Tim Manners had an interesting post last Thursday.  Has your Cincinnati advertising agency or Cincinnati marketing firm become irrelevant?  He thinks so, primarily because he says they've become too dependent on the advertising and not enough on the merits of the actual products and services themselves.

I see a lot of this - great ad campaigns that are well written, artfully designed, and oozing with carefully deliberated marketing strategy - and yet, they seem to talk over the consumer.



As Mr. Manners relates in his new book:

Relevant brands understand certain principles:

• Insight. Relevant brands care about what we actually do, not just what we think.  (Side note:  Here's a great company that helps you figure that out.)
• Innovation. Relevant brands know the difference between what's purely remarkable and what actually works.
• Investment. Relevant brands understand the imperative of sparing no expense when it comes to satisfying our needs.
• Design. Relevant brands live and breathe simplicity.
• Experience. Relevant brands realize that it's more important to touch us in real life than on television.
• Value. Relevant brands are more than worth every penny.

So, are we creating the advertising because we depend on it to justify our businesses or are we truly speaking to the consumer?

Several months ago I took the plunge and signed up on Twitter.  Unsure of what to expect, I started sharing what was going on at R.O. Why! Marketing, some of the email marketing, interactive marketing and blogging for business efforts we're delivering for clients.  At first, very similar to blogging for business, it feels like you're simply talking to yourself.  Few followers, not many replies, but I found that after some effort and a focus on sharing valuable information (vs. the all to common 'I'm eating a sandwich' Twitter updates,) the followers started to come in droves.  I'm several months into it now and with over 100 followers I can say that my tiny little universe seems actively engaged.

I also have a couple of very tangible benefits to share.  My efforts on Twitter have delivered big for R.O. Why! Marketing, connecting me with a contact that has since become a new client in Chicago called KeenHire (a company that does some amazing things with behavioral interviewing, assessments & targeted selection,) - thanks to CincyRecruiter & smheadhunter for the connections - and in addition, this small Cincinnati advertising agency has just found its newest employee.

A few things I've learned that are worth sharing:

-  Twitter is for business too. Think smaller & Get creative.
-  If you're going to tweet, respect the audience & deliver valuable updates.
-  Save the 'I'm in Cincinnati' updates for SMS messages for Brightkite.
-  Engage those people you'd like to attract as followers.  Read & comment on their blogs, etc.
-  Avoid the temptation to follow everyone that follows you.  It's not required, nor is it always recommended.  Make sure those you follow add value.
-  Share more than you feel comfortable sharing.  Invite the universe in & build a relationship.

Just like other social networks, you reap what you sow.  So far I have found Twitter to be a worthwhile investment of a small amount of time, and given it's recent payoffs, I think I'll keep tweeting.

Have an experience to share?

I was inspired today by a great blog post by Seth Godin.  In it, he compares marketers to lawyers, charged not necessarily with telling the truth, but with arguing for the client, their product, their practices, etc.  We're paid to claim that our client's products are the best, even if they are not.  Clients hire us to build email marketing campaigns, event marketing programs, interactive marketing strategies, and other marketing strategy efforts to sell the product or the service, even if it's not the best; even if the customer would be better off with nothing at all, or heaven forbid, a competitor's product.

What about when a client hires a Cincinnati advertising agency like R.O.Why! Marketing?  They want email marketing tips and ROI marketing programs that grow their business.  They need a newsletter and they know that what they need is a newsletter.  But what if they don't?  What if they're wrong?  What if they really need something else?  What if R.O.Why! Marketing isn't right for them?

It's happened before, on each end of the spectrum.  Just this week we landed a client who felt that email marketing was what they needed.  While email marketing does need to be a part of the mix, we believed it was not the right time.  After we considered the ultimate marketing results they were looking for, their culture, the budgets and timeframes, we felt strongly that blogging for business was best for them.  We could have just sold them an email marketing program for more money and more profit.  It would have been easier, but it wasn't right.  Their audience expects more and while we were hired to serve the client, I believe we were really hired to serve their customer.

We've also had to walk away from business because the product couldn't live up to the marketing claims.  The company needed to make dramatic changes to the product itself in order to make it competitive, and good for customers, and worth buying. 

As Seth says "...marketers still have the chance to be believed. But trust belongs to statesmen, not lawyers."

Ever have one of those moments when all of the clutter seemed to just fade away and you became laser focused on what was truly important?  I am enjoying a morning full of that type of focus today.

As I prepare for an upcoming vacation in a couple weeks, I spent some time this morning working through my list of priorities.  Client needs come first.

• What ROI marketing projects need to be completed before I leave and/or return?
• What loose ends can we handle now?
• What email marketing campaigns are scheduled for that week?
• Does each client understand what our next steps are and are the deliverables abundantly clear?
• What items do I NOT want to see on my list when I return?
• What search engine optimization, pay-per-click, email marketing performance, interactive marketing and blog analytics reports need to be delivered?

Then came the business development and administration side. 

• Are the bills paid?
• Are invoices current?
• What reports do I need?
• How many proposals are still out for companies looking for a Cincinnati advertising agency?
• Are any proposals due before I return?
• How many can be closed before I leave?  Wow - at least 3 can!
• Can we decide on the new hire before I leave?
• What about the office location search?

If you're like me, you often wish you could work like it's your last week (or day!) before vacation.  Isn't it amazing how quickly the clutter falls to the side and you focus all of your talents and efforts on those things that are the most important?

All of these things I'll be working on for the next 10 days or so are focused on what matters - RESULTS.  Marketing results and ROI for clients, meeting deadlines, keeping promises, delivering, delivering, delivering.

As marketers, we can learn from this and apply the same rigor to the campaigns we're running and the work we do each day.  How many of the things that are on your plate today, this week or next are truly focused on delivering results?  How many of these 'projects' are truly necessary?  How many meetings don't you need to have? 

What would happen if you got rid of all the junk that doesn't matter for just 2 weeks?

If you reduced everything you spend your time on to a bulleted list of the most important things, how much of your daily work would survive the cut?

Marketers, get focused!  Improve your email marketing campaign now.  Stop himming and hawing about the brand development efforts and the strategy.  Make a decision, act, and make some progress this week.  Cut the fluff from the ad campaign, focus on why the reader/viewer/recipient should care and create some results.

You know what's great about this?  Except for client requests, if it's not on the list, I won't be spending time on it for the next two weeks.  Like the boxes that have been in my basement since we built the house 5 years ago, if it won't get my attention in the near term, will it ever really make it back on my priority list?  Was it really important at all to begin with?

What do you love?

Hate?

Think?

Believe?

Feel?

Wish?

Really interesting project going on right now that's cataloging what people think about.  Culling through thousands of Tweets, Twistori is unearthing what's in our hearts and minds.  What we dream about, yearn for, what we would like more of.  What keeps us up at night.

What about our customers?  Do they really care about blogging for business?  Are their hearts on fire for their brand?  Is event marketing really what makes them tick?  Do they really need more email marketing tips?  Each day, are they incessantly hunting for a new Cincinnati advertising agency?

What do they yearn for?  What keeps them up at night?  How much do we really know about what our customers truly want? 

At the end of the day, I don't think our customers here at R.O.Why! Marketing really care about any of that.  They're not out there trying to buy internet marketing consulting services.  They're not looking for another marketing firm, a print advertising campaign that wins an award (for their agency) or the next great interactive marketing campaign.

Here's what they do want:

1.  More sales
2.  Higher profits
3.  Better service
4.  Fewer hassles
5.  Less bull
6.  Someone (dare it be their agency?) to take their hand and lead them

What's fun about my job is cutting through all the crap, thinking like a business owner for our clients, and leading them to efficient, profitable business growth.  But to do that, you have to know what your customers really care about.  You need a Twistori that reveals your customers' hopes, dreams and fears. 

Alternatively, you could just set your agenda aside and listen to them.

Breaking down big revenue goals into actionable steps & aligning with sales

I keep running into sales & marketing alignment 'opportunities' and felt compelled to expand on my thoughts from a few posts ago...

If you're like most marketers, you struggle with how to champion your company's brand, set forth marketing programs that drive revenue and profit objectives, and to align your activities with the efforts of the sales team.  Add the responsibility of conducting ROI marketing and that's a big job!

Often times we see marketing communications strategies that 'swing for the fences'.  After all, that's what heavy hitters do, right?  But in baseball, the most successful players aren't always the home run kings; often they are those that get on base the most.  They hit singles and doubles consistently.

Marketing should do the same.

Now I'm not saying that we should take our eye off our financial targets, or broader brand development objectives, but by breaking down the big goals into smaller, easier-to-achieve milestones, I believe we stand a better chance of scoring big.

When it comes to email marketing, event marketing, interactive marketing, or other such lead-generation programs, focus your marketing communications on the sales cycle.  Focus your marketing strategies on the sales cycle  What steps does your sales team follow today?  I contend that every business has to do 4 things very well:

   1. Attract
   2. Cultivate
   3. Close
   4. Retain

Every sales organization has variations of these basic steps.  For some it's 5 steps, or even 10 or more, but the main objectives are the same.

Next, in which steps of your sales process is the team lacking?  Perhaps you're creating tons of highly qualified sales leads, but failing to cultivate the opportunity.  You might be finding great leads and cultivating well, but fall short at the close.  Proper marketing strategy can play a big role here.  Consider implementing a series of communications designed to mirror these steps in the sales process.

Attract:  Use your Cincinnati advertising agency for brand development and broad market awareness, and search engine optimization and blogging as attraction methods.  Cast a wide net

Cultivate:  Email marketing is built for building and maintaining relationships.  So are event marketing programs and interactive marketing endeavors.  Build an educational video series for your blog, or a strategic customer event to get in front of your market.  Use these opportunities to build a solid understanding of those you serve.

Close:  Of course, nothing happens if you don't make the sale.  Document your past successes and leverage case study programs and customer testimonials.  Deliver 3rd party content and proof of concept.  Demonstrate the use case and ROI.

Retain:  The worst thing you could do to a customer is leave them all alone.  Using the above methods and channels, deliver value added content.  Your email campaigns turn to a nurture marketing approach, offering tips, resources, and ideas on how to get more value.  Your blog is an obvious channel to deliver content from your product managers, engineers and manufacturing staff.  Leverage these channels to constantly collect customer feedback and new use cases.  Let your customers know you're listening and use their insight to improve the product or service, or to even build and entirely new one.

If there's one common mistake we see in small business marketing and that within larger enterprises, it's the fact that marketing communications programs are tasked with too much.  With such big expectations of any one effort, it's tough to deliver and even more difficult to measure.

Break down the big goals.  Create small wins.  Measure success in inches, not miles.  Focus on hitting lots of singles.  It's easier to win and make corrections when you're not swinging for the fences.

In my trip around the internet this morning I stumbled across a great tool for creating custom tag clouds for your website.  As you know, a tag cloud is a means of visually representing information of any kind.  It could be the contents of a website, a song, a speech, a whitepaper, whatever.  It gives you a visual representation of word frequencies within any piece of content.

Here's a tag cloud with terms related to Web 2.0


There are lots of applications for this:

• As a means to visually measure keyword density for a search engine optimization campaign
• As topic summaries for a business plan or interactive marketing strategy
• An 'at a glance' resume
• As brand clouds to give companies a view of how the world sees them before launching a brand development effort
• A means for political figures to visually measure popularity
• A research tool before you make your next hire, or before you choose your next Cincinnati advertising agency
  

The list goes on!

Want to have some fun?  Plug in your website, your advertisement, email campaign text or press release into the tool at http://www.tagcrowd.com/.  You can even get the code to place your very own tag cloud on your website. 

Ever hear this question?  Back when I was on the client side, I used to hear it all the time.  "Why don't we just hire more salespeople?" was a question I got asked quite a bit.  Here's a snipped of an article I wrote a while back.  Based on the feedback we consistently received from companies looking for a Cincinnati advertising agency, it's as relevent as ever.

Why Should I Spend More Money on Marketing?
This question has been asked of thousands of marketing executives and their ad agencies in the last decade.  And it’s a good one.  Why should you be given additional marketing dollars?  Advertising, branding, PR – none of these has an immediate impact on sales, do they?

Nothing spurs the demand for a clear picture of marketing ROI more than the current business climate.  As competition continues to go global, corporate spending is increasingly under the microscope as business leaders are charged with finding that elusive return on investment.

For decades the marketing function was immune from the demands of accountability for performance, seen as a necessary function that could not be measured.  But like other infrastructure investments, the executive team now demands near-immediate payback from marketing spending, or at a minimum, a schedule of when and how much ROI will be achieved.

Two key issues are behind the achievement of marketing ROI - a thorough understanding of the customer’s objectives, and an alignment of operational business processes with the customer’s buying process. 

Get the rest of the article here.