tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60174952024-02-02T13:13:04.197-05:00Straight to the PointA Blog on Technology, Startups, Marketing, and other Fun TopicsStraight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-37565109941310249722019-01-29T17:35:00.000-05:002019-01-29T17:35:09.435-05:00Happy 2019! and How to Build a Collaborative Relationship Between Sales and Marketing<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">New clients and expanding marketing budgets with existing clients are keeping us very busy this year.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">One of our clients, RedSeal, offers a cybersecurity tool for increasing the digital resilience of networks. Two of their senior sales and marketing leaders, Kimberly Baker, Senior Vice President and GM, Public Sector, and Lauren Stauffer, Director Federal Partners and Marketing, were featured in Modern Marketing Today in an article called, </span><a href="https://modernmarketingtoday.com/different-tactics-same-goals-building-a-collaborative-relationship-between-sales-and-marketing/#.XFCEulVKiUk" style="background-color: white; color: #3671c3; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Different Tactics, Same Goals: Building a Collaborative Relationship Between Sales and Marketing</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Baker noted that a good working relationship between the two teams is not a function of size. Rather, it is a matter of a shared commitment to a single goal.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Without a strong branding message that resonates with the marketplace, there isn’t much for sales to work with,” noted Baker.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Marketing warms up the prospect base and then flows the prospect into the sales pipeline. These two parts are connected by a shared strategic plan and understanding of the outcome.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Since we started working with RedSeal three plus years ago, the company has almost doubled their public sector revenue and have been selected as a Red Herring Top 100 Global company and Deloitte Technology Fast 500. Kimberly was also named a "</span><a href="https://www.fedscoop.com/fedscoops-top-women-in-tech-2017-kimberly-baker/" style="background-color: white; color: #3671c3; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">FedScoop Top Women in Tech.</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Let me know if you want to learn more about the program.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Here are a few articles that caught my eye over the past month or so:</span><br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><a href="https://marketingland.com/20-expert-predictions-heres-what-successful-marketers-will-do-in-2019-253536" style="color: #3671c3;">20 expert predictions: Here’s what successful marketers will do in 2019</a>, Marketing Land</li>
<li><a href="https://om.co/2019/01/13/so-what-can-apple-do-next/" style="color: #3671c3;">So what can Apple do next?</a>, Om Malik</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/voldemorting-ultimate-seo-diss-resident-linguist/" style="color: #3671c3;">Welcome to Voldemorting, the Ultimate SEO Dis</a>, Wired</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/s/story/the-trick-to-thinking-clearer-and-better-4a61c54114fa" style="color: #3671c3;">It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Think</a>, Zat Rana</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/best-venture-capital-investments/" style="color: #3671c3;">From Alibaba to Zynga: 40 Of The Best VC Bets Of All Time And What We Can Learn From Them</a>, CB Insights</li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you want to talk about optimizing your 2019 marketing plan, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.</span>Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-83631662020340603142018-12-18T17:38:00.000-05:002019-01-29T17:39:06.677-05:00Happy Holidays!<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Just a few working days before the end of the year and we are in the midst of another busy holiday season.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We wish everyone safe travels and best wishes.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Need a break from the holiday bustle, grab a coffee and read these five marketing articles:</span><br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><a href="https://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-trends-2019/" style="color: #3671c3;">Your 2019 Content Strategy: 5 Trends You Can’t Ignore</a>, Convince and Convert</li>
<li><a href="https://enticehq.com/blog/lead-magnet/" style="color: #3671c3;">101 Lead Magnet Ideas to Skyrocket Your Email List</a>, Entice</li>
<li><a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/case-study-questions" style="color: #3671c3;">100 Case Study Interview Questions</a>, HubSpot</li>
<li><a href="https://xconomy.com/boston/2018/12/11/hubspot-30m-corporate-venture-fund/" style="color: #3671c3;">HubSpot Wants to Stoke Innovation With $30M Corporate Venture Fund</a>, Xconomy</li>
<li><a href="https://fs.blog/2018/10/long-game/" style="color: #3671c3;">The Surprising Power of The Long Game</a>, Farnham Street</li>
</ol>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-85238062422057458502018-10-25T17:44:00.000-05:002019-01-29T17:44:48.792-05:00Fall Marketing Stories. Product Launches and New Clients.<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Fall in DC is my favorite time of year.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Football.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Lower humidity. Normal, comfortable temperatures.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Product launches and new clients.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">All good things.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As per usual, take a quick break from your busy fall schedule and check out these articles:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://timharford.com/2018/10/why-big-companies-squander-brilliant-ideas/" style="color: #3671c3;">Why big companies squander brilliant ideas</a>, Tim Hartford</li>
<li><a href="https://om.co/2018/09/01/the-long-goodbye-to-facebook/" style="color: #3671c3;">The Long Goodbye (To Facebook)</a>, Om Malik</li>
<li><a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/pivot-traditional-direct-consumer-brands-sour-facebook-ads/" style="color: #3671c3;">Pivot to traditional: Direct-to-consumer brands sour on Facebook ads</a>, DigiDay</li>
<li><a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/50-split-testing-ideas-you-can-run-today/" style="color: #3671c3;">LinkedIn Lead Generation: Definitive Guide (Updated 2018)</a>, Angelo Sorbello</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/reiterate/sunk-cost-sinks-ships-25a8d6436e5c" style="color: #3671c3;">Sunk Cost Sinks Ships</a>, Medium</li>
</ol>
If you need help reaching your sales and marketing goals, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-20235492038154303072018-09-13T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-29T17:49:52.375-05:00Worldly Marketing Wisdom- What is the One Key to Marketing Success?<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So why am I sending you this newsletter? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My goal every day is to try and live up to the advice of Warren Buffet's business partner. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Go to bed smarter than when you woke up.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">— Charlie Munger</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I try to read as much as I can. About marketing. Sales. Design. Startups. Software. Business. Economics. Personal improvement. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Some of the things I read are crap and not worth sharing. Some, however are pretty good.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With that in mind, take a quick break and check out these articles:</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What caught my eye in the past month?</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2018/8/29/tesla-software-and-disruption" style="color: #3671c3;">Tesla, software and disruption</a>, Benedict Evans</li>
<li><a href="https://stackingthebricks.com/how-blogs-broke-the-web/" style="color: #3671c3;">How the Blog Broke the Web</a>, Amy Hoy</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@namratalpatel/the-hyperfragmentation-of-retail-and-why-the-biggest-winners-are-digital-ad-platforms-not-5d55b26e96c" style="color: #3671c3;">Building a Storybrand: The 7 Prospect Desires Your Business Depends On</a>, MarTech</li>
<li><a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/50-split-testing-ideas-you-can-run-today/" style="color: #3671c3;">50 Split Testing Ideas (You Can Run Today!)</a>, Neil Patel</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/unicorn-websites-kinda-ugly-sometimes/" style="color: #3671c3;">The Websites Of 35 Unicorn Startups Before They Became Billion-Dollar Companies</a>, CB Insights</li>
</ol>
If your marketing plan isn't functioning as well as you'd like, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-65917494886764362872018-09-06T11:07:00.003-05:002018-09-06T11:07:55.762-05:00Which news is more or less worthy of your trust?Once again, a good primer on how to determine which news is more or less worthy of your trust.<br />
<br />
538: <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/when-to-trust-a-story-that-uses-unnamed-sources/">"When To Trust A Story That Uses Unnamed Sources" </a><br />
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-60291074482927546452018-08-14T17:52:00.000-05:002019-01-29T17:53:21.437-05:00Marketing Links for August<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This post will be short, as I'm sure most of you want skip over this part and click on links to five awesome marketing articles. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What caught my eye in the past month?</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.twelveskip.com/guide/blogging/1247/blog-post-title-templates-that-work" style="color: #3671c3;">100+ Blog Post Title Templates That Grab Attention</a>, TwelveSkip</li>
<li><a href="http://tomtunguz.com/how-long-free-trial/" style="color: #3671c3;">How Long Should Your SaaS Software Trial Period Be?</a>, Tomasz Tunguz</li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@namratalpatel/the-hyperfragmentation-of-retail-and-why-the-biggest-winners-are-digital-ad-platforms-not-5d55b26e96c" style="color: #3671c3;">The Hyperfragmentation of Retail and Why the Biggest Winners are Digital Ad Platforms, not Microbrands</a>, Namrata Patel</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2018/6/25/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-gdpr.html#gs.8=yeyXQ" style="color: #3671c3;">15 Mind-Blowing Stats About GDPR</a>, CMO.com</li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwrapped.com/cognitive-bias-survival-guide" style="color: #3671c3;">Ultimate Cognitive Bias Survival Guide</a>, Geek Wrapped</li>
</ol>
If your marketing plan isn't functioning as well as you'd like, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-671211580962822362018-07-10T13:12:00.003-05:002018-07-10T13:12:56.310-05:00World Cup Fever?The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. <div>
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3.2 billion people (almost half of the world’s population) tuned in to watch four years ago in 2014.</div>
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The semi-finals are this Tuesday and Wednesday, so I'm sure that some of you will be sneaking out to watch or keeping track of the games on your phones or computers.<br /><ul>
<li>Before you run out of the office, read this month's top marketing articles:</li>
<li><a href="http://tomtunguz.com/content-marketing-compounding-returns/">The Compounding Returns of Content Marketing</a>[100% Must Read], Tomasz Tunguz</li>
<li><a href="https://sleeknote.com/blog/casper-marketing">Casper Marketing: How a Mattress Company Went from Zero to $750 Million in 4 Years (Case Study)</a>, SleekNote</li>
<li><a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/05/the-amazing-psychology-of-japanese-train-stations/560822/">The Amazing Psychology of Japanese Train Stations</a>, City Lab</li>
<li><a href="http://firstround.com/review/classpass-founder-on-how-marketplace-startups-can-achieve-product-market-fit/?utm_campaign=new_article&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter">ClassPass’ Founder on How Marketplace Startups Can Achieve Product/Market Fit)</a>, First Round</li>
<li><a href="https://ofdollarsanddata.com/you-see-what-you-want-to-see/">You See What You Want To See</a>, Of Dollars and Data</li>
</ul>
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If your marketing plan isn't functioning as well as you'd like, email me and we'll schedule a quick call for a free consultation.</div>
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Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-84669026712316069422018-06-20T09:18:00.000-05:002018-06-20T09:18:18.512-05:00Almost Summer. Working on your tan? Then read these relaxing marketing articles and learn something new.I'm not sure if June qualifies as summer or not. Some people classify summer as July and August, but that seems a little short.<br /><br />However you think about it, June is definitely the month to be outside as much as possible enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. <br /><br />Are you on the beach working on your tan? Then read this month's relaxing must-read marketing articles:<br /><ul>
<li><a href="https://www.clearvoice.com/blog/how-to-grow-b2b-blog-traffic-to-50k-organic-monthly-pageviews/?utm_campaign=Blogging%20a%20Comeback&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9m6DPZVpl9-zbMczs_TNiv_Gl1RklYKSKNEO3fZKKPAmP7oEeuMc0mnrthC-2kQN96nFxrd7ZzCXqrDM89VOdhusGcVxpLOlY4S9paOFTWIUr0NA8&_hsmi=63704117&utm_content=63704255&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=cd317685-0d7b-42d5-b264-b077565e3dc5%7Cc0c7fde2-c39f-4d22-b001-f92605447987">Blogging a Comeback: How We Rebooted Our B2B Blog From 3K to 50K+ Organic Monthly Pageviews (and Growing)</a> [100% Must Read], ClearVoice</li>
<li><a href="http://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2018/5/21/invisible-asymptotes">Invisible asymptotes</a>, Remains of the Day</li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/tv-television-ratings-elderly-live-tv-dvr-c61a4a87-f7f4-4e13-ba22-2be5702cdef7.html">Reality check: Americans are tuning out of TV</a>, Axios</li>
<li><a href="http://andrewchen.co/does-anyone-care-about-your-new-product-conducting-market-research-with-googles-keyword-tool/">Does anyone care about your new product? (Doing market research with Google’s Keyword Tool)</a>, Andrew Chen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/future-of-information-warfare/?utm_source=CB+Insights+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e8d8248663-ThursNL_05_03_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dc0513989-e8d8248663-88820293">Memes That Kill: The Future Of Information Warfare</a>, CB Insights</li>
</ul>
<br />If you have a few marketing priorities that aren't getting enough attention, message me and we'll schedule a free consultation.Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-23493417829468980332018-05-31T08:00:00.000-05:002018-05-16T09:23:21.841-05:00#TBT: British Telecom Social Media Case StudyI've started to do some "Throw Back Thursday" (#TBT) type updates of old posts. This is a fun concept from Instagram and Facebook, and I thought I'd try it here.<br />
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This is one of my first case study blog posts back in 2010 while I was working with <a href="https://gotostrategic.com/">Strategic Communications Group</a>. We did some of the first social media based campaigns and wanted to evangelize the concept with other technology and telecom companies.<br />
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____________________________________________<br />
<br />
One of our goals as an agency in 2009 was to build up some compelling case studies on social media that we could share with our clients and our prospects. We’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ve</span> used social media to engage, educate, and entertain key audiences, and generate measurable results for a variety of customers. A few seemed to stand out as particularly good examples of how social media can be used to support a variety of business applications like lead generation, sales cycle support, customer service, employee morale, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">influencer</span>/media relations, etc.<br />
<br />
Almost two years ago, we started developing a pilot social media program for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">BT</span> Americas. Working with their creative, innovative marketing team, we've executed a measurable, successful, strategically aligned campaign that's been recognized internally as an example of social media marketing excellence.<br />
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What do you think? I'd love hear your thoughts- leave a comment if you have a moment...<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Situation</span><br />
In the United States, British <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Telecom</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">BT</span>) sells connectivity to Global 2000 companies. Connectivity is a commodity that prospects typically think about only when they need more—for example, when expanding facilities, whether domestically or in another country.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Goal</span><br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">BT</span> wanted to boost top-of-mind awareness, so when potential customers need to add <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">telecom</span> capacity, they consider <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">BT</span>. If not exclusively, then at least in addition to giant firms like AT&T and Verizon—which have far more advertising dollars to spend.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span><br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">BT</span> has a strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">CSR</span>). Knowing that virtually all of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">BT</span>’s prospects have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">CSR</span> programs, Strategic created a <a href="http://csrperspective.com/" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">CSR</span> blog</a> where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">BT</span>’s thought leaders can interact with like-minded people in other firms, including top-tier prospects. Through targeted social media interaction with key customers and prospects, building deeper relationships with customers like <a href="http://www.csrperspective.com/2009/01/pepsico-outreach-to-suppliers.html" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">PepsiCo</span></a> and <a href="http://www.csrperspective.com/2009/04/guest-blog-post-wal-mart-stores-inc.html" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Wal</span>-Mart</a> becomes a bit easier.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Results</span><br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">CSR</span> Perspective serves as a bridge, allowing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">BT</span>’s field marketing force to stay in front of key prospects with shared values. A typical scenario: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">BT</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">CSR</span> executive reaches out through social media channels to counterparts at prospect’s organization and arranges a sales meeting with a prospect’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">CSR</span> exec and CFO. Thanks to relationships like these, when prospects need connectivity, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">BT</span> is on the short list.<br />
<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-48930987155727602082018-05-18T10:00:00.000-05:002018-05-16T09:11:15.741-05:00#TBT: Government Marketing in an Age of Social Media<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXRJxzg1iJUaKgRCDdBG55NDJzzjY7CG-LMGlAST8XB-Q6gNQs0KWnwdDts_SJesxGR6yXAOwdJuhcnSzelxeeDf7mAp3CWwP3iQgOKAZOXCffxgNI0HQ25kS-gVPXGHIESPX/s1600-h/AMA_DC_b2bsig.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051891639713075906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXRJxzg1iJUaKgRCDdBG55NDJzzjY7CG-LMGlAST8XB-Q6gNQs0KWnwdDts_SJesxGR6yXAOwdJuhcnSzelxeeDf7mAp3CWwP3iQgOKAZOXCffxgNI0HQ25kS-gVPXGHIESPX/s320/AMA_DC_b2bsig.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a>I've started to do some "Throw Back Thursday" (#TBT) type updates of old posts. This is a fun concept from Instagram and Facebook, and I thought I'd try it here.<br />
<br />
This is one of my first blog posts back in 2007. Pretty terrible, no headline, etc.<br />
<br />
Clearly, the impact of social media has changed from those early days.<br />
<br />
...I recently moderated a panel discussion at a <a href="http://amadc.org/index.aspx">AMA-DC</a> event in downtown DC entitled "Government Marketing in an Age of Social Media". The panelists (Jay McCargo, Toni Lee Rudnicki and Mark Root) were in general agreement that there has been minimal impact of "social media" among government marketers. However, all three agreed that web 2.0 marketing techniques will become more acceptable in time among the government contracting community.<br />
<br />
This article in GCN backs this theory up: <a href="https://gcn.com/articles/2007/03/18/web-20-second-verse--different-than-the-first.aspx">Web 2.0: Second verse, different than the first</a>Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-57423030905754555762018-05-16T08:47:00.000-05:002018-05-16T08:47:16.612-05:00Spring has Sprung...Finally.After the winter we have had, I'm heading outside to rebuild my Vitamin D stores.In the meantime, here are this month's five must-read marketing articles:<br /><ul>
<li><a href="http://andrewchen.co/the-law-of-shitty-clickthroughs/">The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs</a>, Andrew Chen</li>
<li><a href="https://ofdollarsanddata.com/why-winners-keep-winning-4e7f221f5b84">Why Winners Keep Winning. (hint: cumulative advantage)</a>, Nick Maggiulli</li>
<li><a href="https://www.inc.com/thomas-koulopoulos/this-is-most-valuable-commodity-of-21st-century.html">This Is The Most Valuable Commodity of the 21st Century</a>, Inc.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2018/34751/six-important-points-about-the-state-of-b2b-content-marketing-infographic">Six Important Points About the State of B2B Content Marketing [Infographic]</a>, MarketingProfs</li>
<li><a href="https://stratechery.com/2018/divine-discontent-disruptions-antidote/">Divine Discontent: Disruption’s Antidote [100% Must Read]</a>, Strategery</li>
</ul>
If you have a few marketing priorities that aren't getting enough attention, email me and we'll schedule a quick call to review Honeycomb's capabilities.<div>
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Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-59087292776887890052018-04-19T10:34:00.001-05:002018-04-19T10:34:53.193-05:00Must-Read Marketing Articles for Your Spring Time PleasureApril Showers Mean More Must-Read Marketing Articles!Spring seems to have finally arrived.<br />
<br />Regular baseball games are being played and the NBA playoffs have started.<br /><br />Am I going to pass along some great articles about <a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/" target="_blank">how to make your marketing better, faster and more measurable</a>?<br /><br />You bet I am.<br /><br />Take a few seconds and check out these excellent readings:<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/the-mission/how-winners-really-differentiate-160caa68ed68">How Winners Really Differentiate</a>, Andy Raskin</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.strategyzer.com/posts/2017/12/6/how-to-systematically-reduce-the-risk-uncertainty-of-new-ideas">How To Systematically Reduce The Risk & Uncertainty Of New Ideas</a>, Strategyzer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.adherecreative.com/blog/a-marketing-budget-example-that-covers-all-bases-and-ensures-roi">A Marketing Budget Example that Covers All Bases and Ensures ROI</a>, Adhere</li>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/comments/2zaakq/101_sales_email_templates_you_can_use_today_to/">101 Sales Email Templates You Can Use Today To Close More Deals</a>, Reddit Marketing</li>
<li><a href="https://capx.co/humanitys-remarkable-economic-history/">Humanity’s remarkable economic history</a>, CapX</li>
</ul>
<br />If you have a few marketing priorities that aren't getting enough attention, <a href="mailto:jeff@honeycomb-consulting.com" target="_blank">email me</a> and we'll schedule a quick call to review Honeycomb's capabilities.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-55252135410988809882018-03-20T09:42:00.001-05:002018-03-20T09:42:51.801-05:00March Marketing Madness 2018Got your brackets filled out?<br />
<br />
Should be an entertaining month of basketball with upsets, Cinderellas and, maybe, Virginia <u>not </u>winning it all.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, Honeycomb client Ostrato asked us to create a fun video to celebrate the NCAA Tournament.<br />
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Click the image to watch...<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/E9SS3l_B7e0" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img align="none" height="181" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/3b83f9882fbe60a71c385e450/images/63a8ff41-805c-4bfe-97c2-37410d0d7df1.jpg" style="border: none; display: inline; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; height: 181px; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; text-transform: capitalize; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
After that video production, we helped Ostrato execute a "startup pivot" and rebranded the company as <a href="http://www.parkmycloud.com/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">ParkMyCloud</a>, which has been super successful, leading to high numbers of new clients and a new round of funding.<br />
<br />
While you are watching your favorite teams and updating your brackets, take a few seconds and check out these articles:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/09/23/unilever-cmo-keith-weed-three-things-all-marketers-can-do-to-eliminate-ad-fraud/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Unilever CMO Keith Weed: Three things all marketers can do to eliminate ad fraud</a>, Marketing Week</li>
<li><a href="https://martech.zone/marketing-performance-management-mistakes/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">7 Mistakes You’ll Make in Marketing Performance</a>, MarTech</li>
<li><a href="http://fortune.com/2018/01/02/five-big-business-trends-to-watch-in-2018/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Five Big Business Trends to Watch in 2018</a>, Fortune</li>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/comments/7y0avn/google_tag_manager_checklist_68_ways_to_prepare_a/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Google Tag Manager Checklist – 68 Ways To Prepare A Website</a>, Reddit Marketing</li>
<li><a href="http://andrewchen.co/startups-are-cheaper-to-build-more-expensive-to-grow/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Startups are cheaper to build, but more expensive to grow – here’s why</a>, Andrew Chen</li>
</ol>
If you have a few marketing priorities that aren't getting enough attention, email me and we'll schedule a quick call to review Honeycomb's capabilities.<br />
<br />
<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-67538435765309643352017-11-07T12:03:00.003-05:002017-11-07T12:03:56.027-05:00Fall is my favorite time of year.Football.<br /><br />Lower humidity.<br /><br />Normal, comfortable temperatures.<br /><br />Product launches and new clients.<br /><br /><br />“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”<br /><br />— Albert Camus<br /><br /><br />All good things.<br /><br />So, take a quick break from your busy fall schedule and check out these must-read marketing articles:<br /><ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/evergreen-business-weekly/flywheel-effect-why-positive-feedback-loops-are-a-meta-competitive-advantage-6d0ed55b67c5">Flywheel Effect: Why Positive Feedback Loops are a Meta-Competitive Advantage</a>, Medium</li>
<li><a href="https://conversionxl.com/blog/hardest-things-in-cro/">5 Hardest Things in Conversion Optimization</a>, CXL</li>
<li><a href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/23-free-blogging-tools-will-make-better-blogger/">23 Free Blogging Tools That Will Make You a Better Blogger</a>, Jeff Bullas</li>
<li><a href="https://stratechery.com/2017/ubers-new-ceo/">Uber's New CEO</a>, Ben Thompson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/smart-decisions/">The Ultimate Guide to Making Smart Decisions</a>, Farnham Street</li>
</ul>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-50445928789150813352017-09-13T17:20:00.000-05:002017-09-13T17:20:32.904-05:00Fall of the Wall between Sales and Marketing?The relationship between sales and marketing is fraught with distrust and misunderstanding. Sales people are reluctant to share any information about their sales activity and funnel, while marketers are blindly messaging market segments without direct feedback from sales teams and their prospects.<br />
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This situation may be changing.<br />
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The deployment of powerful cloud based tools to sales teams, like Salesforce, and to marketing teams, like Hubspot, have allowed companies to break down these silos and foster trust and communication.<br />
<br />
The opportunity now is to build a transparent data-based funnel from lead to close to referral and track how, where and when your sales and marketing dollars are working...and not.<br />
<br />
Want to learn more about how Honeycomb works with our clients to build this kind of sales and marketing infrastructure? Email me to learn more.<br />
<br />
What caught my eye in the past month?<br />
<ol>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://buzzsumo.com/blog/write-engaging-b2b-headlines-analysis-10-million-articles-shared-linkedin/" href="http://buzzsumo.com/blog/write-engaging-b2b-headlines-analysis-10-million-articles-shared-linkedin/">How to Write Engaging B2B Headlines: Analysis of 10 Million Articles Shared on LinkedIn</a>, BuzzSumo</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/how-to-write-marketing-blogs/" href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/how-to-write-marketing-blogs/">How to Write Marketing Blogs Your Clients Will Actually Read</a>, Jeff Bullas</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/psychological-principles-converting-website/" href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/psychological-principles-converting-website/">5 Psychological Principles of High Converting Websites</a>, KissMetrics</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/b2b-marketing-budget-planning-tips-for-2017" href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/b2b-marketing-budget-planning-tips-for-2017">B2B marketing budget planning tips</a>, FierceCMO</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/education/edlife/learning-how-to-learn-barbara-oakley.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/education/edlife/learning-how-to-learn-barbara-oakley.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all">Learning to Learn: You, Too, Can Rewire Your Brain</a>, The New York Times</li>
</ol>
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-18796869579987985222017-08-10T09:46:00.001-05:002017-08-10T09:46:24.184-05:00Dog Days of Marketing?This month's Straight to the Point post will be short, as I'm sure most of you want skip over this part and click on links to five awesome marketing articles. <br /><br />What caught my eye in the past month? <div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/evergreen-business-weekly/flywheel-effect-why-positive-feedback-loops-are-a-meta-competitive-advantage-6d0ed55b67c5">Flywheel Effect: Why Positive Feedback Loops are a Meta-Competitive Advantage</a>, Medium </li>
<li><a href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/study-thursdays-are-best-for-email-engagement">Study: Thursdays are best for email engagement</a>, FierceCMO </li>
<li><a href="https://500.co/19-content-marketing-ideas-that-arent-blog-posts/">10 Brilliant Examples of How to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang</a>, Pollock </li>
<li><a href="https://www.nirandfar.com/2012/03/how-to-manufacture-desire.html">Hooks: An Intro on How to Manufacture Desire</a>, Nir and Far </li>
<li><a href="http://ritholtz.com/2014/04/the-daily-routines-of-famous-artists-and-scholars/">The Daily Routines of Famous Artists and Scholars</a>, The Big Picture </li>
</ul>
<br />If you have a question about marketing, the clients we work with, or the services that <a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/">Honeycomb Consulting</a> provides, just <a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me here</a>.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-39216601859119896602017-07-21T09:11:00.000-05:002017-07-21T09:13:32.131-05:00Why Read This Post?For the past 10-15 years, marketing has been undergoing a series of shifting changes in strategy, tactics, feel and tone.<br />
<br />
As you know, the basics of human communication are eternal, but the methods by which we, the professional marketers, reach customers are constantly being tested, improved or discarded.<br />
<br />
Keeping up to speed on the latest techniques is a challenge for all of us. The whole reason I started my newsletter, "Straight to the Point" six plus years ago, was to share the articles I felt were important for my fellow marketers and non-marketing business leaders to read.<br />
<br />
Here are a few that caught my eye this week:<div>
<br /><ol>
<li><a href="http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/best-ways-market-your-business-linkedin-infographic">The Best Ways to Market Your Business on LinkedIn [Infographic]</a>, Social Media Today </li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwrapped.com/cognitive-bias-survival-guide">Cognitive Bias Survival Guide: Manage the Mind to Make Better Decisions</a>, Geek Wrapped </li>
<li><a href="https://500.co/19-content-marketing-ideas-that-arent-blog-posts/">10 Brilliant Examples of How to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang</a>, Pollock </li>
<li><a href="http://marketingland.com/identifying-top-analytics-talent-competitive-environment-219845">Identifying top analytics talent in a competitive environment</a>, Marketing Land </li>
<li><a href="http://www.gregoryciotti.com/books-on-writing/">Words on Words: Books That Will Improve Your Writing</a>, Gregory Ciotti </li>
</ol>
<br />If you have a question about marketing, the clients we work with, or the services that Honeycomb provides, just email me at <a href="mailto:jeff@honeycomb-consulting.com">jeff@honeycomb-consulting.com</a>.</div>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-64040179351652638972017-06-12T17:06:00.000-05:002017-07-21T09:14:53.455-05:00New Honeycomb Website!As last, we finally updated and refreshed <a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/" target="_blank">the Honeycomb Consulting website</a>. Please take a look and share your thoughts and feedback. Greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
My first <a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/" target="_blank">marketing</a> projects back in the 1990s were hand coding and designing websites. The technologies available today make that process much easier, quicker and cheaper.<br />
<br />
Here are a few client websites we've worked on over the last few years, in various capacities:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>RedSeal- <a href="https://redseal.net/">https://redseal.net</a> </li>
<li>ParkMyCloud- <a href="http://www.parkmycloud.com/">http://www.parkmycloud.com</a>/ </li>
<li>Scarab- <a href="http://www.wearscarab.com/">http://www.wearscarab.com/</a> </li>
<li>Priveo- <a href="http://www.priveo.me/">http://www.priveo.me</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
After checking out the new corporate site (<a href="http://www.honeycomb-consulting.com/">www.honeycomb-consulting.com</a>), spend a few minutes perusing these must read articles:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34006/15-examples-of-brilliant-homepage-design.aspx#sm.000002vhl2t65kfj7s38jeuty0lu0">20 of the Best Website Homepage Design Examples</a>, HubSpot </li>
<li><a href="http://www.michaeldpollock.com/open-your-blog-post/">10 Brilliant Examples of How to Open Your Next Blog Post With a Bang</a>, Michael Pollack </li>
<li><a href="https://martechtoday.com/cmo-audit-series-part-3-media-channels-not-think-199249">CMO audit series, Part 3: Media channels (it’s not what you think)</a>, MarTech Today </li>
<li><a href="https://blog.cometlabs.io/263-self-driving-car-startups-to-watch-8a9976dc62b0">263 Self-Driving Car Startups to Watch</a>, Comet Labs </li>
<li><a href="http://www.michaelnielsen.org/ddi/how-the-bitcoin-protocol-actually-works/">How the Bitcoin protocol actually works</a>, DDI</li>
</ol>
<br />
Drop me a line if you want to hear about our latest marketing projects or discuss your upcoming marketing priorities in the second half of the year.Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-90372242021849601322017-05-11T10:52:00.000-05:002017-05-11T10:59:27.228-05:00Spring Has Sprung...FinallySometimes it is hard to concentrate when the sun stays out longer and weather gets warmer. <br />
<br />
Take a few minutes and check out these must read articles:<br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-mothers-day-ads" style="color: #3671c3;">7 of the Best Mother's Day Ads We've Ever Seen</a>, HubSpot</li>
<li><a href="https://stratechery.com/2017/intel-mobileye-and-smiling-curves/" style="color: #3671c3;">Intel, Mobileye, and Smiling Curves</a>, Stratechery</li>
<li><a href="https://martechtoday.com/7-steps-help-prepare-marketing-cloudemail-service-provider-transition-198165" style="color: #3671c3;">7 steps to help you prepare for a marketing cloud/email service provider transition</a>, MarTech Today</li>
<li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2014/12/30/5-less-obvious-content-marketing-predictions-for-2015/" style="color: #3671c3;">This Sales Plan Moves the Needle on Every Success Metric</a>, First Round Review</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/01/what-makes-things-cool/508772/?mc_cid=195eeb544c&mc_eid=7d5d2aafe6" style="color: #3671c3;">The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything</a>, The Atlantic</li>
</ol>
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-28774418707225622722017-04-25T10:10:00.001-05:002017-04-25T10:10:57.385-05:00April Showers Mean More Must-Read Marketing Articles<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Spring seems to have finally arrived.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Regular baseball games are being played and the NBA playoffs have started.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Am I going to pass along some great articles about how to make your marketing better, faster and more measurable?</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">You bet I am.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Take a few seconds and check out these excellent readings:</span><br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><a href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/68-consumers-prefer-brands-to-communicate-via-email" style="color: #3671c3;">68% of consumers prefer brands to communicate via email</a>, Fierce CMO</li>
<li><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/07/how-google-analytics-ruined-marketing/" style="color: #3671c3;">How Google Analytics ruined marketing</a>, Tech Crunch</li>
<li><a href="https://500.co/19-content-marketing-ideas-that-arent-blog-posts/" style="color: #3671c3;">19 content marketing ideas that aren’t blog posts</a>, 500 Startups</li>
<li><a href="http://firstround.com/review/pivot-survival-tactics-from-kabams-3-near-death-triumphs/" style="color: #3671c3;">Pivot Survival Tactics from Kabam's 3 Near-Death Triumphs</a>, First Round Review</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gregoryciotti.com/books-on-writing/" style="color: #3671c3;">Words on Words: Books That Will Improve Your Writing</a>, Gregory Ciotti</li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you have a question about marketing, the clients we work with, or the services that Honeycomb provides, <a href="mailto:jeff@honeycomb-consulting.com" target="_blank">just send me an email.</a></span>Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-74788120206719165682017-03-16T08:30:00.000-05:002017-03-16T08:30:07.202-05:00March Marketing Madness- Got your brackets filled out?Got your brackets filled out?<br />
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Should be an entertaining month of basketball with upsets, Cinderellas and, maybe, Villanova winning it all.<br />
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A few years ago, Honeycomb client <a href="http://www.ostrato.com/" target="_blank">Ostrato</a> just put out a fun video to celebrate the NCAA Tournament. Click the image to watch...<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/E9SS3l_B7e0" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img align="none" height="181" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/3b83f9882fbe60a71c385e450/images/63a8ff41-805c-4bfe-97c2-37410d0d7df1.jpg" style="border: none; display: inline; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; height: 181px; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; text-transform: capitalize; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a><br />
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After that video production, we helped Ostrato execute a "startup pivot" and rebranded the company as <a href="http://www.parkmycloud.com/" target="_blank">ParkMyCloud</a>, which has been super successful, leading to high numbers of new clients and a new round of funding.<br />
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In fact, ParkMyCloud is a finalist for DC Inno's DC Tech Madness bracket style startup competition. <a href="http://dcinno.streetwise.co/all-series/dc-inno-tech-madness-bracket-voting-2017/" target="_blank">You can vote for them here and check out all of the other successful DC startups</a>.<br />
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While your watching your favorite teams and updating your brackets, take a few seconds and check out these articles:
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://firstround.com/review/the-most-surefire-way-ive-found-to-win-enterprise-deals/">The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything</a>, The Atlantic (Good background on “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/7-email-marketing-predictions-for-2017/">7 Email Marketing Predictions for 2017</a>, Campaign Monitor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-predictions-for-2017/">5 Content Marketing Predictions for 2017</a>, Convince and Convert</li>
<li><a href="https://optinmonster.com/the-best-time-to-send-emails-heres-what-studies-show/">The Best Time to Send Emails (Here’s What Studies Show)</a>, Optin Monster</li>
<li><a href="https://inc42.com/resources/40-things-every-startup-scale/">40 Things Every Startup Should Do To Scale Up</a>, Inc42</li>
</ol>
<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-89187886554575450642017-02-23T15:08:00.003-05:002017-02-23T15:08:37.907-05:00Is February The Worst Month?Cold (-ish).<br />
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Dreary.<br />
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No football.<br />
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February isn't my favorite time of year.<br />
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But that doesn't mean I'm not reviewing the new marketing related content and passing along a few posts I like.<br />
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Take a couple of minutes and check out:
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<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/comments/2zaakq/101_sales_email_templates_you_can_use_today_to/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">12 Best Practices For Writing Website Copy That Actually Converts</a>, Reddit Marketing</li>
<li><a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-predictions-for-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">5 Content Marketing Predictions for 2017</a>, Covince and Convert</li>
<li><a href="http://firstround.com/review/the-most-surefire-way-ive-found-to-win-enterprise-deals/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">The Most Surefire Way I’ve Found to Win Enterprise Deals</a>, First Round Review</li>
<li><a href="https://optinmonster.com/the-best-time-to-send-emails-heres-what-studies-show/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">The Best Time to Send Emails (Here’s What Studies Show)</a>, Optin Monster</li>
<li><a href="http://marketingland.com/5-tips-sending-email-blast-without-getting-blacklisted-206827" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">5 tips for sending an email blast without getting blacklisted, Marketing Land</a></li>
</ol>
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-71206787862951842702016-12-15T12:32:00.003-05:002016-12-15T12:32:54.670-05:00Happy Holidays!Getting closer and closer to 2017, and everyone starts to think about the year ahead.<br />
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Most of Honeycomb's clients have been planning and budgeting for months.<br />
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As far marketing predictions go, mine is easy: the more context there is, the higher the ROI.<br />
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The effectiveness of a generally oriented blog post or email is not-so-slowly dying. Being as relevant as possible to a prospect's, or customer's, current situation, even psychology, is becoming more and more important.
Tracking opens and clicks are important, but measuring daily or weekly active users to ensure consistent engagement until conversion. Instead of just bringing you to this blog post, we should optimize it so that you engage, subscribe, share, and keep opening it up.<br />
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In the meantime, grab a cup of hot coffee and check out these must-read 2017 marketing predictions from other marketing experts:<br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.chiefmarketer.com/6-marketing-trends-for-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">6 Marketing Trends for 2017</a>, Chief Marketer</li>
<li><a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-predictions-for-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">5 Content Marketing Predictions for 2017</a>, Convince and Convert</li>
<li><a href="http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/dec/12/2017-marketing-predictions-you-wont-have-read-elsewhere/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">2017 Marketing Predictions You Won't Have Read Elsewhere</a>, Marketing Tech News</li>
<li><a href="http://www.chiefmarketer.com/6-marketing-trends-for-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">6 Marketing Trends for 2017</a>, Chief Marketer</li>
<li><a href="http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/12/content-marketing-predictions-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">60+ Content Marketing Predictions for a Successful 2017 [E-Book]</a>, Content Marketing Institute</li>
<li><a href="https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/7-email-marketing-predictions-for-2017/" style="color: #3671c3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">7 Email Marketing Predictions for 2017</a>, Campaign Monitor</li>
</ol>
Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-41693374773600672512016-11-17T07:00:00.000-05:002016-11-17T07:00:21.250-05:00November Marketing LinksHeading into the last 45 days of the year, I'm starting to see more and more prediction articles for marketing in 2017.<br />
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While they are all important to read and take note of, let's not forget how many election day predictions we read...and we know how accurate they turned out.</div>
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Maybe next month I'll pass along a few predictions of my own.</div>
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As per usual, take a quick break from your busy fall schedule and check out these must-read marketing articles:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/importance-emotional-mapping-b2b-marketing">The importance of emotional mapping in B2B marketing</a>, Fierce CMO</li>
<li><a href="http://mktg.actonsoftware.com/acton/attachment/248/f-1e92/1/-/-/-/-/Act-On%20Inbound%20Marketing%20Benchmark%20Report%202016%20Final%20%282%29.pdf?sid=NYNguNh5e">Inbound Marketing Effectiveness Report</a>, Act-On</li>
<li><a href="http://startupmanagement.org/2015/11/22/maximizing-user-adoption-by-understanding-behavioral-economics-for-startups/">Maximizing User Adoption by Understanding Behavioral Economics for Startups</a>, Startup Management</li>
<li><a href="https://davidcummings.org/2016/07/23/27-saas-products-for-the-marketing-department/">27 SaaS Products for the Marketing Department</a>, David Cummings</li>
<li><a href="http://ritholtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1-71TzKnr7bzXU_l_pU6DCNA.jpeg">Infographic: Cognitive Bias Codex (How many biases do you have?)</a>, Ritholtz</li>
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6017495.post-63278382596612576132016-10-04T16:17:00.003-05:002016-10-04T16:17:52.300-05:00...And FallFall in DC is my favorite time of year.<br />
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Football.<br />
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Lower humidity.<br />
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Normal, comfortable temperatures.<br />
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Product launches and new clients.<br />
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“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus<br />
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All good things. Take a quick break from your busy fall schedule and check out these articles:<br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/strategy-tactics/poll-executive-responsibility-for-content-marketing-strategy-growing">Poll: Executive responsibility for content marketing strategy growing</a>, Fierce CMO</li>
<li><a href="http://sixteenventures.com/invite-hacks">5 Growth Hacks to Supercharge your Invite or Referral System</a>, SaaS Growth Strategies</li>
<li><a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Execs-Create-Thought-Leadership-Content-Stand/">Execs Create Thought Leadership Content to Stand Out</a>, eMarketer</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fiercecmo.com/data-analytics/study-customer-network-effects-can-improve-b2b-data-accuracy-to-over-95?">Study: Customer network effects can improve B2B data accuracy to over 95%</a>, Fierce CMO</li>
<li><a href="http://ritholtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1-71TzKnr7bzXU_l_pU6DCNA.jpeg">Infographic: Cognitive Bias Codex</a>, Ritholtz</li>
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<br />Straight to the Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486250341588362997noreply@blogger.com0