Customer Development Articles

A Keynote Speech from Chris Baggott

By No Responses

American Marketing Association: Chris Baggott Gives Keynote Address from Compendium on Vimeo.

Marketers tend to inexplicably follow counterintuitive processes at times. Occasionally, they invest their time and money in marketing areas that they’ve already covered, causing redundancies. When you’re looking to get new leads, you don’t want any overlap with previous leads that you’ve already discovered. Marketers pour in billions of dollars, according to the star of this video, Chris Baggott, into finding buyers that they’ve already discovered. To better explain this, Baggot explained the fat head versus long tail concept, that states that marketers are at war with the competition for either a large portion of  a popular market or a niche market. So,…

Startup Messaging and Marketplace Fitment

Via Rocket Watcher on No Responses

With so many pressing concerns for startups, some tend to get overlooked.

Image provided by: ATENCION

Messaging, it seems, could very well be an ignored function of the startup. Not only is it convoluted by concepts like brands and company images, but it’s difficult enough to deliver on its own. Customer support, for example, is one area where messaging can play a vital role in how your interactions are perceived. Once you’ve built up an image of being dedicated to customer support, your users and customers will recognize you for this. It’s important to establish a…

Simple Lists will Empower Your Marketing Strategy

Via Influential Marketing Blog on No Responses

Image provided by: manu contreras

Sometimes the simplest practice is also the best practice. So says Rohit Bhargava at the Influential Marketing Blog, who advocates the use of lists to clarify your company’s marketing strategy. Using the example of U.S. airlines, Bhargava pinpoints the failures of the industry when it comes to company positioning and effective branding. For instance, if you put Time & Efficiency on the airline’s list, you’d ask: “Will you get me where I’m going on time and with as little waiting around as possible?” Failing to take a stance on the issue…

Internet Marketing: Best Practices

Via Young Entrepreneur on No Responses

Image provided by: 姒儿喵喵

Most marketing strategies in some way rely on the Internet. It’s how we connect with one another, position companies and products, and promote brands. And while you may know your way around the Web, there’s nothing wrong with a little refresher course. Zeke Camusio has 7 Internet Marketing Tips on The Young Entrepreneur. Some may be familiar to you. Others could be a fresh perspective on something taken for granted. For example: Not All Your Visitors Are Ready to Buy The Internet is mostly used for research, so while you should never…

This just in: Content Marketing Works for B2B and B2C

By No Responses

Does online content marketing work for B2B companies as well as B2C companies? from Tippingpoint Labs on Vimeo.

Wondering if online content marketing is effective in both B2B and B2C? It is. Although content marketing may have its boundaries, the B2B and B2C markets don’t constitute such limitations. An exemplary company that showcases the flexibility of online content marketing is American Express, which has had one of its flagship programs, Open by American Express, flourish despite targeting small businesses. If this isn’t proof positive of the lack of limits, then you should consider some of the other possibilities a content marketing strategy presents when applied B2B and B2C. One of the immediate benefits of developing a well-oiled and…

A Music Video Parody about Outbound Marketing

By No Responses

Have you grown weary of banging your head against the desk as an outbound prospector? So did HubSpot. The company has created some groundbreaking software to help institute the inbound marketing methodology at companies. In this video, a HubSpot staffer, Rebecca Corliss, playfully records a spoof music video. In it, she complains about the trials and tribulations of an outbound marketer. Coincidentally, this is the exact issue the company she’s employed by works to resolve on an everyday basis. HubSpot’s company strategy is focused on inbound marketing and bringing customers to the employee. This lead generation system allows marketers, as…

Your Chariot Awaits: Why You Should Podcast

By No Responses

If everybody jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too? In the case of podcasting, you should. While not everybody has endeavored into this arena, those that have are seeing positive results. The move is all about expanding the number of offerings you’re making available to visitors. It’s a substantial addition to any content marketing strategy that will give you a competitive advantage over your competition, assuming that they’re not riding the same money train. Another point to consider is that podcasting is on the upswing. It’s a medium that is growing and will likely be a staple at…

Harnessing the Facebook Network for Content Marketing

Via Content Marketing Institute on No Responses

Facebook offers a wealth of opportunities to companies looking to expand their online marketing strategy.

Image provided by: benstein

But not every interaction with the social media site and its users is clearly understood by the business world. There are variables, indeed, and these can sneak up on you. At face value, implementing a content marketing strategy here is a straightforward process. Alas, there’s more to it than that. Misconceptions abound in this arena, and many companies could use some added clarity. With that in mind, there is learning to be done. Here are some of…

Content Marketing Commandments for Your Business

Via Content Marketing Institute on No Responses

Everybody can use some guidance when it comes to keeping a content marketing strategy on track and aligned with your company’s goals.

Image provided by: unsure shot

As a follow-up to a previous article about content marketing truths, author Joe Pulizzi created another article comprised of 30 content marketing commandments. Here are some of the items on the list: A customer relationship doesn’t end when a payment is received. Customer retention is about offering customer support until you feel that you’ve fulfilled your duties. A blog should be the centerpiece of your communication and marketing with…

Adding Visual Appeal to Your Business Card

Via Young Entrepreneur on No Responses

Perhaps you’ve seen a dull, boring business card.

Image provided by: Brian Lane Winfield Moore

In fact, it’s very likely that you may have one in your pocket right now. Hopefully, that card isn’t your own. If it is, you may have a problem on your hands that may be transferred to others when you hand out your card. And you should rest assured that nobody will be eager to keep your card around if it just blends in with a stockpile of others. Every little bit you can do to gain a competitive advantage on…