Attracting the Attention of your Audience

Attracting the Attention of your Audience

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing
If you don't attract the attention of your audience in advertising and marketing, you won't have any customers and clients. It's that simple. And in this day and age, it's more difficult than ever to stand out among the competition and clutter, to get people to notice what you have to offer them. However, I couldn't help but notice a truck recently that was conspicuously parked in the huge, empty parking lot along Sudbury Street outside of Mill & Main, the old, historic mill complex in Maynard. Bull Spit. That was the name on the truck. Bull Spit. Catchy name for a business. Right? Attention-getting to say the least. Both the double entendre of the name of this brewing company and the fact that this truck was so strategically parked…
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Be Like Kevin

Be Like Kevin

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media
Kevin Cronin is the lead vocalist and front man for the ridiculously awesome rock band, REO Speedwagon. He's a great performer and a great guy. But that's not why I want to talk about him today. I want to talk about how great he is on social media. Brands, businesses, professionals, people...everybody likes listening to Kevin and his legendary band perform, right? But not everybody knows how much they can learn from Kevin about how to use Facebook, Twitter and the like. It was more than 40 years ago when I saw REO Speedwagon at the Boston Garden. They put on a spectacular live show then, as I am sure they still do today. Yes, they're still touring, and I would love to see them again in concert. But in…
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My New Book is Available NOW on Amazon

My New Book is Available NOW on Amazon

Advertising, Branding, Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
My new book, Twenty Jobs, Twenty Lessons - a Long, Strange Career in Marketing, from Junk Mail to Social Media, is available NOW in the Amazon Kindle Store here. It is a story for young professionals with bright futures in front of them and senior executives who have been there, done that. It may be my story, but it could be your story, too. See for yourself. Read it today.
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Using Twitter Spaces in a College Classroom

Using Twitter Spaces in a College Classroom

Branding, Marketing, Media, Social Media, Twitter
Wait! What? You're not using Twitter Spaces yet? My students and I hosted a Twitter Space recently, and it was such a ridiculously awesome educational experience. In hosting this Space - a discussion about what's new in social media - we built a community, we positioned ourselves as thought leaders and we learned a lot from those who partook in this public conversation online. Hosting your own Twitter Space is a great way to engage with your audience and develop long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with like-minded professionals. See for yourself. Host one today.
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The Six Ps of Retail Marketing

The Six Ps of Retail Marketing

Branding, Business, Customer Service, Marketing
There are four Ps of marketing...product, price, place and promotion. All are equally important. When it comes to retail marketing, though, there are two additional Ps, presentation and personnel. How you execute with regard to all these Ps can make a difference between success and failure for your brand or business. Many retailers are struggling in this day and age. Are they focusing enough on the two additional Ps, areas where they could possibly establish a competitive advantage over the competition? Amid COVID and a marketplace in which the only constant is change, nothing is easy today for brick-and-mortar stores. That's one reason why we're seeing more and more empty store fronts on main street. That's one reason why more and more retail is going etail.
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Social Media is Unique

Social Media is Unique

Branding, Marketing, Social Media
If you're using social media the way you use your other marketing channels, you're making a big mistake. Social media marketing is a two-way street where you should be engaging with your audience members, listening to them and even making them the center of attention, not your products and services. The more they see that you care about them as human beings, not customers and prospects, they'll be more likely to trust you and - when the opportunities arise - do business with you.
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The Importance of Engaging Your Audience

The Importance of Engaging Your Audience

Branding, Business, Marketing, Music
Do you know the song, We Will Rock You, by Queen? Of course, you know the song. It was written by Brian May for Queen's 1977 album, News of the World. It was featured in a great scene in the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. It provided Queen with a ridiculously awesome opportunity to engage with their audience. I used that song in my marketing class recently as an example of the importance of engaging with your audience as a brand or a business. The more those on the receiving end of your messages are involved with what you have to offer, the more likely they will be to support you. Stomp, stomp, clap...
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The More Personal Branding, the Better

The More Personal Branding, the Better

Branding, Business, Mark Schaefer, Marketing, Social Media
In a recent blog post, Mark Schaefer wrote about Five Things I Would Do Differently If I Were Starting Over, one of those things being to place "more intent on the personal brand." That's saying a lot, coming from someone who has such an extraordinarily strong personal brand. Mark is renowned far and wide for his marketing expertise and knowledge, his teaching and public speaking, his books and blog. If someone as conspicuous in their presence online as Mark is thinks he could place more emphasis on his personal brand, what about you and me? That's saying all of us could benefit from even more personal branding. Thanks, Mark, as always, for the words of wisdom.
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Entrepreneurship, Technology, Marketing and Social Media with Morissa Schwartz

Entrepreneurship, Technology, Marketing and Social Media with Morissa Schwartz

Branding, Business, Content, Marketing, Podcast, Social Media
In this episode of the podcast, Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, I have a conversation with the multi-talented, super successful entrepreneur, Morissa Schwartz. We talk about the different businesses she runs and how she uses social media so effectively to stay in front of her constituents. At one point during our chat, I praised Morissa for being so positive and nice to others, and she said she was asked recently about how she keeps up her productivity, and her answer was, "By staying positive and keeping an upbeat attitude." She said, "The byproduct of being positive is being more streamlined and things going more smoothly." She added, "Being nice to people, being positive...they're so rewarding in so many ways." Thanks, Morissa! You're such a very positive role model for so many…
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