Posted by
John Leavy on February 13th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
No, this is not a product endorsement for Sage’s ACT!, a leading customer management software. This post is about 37signals, one of Sage’s competitors or perhaps not really. Yes, both software packages have similar functions yet they are quite different.
As our company has grown over these past years we’ve had to install another level of business process to keep projects on schedule and things from falling through the tracks. 37signals has met and surpassed our expectations as a customer management solution. That’s the honest truth. This is not a paid endorsement, remember? We use all four components in 37signals’ suite: Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire.
All the packages have 30-day free trials, are easy to learn and can be ramped up over time. These options suited us well because we’re a small business and our time and resources are precious. Here’s how we use each of these packages, not necessarily how you might apply them in your business:
Basecamp – is a simple project management solution. We track all the project team members, their things to do, messages between each other, pertinent documents, schedules and files. A great fit for a small, busy company.
Highrise – this is where we keep all of... Read more
Tags: Content Management
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Email | No Comments »
In the world of B2B management, there are numerous head scratching efforts going on as we peer ahead into 2012 and beyond. Primarily, it has to do with how to get from here to there. One of the issues faced by B2B companies with the high degree of uncertainty, global economic turbulence, and a rapidly changing buyer driven and social world is figuring out where the from here to there actually leads to.
Recent buyer and management interviews tell me a lot of head scratching continues to go on. Plenty of internal angst and debate is taking place on how to get from here to there, what is needed, what should be done, and what a lot of people think. The what to do aspects of internal planning usually center on strategy and tactical questions such as:
How do we grow revenues?
What can we do to generate more leads?
How do we expand business with existing customers?
What type of content will drive more traffic to our web site?
Should we get more active with social media?
Do we need to improve our product quality and offering?
Should we boost marketing and sales budgets?
Do we need to hire more people?
What should our pricing... Read more
Tags: buyer experience, buyer insight, buyer persona, buyer research, buyergraphics, buyerology, content marketing, marketing, qualitative research, socialmedia, Targeting, trends
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Emerging Platforms, Opinions, Search, Social Media, Targeting, Websites | No Comments »
Links pointing to the future of marketing, from the co-founder of Facebook content strategy tool Zuum.
The 20 most entertaining Super Bowl tweets
Funny stuff. Naturally, a lot of ad references.
Via @PublicityGuru
Input Error – Histories of Social Media
Just came across this site. I like both the content and the URLs implication: That social media may be a new term, but it’s a long-standing phenomenon.
Via @jonathansalem
Glam Media launches Foodie.com, a culinary site with a social network baked in
In the social media wars, what will most likely pull large numbers of people away from Facebook: A new general social network, or something more niche? I personally think the niche sites have a lot more to offer in terms of a more engaging experience. I think the big question will be how well they can integrate with Facebook, and then slowly siphon off traffic to their own properties.
Via @lizstrauss
Where To Find Budget For Content Marketing
Good content requires resources. Some of the challenge is simply identifying the diamonds in the rough, and knowing how to put the right polish on them. This is a good list of places to look into if you find yourself in need... Read more
Tags: content marketing, content strategy, Facebook, facebook marketing, Facebook strategy, Social Media, social media marketing, social media strategy
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Emerging Platforms, Opinions, Social Media, Word of Mouth | No Comments »
This post is particularly interesting because it uses brand-generated photography, yet it's not likely something pulled from existing assets like an ad campaign or product shot catalog. With Facebook now a primary channel for brands to connect with their customers, timely, creative and low-cost artwork like this is a smart way to keep the page fresh and -- based on the fan’s reaction -- highly engaging.
Starbucks' groundhog day line: "What if your coffee sees it's shadow today?"
Below is this week's Top Ten. You can click through to see any of the actual posts.
Our FREE Top Ten weekly report features the top post from each of the top ten brands on Facebook. You can either sign up or view the complete list of posts in our latest report, featured in the archives on this page.
Get a FREE TRIAL of Zuum, the leading Facebook Page Content Strategy tool, by just registering.
Tags: coca-cola, converse, disney, Facebook, facebook marketing, Facebook strategy, mtv, oreo, red bull, report, skittles, social media strategy, starbucks, top ten, youtube
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Emerging Platforms, Social Media, Web Analytics, Word of Mouth | No Comments »
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