white papers
Guest post by Karleia Steiner
Popular stories from companies such as Facebook and AirBnB have many smaller business owners believing that customer acquisition will be easy as long as they have the right product or service. While maintaining an unparalleled product is the first step in expanding a customer base, owners will also need to take a look at the following tips to keep their pool of customers growing throughout the years.
1. Content Marketing
Savvy marketers have jumped on the Content Marketing bandwagon with good reason. Content marketing is generally considered to be the most cost-effective method of getting new customers. Once you set up your social media accounts and your website is up and running, you can regularly release engaging and helpful information with blogs, white papers, and press releases to increase your company’s visibility at little to no cost.
2. The 80/20 Rule Continue reading
Content marketing is all the rage as companies and nonprofits scramble to become publishers or maintain their publishing schedules. I have one question? Isn’t it getting overcrowded out there?
Every time a new marketing tactic comes along, it seems like everyone wants in on the bandwagon. It reminds me of high school. Once one popular kid wears something trendy to school, the next day, everyone else shows up wearing the same thing. It doesn’t bode well for individualism though, does it?
Now, I’m NOT saying that content marketing is a bad thing. Quite the contrary. I practice it and advise others to use it, too. BUT, not to the exclusion of everything else! Continue reading
Every once in a while, I notice things that companies, organizations, and individuals do online that can erode their brands. These boo-boos are easily corrected, so I thought I’d share three of them with you in the hopes that you’ll avoid them.
1. Using Comic Sans font.
I went to a speaker’s bureau’s site for information on speaking opportunities. Unless you work for a circus, a kids’ organization, or you’re a comedian, lose this font! It’s hard to take you seriously when you use this font style.
2. Asking for too much information for free white papers, research reports, and on registration forms.
I know I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to take the time to include my entire life’s bio. I realize it’s important to marketers to capture leads, but this is a grey area when it comes to e-mail marketing legislation.
I may sign up to receive one thing, and before I know it, I’m receiving regular marketing emails from these organizations. I know how ubiquitous this is, but it isn’t a positive brand experience for me.
Now, if these companies proved their worth with whatever it is I signed up for, and ASKED me if I want to subscribe to their newsletters or emails, maybe I would consider it. Otherwise, it’s simply SPAM.
3. Asking for too much information when rating products, services, etc.
Walgreen’s sent me a survey to rate a product I purchased online. It had the following sections and questions:
Product Ratings:
Write a Detailed Review: Review title (Summarize your review in one line. Keep content relevant and appropriate. Don’t include personally identifiable information.); Review text box; Pros text box; Cons text box; Order ID ((will not appear on our site).
Post your own product recommendations: What products would you recommend to others? Add them to your review.
Tell Other Customers About Yourself and Connect: Location text box; Email text box (We will ONLY use your email to notify you in regards to your submission.); How old are you? drop-down menu; What is your gender? drop-down menu; How often do you shop at Walgreens drop-down menu; Do you use our online pharmacy and online photo sections of walgreens.com? text box; Are you a Fan of Walgreens on Facebook? drop-down menu; What is your preferred method of learning of a promotion? drop-down menu.
Please Tell Us What You Think About Walgreens: Would you recommend Walgreens to a friend? radio buttons 1-10; Please tell us why text box.
OMG!! I took one look at the length of the survey and quickly closed it. Come on, Walgreen’s. I’m brand loyal, but please make it simple!
Have you experienced these three things? Do they bother you, too?
