Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 5/13/11

Happy Friday! Have you had a good week? I bet you are ready for this week's links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News...

[Here's a link to Flooring The Consumer with Retail Experience links #retailexp.]

Before I get started, special thanks to Natalie Piccotti and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Marketing Association for welcoming me so warmly to the NJ AMA meeting this week [recap coming shortly].

Simple & Practical Marketing Data

• Have U explored @GalenDY 2010 list top B2B Blogs? Hoping an update is coming. Lots of new gems http://ow.ly/4PeBo #practicalmktr

Practical Marketing Advice

• "Email Marketers R in Content Biz" @juntajoe tells it like it is! http://ow.ly/4P52O #practicalmktr
• Wisdom fr @MarketingProfs: 5 ways 2 use social media in email campaigns http://ow.ly/4P5ki #practicalmktr
• Leave it to @pchaney to come up with 16 #practicalmktr Facebook Marketing Strategies! http://ow.ly/4RLqp
• RT @JimKukral: How to Turn a Blog Post into a Press Release http://bit.ly/iWdq1I #practicalmktr
• 50 Questions! Wow RT @apowerpoint: Q&A on content marketing -- http://bit.ly/mdStk9
• What timing on this given my @amaofnewjersey event re: Managing Social Reputation: http://ow.ly/4Tzj7 #practicalmktr
• Get more done in less time: 15 tips http://ow.ly/4QyeI #practicalmktr

Simple Marketing Inspiration

• Always gd sign when Strunk & White R mentioned: #practicalmktr writing tips http://ow.ly/4OmUK
• RT @cspenn: #the5: Want to become a leader, corner a market, or make a bunch of money? Learn data arbitrage: http://ar.gy/K.p #practicalmktr
• How might you deal with these social media marketing challenges in yr biz? http://ow.ly/4Tznb #practicalmktr

Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News

If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

Thank you for reading!

Best,
C.B.

Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

Right Brain/Left Brain in Business: a CBSAC/NY Event

I recently attended a Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York (CBSAC/NY) event titled "Right Brain/Left Brain MBA". The title intrigued me. Furthermore, two of the participants were classmates from Columbia Business School [and another a classmate from Smith College!]! I had to go.

I wasn't disappointed.

As Claire Steichen, organizer of the event, explained, the idea for this event came from contrasting the traditional MBA career paths in Financial Services or Consulting to those in more creative environments. The event's participants included:

Claire Steichen, a coaching and leadership development consultant, worked in cosmetics and luxury goods.

Mike Rataczak pursued human resources at Cole Haan, Limited Brands, including Victoria's Secret and Henri Bendel, and as a consultant. 

Celeste Gudas, an entrepreneur and recruiting industry innovator, launched her company 24 Seven as a strategic, creative workforce solutions partner for Fashion, Retail, Advertising, Marketing, Design, Interactive/Digital, Media, Beauty, CPG and Entertainment industry companies. 

Terri Meyer, co-founded her company The Terri & Sandy Solution, after 25 years on Madison Avenue to bring brand-igniting communication platforms to clients in faster, smarter, more cost-efficient ways for companies such as Nestle, Kodak, Kraft, Gerber, Campbell’s, Clairol, and American Standard...

Andrew Goldman has pursued an intense passion for the movie industry ever since seeing Jaws as a kid. He now lives it at HBO/Cinemax.

Each panelist answered questions such as:

• How did you get into the industry?
• How did you know it was right?
• How does creativity manifest itself in less creative environments?

Although the focus was on creativity in the business workplace and finding the ideal working environment and position, several insights seemed particularly relevant for businesses eager to embrace marketing with social media and content marketing...

Creativity generates positive energy that touches everyone involved.

There's a melding of creativity in every role and job.

Many of us are ambassadors between creativity and business.

Do everything with integrity

Motivation requires intense interest [i.e., passion].

You need to have passion.

Know yourself and your business.

Listening skills are critical. It's okay to say you don't know the answer.

Mike stated the following - which I found profound!

"Building a brand is like making a movie. You need to know how you will contribute to building the brand. It takes both right and left brain to tell a movie. Figure out your role in the movie and draw a picture for others of how you contribute."

I love the image. It's completely relevant to creating engaging content for end users and figuring out how to answer the questions our customers have. We're trying to understand their movie and find a role for ourselves that makes credible sense.

The panelists suggested the following books to read:

• The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know - go where you are celebrated not tolerated [love this notion!]
• The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy
• A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• On YouTube, animated shorts about what drives people - RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
• The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance In the Changing World of Work 
• Soar with Your Strengths: A Simple Yet Revolutionary Philosophy of Business and Management - don't be what you're not. Fill in the gaps in your strengths with others [e.g., Calvin Klein & Barry Schwartz]
• Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace

Have you read any of these books? Which did you like best?

Comments, reactions, questions? How do you meld right and left brains in your business? How do you bring creativity into problem-solving and business? How do you stay motivated?

Thank you, Claire, Mike, Andrew, Celeste and Terri. I really enjoyed the conversation!

Online Conversations Evolve on Floor Covering Institute Blog

In my latest post on the Floor Covering Institute Blog, I explore the evolution of online conversations in the floor covering industry based on the research and analysis I've done for the Social Flooring Index.

The post is titled "Floor Covering Conversations Evolve".

Here is an excerpt:

"Online conversations enable collective learning and creative problem solving. They generate feedback on ideas that may not be fully developed or have room for as-yet-unidentified changes in approach.

They also allow you to develop an understanding for the thought-process of the person writing, begin to establish a relationship and start trusting what that person expresses. Not too different, if you think about it, from what an pen pal exchange or ongoing business correspondence used to make possible...."

I'd love to hear your reactions and observations. How do you see industries such as flooring evolving in their conversations? What topics should they be discussing that they aren't?

Thanks,

C.B.

Survey: How Do You Generate Leads? Need Your Help!

I need your help! Could I impose on you for a few minutes for a survey?  This is to find out how you generate leads for your business.  I'm hoping you're willing to share with me your insights on and experiences with what has worked best for you in generating leads. Also, have you seen successes in integrating social media into your lead generation process?

I'm conducting this research for a presentation that I'm putting together [more on that in a separate post] and expect that this will also lead to a blogpost or two... I will definitely share with you what I learn.

To participate, please click here to take the "How Do You Generate Leads?" survey.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Responses due ASAP or by Friday 5/13/11.

Feel free to share this link with others, too.

Many thanks!

Best,

C.B.

Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 5/6/11

What a whirlwind of a week! I attended my first ever #140conf, the Fashion140 and reconnected with Columbia Business School alums during a CBS Alumni Club of New York presentation titled Right Brain/Left Brain MBA event. I promise I'll recap these experiences... soon ;-).

Meanwhile, here are the 5/6/11 links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

[If you are interesting in the retail experience, check out Flooring The Consumer with Retail Experience links #retailexp.]

Simple & Practical Marketing Data

• Content sharing fuels social media boom - research fr AOL & Nielsen http://ow.ly/4LKIj #practicalmktr

Practical Marketing Advice

• Nice! RT @berniebay: 11 Sales Attributes of a LinkedIn Company Page. A B2B must have strategy. http://ht.ly/4L64t #LI #practicalmktr
• Small Business advice: 6 effective social media strategies http://ow.ly/4KJzQ #practicalmktr
• Wisdom on H2 optimize a Facebook Fan Page. Note: claim that vanity URL! http://ow.ly/4KJZB #practicalmktr
• TU! RT @cspenn: For evening crowd, have U turned on Facebook Insights for yr website/blog? Here's how & why http://ar.gy/Jzx #practicalmktr
• RT @sharonmostyn: Optimizing #SocialMedia Pages for Search - eMarketer http://j.mp/m5adHD via @AddToAny #SEO #practicalmktr
• Nicely organized: 6 steps in developing a social media strategy fr ClickZ http://ow.ly/4Nxhc #practicalmktr

Simple Marketing Inspiration

• Lovely details on what goes into building trust/being authentic online http://ow.ly/4JqSy #practicalmktr #retailexp
• Digiday interview with Federated's @JohnBattelle: http://ow.ly/4KK49 note document vs. people driven searches #practicalmktr
• Love these suggestions for managing time! Have you tried them? http://ow.ly/4OlvP #practicalmktr

Brands Being Practical With Social Media

• Inside Intel's FB attack strategy. Wisdom from @ekaterina during SxSW panel http://ow.ly/4LJZg #practicalmktr

Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News

Thank you for reading!

If you enjoyed this post, perhaps you would consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

Best,
C.B.

Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

How To Manage Your Online Reputation

Just in time for my New Jersey Chapter of the American Marketing Association presentation on Managing Your Reputation in a Social World, here are my suggestions on how to manage your online reputation in a post written for the Content Marketing Institute.

It's titled 6 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation and starts out as follows:

"Whether you manage a brand, a business or yourself, your online reputation matters, particularly if you’re serious about creating a meaningful content strategy for engaging with potential customers."

In the post, I encourage readers to use themselves as an example as they go about exploring how to manage their reputation online. I know of no better way to validate, test, probe and understand the results that I find. In so doing, the insights have more meaning. I can intuitively interpret what I see and extrapolate the process for my company or brand.

These are the recommendations that I've included in 6 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation:

• Monitor Your Google Search Results

• Develop Digital Profiles

• Listen Intensely

• Set Expectations

• Evaluate Your Website

• Plan For the Worst

Each section includes details, tips and examples to help make each way to manage your online reputation more relevant to you and your business.

I'd love to  hear your reactions and experiences. What would you add to the list? What have you found valuable in managing your online reputation?

Let me know here or please comment on my original post, 6 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation.


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5/10/11 NJ American Marketing Association Presentation: Managing Your Reputation in a Social World

Exciting News! The New Jersey Chapter of the American Marketing Association [AMA] has invited me to present "Managing Your Reputation in a Social World" on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011, at the Marriott Hanover in Whippany, NJ. The event starts at 5:30pm and ends at 8:30pm.

You may remember that this is the topic I addressed during my MarketingProfs inaugural online seminar on March 10th - "Managing Your Reputation in a Social World". For reference, here is my summary of  links and references: Managing Your Social Reputation: Highlights.

I'm looking forward to doing this event in person and hearing what questions come up.

The Agenda for the 5/10/11 New Jersey AMA Presentation is as follows:

5:30 – Registration Opens
5:30 – 7 pm Dinner and Networking
7:00 – 7:15 AMANJ Meeting
7:15 – 8:15 Presentation
8:15 – 8:30 Q&A

To register for the event, visit EventBrite for Managing Your Reputation in a Social World.

Pricing is as follows:

• $40 for current AMA members
• $35 for students with a valid current student ID
• $55 for guests

NOTE: If you aren't a member of AMA, but would like to attend as my guest, simply enter VIPGuest when you register and you'll be eligible for the AMA rate rather than the guest rate.

Please let me know if you have any questions. The EventBrite registration page includes a great deal of information on the event. If you'd like to read more, here's a link to the press release: NJ AMA Presents 'How To Manage Your Company’s Reputation in a Social World' 5/10, Marriott Hanover.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the Marriott Hanover!

Best,

C.B.

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