Smart Marketing Campaign

Yesterday morning, I was a guest at the Waltham IBM Innovation Center for their 15th Anniversary. (Full disclosure,  Joe Perry and the Waltham IBM Innovation Center team have provided Mass Innovation Nights with a free site for our monthly product launch events.)  The IBM Smarter Planet program was a highlight and a feature of the day’s program and I was glad to take a deep dive into it as an example of a well-done corporate strategy program.

What Happens in Vegas

What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas if you choose to share all the gory details. There’s been plenty written on maintaining a professional image online.  Dozens, probably hundreds, of articles urge young people to think about how their social media profile stacks up when a potential employer looks at what’s available online.  But what if you are hiring people to represent your company online through social media?

Reading for Inspiration

I spent a couple of hours yesterday hanging out in Harvard Square waiting for my older son to finish a Boy Scout merit badge “camp.”  I did what I usually do when I have time on my hands, headed for the bookstore.  (In this case, the Harvard Coop.)  I had a list of books that I have been meaning to pick up and random browsing in a bookstore is one of my favorite hobbies — not an inexpensive hobby.  I […]

Best Social Media Marketing Books

Every once in a while I teach a class on social media marketing for Lexington Community Education.  (I also do private sessions for small groups and in corporate settings where I am frequently called upon to provide expert guidance for agencies, corporate PR and marketing departments.)  Recently, one of my former students tracked me down while I was speaking on a panel of local female entrepreneurs.  She’s part of a book group comprised mostly of marketers and they are currently […]

Women Entrepreneurs in 2010

This coming week I am going to be part of a panel of local women entrepreneurs speaking about Women in Business.  (This was organized by Andrea Paquette from the Lexington Community Education program where I regularly teach a class on using social media to market your business.)  I have to admit to being torn about being identified as a female entrepreneur.  I wonder if  this is a dated concept or if there is really and truly a unique set of […]

Content Creators Win

The more you know about online marketing, the more you realize that writers will eventually rule the earth.  Don’t pity the journalists and former journalists, they who have the ability to pump out engaging stories, they will be just fine in this era of The Newspaper Death Watch.  Everyone’s looking for good speedy writers and a daily reporter has all the right stuff.

When Marketing is Too Easy

Over the last year, I have performed several marketing diagnostics for various companies.  I spend anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks with a company and provide a broad analysis of their marketing efforts, a plan for moving forward, and, often, on-the-spot training.  It’s one of my favorite assignments, and one of the services I provide that I feel truly helps companies be more successful.  Because, one of the things I have discovered, is that marketing is too easy…

What Happens When Sales Hears “No”

Today I got forwarded a “sales tip” that talked about “Being OK with No.”  The gist of the piece was that sometimes it is better to walk away than waste your time on a prospect that 1) said “no” or 2) isn’t right for you in the first place.  Let it be a learning experience and move on.