly behind, I realized that I could not call or text him to let him know I was running late. For one split second I panicked feeling like I was being rude with no recourse. Then, Twitter saved the day.

A short direct message away and my colleague was alerted of my lateness and received a sincere, under 140 characters, apology. Disaster averted. The traditional business person in me requested his contact information at the meeting, but it really wasn’t necessary. Since we all carry smart phones, text, call, email, or social networks are all the same. They’re just messages connecting us to the contacts we care about.

So take a good look at your conversion form and ask yourself if you really need to get that email address. Can you request a twitter handle or even just ask them to follow your corporate account? The trick is to take your mind out of the tool and into the conversation. Then you can honestly ask, “Where can this conversation take place?” and “Where would be most convenient for my customers for this conversation take place?”

Conversion will improve!