Business to Business Lead Generation

September 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

I had a good meeting with some venture capital people today.

No, I was not raising money.

Actually we were there via a referral and we were discussing how our lead generation system could help them grow their portfolio companies.  It turns out that over 50% of the companies were a good fit for increasing sales through our lead generation system.

That got me thinking about how to sell business to business.  It seems to me that it is smarter to go after venture capital people to get introductions to other business owners that can benefit from your product or service.  I am not saying this is easy, but the traditional route of hoping that business owners know other business owners and will refer you in just seems limited.  The nice thing about talking to these VC’s is that we sell a product that increases quality sales leads.  They have a great interest in increasing the portfolio company’s sales and profits.  It was a good meeting.

If you have only been going through one channel of people to do business to business lead generation, consider who else might be able to introduce you to the people that can benefit the most from working with you.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Marketing ROI, Networking 

Free Wordpress Theme

January 10, 2009 | 2 Comments

Wordpress is an Open Source Blog Package.  I write about it occasionally, but really should more often.  I spend a lot of time playing with Wordpress, customizing it, setting it up, etc.

One challenge is always to find good Free Wordpress Themes.

Wordpress Themes are a package of templates, images and style sheets that you upload to a specific folder and unzip.  Then you can activate it and customize it via the admin interface of Wordpress.

So via Twitter I found this Free Wordpress Theme called Apollo today - please note that I have not installed it yet, but is looks very clean and nice.  I am looking forward to giving it a try.  Go look at all the great layouts and they even provide a bunch of generic logos.

I have paid for good themes in the past.  I do not mind doing that, but with more and more quality free themes coming out, the days of paying for a theme seem numbered.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Buzz with Blogs, Interesting Buzz, Internet Marketing, Networking, Word of Mouth Marketing 

Brian Tracy

December 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

I am involved with Brian Tracy for the first time because I joined iLearning Global in his down line.

Before that, I’d never looked at much of what Brian Tracy did, but I knew who he was and I had heard about all the people that respect him.  And after seeing Brian Tracy’s Videos on iLearning Global I have grown to respect him as well.

The interesting thing for me on this blog is BRAND protection.  Brian Tracy does a good job of locking up his organic searches on google for his name.  I think all 10 are favorable for him and probably owned by him.  Many other long term word combinations with his name are not locked down well, but that is time consuming and hard to do.

What fascinated me more is the heavy attack on his personal brand with Google Adwords - just look at the image to the right of the ads that appear when you search on Brian Tracy.

Maybe that is a sign of when you have really made it.  When people feel compelled to try to steal your thunder by running ads for your name and trying to lure people that are clearly interested in your message away from you, it is really the ultimate sign of respect.

Personally I think it is kind of sad, but Brian Tracy probably gets the last laugh as people that are looking for his name most likely do not click much on the ads that are defaming Brian.

The image to the left does not click anyplace - it is there to illustrate the point.  If you want to see some of these ads live and clickable, go do your own lookup of Brian Tracy.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Networking 

Twilight - Stephanie Meyers

October 5, 2008 | 8 Comments

NEW YORK - AUGUST 01: Stephenie Meyer poses o...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

This is not a book review of Twilight by Stephanie Meyers.







 Instead, it is a look at how a product can be so exceptional that the product takes on a life of its own.

I have not read Twilight.  I have read some of the things about Twilight on Stephanie Meyer’s Website.  But while I was in Denver to speak at a convention I happened to have CNN on and they showed the book, and all the raving fans of the book, and an interview with Stephanie Meyers.  The Twilight movie is coming soon.

I’d seen the books on display in the book store before, but never thought that vampire books would be appropriate for my 11 year old.

So long story short, after seeing the interview with the vampire book writer, I decided to get it from the library and see if my wife and daughter wanted to give it a try.

Stay with me here, there is a very strong marketing message coming

Now they both really liked Harry Potter and have read them multiple times. So since the interview mentioned a comparison I had high hopes I’d found another winner that they would really enjoy.  Oddly enough, with 1,000’s of books published every day, there are few that really stand out beyond decent entertainment.  One of my missions in life is to find them good books regularly, which is no easy task.

So I got the book from the library.   Within a day or two my wife picked it up and started browsing it, not sure if she wanted to read it.

She did not sleep that night and finished the Twilight in one sitting.  Within 3-4 days she’d finished all four books in the series.  Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.  One night she read because she was so upset with the book because of the decisions the one character, Bella, was making.

While my daughter did not read it in one sitting, she did finish it within 2 days.  And when I asked them if they were better than Harry Potter, they both agreed that yes, they were better.

This was nuts, I was thinking.

They read twilight and breaking dawn (their two favorites) over and over until the two weeks was up and we had to return them to the library.  Then, for one day they took a break and then on the second day my wife asked me to go to Walmart and buy them for her.

They’d already read them multiple times!

So I bought twilight and breaking dawn, and I am sure we will get the middle two at some point as well.

The Marketing Message

I promised a marketing message and here it is.  I frequently say there is no trick, no secret formula, you just have to have a clear marketing strategy and keep doing it long enough and making adjustments.  Well I lied.  The secret formula is to make a product that is so exceptional and creates a strong emotional connection so that it generates the kind of raving fan base that these books are creating.

I hope Stephanie Meyers is very rich.  We paid much less for her books than we would to see a movie or go to an amusement part, and my wife and daughter have gotten an amazing number of hours of enjoyment reading, and rereading the books.  They will be in line on the first day to see the twilight movie coming out next month.

At some point I am going to read these books, not for the pure pleasure, but to study how it is written and understand how she used words to create such a compelling connection with the reader.  Twilight has the secret formula and it may be required reading for any marketer.
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Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Networking, Word of Mouth Marketing 

Offline Activity that Drives Website Traffic

July 15, 2008 | 2 Comments

Because online marketing is newer than other forms of marketing, it is easy to think of them as two different worlds.  However, if you think of business being about relationships and providing value, that barrier breaks down right away.

The question is not whether online will work for you.  The very legitimate question is, Do you have the time and inclination to use online tools to extend what you are doing?

I do not do direct mail.  I don’t want to, and while I may be losing out on some clients, I do not care because I do not believe in direct mail as an effective marketing tool in most cases.

For many business owners, they have a website, but they do not believe in internet marketing.  That is fine as well.  It is your choice, and it is less about whether it works or not, and more about your inclination to try to do it right.

Something that is often lost is that online extends off-line.  Here are some ideas on how to use your real-world marketing and online marketing to form a great marketing alliance.

  1. Speech Teaser – When you give a speech, mention the limited time but let the audience know where to go on your website to find a video of 5 more secret tips.  Ideally it is after they sign up for the newsletter.
  2. Direct Mail – Go to the website and sign in to get your secret discount code – or to see if you have won a prize.
  3. Brochure – Expand your paper brochure with a website address that has video of your product, service, etc.
  4. Business Card – Don’t just list your main website.  List your blog or other resources.  Use the back of your business card to add value.
  5. Networking – When you have a chance to meet people and work with people, use sites like LinkedIn to connect and leave testimonials and endorsements.
  6. Cold Calling – When you call someone and they are interested in your offer, get their email and send them a link or two to video or resources that will interest them but not be too sales oriented.
  7. Print – Always have ways to get more information by visiting the website.  I recently saw a whole proposal done as a public blog to demonstrate the companies commitment to social media.
  8. Advertising – No matter what your advertising, they should be able to explore the topic more by going online.

If you are doing all of these things, you could say that you are doing Internet Marketing, you could say you are doing traditional marketing, or you could just say you are a damn fine marketer.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Networking, Sales, Small Business 

Conduct a Social Network Audit

July 9, 2008 | 1 Comment

When you first started your business, it was simple.  You had a checking account and it had a few expenses every month, and if you were lucky, some deposits.

“Today you are trading in social currency.  You may be rich, or you may be poor, but it is the currency of the future whether you like it or not.”

If the IRS came knocking at your young business, you gave them the shoe box of transactions and brewed them some coffee while they sat at your kitchen table and reviewed a whole year’s worth of transaction.  If you have been in business for a while, you know how quickly that changes.  Multiple checking accounts, automatic transactions left and right, loans, credit cards, balance transfers….

For a more mature company, an audit is a hassle if you have to do it yourself.

twitbroken1.gifSocial Networking seems just as confusing and out of control as finances can be.  It all started out easy.  No need to keep lots of records, you are just trying out that new social media tool…

Doing taxes, and auditing your own financials is not fun.  But if you were not forced to do it periodically, imagine what a mess you could have after a few years.

Your Social Media Efforts Need Audited

Your social media efforts produce important things for you, even if you are not taking full advantage of them.

  1. Connections - Also known as lists of people
  2. Feeds - Avenues to publish information other people see
  3. Access - Permission to publish on other websites

Much like scheduling auto-payments for a bill, many of these tools automatically publish information or grow your network.  It is easy to forget it is happening.

Here are recommendations to getting the most out of your social media effort.

  1. Have a real strategy - Who would you like to connect with and what do you have to offer them?
  2. Have a reason for them to sign up to an email list - Email is still #1 when used correctly.  What can you offer people in your many online groups to entice them to sign up directly with you for email?
  3. Track all your accounts - Keep a spreadsheet of accounts, when you signed up, password, etc.
  4. Audit your profile and settings at least twice per year.  You will find all kinds of things have changed, but you have not updated them.
  5. Look for new integration opportunities - Social media is doing a better job of integrating and standardizing than financial tools are, in my opinion.  (Yes, financial is a bit harder, I know)

Perpetual Beta Social Media

Social media sites are constantly evolving.  If not the tool itself, then some other tool that will take data from a site and display it within another tool.  Crazy!

You have to keep up, or your image will get muddled or stale.  The good news is that there are social media bookkeepers.  A good virtual assistant can help you organize the tools, track progress and outcome, grow your connections and audit your profiles -  often in a few hours per month.  The Virtual Buzz Assistant network was created because of the incredible need for this kind of help.  It helps people develop their own Virtual Buzz Assistant business and help busy professionals that understand the importance of social media to find the help they need.

No sales pitch here - you can do it all yourself right after you update Quickbooks and finish your weekly payroll.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Buzzoodle, Networking 

7 Stupid Social Media Mistakes - Are you making them?

June 9, 2008 | 19 Comments

There is a variety of problems with social media.  I have identified the 7 mistakes that really make you look like a rookie that just learned about the Internet thingy.  Don’t worry if you are making some of these mistakes, you are not alone.

  1. Trying to participate in too many tools
    If you are siging up and building a profile on every new thing that comes out, you better be a writer for Mashable.  No one can keep up with all the new things.  Find some you like and do a good job in them.
     
  2. Expect that just setting up an account will yield results
    Guess what - you have to do more than just set up an account to get results.  If I had a dollar for every person that has told me they set up a LinkedIn account and nothing happened, I’d be rich.
     
  3. Not using the tools to connect with people
    Nearly every site makes it possible to connect with other people (I think that is why they call is SOCIAL media).  If you are not connecting, no one is finding you.
     
  4. Giving up after a short time
    Social media is about making and sustaining connections.  The only way you can grow your influence is long term.  Stop crying - if you do not like the fact that it takes time, don’t do it at all.
     
  5. Promoting yourself without providing value
    The fact that you signed up for an account does not give you the right to promote yourself constantly.  And it is a sure way to get people to run in the other direction.
     
  6. Not using the tools to link to other resources
    Similar to not connection to people, if you only link to your website or blog and never bookmark or link to other interesting resources, you will never gain the respect of your audience.  Nor should you.
     
  7. Not intentionally building a target network
    Don’t pick the biggest network or the one that your kid brother said you should use.  Find out where your current customers go and your target audience hangs out online.  Intentionally build value and influence in the right communities, even if they are smaller.

If you are a business person trying to get into this social media thing, I fully expect that you have made all of these mistakes.  I promise you that if you get these things turned around, your popularity and influence will rise online, as will your pocketbook eventually.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz, Networking 

Does your email message stink?

May 8, 2008 | 3 Comments

The reason you communicate with people is to create relationships.  Maybe not directly, one to one, but connections none the less.

 Before you dash off your next email, consider if you are just answering the question or building a better relationship.

Email mistakes you may be making:

  • Email too short: If you are just replying to a question, you may be losing an opportunity to create a better relationship.  What could you send that demonstrates value and caring?
  • Email too long: If your email is too long, people will just skim it and get what they need.  Send the email with links that point to more information they might be interested in.
  • Personal & Caring:  Address the person and make your message more about them and less about you.
  • Email Signature: One of the ways I frequenly contact people is to look up a recent email and scroll to the bottom.  If you do not have a good email signature, you are missing out.

And lastly, don’t give away the farm.

You should build resources that you can send people to if you get common inquiries.  For example, I could have sent a recent group of inquiries the link to our blog post on 99 ways to create buzz.  Instead, I let them know they get that link if they sign up for our free Buzz Marketing email course.  The link was shorter, the message was shorter and the relationship is stronger because they sign up for our course.

Don’t get me wrong here - don’t double the time required to answer emails.  Simply have resources available that you can send or link to that strengthen the relationship beyond a yes or no.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Networking 

Are you creating LinkedIn LOVE?

April 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Years ago, I worked at a university where we created an online community (before it was super easy) and used it to help students get to know each other before arriving at the school.  It was a big success but with some unexpected usages.  Students were using the site to plan parties and other kinds of activities.  The developers later started referring to it as the orgy board.

LinkedIn was developed to organize your network.  People you really know.  But by nature, some people like to connect with lots of people far and wide.  I see value in either option - having a strong network or having a broad network both have some great positives.

The trick to creating a broad network in LinkedIn is to have your email in your title and LION (Linked In Open Networker) also in your top portion.  These two things are an invitation to connect to strangers.  - See my profile

LinkedIn  could put a stop to this.  It is certainly not their intention, but why fight nature?  Wouldn’t people just find another way to hook up eventually?

Now, if you want people to pay attention to your invitations, write one that shows you took a real look at them.  Today I got this:

Ron

I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. I work in a Buzz Marketing agency in Italy, and I think that Buzzoodle is the bible of word of mouth :)

-Dario

How could I not connect to Dario!?!?  That is how you spend 10 extra seconds and get a much bigger bang for your buck.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Networking 

Super Hero Cards

April 22, 2008 | 3 Comments

If you are a regular reader or know me personally, you know we have some very unique business cards that are shaped like bee hives.  They get great results and are well worth the little extra to pay for a die cut.

Today I stumbled upon Super Hero Cards.  I am not sure I want to see me in tights, but this is a good option for those people that want to have fun, stand out and have something different.

I usually get two or three people asking me “What ideas do you have for my card…” after a presentation.  Creativity in such a small and portable space takes time, but take a look at that site for a different take on the business card.

Updated:  Benjamin Bach emailed me his Super Hero card.  Here it is and see his comment.Email Super Hero

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Networking 

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