Behavior

chief improvisation officer?

As a marketer that often applies improvisational tools to improve client outcomes, being prepared and still knowing when to ditch the playbook is a very important balancing act. Improvisation does not mean “winging it.” Great improvisers – like great marketers – plan.[read more]

What May 11, 2013 brings to the political fate of Pakistan will be determined in some hours of having written this article. Whether that is a "Tsunami of Change" or a "Perception of Stagnation" with the same old leaders reclaiming the helm, we can be sure of the unprecedented role that social media has played in the lives of Pakistanis.[read more]

For business companies and online marketers, social networks are tools to help diffuse information and to reach out to a larger audience at virtually no cost. Individuals, even celebrities and politicians, have the freedom to post information about their interests, lifestyles, and little moments in life. But posting publicly about private or sensitive matters places you, or companies, or any renowned personalities at risk.[read more]

b2b mobile experience

Twenty percent of web traffic is generated by mobile. It's time to start considering the complete social user experience for B2B: are your CTAs, landing pages, emails, and social media efforts ready? Here are four tips to improve your mobile content marketing strategy for B2B.[read more]

Today, I can tell you from where I sit the rebranding campaign does not appear to have been an epic failure. JC Penney's attempt at regaining consumer's trust and loyalty may just work, if done correctly.[read more]

Ben Smidt/Marquette University

"I just want brands to focus on sentiment that matters and not on what is facile and easy to measure. Ten thousand 'likes' for a puppy picture is not worth a dozen customers getting their real problems resolved because brands listened and acted."[read more]

Are you ready? I surely hope so, because if there is anything that I have learned throughout the years interacting with those younger generations, both inside and outside of IBM, is that they are not going to wait. Not for you, not for me. Not for everyone else for that matter.[read more]

Annette Shaff / Shutterstock.com

Last month, Foursquare’s CEO Dennis Crowley addressed rumors that Foursquare’s growth had become stagnant, which he said simply weren’t true – in fact, they consistently see their numbers grow by 10-30% each month. However, he did admit that Foursquare was no longer the “shiny, new thing” in the world of social media.[read more]

customer service

It’s easy to say, “No.” But that is not what amazing companies do. Amazing companies empower their employees to find solutions for their customers. They train, motivate, and praise their employees for coming up with “Yes” answers for their customers.[read more]

social media marketing v.1.0

Ok, so Joan Holloway isn’t swanning around and there is significantly less alcohol involved, but when it comes to the underlying methods, they remain almost the same. Technology and marketing tactics have changed the game, but there are some Draper approaches we can apply to social media today.[read more]

disruptive pest

Think about the industry in which you operate. When was the last time there was a disruptive change which took people by surprise and reignited the market? What would it take to bring about such disruption? Do you have any idea? What is the risk of not being disruptive?[read more]

LinkedIn (Image Source)

Every professional should be using LinkedIn, and that goes for writers too. LinkedIn goes beyond just meeting new people, and participating in “getting to know you” conversations and lead generating “dance cards.” Follow these simple steps to create and use an All-Star author’s LinkedIn profile.[read more]

Gamification (photo: Tama Leaver)

I like the idea of gamification…in theory. In its simplest definition, it is creating an action and reward system for members of your community. Humans like games because we get some immediate gratification. The gamification of experience, however, leads to some odd “rewards” for those who play.[read more]

Webmasters deserve everything they get. There, I've said it. If you've had a penalty from Google you deserve it. If you've had a penalty since Penguin hit last year for the first time then you not only deserve it, you're being very cavalier with your business.[read more]

Pinterest now has over 48.7 million users and stands as the fastest growing social network. Pinterest holds so much potential for brands to showcase their products to a large community of eager buyers looking to find that perfect product.[read more]

building your blog

If you want to learn how to write a blog then you need to understand your customers and write content that they are going to find useful and engaging. Do your homework and you will get more traffic, more click and more leads.[read more]

KPI / shutterstock

Too often when looking at a sales team’s success, managers only look at the actual sales. Of course, this is important—but the sale is a lagging indicator. So how, as sales leaders, do you create leading indicators, tracking the behaviors required today for sales tomorrow? The answer: KPIs.[read more]

content marketing science (posterize/freedigitalphotos.net)

Every interaction we engage in has an effect on our thinking and emotions. Your buyer personas don’t have to fall for your branded solution, but it’s in your best interest to try. Here are some scientifically proven ways to drastically improve the persuasiveness of your content marketing strategy.[read more]

social media

As marketers, it is our jobs to assure our clients that the time and money that they are investing in social media is not in vain. Here are 6 statistics that suggest that social media is still heading for world domination.[read more]

attract fans / shutterstock

Facebook is a beast. Small business owners who attempt to tackle the beast have the best intentions in mind, but the beast inevitably wins and the small business owner gets lazy. If this sounds familiar, we’ve got your cure to improving Facebook engagement by truly understanding your audience.[read more]