Do you like to be sold to? I don’t. “Push marketing” can only generate awareness. While awareness is important, it’s only Step 1. Trust comes when you try to teach your customers instead – bring some value to them instead of just pushing product on them.
Podcast: Marketing Without the Marketing | Michael Boezi
Marketing is about creating the Digital Representation of You. We don't want it to feel like "marketing," though. Respectful, ethical marketing strategies are more effective – and more in tune with what today's consumers expect of us.
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Producing Content to Educate Your Customers
When you educate your customers, you can lead them to a better, more informed purchasing decision. One that they feel good about – and one that sticks. That means that you are an educator. In running your content strategy, can you think like a teacher?
A New Direction for Medium: Can Ev Williams Save the Web?
In the Web’s pay-per-click model, you get what you pay for. A race to the bottom. The result has been fake news, click bait, and creepy ad bots. I’ve had enough, and it appears that Ev Williams has, too. Will he have the courage to make Medium (and Twitter, for that matter) better than just “an extension of a broken system”?
The Social Media Strategy Series: Wrap-Up
Social media for business is more than just Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In the season finale of “Marketing Without the Marketing,” I give a top-level blueprint of a cohesive social media strategy that maximizes impact and efficiency.
Know Your Customer: Using Data-Driven Marketing
Data-driven marketing is becoming a must-have, even for small businesses. Here’s a brief case study of the Starbucks Star Rewards Program – and how to apply the lessons to your own business.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom in Content Marketing: Interview with Louie La Vella
The principles of event marketing can be applied to small businesses of all types. In my interview with event producer Louie La Vella, we look at some counterintuitive strategies involving live video (including Facebook Live), affiliate marketing, and influencer marketing.
On the Horizon: A Preview
Here’s a brief preview of what’s to come in future episodes, including two new series that get into the more advanced aspects of content strategy.
LinkedIn Pulse for Business: Baseline Strategies for Personal Branding
While LinkedIn Pulse is a low-commitment way to get started with blogging for business, you really need a strategy to get the most out of it. Here are two distinct game plans for you to consider: Which one is worth the time investment?
You Only Have to Tell Me One Lie
In your marketing, does what you say about yourself match what your customers say about you? If it doesn’t, you may have a trust problem – and you may not get a second chance to repair the damage.
Periscope for Business: Using Live Video as a Marketing Strategy
Have you tried using Periscope for business – or any other live video app? There are a lot of advantages for brands, and companies are getting really creative with it. Let’s have a look at whether or not live video will be a good strategy for you and your business.
Twitter and Its Persistent Superpower
While I was attending a conference last week, I had a realization about Twitter and why it’s still an important platform for business purposes – despite all of the talk of its decline. There’s one aspect in particular that Twitter does better than anyone, and they seem to be doubling down on it.
Facebook Groups for Business: A New Approach to Marketing
With organic reach down to 9% or lower, Facebook has become purely a pay-to-play platform for businesses. Facebook Groups are the exception, and may be one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Here’s my strategy for how to build and nurture an audience of super-fans.