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The 7 Key Differences Between business-to-business and consumer marketing

Written by Robert W. Bly, has got 2 Comments.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑) at [www.bly.com]. Robert “Bob” Bly is author of 90+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls “America’s top copywriter.”

When asked if he could write an effective direct mail package on a complex electronic control system, a well-known direct response copywriter replied, “No problem. It doesn’t matter what the product is. You are selling to people. And people are pretty much the same.”

He’s wrong.

Copywriting Conference 2015

Image credit: “Copywriting Conference 2015” (↑) by ProCopywriters (↑) is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (↑)



Yes, there are similarities. But there are also differences in selling to business and professional buyers vs. the general public. In fact, here are six key factors that set business-to-business marketing apart from consumer marketing:

1. The business buyer wants to buy. Most consumer advertising offers people products they might enjoy but don’t really need. How many subscription promotions, for example, sell publications that the reader truly could not live without? If we subscribe, we do so for pleasure - not because the information offered is essential to our day-to-day activity.

But in business-to-business marketing, the situation is different. The business buyer wants to buy. Indeed, all business enterprises must routinely buy products and services that help them stay profitable, competitive, and successful. The proof of his is the existence of the purchasing agent, whose sole function is to purchase things.

2. The business buyer is sophisticated. Business-to-business copy talks to a sophisticated audience. Your typical reader has a high interest in - and understanding of - your product (or at least of the problem it solves).

Importantly, the reader usually knows more about the product and its use than you do. It would be folly, for example, to believe that a few days spent reading about mainframe computers will educate you to the level of your target prospect - a systems analyst with six or seven years experience. (This realization makes business-to-business writers somewhat more humble than their consumer counterparts.)

The sophistication of the reader requires the business-to-business copywriter to do a tremendous amount of research and digging into the market, the product, and its application. The business audience does not respond well to slogans or oversimplification.

3. The business buyer will read a lot of copy. The business buyer is an information-seeker, constantly on the lookout for information and advice that can help the buyer do the job better, increase profits, or advance his career.

“Our prospects are turned off by colorful, advertising-type sales brochures,” says the marketing manager of a company selling complex ‘systems’ software products to large IBM data centers. “They are hungry for information and respond better to letters and bulletins that explain, in fairly technical terms, what our product is and how it solves a particular data-center problem.”

Don’t be afraid to write long copy in mailers, ads, and fulfillment brochures. Prospects will read your message - if it is interesting, important, and relevant to their needs. And don’t hesitate to use informational pieces as response hooks for ads and mailers. The offer of a free booklet, report, or technical guide can still pull well - despite the glut of reading matter clogging the prospect’s in-basket.

4. A multistep buying process. In consumer direct response, copywriters’ fees are geared toward producing the “package” - an elaborate mailing that does the bulk of the selling job for a publication, insurance policy, or other mail order product.

But in business-to-business direct marketing, the concept of package or control is virtually non-existent. Why? Because the purchase of most business products is a multistep buying process. A vice president of manufacturing doesn’t clip a coupon and order a $35,000 machine by mail. First he asks for a brochure. Then a sales meeting. Then a demonstration. Then a 30-day trial. Then a proposal or contract.

Thus, it is not a single piece of copy that wins the contract award. Rather, it takes a series of letters, brochures, presentations, ads, and mailers - combined with the efforts of salespeople - to turn a cold lead into a paying customer.

5. Multiple buying influences. You don’t usually consult with a team of experts when you want to buy a fast-food hamburger, a soda, bottle of shampoo, or a pair of shoes, do you? In most consumer selling situations, the purchase decision is made by an individual. But a business purchase is usually a team effort, with many players involved.

For this reason, a business purchase is rarely an “impulse” buy. Many people influence the decision - from the purchasing agent and company president, to technical professionals and end-users. Each of these audiences has different concerns and criteria by which they judge you. To be successful, your copy must address the needs of all parties involved with the decision. In many cases, this requires separate mailings to many different people within an organization.

6. Business products are more complex. Most business products - and their applications - are more complex than consumer products. (For example, clients I now serve include a commercial bank, a manufacturer of elevator control systems, a data processing training firm, a database marketing company, a mailing list broker, a general contractor, and a semiconductor manufacturer.)

Business-to-business copy cannot be superficial. Clarity is essential. You cannot sell by “fooling” the prospect or hiding the identity of your product. Half the battle is explaining, quickly and simply, what your product is, what it does, and why the reader should be interested in it. “In high-tech direct mail, the key is to educate the prospect,” say Mark Toner, who manages the advertising program for Amano, a manufacturer of computerized time-clock systems. “With a product like ours, most customers don’t even know of its existence.”

In short, in business-to-business marketing, the rules are different. In the months to come, we’ll explore ways to increase response and profits in this exciting and challenging marketplace.


Bob Bly wrote a follow up article as well: Business buyers are looking for personal benefits


If you liked this article also get Bob's new free e-Book in which he reveals 35+ years of tested B2B marketing secrets at http://www.bly.com/b2bhandbook/ (↑)

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑).


Posted by Robert W. Bly in Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Monday, January 22, 2018 has got 2 Comments.
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How to Do Direct Mail for Complete Beginners

Written by Guest Author, has got 2 Comments.

At the end of this article you will know:

1) What kind of mailing you're going to do.

2) Who you're mailing to.

Direct Mail Tips

Lets get started!

The first thing you should do is figure out why you're considering a mailing in the first place. It takes time and money to mail a bunch of letters. What are you hoping to get in return?

Decide what you want to get out of direct mail.


Why are you doing this mailing? Are you looking to advertise a sale, and bring people into your store? Are you looking to sell something directly? Do you want people to call you, or set up an appointment?

(FYI, "checking in" or "introducing yourself" is not an objective. It is a waste of money.)

It's important to understand what you're hoping to accomplish, because it affects who you mail to, what offer you're going to make, and how you're going to make it.

This isn't a time consuming step, but it's an important one.

With your objective in mind, it's time to move onto step 2: Assembling your list.

Put together your list.


Your list should include only those people relevant to your objective.

Are you trying to get new customers into the store? Then do NOT mail to existing ones! Do you have a special offer for long time customers? Then mail it only to them.

Do you have a special product or service you want to offer, but not all your clients or customers can afford? Mail only to the ones who can afford it.

A small, carefully target list will out perform a catch-all. Why send letters to people who aren't interested, and couldn't afford it even if they were? That just wastes the cost of printing and mailing.

Having a targeted list allows you talk to your customers in a very personal way. You aren't talking to everyone. You're talking specifically to the people who would want what you're selling. You can make more compelling selling points.

How do you put together a list?

First, take a look at the contact info for your customers and clients. You have that right? If not, you need to start getting it!

Ask your customers for their mailing address. Sign them up for your newsletter. Have a contest with space for their contact info on the entry form.

Get creative, but get those addresses!

Or maybe you want to bring new customers in the door? In that case, rent a list.

There are a number of list broker services available. And if you'd rather have someone do the work for you, there are a number of direct mail services around that will help you assemble the right list.

So far so good. You now should know what your mailing goal is, and have a list of who you're mailing to.

Next time we'll cover what to tell them...

Want more advice on how to craft a killer sales (or fundraising) letter? Find me at http://www.Greenbaycopywriting.com (↑)

Article Source: EzineArticles.com (↑)
Written by Andy Duchow

Posted by Guest Author in Advertising, Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Thursday, January 11, 2018 has got 2 Comments.
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B2B Content Marketing - It Takes A Village

Written by Guest Author,

Analysis

This year Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs published their 7th B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends - North America study. While there are many studies that are published every year, this is one that I truly analyze and review as it is full of insights and shows a very clear picture of where B2B marketers are on their path to maturity.

The study was a bit different this year with some new questions and sections, but overall, comparing this year to previous studies provides insight into how B2B marketing organizations are succeeding and in many cases, continuing to be challenged with the discipline of content marketing.

It Takes a Village-


It was surprising to me to see that 55% of organizations have small teams (some only one person) that are responsible for serving the entire organization with content. Less than 40% of those surveyed said they have a dedicated organization and/or people throughout the organization.

Good content that engages buyers and aligns to the buyers purchase process is not easy to create. It takes time to understand your buyer, their pain points and challenges and their buyers journey. According to CEB, in a typical B2B buying cycle there are on average 6.8 people involved in the buyers committee all of whom want specific content that is relevant to their role.

With this being the case, how is it expected that only a handful or only one person will be able to create compelling content? In order for content to be done properly and produce value, there must be a team dedicated to it.

Measurement Must Be a Priority-


When asked, "Is it clear what an effective or successful content marketing program looks like?" only 41% responded yes. The other with 59% responded with an unsure or a no. While this may be while only 28% are mature or sophisticated, the need for measurement has never been more apparent.

According to the study the following are true:
  • 29% of a B2B marketing budget is spent on content marketing
  • 39% of organizations will increase their content marketing spend
  • 45% will spend the same amount next year as they did this year
That is quite an investment to make without an understanding of the results. While producing relevant and engaging content is crucial, it is just as, if not more important to know the impact these investments are making on an organization.

The Metrics Do Not Align to Goals-


Respondents to the study (↑) listed lead generation as the number one goal for their marketing efforts. Yet when asked "Which metrics does your organization use to determine how well its content marketing is producing results?" only 57% stated they were measuring sales lead quality.

If the goal of content is to generate demand, simply measuring web traffic (78% do as the leading metric) will not give any indication on success or failure. If B2B marketers are going to improve on measuring value, they must measure that which aligns to their goals.
  • How would you characterize the success of your organizations current overall content marketing approach? 22% stating very or extremely successful and 53% stating moderately successful (I am not sure the goal of organizations is to be marginal)
  • How does the success of your organizations current overall content marketing approach compare with one year ago? 62% saying either somewhat more or much more successful

There is Improvement, But Still a Long Way To Go


While 72% of organizations reported more effectiveness with their content (with web visits are the leading metric this is questionable), the telling statistics that tell the true story of how organizations are faring with content marketing were the following:
  • Only 37% of B2B organizations have a documented content strategy (sorry but if you say you have one but it is documented, YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRATEGY!!)
  • Only 22% say their organizations approach to content marketing is very or extremely successful
  • Only 28% of respondents stated their organizations are either sophisticated or mature with content marketing
  • Only 34% state their organizations are extremely or very effective at meeting their content marketing goals

With all of the attention given, money invested and time spent on content, one would think we would be much further along. What is more perplexing with these low numbers is that 63% of respondents stated that their organizations were either extremely or very committed to content marketing.

I believe it is time (I have said this many times before) for marketing leaders to truly take a look at this commitment to content and rather than invest in more content production, invest in understanding buyers at a deeper level so that their content can be better informed. Simultaneously, invest in better enabling and equipping content marketers with the needed skills so they can perform their roles at the highest levels.

Content marketing is not going anywhere anytime soon and is necessary to engage, nurture and convert buyers and build customer relationships, but year over year the numbers either stay flat or decline indicating we have a problem. Hopefully 2017 (I said this about 2016) (↑) is the year marketing leaders take the time to address it.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com (↑)
Written by Carlos Hidalgo


Posted by Guest Author in Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Tuesday, January 9, 2018
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Is Direct Mail Still Effective?

Written by Guest Author,

Direct Mail Still Works Great


I'm often asked "Which is better, email marketing or direct mail marketing?" While email is a very effective medium for communicating and selling customers - from the prospective of prospecting (finding NEW customers) - I feel direct mail is much more effective, and here's 7 reasons why:

HIGHER RESPONSE. When searching for "new" customers, study after study proves regular mail will generate more new customers than email. A recent study by the DMA (Direct Marketing Association) shows direct mail being 10 to 30 times more effective than email.

HIGHER DELIVERY RATE. A good mailing list is typically 95% deliverable. On the other hand, the great majority of email lists being advertised have a delivery rate of below 50%. Also, due to the constant onslaught by spammers, the ISPs (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc) are beginning to block unsolicited emails... and for this reason some are predicting the demise of email "prospecting." Fantastic offer, fantastic creative, fantastic list... all this is irrelevant if the ISPs don't deliver. With regular mail -- your offer gets delivered!

HIGHER OPEN RATE. With the great majority of email "prospecting" campaigns, 95+ percent of all emails are not even opened. The email recipient will either delete or transfer to the SPAM box... without even peeking at the email... your brand name. On the other hand, postal mail is a tangible item that typically captures a glance. The receiver may not read every word, but your company name/brand will gain much more awareness with postal mail than with email.

MORE PROSPECTS. Accurate -- quality email addresses are very difficult to acquire -- mainly because most people do not opt-in for 3rd party offers. For this reason, virtually all email lists are missing the majority of the target. Typically a good mail list offers 80% more prospects.

LONG SHELF LIFE. The shelf-life of an email offer is measured in seconds, while an offer via regular mail can linger on a coffee table for days.

LESS COMPETITION. More than ever consumers are bombarded with digital offers that they don't want. Email is now the cluttered option, while direct mail represents the uncluttered option. With postal mail your offer will not get lost in avalanche of competitive offers.

SAFETY. This one is a biggie! With the growing threat of identity theft, viruses, and SPAM, people are becoming more and more hesitant in responding to on-line offers... even legitimate interesting offers. Regular mail is safe... the user can visit any website on his/her own time schedule and without having to click potentially dangerous links.

So, for "prospecting" as well as putting offers in front of qualified buyers (BUYERS that are looking for your product or service) that will help grow your business quickly... "old fashion" mail is much more effective than email! Email "prospecting" is losing its power. Direct mail on the other hand has never really lost its power and is in fact gaining strength. This is the very reason that even some of the biggest Internet names (Google, Facebook, Microsoft to name just a few) are major direct mail users themselves. Bottom line - companies that use regular mail will gain a competitive edge on the competitors that skip mail.

If you want to grow your business quickly and cost effectively, NOW is the time to get started on your direct mail campaign!

Roy Writes Creative Studio specializes in all aspects of direct response marketing. Creating effective, and affordable direct mail campaigns for small to mid-sized businesses throughout the USA is what we do every day. To grow your business quickly and cost effectively or for more info, visit our website and contact us today. http://www.roywrites.net (↑)

Article Source: EzineArticles.com (↑)
Written by Roy Shipley

Posted by Guest Author in Advertising, Marketing, Top Posts on Thursday, January 4, 2018
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Freelancing Generalists vs Freelancing Specialists: Smackdown!

Written by Tom Bentley, has got 3 Comments.

I’ve always enjoyed the wide variety of writing/editing I do, but sometimes I fear there’s a haphazard, slapdash aspect to the servings in my copywriter’s restaurant: can you trust a place to make great Chinese if they are advertising pizza too? And though I do OK with the incoming dough, it’s not like I can buy a wheelbarrow of Google stock. Is there a fair fight between freelance generalists vs specialists?

Generalist vs Specialist

Can it be that my “one-size-writes-all” writing biz is too many things: flowers, trees, sky above, dirt below and atomic particles in between? You see, I write web copy, press releases, marketing collateral, ads, case studies, direct mail, and occasionally tech content too. Toss in fiction and essays to this goulash. And I edit all of the aforementioned, and more. In fact, a while back I finished editing a small book on how to play any chord on the banjo. Though twangy, it was quite technical.

Let’s look further at the pigeonholing that can take place when writers are sorting out how to best make a living. Copywriters that have a clearly defined niche—“I write sales letters for mid-tier businesses selling nuclear-powered rabbits”—are both constrained by their choices and freed by them. They are constrained in that they may have always dreamed of writing sales letters for nuclear-powered goat companies, but instead they are known as the rabbit guy, and thus they don’t want to dilute their focused offering, and potentially blur the boundaries of their defined space.

The Casual Garden of Generalists

However, they are freed from casting their “I-need-new-work” lines in the thistle-tangled fields of businesses small, medium and large, who might peddle soap made from recycled comic books, or tongue scrapers for denture wearers. Generalist copywriters tend to a casual work garden of mingled stalks, colors and scents, while the specialist might have a sturdy monocrop of clients and deadline dates. Generalists vs specialists: never to agree?

I’ve thought about trying to restrain my 360-degree rotating Exorcist head of writing endeavors, but it’s just not my nature. While I can admire the ferocity of focus some copywriters employ, I can’t join their ranks—I don’t think I could breathe. And, genial bigot that I am, I have to sing the praises of the generalist’s keys, because polymath writing pursuits are inherently interesting for their variety.

Building Expertise, by the Paragraph and by the Project

Now, I have varying degrees of expertise in the areas I listed above, but having written and edited nonfiction books, having written question-and-response dialog for software products, having written three novels and a book of short stories, having written and won awards for many travel pieces, having written many brochures, ads, blog posts—heck, having written lots of grocery lists, I’m confident I can deliver what each organization needs, granting the many iterations of review and rewrite that some projects necessitate. For many writers like me, once you write website copy for a company, they may call you later to write headlines for an ad.

You might not have written headlines for ads before, but the good generalist will always pipe up with a merry “Yes!” when asked about their ability to write a heady headline. Many fundamental writing skills translate across boundaries—cross-writing is often more comfortable than cross-dressing. (High-heeled pumps just don’t work well with my size 13s.) So, if you are breaking in to the copywriter’s fold, and you’re thinking that you could write sales letters not only for the nuked goats and rabbits, but perhaps for radium-isotope gerbils too—go for it. Next thing you know, you’re a reptiles-with-battery packs specialist too.

To Niche or Not

However, you’ll find a lot of declarations online from successful creatives that having a niche is key. Every time I read one—because the arguments are sound—I try to reassess my position. My trouble is that as mentioned, I truly love the variety of writing a writer can do, and dabble in so many of its forms. And, well, there are bills to pay, so I don’t make the time to really hone a focus and tune my marketing that way. On the generalists vs specialists clash, Google seems to favor the specialists.

Many people who argue for a niche list among their arguments that the greenbacks are greener for the specialist. John Soares, the owner of Productive Writers, is a niche advocate. As his post explains (↑), specialists become known as experts, do projects faster and with less research, and pocket more cash. Not bad arguments.

Forbes spent some words (↑) trying to convince me that expertise in one area means you can dig deeper than a generalist, and that your unique selling point becomes more precise, plus that your marketing can be tailored to that specialty. And this piece (↑) also has some persuasion about more nickels coming your way with a niche.

But what about love? One of the reasons my sweetheart angled to meet me, those many years ago, was because she wanted to meet someone who wrote the back-side descriptions for the photographs on pretty notecards. Guilty. But at the time I, for that successful photographer, I was writing product descriptions, letters to photographic editors and cataloguing images as well. Kept me more intrigued than postcard poetry alone.

Peeling Twain’s Onion

Yes, I do think there is some danger in the dilution of dilettantism. But my hero, Mark Twain, wrote plays (badly), essays, poems, short stories, novels, advocacy pieces, travel articles, satire, straight journalism, handbills, speeches, jokes—and if you dip your toes into a wide reading pond, you’ll be convinced that he must have sat down and decided to write an entire book of quotations.

Some fiction-only writers wrinkle their noses at the taint of the commercial writer, their thought stained by a salesperson’s strain to wiggle widgets at uninterested passersby. Some pedal-floored copywriters breezily dismiss the fevered character/plot/conflict workings of the fiction writer as the strivings of gossamer dreams, without chance for publication or pennies to follow.

Both commercial and creative writing can pull from deep sources, draw on emotional layers, and provoke rich thought. And dubbing one “creative” and one not isn’t really accurate. Both can be creative. Or not.

We all move through our days, trying to figure out what to do if we have a surgeon’s hands and a troubadour’s heart. (I have neither, but I do have those impressively large feet.)


Tom Bentley
Tom Bentley
Tom Bentley is a business writer and editor, an essayist, and a fiction writer. (He does not play banjo.) He’s had hundreds of freelance pieces published—ranging from first-person essays to travel pieces to more journalistic subjects—in newspapers, magazines, and online. His self-published book on finding and cultivating your writer’s voice, Think Like a Writer: How to Write the Stories You See was published in June of 2015. He would like you to pour him a Manhattan right at five. You can see his lurid website confessions at www.tombentley.com (↑)



Posted by Tom Bentley in Business Strategy, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Top Posts on Thursday, December 7, 2017 has got 3 Comments.
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Don't Write Off Libraries, Yet

Written by , has got 3 Comments.

I haven't been at the city's new Central Library for quite some time, but today it was the location I needed to be in, because I got stuck.

Central Library, Vienna

Book Shelf in the Central Library in Vienna (↑)



Without a doubt online resources help to save a lot of time when doing research and fact checking. But there are some caveats:
  • Not all books, magazines, newspapers and media are accessible online. Especially older publications.

  • There are more untrustworthy resources on the Internet than in libraries.

  • It simply feels good to touch books, newspapers and magazines. And reading is much easier on the eyes.
Going to the library is a good reason to get out of the office.

A Short Personal Note

It gets even better. My today's visit incidentally had a huge side benefit. I found DVDs with older Hollywood movies dubbed in German language that I could not get a hold on otherwise. I couldn't even buy this movie versions with dual language audio track elsewhere. And the fees pubic libraries charge are ridiculously low. It can't get any better than that.

In case you are curious about the movies I liked to get:
  • “The Million Pound Note”, a 1956 movie starring Gregory Peck, based on a story by Mark Twain.

  • “Hollywood Ending”, a 2002 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character.

  • “Crimes and Misdemeanors” is a 1989 American existential comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, who stars alongside Martin Landau, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Jerry Orbach, Alan Alda, Sam Waterston and Joanna Gleason. The film was met with critical acclaim, and was nominated for three Academy Awards. In several publications, Crimes and Misdemeanors has been ranked as one of Allen's greatest films.


Where is your next library?


Yours

John W. Furst


Posted by in Miscellaneous, Top Posts on Friday, October 27, 2017 has got 3 Comments.
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Personal Networking on a Global Scale

Written by , has got 2 Comments.

In late September this year I had the pleasure to meet semi-retired business coach and blogger with entrepreneurial spirit, Marcos M. Gaser (↑), for the first time.

Marcos M. Gaser with John W. Furst in Schönbrunn, Vienna, Ausstria

Talking about life and business.
Marcos M. Gaser with John W. Furst in Park Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria in
September 2017.



Our history of knowing each other goes back almost 10 years when best-selling author Seth Godin (↑) ran a private community to facilitate the launch of his book “Tribes - We Need You To Lead Us” in 2008.

The voluntary collaboration on a couple of projects for Seth Godin helped bond together a small core group of about 100 out of 3,662 members so tightly that we are still in touch and connected many years after the Triiibes social platform has been closed. Because of this, the meeting between Marcos and me felt exactly like the opposite to a blind date. We have known and trusted each other for quite some time. Now, we shared many more personal stories, ideas about our business ventures and much more. Marcos also introduced me to his wife and daughter who visited the Schönbrunn Palace while we had a very good time in the “Men's Club” so to speak.

We'll meet again in Austria or Slovenia in November to continue the conversation. At that time a fellow Triiibes member from Wyoming, USA will join us while he is on vacation on a long trip across Europe. The three of us are already looking forward to this a lot.

“Social Networks are awesome but getting together in person is still unmatched.”

Since Marcos has shared some stories with me from his encounter and working with legendary Jim Rohn, let me close with three of his quotes.

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”

~ Jim Rohn


“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.”

~ Jim Rohn


“Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.”

~ Jim Rohn


Jim Rohn (↑) (1930 — 2009) was an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker.


Thanks, Marcos!



Yours

John W. Furst



Posted by in Business Strategy, Coaching, Marketing, Personal Development, Social Media, Top Posts on Monday, October 16, 2017 has got 2 Comments.
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“Make 'Em Laugh” Every Once in a While

Written by ,

Humor plays a big role in B2C advertising and marketing. However, most marketing material in B2B segments screams “Just the facts, Ma'am!”

But why is that?

B2B content is for serious business, isn't it. But who wants to be serious all day long?

Nobody!

Businesses are built on people!

So let's get some human touch back into the communication in B2B.


Give your prospects and customers something they can look forward to.


Don't get me wrong. The following video might not be the perfect choice since the song is more than 60 years old.

(Watching is totally optional.)

"Make 'Em Laugh" Video Still

Donald O'Connor performing the Cole Porter song "Make 'Em Laugh" in the musical film “Singing in the Rain” in 1952. Click the image (↑) to play on YouTube in a new window.



I am also not saying start to tell silly jokes in your email newsletter, because that certainly won't work for very long. Talk to your sales team (if you have such) and they will tell you what your prospects and customers want to hear.

But from my own experience as marketing manager in the corporate world I know that many marketing and advertising gals and guys are looking down to the sales people. This is totally counterproductive but it is the situation in many companies and the problems grow with the size of the company. It will pay off to fine-tune the messages to your target audience.

Think of it from the human point of view.

Which newsletter would you wait eagerly for:
  • The “Just the Facts” type of newsletter?
  • Or the newsletter with personality, talking to you as a person?

If you don't do this already and don't know where to start, begin with making them smile. I am sure you were having a lot of business and sales meetings in your career. Now think about funny moments that helped building relationships.

The right type and dose of humor acts like a bridge.

Seven years ago I have written “B2B Marketing Fundamentals Don't Change” (↑) showcasing “The Man In The Chair Ad”. Still valid today. Check it out if you like.


Then go to work.


Yours

John W. Furst





Posted by in Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, Top Posts on Friday, September 22, 2017
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E-Commerce - Top 10 Open Source Platforms

Written by ,

Recently I wrote a reminder to get your web shop and marketing campaigns ready for the holiday shopping season (↑).

In case you have not setup a web shop already or if you want to change yours, here are some open source platforms to choose from.

Top 10 Open Source E-Commerce Platforms

The Top Ten open Source E-Commerce platforms


  1. Magento Community Edition
  2. osCommerce
  3. OpenCart
  4. Spree Commerce
  5. PrestaShop
  6. Zen Cart
  7. WooCommerce
  8. JigoShop
  9. Drupal Commerce
  10. VirtueMart

Read the full article with pros and cons for each platform here:

The Top 10 Open Source Ecommerce Platforms at (↑)
at www.floship.com.



Have a great day!


Yours

John W. Furst

Posted by in Marketing, Top Posts, Web Site Development on Wednesday, August 30, 2017
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Top 5 Reasons to Use Email Marketing As A Tool To Attract Customers To Your Website

Written by Guest Author,

Business nowadays needs more research and commitments to reach a point of success. There are so many ways of passing information in business. Mentioning a few examples wouldn’t go amiss – it's possible to inform people by word of mouth and through telephones (cold calling), fax-mailing, and the use of emails. The latter will be our main conversation topic.

Companies and business people have their own mediums of communication which they feel are more fitting for their businesses. The use of these various ways of communication depends heavily on conducted research and number of clients.
Internet and online business is another key factor that everyone needs to consider before indulging in any profitable activity.

Email Marketing


A recent trend has shown that more people have embraced the use of unconventional methods (like Instagram (↑) marketing campaigns and Facebook campaigns) in their outreach strategies. Statistics show that over two billion (↑) people in the world are constantly using email in their daily lives. That’s approximately 35 percent of the world’s population. It’s only natural to assume that the power of email marketing is growing rapidly and it may be the best, most convenient way to connect with more people on a regular basis. It’s getting increasingly hard to find a person who doesn’t have an email account of any kind, that applies to everyone living in huge cities as well as smaller towns. What follows are the five benefits of using email marketing.


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Posted by Guest Author in Email Marketing Tips, Marketing, Top Posts on Wednesday, March 29, 2017
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Google Search News: Mobile First Indexing and AMP

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Google announces mobile-first indexing
Google has announced Mobile-First Indexing at Pubcon 2016 in Las Vegas

Five and a half years ago I already have written about the shift towards mobile use of the Internet and growth of social media.


Now, “mobile” is bigger than ever and the trend does not stop as more and more services come online which focus on a great mobile user experience. So it is not really a surprise that Google expresses a clear focus on web optimization for mobile access and mobile devices.


Gary Illyes announced at the Pubcon [1] conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 13, 2016 that Google is switching to mobile-first indexing. This means websites which are not mobile friendly in Google's eyes will be kicked out and moved to the secondary index. Furthermore the secondary index is not updated as frequently as the primary index is. This will be a huge disadvantage for those sites if they rely on search engine traffic from Google.


The following two articles discuss the keynote:



What is “mobile friendly?”


Responsive design or serving an optimized “mobile version” of a site to users on mobile devices has become the industry standard for “mobile friendliness.” However, that's not where Google wants the improvements to stop. Coping with small screens limited input capabilities is not nearly enough. Users want that sites load very quickly in under 2 seconds.


Therefore, Google has launched its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) (↑) open source project in February 2016. This project tackles low Internet connections speeds as well.


At first, this seems counter-intuitive since mobile high speed LTE Internet connections with speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s become more widely available at affordable rates. In fact in many rural areas mobile connectivity is the only and in many cases best choice you can get. LTE/4G Internet access is nowadays available in 102 countries, … but with limited coverage. On a worldwide scale only 50% of mobile users are covered with at least 3G. [2] The remaining 50% of mobile users are stuck with low speeds: 56 kbit/s for 2G and 220 kbit/s for 2.5G like EDGE. Now the AMP project makes more sense.


It has never been more important to provide users with mobile devices the best user experience possible. Google will hold you accountable.


Implementing AMP


Adopting AMP does not need to create you a headache, at least, if your website is powered by popular software like WordPress which has 70% market share among content management systems (CMS) and powers more than 20% of all websites on the Internet. Just search for the appropriate plugin.


Joast-de-Valk shares some detailed recommendations on AMP for WordPress (↑).


But AMP is already available for other popular CMS platforms like Joomla and Drupal.


Thanks to the open source nature of the project AMP is already supported by many platforms (↑).


What's next?


Gary Illyes also gave the impression the site-wide use of the secure HTTPS
protocol for all websites could be something Google has on its wishlist for the future. We will see.


Yours Truly

John W. Furst


Notes

[1] Pubcon, is the premier social media and optimization conference, is supported by the industry's leading businesses, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors involved in social media, Internet marketing, search engines, and digital advertising, and offers an in-depth look at the future of technology presented by the world's top …

[2] Source: Global Internet Report 2015 (↑)



Posted by in Marketing, SEO, Top Posts, Web Site Development on Tuesday, October 25, 2016
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