Frontline Perspectives

We’ve all heard that content is king. That to build trust and gain customers, every B2B company should be creating online content that is relevant and valuable. And that’s true. But as communication evolves, what form should that content take? Should we continue to create content that’s a direct extension of our marketing efforts? Or should marketing departments take a more journalistic approach that focuses on content that improves people’s work lives, rather than promoting companies and products, knowing that the “gravy” will be improved SEO, influence and sales?

First, it’s helpful to understand how these two approaches differ. Read more »

Last week, while working on a business letter here at MarketSense, we took a step back and asked ourselves if the old letter-writing rules still apply. Sure, a strong headline always adds value, but what about that pesky postscript? Traditionally, business letters mention the call to action three times, including once in the postscript, in hopes that the reader will notice at least one of them. But today, in the interest of brevity, is it better to mention your call to action in the body copy and be done with it?

The answer: It depends. Read more »

The new rules of social media series.

While on vacation this past week, I had the chance to finish Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and more) that Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business. As a long-time fan of Anne Handley of Marketing Profs, I was looking forward to hearing what she had to say about  maximizing your online presence. Read more »

Most of us wouldn’t be working here, at a business-to-business creative agency, if it weren’t for school art programs, extra-curricular art programs, art festivals, art movements and, last but not least, the money to fund those programs. In recent years, the arts have had some series cuts in funding, especially where it is needed most: in schools. Read more »

First, a disclaimer: I realize that the quickest way to ruin something funny is to overanalyze it. So before I ruin this, I just want to say:

Here’s a link. Enjoy these posts … some of them are pretty damn funny. Things Real People Don’t Say About Advertising. Read more »

If you’re like most people, you aren’t reading this. Read more »

Great article in this month’s CEO magazine by an old colleague of mine, Andrea Ayers of Convergys.  “What Your Customers Are Really Telling You” provides some interesting information about what people really think about customer service.

Andrea lists the five most important things that customers want you to know:
1. Companies aren’t listening to feedback.
2. Service is almost all that matters. Read more »

Yes, I mean vooks and not books.

I am a big reader. A couple of years ago, I got a Kindle as a gift (from my husband and two girls for Mother’s Day- good job guys!) For me, my Kindle is as addictive as chocolate. At any given time there are 4-6 books that I’m reading (most of them work-related these days). It goes on every trip with me, and for any appointments where I know I’ll be kept waiting. I am feeling a little outdated since I have version 1, and version 2 is really sweet. But I might wait a bit longer to get the next version because of something better that is coming out. Read more »

One of the eNewsletters that I subscribe to, Channel Security, published this interesting look back at some of the bigger twitter attacks. I must have missed several of these, as some did not look familiar at all. It was a good reminder that you need to think before you click. Read more »

We all know that customer service is important. Answering questions, resolving complaints, providing suggestions. Almost all companies today will say that they have “good” customer service. But the companies that move from good to great customer service, and deliver great consistently, are the ones that win repeat business.

I just finished reading “The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience that turns Satisfied Customers into Customer Evangelists,” by Shep Hyken. Initially I thought this book might be just the “remember to treat your customers nicely” reminder. And in several places it was not only predictable but repetitious (everyone in marketing has heard the story about Nordstrom’s taking back a customer’s tires -even though they don’t sell tires).

However, Hyken pushes you further by focusing on the premise that too many companies have a great product, nice people, and talk a great story (just read their mission statements). But the reality is that most don’t walk the talk. They just don’t deliver on their brand promise, and if they do, they don’t do it consistently. He contends this is the single most important thing a company should do…LIVE your brand. Read more »