Behind every great marketing success story is a great business — an organization with such a strong foundation that the marketing (almost) comes easy. Here are five fundamentals of a successful business that are essential for a smart marketing strategy, based on my experience as a marketing consultant....
View MoreWhen business is good and sales are going well, it’s easy to get complacent about marketing. After all, if it ain’t broke, do you really need to fix it? Yes, you do. Complacency in marketing can be a costly mistake. Markets, competitors, and channels change fast. If you’re not keeping pace, you can fall a step behind. Sooner or later, your bottom line will show it. Here are 10 signs it’s time to give your marketing strategy a jolt: Looking dowdy at the tradeshow: Tradeshows are like a marketing face-off with your...
View MoreMember acquisition is a constant challenge and a top priority for most trade associations. Who do you target? How do you reach prospective members? And how do you convince them to join your organization? Here’s how the American Advertising Federation-Cleveland (AAF-CLE) developed a successful membership marketing strategy and campaign that exceeded its goals and laid the foundation for future member acquisition....
View MoreHow the Wall Street Journal lost a 20+-year customer through poor service and impersonal customer relations plus seven tips about customer retention during service disruptions for your smart marketing strategy....
View MoreHow to be a smarter marketer:11 more timeless tips for creating smart marketing strategies from Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant Jean Gianfagna -- part 2 of a 2-part post...
View MoreHow to be a smarter marketer: 21 timeless tips from 21 years of experience in developing marketing strategies and campaigns, from a Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant - part 1 of a 2-part post....
View More"Football on Your Phone," the hilarious hip-hop spoof featuring the Manning brothers rapping for DirecTV, is a viral sensation. It’s also very smart marketing. Here’s why “Football on Your Phone” broke through in a crowded media marketplace and what makes this ad a smart marketing strategy....
View MoreDirect mail is a powerful tool in a B2B marketing strategy. Here are 12 lessons for using direct mail effectively in B2B marketing from a campaign by 4imprint, a Wisconsin ad specialties marketer....
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Remember when “cookies” on websites were controversial? People used to be uncomfortable having cookies track their activities on the web. But cookies are nothing compared to the tracking technology available to marketers today. Sophisticated tools enable marketers to follow your every move online and even in real life in a retail store. Having such in-depth customer knowledge and the ability to pinpoint prospects so precisely is a marketer’s dream – but some of the latest technology makes me wonder if we’re on the verge of going too far. Here are some thoughts on the...
View MoreBlogging is a great way to share your expertise and position your organization as a thought leader in your industry. Blogging offers particular value for business-to-business marketers like me who sell professional services. How can you get better results from your B2B blog? Here are five tips I discovered when analyzing my blog traffic. Traffic Tells a Story – and Offers Valuable Insights I started my Smart Marketing Strategy blog almost four years ago to promote my Cleveland marketing consulting firm. Blogging has produced great results for my business: Establishing my credibility as...
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