Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 18, 2017

In the hands of people lacking those communications skills, desktop publishers generated materials that, at best, were ineffective, and often hurt their company’s brand reputation and sales efforts. The error of many desktop publishers?

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Sales Qualified Leads Marketing Automation High Quality Lead 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MAY 7, 2015

Even if your fund generates piles of press clippings, however, there are too many distractions within print, broadcast, and digital media channels to ensure that target audiences will ever notice, or be influenced by, any of those mentions. Plan Media Solicitations Last: Most media exposure is pursued in a haphazard, opportunistic manner.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management Broadcasting Press Linkedin 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 31, 2018

Inappropriate Follow-up: These companies will send the firm’s standard “package” of sales and marketing materials, and then plug prospects into a mailing list to receive whatever information the marketing department generates…regardless of its relevance to a prospect’s specific needs.

Work Management 100

Work Management Marketing Management Marketing Automation Services CRM 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JUNE 5, 2016

For generations, human interaction served as the primary validation process in decision-making. But limiting your marketing strategy to this finite group is short-sighted at best, and represents a lost opportunity to establish awareness and generate interest among an unlimited universe of prospective customers.

Validation 100

Validation Ideal Customer Profiles Thought Leadership Network Marketing 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JUNE 11, 2015

The classic complaints against marketing sound like this: “We’ve attended the XYZ conference for 3 years, and it hasn’t generated any new clients.” Some tactics can be measured in terms of direct business outcomes, such as lead generation.

Planning 100

Planning Trade Show Paper Marketing & Strategy 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 29, 2017

All of the hours devoted to blogging, at some of the nation’s largest and smartest companies, does not appear to be time well spent…if the goal of a blog and other forms of content marketing is to generate new business. You don’t blog consistently.

Ideal Customer Profiles 100

Ideal Customer Profiles Opinions Linkedin ROI 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 16, 2013

On its own, publication of the article was unlikely to generate any viable, near-term new business prospects. Instead of generating marketing activity for its own sake, this B2B firm effectively applied specific marketing tactics to yield a predetermined business outcome.

Tactics 100

Tactics B2B Marketing CPA Cost per Acquisition 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 11, 2019

Nearly 5 years ago, I wrote a LinkedIn blog post ( The PR Industry’s Dirty Little Secret ) that called out PR practitioners who use their “close relationships” with journalists – along with the implication that those relationships will generate media coverage – to sell their services to prospective clients.

PR 100

PR Linkedin Media Contacts 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 4, 2017

I’m the 7th generation of bagpipe makers in me clan, and I make the best pipes in Scotland. But I can see that I’ve disturbed you and I apologize for wasting your time. So good day.”. As I turned toward the door, his said, “Hold on, young man.” His voice softened a bit and he took a step toward me.

Generation 100

Generation Marketing & Strategy Paper High Quality Lead 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 5, 2020

Acid Test: What’s the frequency and quality of content generation, as well as the number of direct and indirect “touches” with target audiences?). ( Acid Test: How much digging is required to gain a basic understanding of your value proposition? ).

RFP 165

RFP Thought Leadership Opinions Validation 165

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 30, 2013

Its source notwithstanding, the axiom applies perfectly to the great number of companies that retain PR firms, year after year, to generate publicity that will have little or no impact on tangible business outcomes. Publicity generates revenue. The more publicity, the better.

PR 100

PR Advertorials Merchandising Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 20, 2017

For well understood reasons, the “legitimate press” now has neither the manpower nor the time to dig deeply for validation of market research that supports content generated by organizations.

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency High Quality Lead Content Press 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

Clearly, all of the hours devoted to blogging, at some of the nation’s largest and smartest law firms, does not appear to be time well spent…if the goal of a blog and other forms of content marketing is to generate new business. You don’t blog consistently. Your blog content is not optimized.

Ideal Customer Profiles 100

Ideal Customer Profiles Work Management Case Studies Marketing Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 13, 2021

Over the course of my career – as an in-house staff member, and as a PR flack for hire – I’ve received several permanent scars, while attempting to generate positive coverage, and while defending against negative reporting. An insensitive comment on camera can spark a customer boycott.

Media 147

Media PR Press Advertising Agencies 147

Marketing Craftmanship

JULY 8, 2019

Generate content that validates your company’s intellectual capital, that’s easy to read, and focuses on timely topics that people have a genuine interest in. If your firm’s thought leadership simply sits on its website or social media, you’re missing the opportunity to build relationships with your target audiences.

Advertising Mediums 100

Advertising Mediums B2B Marketing B2B Thought Leadership Planning 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 16, 2012

Although they may succeed in generating some media exposure over a 6-month or one-year period, many companies eventually drop the tactic altogether. Your goal is to generate media exposure that will yield a credibility tool for your business; telling clients, prospects and referral sources that you are a “safe choice.”

Merchandising 100

Merchandising PR Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 8, 2018

There are certainly many PR firms that help clients to generate earned media coverage based on bona fide thought leadership and subject matter expertise. All of these tactics are intended to suggest that the client is a safe choice, simply because they’ve been mentioned in a respected media source.

SME 100

SME PR Ideal Customer Profiles Thought Leadership 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JULY 1, 2014

Don’t rely on the internet exclusively to generate market attention. Those online channels should be considered a secondary, rather than the primary means, of generating attention and engagement through content. Less can be more, when it comes to B2B content. For B2B firms, direct communication (email, snail mail, face-to-face, etc.)

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing B2B Thought Leadership B2B Marketing Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 29, 2014

By seeking out and exploiting inefficiencies in the marketplace, we hope to generate above average returns for our Fund with reduced risk. Investment firms with the talent and discipline required to generate consistent risk-adjusted returns are entitled to investor interest on that basis.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management Work Management Brand Identity Branding 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MAY 13, 2020

Although most company CEOs or owners would never consider operating without a website — which serves as the modern-day storefront — many of them over the years have confessed to me that they see no tangible connection between their website or social media and tangible business outcomes, such as lead generation, increased sales or new accounts.

Blast Campaigns 130

Blast Campaigns Webinar Metrics Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 130

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

As the limitations of a virtual marketplace continue to reduce most B2B firms to commodities, it’s become increasingly important to communicate not just what your company does, but to generate interest in what your enterprise stands for. Consistency: Is all information kept up-to-date, and relevant to current market conditions?

B2B Thought Leadership 100

B2B Thought Leadership Enterprise Management Brand Identity Branding 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JANUARY 27, 2015

For well understood reasons, the “legitimate press” now has neither the manpower nor the time to dig deeply for validation of market research that supports content generated by organizations.

Research 100

Research Content Marketing Work Management Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Craftmanship

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

The generation of attorneys who still consider any type of “marketing” to be unprofessional is diminishing, concurrent with the increase of “Emeritus” partners listed on law firm websites. This earned media exposure generates an inherent 3rd party endorsement from an objective, credible source.

Marketing Management 26

Marketing Management Planning Sales Cycle Advertising Agencies 26

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 12, 2020

But over the past 25 years, unsolicited pitch letters have served as my firm’s only method of generating new business, other than referrals. Because they require in-depth research, must be well-crafted and cannot be mass produced, very few firms leverage unsolicited pitch letters. They’re the Cinderella of content marketing.

Work Management 130

Work Management Marketing Management Content Marketing Blast Campaigns 130

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 16, 2013

At the risk of generating a firestorm of debate from social marketing gurus armed with clicks, likes, re-tweets and other forms of meaningless ROI validation, and based on the social media casualties we’ve seen or treated first-hand, the following guidelines are suggested for small and medium-sized B2B firms: Focus on Your Website.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Merchandising B2B 100

Marketing Craftmanship

NOVEMBER 9, 2018

The sad truth is that your success is more important to your competitors, and to current and prospective employees than it is to people who generate revenue for the firm. It’s nice to think that clients and prospects really care about your firm’s growth and accomplishments. Blowing your own horn can also backfire.

Newsletter 113

Newsletter Work Management B2B Thought Leadership Marketing Management 113

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 23, 2017

Acid Test: What’s the frequency of content generation, and the number of direct and indirect “touches” with target audiences?). Consistency: Is all information kept up-to-date, and relevant to current market conditions? Does bad news get communicated to your existing stakeholders (including employees) as quickly and openly as good news?

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency Thought Leadership Opinions Validation 100

Marketing Craftmanship

AUGUST 14, 2015

all of which may be more likely to generate distractions and invoices than new accounts or revenue growth. Add all the content you generate to a “Thought Leadership” section of your website, so that it gains broader exposure and longer shelf-life. Make it readable, and skip the complex charts.

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Planning B2B Thought Leadership 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Your website will generate investor interest by allowing visitors to draw their own conclusions about the firm and its potential to help them achieve their goals. Notably, institutional advertising is expensive, requires a long-term commitment to be effective, and is very difficult to measure or generate a market response.

Transparency 100

Transparency Thought Leadership Planning Enterprise Management 100

Marketing Craftmanship

OCTOBER 26, 2011

” The acid test, he claim, is that, ”Stunts can be elaborate or simple but their importance is the news interest and awareness they generate for the concept/ product/ service being marketed.” ” On that basis, PETA’s lawsuit succeeds as a publicity stunt. The flip side of the “Why Do Stunts?”

Public Relations 100

Public Relations PR Advertising Agencies Profiling 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Every practitioner should play an active role in that process by generating relevant content – in the form of blog posts, bylined articles, case studies, industry updates, slide presentations, etc. that can be merchandised by the firm to keep the firm in play.

B2B Sales 100

B2B Sales Cross-Selling Work Management B2B Marketing 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MAY 11, 2016

Generate content that validates your company’s intellectual capital, that’s easy to read, and focuses on timely topics that people have a genuine interest in. If your firm’s thought leadership simply sits on its website or social media, you’re missing the opportunity to build relationships with people in your target audiences.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing Planning B2B Thought Leadership B2B 100

Marketing Craftmanship

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Chances are that this work will eventually generate insights, discussions and relationships that foster tangible business engagements in that industry. What’s important to remember is that, regardless of the target industry, your credentials are only one part of the sales process.

B2B Thought Leadership 100

B2B Thought Leadership Peer-to-peer Thought Leadership B2B 100

Marketing Craftmanship

MARCH 1, 2015

Generate content that validates your company’s intellectual capital, on topics that target audiences have a genuine interest in. Without this pipeline, the marketing value of the content you create is close to zero. Create Meaningful Content. Self-serving white papers and client case studies have very limited appeal.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing B2B Thought Leadership Planning B2B 100

Marketing Craftmanship

APRIL 8, 2011

What often happens – soon after LAUNCH COMPANY WEBSITE is crossed off the corporate to-do list – is that companies don’t apply the same standards of excellence or levels of scrutiny to the content generated post-launch that were applied during development of the website’s original core content. Of course not…they now trick people using email.)

B2B Thought Leadership 100

B2B Thought Leadership Content Case Study Case Studies 100

Marketing Craftmanship

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

For example, if you’ve given a conference presentation, you can send highlights of your remarks to your database shortly after the event, and offer to send them your complete remarks or PowerPoint slides.

Conference 100

Conference Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Guerilla Marketing 100

Marketing Craftmanship

JUNE 28, 2016

Misguided “eco friendly” practices (notably, failure to appreciate the paper industry’s stellar record of sustainable forest management) have fostered a generation of lifeless marketing collateral that’s either viewed onscreen, or downloaded and printed in PDF format on office printers.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing B2B Paper Work Management 100