Can February March? No, but April May.

I'm not usually a fan of puns, but this one slipped into this month's newsletter anyway. For you pun-tastic people out there: you are welcome.

For the rest of us, hear are this month's five must-read marketing articles:

1. Create More Value With Marketing, And Less Frustration, Sales Benchmark Index
2. F8 Update: 10 New Facebook Features Every Marketer Must Know , Buffer
3. Survey: HubSpot is top automation solution in satisfaction, market presence, Fierce CMO
4. 50 Split Testing Ideas (You Can Run Today!) Neil Patel
5. The Platform You Never Planned For, Platform Strategy

Want to learn more about Honeycomb and how we are helping our clients address their strategic and tactical marketing priorities? Feel free to call us anytime.

Spring Reading

I am procrastinating on my annual bout of spring cleaning. It's only March, I know. But I feel like I'm already ready for May! How about you?

While you are daydreaming about summer, take a few minutes and read these five must-read marketing articles:

1. 16 Copywriting Mistakes You’re Probably Making (and How to Fix Them), Shanelle Mullin
2. Report: More than half of app users bail within 30 days of download, Fierce CMO
3. What's hot in B2B website design, Patrick Goreman
4. 50 Split Testing Ideas (You Can Run Today!) Neil Patel
5. What’s Next? 8 Trends I’m Excited About, Medium

Want to learn more about Honeycomb and how we are helping our clients address their strategic and tactical marketing priorities? Feel free to call me anytime.

Technology-enabled Blitzscaling

I came across a series of notes taken by Chris McCann on Medium about a class at Stanford he is taking called Technology-enabled Blitzscaling, by Reid Hoffman, John Lilly, Chris Yeh, and Allen Blue.

This is literally a masters class in technology company marketing and operations.

I highly recommend everyone read every class in the whole course.

 Here is a video of the class.

 

How Do Enterprise Buyers Research New Software?

Marketers often have a hard time explaining the value of content marketing. I hear sales focused teams ask "why do we have to write all of this stuff?"

Well, one of the many, many reasons is that prospects evaluate various sources when making a buying decision. Everyone starts with a google search and gets deeper from there.

Your company needs to be creating or influencing the creation of as much content in the chart below.

Source: How Do Enterprise Buyers Research New Software?

Is your email marketing as successful as you would like?

Is your email marketing as successful as you would like? Probably not, eh? We all know that great content and constant testing are keys to success, but what does that really mean?

This interview with noted author Jonah Berger offers some suggestions. Read here: Jonah Berger's 6 STEPPS for Success Applied to Email Marketing

So what are the six steps?

1. Social Currency 
2. Triggers 
3. Emotion 
4. Public 
5. Practical Value 
6. Stories

Why marketing isn't marketing anymore

Good read. Basically, strip out bias by focusing on product and sales.

Why marketing isn't marketing anymore

Honeycomb Consulting is Two Years Old!

Honeycomb Consulting is Two Years Old!

Two years ago this month I went online to incorporate a new enterprise called Honeycomb Consulting. I had high hopes that I would be able to bring value to a range of clients, but I remembered the statistics that most companies fail within a year or two.

There are always shifting fortunes during the run of any business, but I can look back over the past 24 months and see that I've been blessed to work with some great companies on interesting projects...

Some highlights...

- Working with a mobile video app company, Priveo (www.priveo.me), supporting their initial product launch with a new website, videos, lead generation and PR outreach

- Built a public relations campaign for wireless innovator Solid (www.solid.com), resulting in increased trade and analyst coverage (NY Times, Tech Crunch, InformationWeek, RCR Wireless)

- Developed an event based thought leadership campaign with client Lyceum (www.lyceum.com), a payroll and HR systems provider, based on the issues facing small businesses as they attempt to comply with the regulations stemming from the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

- Constructed content marketing program for travel risk management company, iJET (www.ijet.com), that included graphic design, collateral development, and public relations outreach

- Helped systems management company LANDesk (www.landesk.com) develop their social media program and worked with them booking third party experts, including press and analysts, to be interviewed on their blog.

A big thank you to everyone who put their faith in Honeycomb!

If you would like to receive a detailed presentation about these engagements, just let me know and we'll schedule a time to chat.

Or, if you like to learn more about Honeycomb, have a chat about your marketing needs, visit our website, send me an email or just call me at 202-497-8333