2009 September

I'm an avid reader of Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett's blogs covering content marketing topics. They do a fabulous job of framing up why marketers can't afford to remain oblivious to consumer media habits and issues of trust, authenticity, and the need for creating environments to cultivate customer engagement. I suggest you read their book, "Get Content, Get Customers."  In fact, I'm trying to encourage clients tune their thoughts to the concept by gifting them with copies when they sign on. Right...

Social media is a (growing) set of technologically-enabled tools that open complex, far-reaching channels of communication.  And it addresses several intrinsic human needs (which, in turn, fuel its growth), including companionship, idea sharing, emotional release, exercising personal preference and control (action, not necessarily message), immediacy and self-expression. People use it.  Brands use it.  Branded people use it.  There's a seemingly endless number of things to try, to add, to integrate,...

I'm not a heavy participant in the LinkedIn Q&A, but have both asked and answered at least 20. I get the gist. I'm a member of a lot of LinkedIn groups because it's a natural way to comingle with other folks interested in the same topics.  And I have good intentions on being a better participant. More often than not, though, I delete the system emails comprised of messages people post and discussion questions posed by group administrators.  Seems I might not have as much time to dig in as I'd like. Well...

Ridiculous as it may sound, a few months ago I attended a business conference (a 2-day event, mind you) at a popular Des Moines hotel that catered heavily to business travelers. That is to say, there was a large business center, at least 6 large meeting rooms in a central hub, and a lot of well-suited people scurrying about. No kids. No strollers. No pool. Oh, and did I mention that without $10 a day - even for conference attendees (it's fair to presume the sponsoring organization was paying hefty...

Persuasive Selling We all know that customer testimonials are a primo tool leveraged within new business development initiatives. We like validation for our choices, and testimonials can be a low-key, non-invasive way to present a winning scenario that a prospect just might relate to (in whole or part) - whether it was due to similarities in budget, accelerated timing, market, customer base, etc. We want the same big win that the person offering the testimonial got.  We want to be successful, too. I'm...

I've worked in service-driven capacities almost my whole life. I started in retail environments scooping ice cream and assisting women in clothing stores and moved on to include clients both global and local. I've drawn on early childhood experiences, too, having watched my parents aid grieving and often angry families through the stressful process of saying goodbye to loved ones.  A tenuous balance of practicality, necessity, and emotional. At a glance, these are disparate life experiences...