How Your Company DNA Can Differentiate Your Brand & Business
Branding Strategy, branding strategy, Creative, Marketing Strategy Branding Strategy, branding strategy, Creative, Marketing Strategy

How Your Company DNA Can Differentiate Your Brand & Business

DNA analysis is all the rage as people seek to learn more about who they are and where they came from. Businesses have a form of DNA, too: The passion that led the founders to create the business, the dream that became a reality, the seed that blossomed into a thriving enterprise. Understanding your company’s DNA and telling this story in marketing can be a powerful way to differentiate your business and brand. Here’s how and why to use your company’s DNA in a smart marketing strategy.

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7 Ways to Use Your Value Proposition in a Marketing Strategy
B2B Marketing, branding strategy, Content Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, branding strategy, Content Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

7 Ways to Use Your Value Proposition in a Marketing Strategy

Understanding and articulating the unique value your organization delivers to your customers – your value proposition – is crucial for smart marketing. Here are seven ways to use the value proposition insights gleaned from customer interviews in a smart marketing strategy.

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10 Ways to Promote Premium Content in Your Marketing Strategy
B2B Marketing, Blog, Content Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites B2B Marketing, Blog, Content Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites

10 Ways to Promote Premium Content in Your Marketing Strategy

Publishing premium content is a powerful tool for B2B lead generation. Here's how to promote premium content in a smart marketing strategy in part 3 of our 3-part guide to creating and using premium content for marketing.

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Why it’s Smart to Audit Your Marketing–Even If Sales are Up
B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites

Why it’s Smart to Audit Your Marketing–Even If Sales are Up

Even if sales are up, critical marketing issues could be lurking behind the scenes that are limiting your company's success – or threatening your future. A marketing audit can help you find out. Here’s why auditing your marketing – when times are bad or good – can be so important to a smart marketing strategy.

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7 Ways Your Best Customers Can Help You Market Your Business
B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

7 Ways Your Best Customers Can Help You Market Your Business

Loyal customers are essential to a successful business. But in addition to helping you reach your sales goals, your best customers can also play a powerful role in a smart marketing strategy. Here are seven ways to capitalize on the value of your best customers in marketing.

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7 Ways to Avoid Overcommitting with Marketing
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Websites

7 Ways to Avoid Overcommitting with Marketing

Even if you have the budget to execute marketing projects and a marketing agency standing by to help, there’s another factor that can impact your success: Your internal marketing bandwidth. Someone on your team has to make all that marketing happen -- and it's easy to get in over your head. Here’s how to prevent this problem in your smart marketing strategy.

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When Bad Data Happens to Good Direct Mail
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

When Bad Data Happens to Good Direct Mail

Customer and prospect data drives direct mail marketing. Data that’s outdated, inaccurate, or poorly processed can turn a good direct mail campaign into a wasted opportunity. Here are two examples of excellent mailings that failed because smart marketers that are usually highly skilled users of the channel relied on the wrong data.

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How to Create a “Drip” Direct Marketing Campaign
B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

How to Create a “Drip” Direct Marketing Campaign

"Drip" direct marketing can be a smart marketing strategy for business-to-business (B2B) marketers. Here’s why drip marketing works and how to create a drip direct marketing campaign, from Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant and strategist Jean Gianfagna.

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6 Reasons You Still Need Print in a Smart Marketing Strategy
B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

6 Reasons You Still Need Print in a Smart Marketing Strategy

Do marketers still need printed promotional materials in a tech-driven world? The answer is yes. Here are six reasons why print still packs a punch in a smart marketing strategy.

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7 Reasons Why You (Still) Need a Blog for B2B Marketing
B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites

7 Reasons Why You (Still) Need a Blog for B2B Marketing

Here are seven reasons why you still need a blog in a smart B2B marketing strategy, plus a compelling B2B blogging success story shared by Rick Short of Indium Corporation at Content Marketing World 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. #CMWorld

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5 New Rules and 5 Proven Principles for Marketing Success
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media

5 New Rules and 5 Proven Principles for Marketing Success

In this new, technology-driven world of marketing, do the proven principles of marketing strategy still apply? Or are there new rules for marketing success? Here are five new marketing rules created by the enormous impact of technology plus five time-tested marketing principles -- and the reasons to consider both in a smart marketing strategy.

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Why It’s a Mistake to Take a Break from Blogging
B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Social Media, Websites B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Social Media, Websites

Why It’s a Mistake to Take a Break from Blogging

If content marketing is part of your smart marketing strategy, consistent blogging is essential. In fact, letting your blog lapse can be a big marketing mistake. How do I know? I just did it. Here’s why a break in blogging can be bad for your business – and five ways to get your blog back on track.

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Is that Super Bowl Ad a Smart Marketing Strategy?
Advertising, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Advertising, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

Is that Super Bowl Ad a Smart Marketing Strategy?

The Super Bowl is marketing nirvana for advertisers. Not only is it the most-viewed TV program of the year, but viewers are almost as interested in the ads as the game. But how do you know if a Super Bowl ad will be a winner -- and a smart marketing strategy? Here's my annual guide for how to evaluate the marketing effectiveness of Super Bowl advertising.

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7 Reasons Banks Fail at B2B Direct Marketing
B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

7 Reasons Banks Fail at B2B Direct Marketing

Banks are spending big money marketing products and services to small businesses via direct mail. Most of these direct marketing campaigns are terrible. Here are seven reasons why so many banks fail at B2B direct marketing and some lessons for your smart marketing strategy.

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Targeted Marketing Gone Wrong: No, I Didn’t Just Have a Baby
Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations

Targeted Marketing Gone Wrong: No, I Didn’t Just Have a Baby

Shutterfly.com made a big mistake with an email campaign. It's a classic reminder of the most fundamental rule of effective direct marketing: It’s all about the list. Here are some tips from Shutterfly’s example for your smart marketing strategy.

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B2B Marketing Strategy: 7 Ways to Sell to Influencers
B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

B2B Marketing Strategy: 7 Ways to Sell to Influencers

One of the trickiest aspects of business-to-business marketing is selling to influencers – people who are not end-users of a product or service but whose opinions influence the purchasing decision. Here are seven tips for marketing and selling to influencers in a smart B2B marketing strategy.

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6 Reasons to Use Your Own Name in Your Company’s Branding
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

6 Reasons to Use Your Own Name in Your Company’s Branding

Building your company’s brand around your name can be a smart marketing strategy, especially for professional services companies. Here are six reasons why it’s smart to name your company after yourself, three ways it can be problematic, and some tips for branding success.

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