The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), of which I’m a member, just published its list of the top 20 marketing blogs top marketers read. This list was gleaned from a survey of the membership, nearly 2000 strong, which is made up of senior level marketing executives from around the country. The poll asked which blogs (by non-MENG members) they actually read, which blogs were their favorite reads, and which ones were the most enjoyable to read. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off…
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Forget ’09. 2010 is a NEW year. We can’t change history but we can create the future. That goes for marketing too. As we said in our brochure, “Tighten Your Belt Too Much and You May Lose Your Shirt,” studies have shown time and again that companies that promote when times are bad recover faster and can get a big leg up on their non-marketing competition. Your spending on marketing doesn’t have to be lavish but whatever you devote to it is money well spent. As one famous marketer says, “Just do it!”
Home Sweet Home Page
Friday, October 16th, 2009Nowadays, your web site is probably your most powerful marketing tool. And your Home Page is usually the portal or front door through which your prospects and customers enter. Here are a few things you can do to make your Home Page more effective and more productive.
Have simple, clear, intuitive navigation. Make sure your visitors understand how to navigate around your web site, where your links will take them, and how to find their way back to Home if they need to. There are many ways to use sub-navigation within a web site so visitors don’t get lost: for example pulldown menus, side navigation, or “bread crumbs” on each page that show the section and sub sections.
Have a simple, clear, focused message. Your visitors should understand what you do and what’s in it for them from your Home Page. So keep the copy simple, use search engine-friendly key words, make sure the font is large enough to read comfortably, and don’t make your visitors scroll below the fold to get your message.
Give visitors a reason to return. Have some content on your Home Page that’s dynamic. ie that you change periodically: News, events, a video, latest case history, a free offer etc. Or it could be helpful tips from your area of expertise, relevant articles, calculators or tables if the subject is financial. With a content management system, you don’t even need a webmaster to make these changes for you.
Harvest Prospects through an opt-in form. Consider a signup for an e-newsletter, white paper, or other content that your visitors might trade for their email address. Once you have their information, you can begin to cultivate an online relationship with them.
Blogging on Blogging
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009I’ve been intending to start a blog for quite some time. I read several blogs on a daily basis, and even post comments. I’ve sat in meetings with clients over the past couple of months and heard myself recommend to them that they start their own blogs, especially those who are experts in very niche areas. But as we all know the story of the shoemaker’s children who go without shoes, up until now, I’ve been remiss in actually launching a blog for the Next Level.
Yes, it’s been on the to-do list. I’ve made a commitment to do it, and have told my colleagues I’m going to do it. I’ve made a list of possible blog topics to write about so I’ve got a backlog of ideas ready to go. And yet… (more…)
