According to The Social Media and Online PR Report, published by Econsultancy in association with bigmouthmedia, 86% of companies plan to spend more money on social media in 2010, and a further 13% are planning to keep the same level of budget. 54% of companies say, however, that the biggest barrier to better social media engagement is a lack of resources. Only 10% of companies are not engaging in any social media activity whatsoever.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) is a strategic marketing and Internet marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, creative, design, advertising, media, public relations and Web strategies to grow our clients' brand and business. www.hrb-ideas.com
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Amazon Kindle on Fire?
Industry experts are predicting that 4 million Amazon Kindles will be sold in 2010, with 59 million Kindle-friendly devices being sold between the Apple eReader, the Kindle and the Apple iPhone.
This is a new way for publishers to reach readers in the digital age. The Kindle and other ereaders are being touted to advertisers for message delivery.
Jim Thebeau
Henry Russell Bruce
800-728-2656
This is a new way for publishers to reach readers in the digital age. The Kindle and other ereaders are being touted to advertisers for message delivery.
Jim Thebeau
Henry Russell Bruce
800-728-2656
Monday, December 14, 2009
Avoid the 15 Biggest Marketing Mistakes in 2010
As a marketer are you ready for the challenges of 2010, Part 3?
This is the third in a series of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010. Find mistakes 1 through 4 in earlier posts below.
5. Measuring takes too much effort.
A critical part of marketing is measuring and benchmarking - metrics. How do you know if your marketing is improving or needs to change unless you know how it has performed? Start simply and track several basic elements such asnumber of leads generated, where leads came from, Web hits or most visited pages, number of mentions in consumer or trade media. Choose your own items to track and change them as you gain experience. Set deadlines and monitor performance. If you don’t have a CRM tool, use a simple spreadsheet.
6. Not thinking like your customer.
Marketing your company by simply pushing out information to sell what you have may be a sound approach. But is it what your customers want? Think of your marketing from your customers’ point of view. Stay in touch with the needs and wants of your customers. Are they aware ofall the services you offer? Develop a set of five to seven needs-based questions and call several of your clients each month and go through the list. You may find that business would improve if you alter a product or develop a new one, and you also are showing your customers you are thinking about their needs.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
This is the third in a series of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010. Find mistakes 1 through 4 in earlier posts below.
5. Measuring takes too much effort.
A critical part of marketing is measuring and benchmarking - metrics. How do you know if your marketing is improving or needs to change unless you know how it has performed? Start simply and track several basic elements such asnumber of leads generated, where leads came from, Web hits or most visited pages, number of mentions in consumer or trade media. Choose your own items to track and change them as you gain experience. Set deadlines and monitor performance. If you don’t have a CRM tool, use a simple spreadsheet.
6. Not thinking like your customer.
Marketing your company by simply pushing out information to sell what you have may be a sound approach. But is it what your customers want? Think of your marketing from your customers’ point of view. Stay in touch with the needs and wants of your customers. Are they aware ofall the services you offer? Develop a set of five to seven needs-based questions and call several of your clients each month and go through the list. You may find that business would improve if you alter a product or develop a new one, and you also are showing your customers you are thinking about their needs.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Avoid the 15 Biggest Marketing Mistakes in 2010, Part 2
As a marketer are you prepared for the challenges of 2010?
This is the second in a series of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010. Find post on mistakes number 1 and 2 on December 7.
3. Designing your Web site for you instead of your customer.
Is your Web site a glowing billboard about your company and its products? Or is it a welcoming place where visitors can be educated, quickly find what they want and convey the impression that they come first? Your Web site is a 24/7 engagement and sales tool. Engagement means giving them something of value. More than 80% of people looking for information, a product or service begin with a Web search. Does your site have an appealing appearance, easy navigation and helpful content designed for the visitor? Do you add fresh content of value at least once a week?
4. Ignoring social media outlets.
Social interactions on the Web are the new model for networking. Nothing beats face to face networking, but social media allows millions of people to communicate, build trust,buy products and create new relationships. The secret is in linking your social media outlets and the messages you create there to more in-depth information on your Web site. This builds greater awareness of your business and increases inbound links to your site, a critical factor in building your reputation for Google searches. Just Google your company name or your key product or service and see what you find.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
This is the second in a series of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010. Find post on mistakes number 1 and 2 on December 7.
3. Designing your Web site for you instead of your customer.
Is your Web site a glowing billboard about your company and its products? Or is it a welcoming place where visitors can be educated, quickly find what they want and convey the impression that they come first? Your Web site is a 24/7 engagement and sales tool. Engagement means giving them something of value. More than 80% of people looking for information, a product or service begin with a Web search. Does your site have an appealing appearance, easy navigation and helpful content designed for the visitor? Do you add fresh content of value at least once a week?
4. Ignoring social media outlets.
Social interactions on the Web are the new model for networking. Nothing beats face to face networking, but social media allows millions of people to communicate, build trust,buy products and create new relationships. The secret is in linking your social media outlets and the messages you create there to more in-depth information on your Web site. This builds greater awareness of your business and increases inbound links to your site, a critical factor in building your reputation for Google searches. Just Google your company name or your key product or service and see what you find.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
Monday, December 7, 2009
When to Rebrand
You need to rebrand when there is a disconnect between how you are perceived and what you are. When there are changes in what you deliver and the expectations from customers. Rebranding establishes the personality, purpose and culture of your company and clarifies it to your audiences, internally and externally.
It is a vision of the future and where you going.
Not the business you are in but the business you are becoming.
Jim Thebeau
Henry Russell Bruce
HRB Agency Blog
It is a vision of the future and where you going.
Not the business you are in but the business you are becoming.
Jim Thebeau
Henry Russell Bruce
HRB Agency Blog
Avoid the 15 Biggest Marketing Mistakes in 2010
As a marketer are you prepared for the challenges of 2010? To be successful in our current environment you may want to look at things from a different perspective; turn it upside down and say “What if we … ?” Doing things the way we always have been done them is a sure recipe for getting the same results.
Adapting
Adapting to new market conditions, new technologies, new budgets and new ways to reach prospects and customers is critical to your success. Though not an exhaustive list by any means, we’ve put together a list of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010.
This is the first of a series of posts on preparing for marketing in 2010.
1. Failing to plan.
If you don’t have a marketing plan, you will benefit by developing one. The value of such a plan is a) the think time you put into the content, and 2) that it is written down. At a minimum you should develop goals and objectives of what you need to accomplish, as well as strategies and tactics to complete each task. It should include a mixture of “push” and “pull” marketing strategies. A plan does not have to be long, but having it in writing and reviewing it on a monthly basis will help keep your efforts on track. A proven approach is to include a timeline that lists all your projects on a quarterly basis so you can prioritize them throughout the year.
2. Believing that brand doesn’t matter.
Your brand is what differentiates you from others in the marketplace. Honestly evaluate your brand differentiators and look for room for improvement. Think in terms of the benefits or results your products provide, not just a list of features. What do you do really well that others cannot? Clearly spell out the value you offer; even just one that substantially differentiates you from the competition – and promote it.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
800-728-2656
Adapting
Adapting to new market conditions, new technologies, new budgets and new ways to reach prospects and customers is critical to your success. Though not an exhaustive list by any means, we’ve put together a list of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010.
This is the first of a series of posts on preparing for marketing in 2010.
1. Failing to plan.
If you don’t have a marketing plan, you will benefit by developing one. The value of such a plan is a) the think time you put into the content, and 2) that it is written down. At a minimum you should develop goals and objectives of what you need to accomplish, as well as strategies and tactics to complete each task. It should include a mixture of “push” and “pull” marketing strategies. A plan does not have to be long, but having it in writing and reviewing it on a monthly basis will help keep your efforts on track. A proven approach is to include a timeline that lists all your projects on a quarterly basis so you can prioritize them throughout the year.
2. Believing that brand doesn’t matter.
Your brand is what differentiates you from others in the marketplace. Honestly evaluate your brand differentiators and look for room for improvement. Think in terms of the benefits or results your products provide, not just a list of features. What do you do really well that others cannot? Clearly spell out the value you offer; even just one that substantially differentiates you from the competition – and promote it.
Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
800-728-2656