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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Sales Pitch Fails: 7 Errors to Avoid in Your Next Presentation
B2B Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

Sales Pitch Fails: 7 Errors to Avoid in Your Next Presentation

You’re about to make a sales presentation to a prospective customer. You have the right experience, the right products and services, and competitive pricing. You’re an ideal fit for the customer’s needs. This should be a winning sales formula. But too often, it isn’t, because vendors make dumb mistakes during presentations that cost them the business. Here are seven things NOT to do when making a sales pitch to a prospect.

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B2B Marketing Strategy: 10 Goals that Belong in Every Plan
B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media

B2B Marketing Strategy: 10 Goals that Belong in Every Plan

The most important step in developing a business-to-business marketing strategy is the first one: Setting your goals. Why are you investing in marketing? What do you want that investment to achieve for your business? For B2B marketers, the answer to these questions can be surprisingly straightforward. In fact, in my experience as a B2B marketing consultant, there are 10 critical goals that apply to almost every B2B marketing strategy, whether you’re selling manufactured products, professional services, or commodities. Here are the 10 goals that belong in a smart B2B marketing strategy and why they matter:

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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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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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10 Bad Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

10 Bad Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year

Even the best marketers can find themselves stuck in bad habits – harmful behaviors that limit the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and waste valuable marketing resources.Like breaking any bad habit, the New Year is a good time to make a fresh start. Here are 10 ways you could be hurting your marketing and recommendations for a better approach from a Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant.

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B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites

7 Smart Reasons to Use Catalogs in B2B Product Marketing

Before the web, marketers of business products relied on direct mail catalogs as their primary selling tools. But now everyone shops online. In a web-based world, do B2B product marketers still need print catalogs? Yes: Here are seven reasons why print catalogs continue to play an essential role in a smart marketing strategy for marketers of business products.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Websites

Association Membership Marketing: 12 Steps for Success

Member 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.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

11 More Timeless Tips for Smart Marketing

How 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

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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

Big Ideas in a Blue Box: A B2B Direct Marketer Gets It Right

Direct 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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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

Should You Hire that Marketing Agency? 7 Questions to Ask

Choosing a marketing agency to help you develop and execute a smart marketing strategy is a critical decision for your business. But how do you know if a new agency is right for you? And how can you avoid making a mistake? Here’s some advice for advertisers about evaluating agencies, from my experience on the agency side and as a former client.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

More than Swag: Why Branded Premiums are Smart Marketing

Branded premiums and promotional products can be an extremely effective tactic in a smart marketing strategy, especially for business-to-business (B2B) marketers. Here’s why you should be using branded premiums and seven tips for selecting a premium for your business.

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B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Strategy

7 Tips for Creating a Powerful Tagline for Your Brand

A brand identity is an organization’s public face. The visual representation of a brand – the logo – is often paired with a short marketing tagline that positions and differentiates the brand in the marketplace.The tagline’s role in branding is straightforward: Communicate the company’s most important advantage, benefit, or point of distinction in a few compelling words.But it’s harder than it looks – and most marketers fail.In part two of this two-part post, here’s advice for creating a powerful positioning tagline for your brand in a smart marketing strategy.

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