Previously, we noted that content marketing is hardly a new methodology. Its origins trace back to the late 1800s, but it certainly has evolved as technology and access have made it possible for just about anyone to claim and prove authority and expertise. But it takes well-researched personas to create successful content. In looking at […]
Personas
Developing Buyer Personas: A Guide for New Businesses
Buyer personas are a powerful tool for small businesses that are trying to reach a broader consumer base, but for those companies that are just getting started, it can be hard to get a sense of who your buyers are. Does that mean you should wait until later to develop your buyer personas? Or can […]
How to Create a Buyer Persona
No matter what you do for a living, you have customers. And odds are you want more of them. But every customer is not equally valuable to your business. And every potential customer out there does not want to buy what you sell or buy it from you. One of the most glossed over aspect […]
Finding Your Paid Social Audience Persona
You know that saying, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it actually make a sound?” Well, this same philosophy can (and should) be applied to your paid social campaigns. If you create a great social ad without curating the right audience, will anyone actually see […]
Who is Your Customer?
One of the single most important concepts in marketing and sales is the “Ideal Customer.” Yet it’s an area too few focus on. When I pose the question, “Who’s your ideal customer,” it’s usually met with an eye roll and sigh. It’s usually answered with: “It’s the organizations that buy our products…..” “It’s the enterprise….” […]
Marketing Personas for the Modern World
Being we live in a world of vast amounts of data, we are no longer confined to viewing our target audiences through the lens of outdated marketing personas. Instead, we have data on our audience behavior at our finger tips in real-time. By scoring these behaviors, you can understand how certain types of content, and actions taken […]
A Simple Brand Development Strategy
One of the biggest misconceptions about brand development is that it’s a long-drawn, complicated, and expensive process that should only happen in the formative years of a business. The truth is, it is not always the case nor does it have to be. What makes your business unique, who you’re intending to serve, your value proposition, […]
For Success Today, Take a Page Out of the Philadelphia Opera’s Songbook
Business leaders can learn a few things from the professionals who manage performing arts organizations. I once suggested that website owners borrow a theater company strategy to boost visitors. You see, managers in the performing arts get immediate feedback on their successes and failures: How many rear ends were in the seats? Further, some are dealing with many of […]
Are We Getting Prospecting Wrong?
Today, most of what I hear from sales people and executives is they are opportunity starved. They are all desperate to find more qualified opportunities. Prospecting and lead gen have become the dominant issues in many sales organizations. There are, of course, the ongoing challenges of making sales people understand they must prospect! Clearly, lead […]
Make Content Part of Your Marketing Mix
Pick up any business magazine, read a marketing blog or attend a conference and you’re going to get the message that you must have a content strategy. Truth be told—this is nothing new. There’s always been a marketing strategy that emphasized the production of helpful tools/information that taught prospects something of value to earn their […]
