Back in the early days of the social web, the leading “gurus” were actively anti-business. They made fun of measurement, strategy, objectives and any hint of trying to monetize a social media effort. Engagement is not a strategy. strategy is a direction that ideally capitalizes on a unique value proposition that serves un-met or under-served customer wants and needs. would not invest in a company that is driving engagement as a goal without tying it to some business objective that moves the needle. Engagement, It’s all about the conversation.” MORE >>

The importance of strategy is woven into the fabric of every consultation and class I teach.  In a fast-changing competitive marketplace, sometimes not locking into a strategy is the best strategy. One of the most costly mistakes you can make in business is brilliantly executing an obsolete strategy. My consulting business shifted dramatically from multi-million dollar companies to multi-billion dollar companies.  Do I want to grow the speaking side of the business?  Is there even such a thing as a long-term strategy any more? MORE >>

Planning season is well underway and I think it is never to early to look at the B2B Marketing 2012 year in review and start to make some predictions for Marketing and Social Businesses in 2013. I’ve written this in the form of a manifesto – a written declaration of what I believe needs to happen to allow marketing to play a role in the future of business. And so now there is a social business imperative. Marketers Will Content Strategy Save Marketing? Strategy Social BusinessAnd finally, I will make some marketing predictions for 2013. MORE >>

It’s no different for businesses that have to respond to constant changes in the market with bold, decisive action. But, in many cases, a business might find it’s better to reverse a strategic decision. Here are 6 examples of business strategy reversals made over the years. Call it a business strategy reversal in slow motion. In many cases, doing a 180 in your business strategy is the best option. What are the big business strategy flip flops you’ve seen? And there are times we wish we had gone in the opposite direction. MORE >>

After working as a marketing consultant for more than a decade, I know how exhilarating it is when a client really executes well on a strategy. Here are the common elements that make the difference between a strategy document gathering dust on a shelf or becoming a dynamic business driver: 1) Active executive sponsorship. was recently brought in to do a social media strategy workshop with a big health care company. ” When I hear that question, I know my client is not ready to commit to the organizational change needed to make a social media strategy work. MORE >>