Yes, We Do That

Even the Scrooge probably has a little nervous excitement when he sees snow for the first time in the season. Weather (spelling intended) you're a child, child at heart or, conversely, you dwell in the practical reality of life, living and logistics, this day does bring with it an air of freshness and giddiness that, frankly, doesn't happen often (the only other day that does it for me is that first day that really feels like Spring).

This all comes with an opportunity. Sure, the first, and most obvious, is to simply enjoy. Soak it all in, but then leverage that into something more productive. The season's first snow should also come with some anxiety. Thanksgiving in 2 weeks, Christmas in 6 weeks, and only 7 weeks left in 2013!! Are you ready?

A holiday direct marketing campaign can be a great way to drive business for that last, all-important push to finish off 2013 strong. It could be very simple. Have you taken the time to thank your best customers yet this year? Marketing communication strategies don't have to be complicated. In fact, some of the most successful include lead generation methods that are staples of any good marketing plan. Remember, time is valuable over the next 7 weeks. It may be unrealistic to do an open house and expect a reasonable turn out when we've all got multiple commitments (personally and professionally). But a simple, well-designed direct mail effort is very reasonable and feasible to build and deploy in the next few weeks. We've got some great promotional product ideas and corporate gifts that would be perfect.

On this "special" day, use that little spring in your step as motivation to get a few things done that are on your list. Sure, you can check it twice but then remember how nice it will be to sit by the fire in that winter wonder land that will be here in a few weeks knowing that you did everything you could to finish the year strong. And just think, all that from a few simple snowflakes!

In a lot of ways, the business cycle is very similar to the baseball season. A lot of strategizing, planning and building in the winter months - things sort of "spring" into action in April - it gets exciting in May, June and July, then everyone seems to fall into a dopey haze in August. Business slows down, play seems to slow down and everyone and everything seems to have a lethargic feel and tone to it. Then what happens?

OK - I am officially on Social Media overload.  Despite all my efforts to confine my use of it as a tool - I have been assimilated by the Borg and now consider myself part of the collective.  I give up....  I pledge my allegiance to the blog and to the go public strategy for which it stands, one Twitter, under Linkedin, completely visible, with Facebook, Networking, and Branding for all.

It seems that you can no longer have a conversation without spending at least half of the time discussing Social Media. 

Lead Generation, Web Design, Data Appending, Sales Training, Marketing, SEO, Blogging, Public Relations, Direct Mail, Business Development, Loyalty - no matter what the topic - doesn't it seem to now center on Social Media?

In the last three weeks I have been to three events and participated in two webinars all of which focused on Social Media ROI.  Not one person had a case study that showed any proven ROI that Social Media had made them money. 

But can you live without? How will people find you, how will people trust you, how will people view you if you don't have a robust Social Media presence? 

In our Brave New World....

1.  We all self-educate before we make a decision. The fastest and easiest way to do the research is generally on the web.  Social Media make info is accessible.

2.  We trust people we know. Relatives, neighbors and friends have always influenced our decisions. Social Media extends the circle and reduces the time to get opinions.

3.  We want community. Humans crave affiliation and want to be part of something. Church groups, Elks, Rotary, PTA - these are all ways that we connect with people of similar interests... it helps us feel normal! Social Media offers a gateway to join groups, follow trends, get information without having to go to meetings, get on committees or sell brownies as a fundraiser. 

We may not always like it or even understand it - but Social Media - like every other major shift in how we communicate - offers benefits and hurdles. Radio didn't kill books or newspapers, TV didn't kill radio, Movies didn't kill theater, Cable didn't kill movies, email didn't kill the USPS, Texting has killed email, and Social Media won't kill Sales and Marketing. It will change us forever....

Progress brings new worlds, new opportunities and new markets. Social Media is a game changer, but the game isn't over.

The Summer Slow Down! So, what are you going to do about it now?

If your business is like many, the summer does tend to have a significant impact on output and production. For some businesses, it probably has as much to do with a seasonal product or product line, but, for many, it has more to do with an overall more casual, relaxed attitude and vacations on top of other people's vacations combined with more vacations.

I've been a basketball fan since I was a kid. And it has always been pretty clear to me that a lot of people who aren't basketball fans, do tend to enjoy March Madness. Maybe it's the competitiveness, or the bracketology, or the cinderella stories, or maybe just the chance to win a buck!

What has stood out to me over the last few years, however, is that the "hype" doesn't seem to be as great as it used to be. Is it me? This year's tournament, in particular, has more than its fair share of Cinderella stories. From Harvard to LaSalle, to Florida Gulf Coast and Wichita State who are both still in it. And teams like VCU, Butler, Baylor and George Mason still seem to carry that Cinderella aura even though they've managed to actually become somewhat regulars in The Dance.

Well, being a Patriots fan, this year's Super Bowl took on a little bit of a different twist for me. Of course being a Patriots fan means that you actually expect them to be in the game...anything less is a disappointment. It's so much of a roller coaster that because they weren't in it, I kind of forgot it was even on. But, when I did settle in, looking forward to the commercials wound up being what piqued my interest the most.

So, for the 2013 Superbowl, I decided to publish my own list of the top 5. Here goes:

Hopefully I touch a nerve with this one. Talk about an effective email subject line. It just came through my email and took me to a survey. Of course it was one of those surveys where I had to say "yes" to getting information on erectile dysfunction, Turbo Tax, the jelly of the month club and replacement windows. And because I was only interested in 3 out of the 4, I didn't qualify for the grand prize. But it did let me see the results...I'll share in a moment (I was surprised!)

Written By John Brien

 “The film is set in 1933, at the height of the Depression, in Winnipeg…Beer baroness Lady Port-Huntly announces a contest to find the ‘saddest music in the world’ as a way to promote her brew…. The self-styled Beer Queen of the Prairie invites musicians from around the world to compete for the $25,000 prize… She even has a slogan: ‘If you're sad and like beer, I'm your lady.’”

- Jonathan Rosenbaum Review of The Saddest Music in the World

Okay, so you have to be something of a movie buff to know about The Saddest Music in the World and its director, Guy Maddin. Musicians representing various countries compete to deliver the “saddest” performance, with the winner(s) of each round sliding into a giant vat of beer (if only the contenders in American Idol had it so lucky).

2013 is here! We made it through 12/21/12 and instead of preparing for basic survival, we're now focused on bathing ourselves in leads in 2013! Here are 10 ideas on how we can make our lead generation methods more successful this year:

10. I RESOLVE TO - START. This is funny to me because it is arguably the most important one on the list. In many ways, we've made this way too complicated. Focusing on perfection and analysis of end results without simly saying "something is better than nothing". Should I try one to one communications, or maybe some promotional imprinted produts, or maybe lead nurturing campaigns? All good ideas. I'm not advocating allocating budget dollars without rhyme or reason, I'm simply saying that in order to get results, you have to get started. So I resolve to "do" more in 2013.

Written by Farnoosh Torabi | Yahoo Finance  - December 24th, 2012

What do JC Penney, Mitsubishi Motors and Martha Stewart Living magazine all have in common? Each has earned a spot on the list of brands that will likely disappear in 2013.

Financial news site 24/7 Wall St compiled the full list by scrutinizing American companies based on sales, customer base, market relevance and overall fiscal health.
 
Some predictions we made earlier this year have already panned out. Mobile carrier MetroPCS was acquired by Sprint, automaker American Suzuki went bankrup,t and Current TV announced it will be sold or go under, says 24/7 Wall St.’s Editor Doug McIntyre. “We stand by the overall accuracy of the list.”
 
Here are six more brands that the group predicts will likely to go bust in the New Year.