June 8th, 2010 - Posted in Social Media Marketing by Tim Freestone
How do you handle social media marketing? Is it integrated into your overall marketing plan, or do you treat it separately?
If you go with the latter, you’re in the minority, according to a new study by MarketingSherpa. The research indicates that 52 percent of respondents integrate social media with both online and offline marketing tactics. Meanwhile, 31 percent integrate social media marketing efforts with online tactics only, with 1 percent integrating with offline only. Sixteen percent of the respondents integrate social media with any other marketing tactics.
These findings suggest that social media marketing is moving beyond the experimentation stage. Marketing departments realize that the environment can’t be ignored – and that it actually requires a substantial commitment.
Social media marketing is no longer a differentiator: it’s part of the price of admission to your market.
[Source: MarketingSherpa]
April 28th, 2010 - Posted in Social Media Marketing, Solution Provider Services by Tom Johansmeyer
It’s relatively easy for companies on the Fortune 500 to get material for their blogs. These large enterprises have access to beefy research departments, paid primary research and other tools that smaller companies simply can’t afford. But, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck writing “soft” blog posts that lack the punch of big stats and pretty charts.
To integrate data-driven blog posts into your editorial calendar, all you have to do is use the news. By working with the research of the major players and media outlets in your industry, you can add more texture to your blog without having to invest heavily.
Here are six ways to turn the public domain into your free “research department”:
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March 18th, 2010 - Posted in Solution Provider Services by Tim Freestone
Is your blog filled with the content you want to see there? That’s probably a mistake, according to the latest survey from MarketingSherpa. Too often, IT marketers are publishing what they think is appropriate, instead of using the materials that are most likely to drive a prospect to click and enter the sales cycle.
Most marketers have a clear bias toward educational content and free research reports, with 92 percent believing the former will drive clicks and 86 percent supporting the latter. Best practices content? Marketers lean on it 79 percent of the time.
The reality is much different.
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Social Media Marketing: Integrated or Standalone?
