DISQUS

Referrals may be the most underused of all marketing tactics...although they aren't new and shiny, they have a proven track record....and can be easily applied to the Web 2.0 world.

No matter how powerful and engaging a blog post or a white paper may be, it's value is radically reduced if there is not a clear call to action.

"Contact me today to learn more" is better than nothing.

"Download a complimentary white paper" is better.

If you can offer them something they need, your foot is in the door.

Excellent advice, in the best or worst of times. It's always constructive to re-examine marketing efforts and fine-tune according to current and anticipated business/economic landscapes.

In tough times such as these, there are many opportunities to rise above the crowd and distinguish a product/service/brand with some revolutionary thinking.

Sex attracts viewers, but depending on the context and the target audience, it can hurt a brand and long term sales.

Music works to attract a target audience (hip hop music in an ad attracts youth, Frank Sinatra attracts retirees, Grateful Dead guarantees an aging hippie audience)....But I's say the $5 footlong deal is responsible for the Subway success...although the jingle doesn't hurt!

Engaging employees at every level in any marketing function is rare at most organizations, yet can provide greater insights than costly research.

In the case of referrals, employees outside of sales/marketing often have more insights into front-line customer issues--as other commenters have pointed out.

Marketing departments that recognize the value of this employee input are way ahead of the curve.

Thanks for the great links! Always nice to have an expert collect info and make it available to the rest of us....

Very interesting that NY Times is quoting bloggers...perhaps the highest form of journalistic flattery?

Online coupons, whether emailed to me or available on a site's home page, have pushed me to make an instant buying decision on more than one occasion -- I've noticed many online "free shipping" coupons, which are particularly attractive for many online buyers.

Professional writers are always available to assist the vast leagues of language-challenged CEOs and other pseudo customer-facing corporate bloggers in appearing intelligent, friendly and compassionate.

Thanks for the tip on Email Center Pro...and for the free trial info!

The RSS and storytelling ROI numbers can be misleading, but engagement and sales are real measures of successful marketing.

Thanks for the great tips! I never suspected Amazon was offering user-generated content, outsisde the book reviews.

Thanks for the translation insights...It's very interesting how the Web and social media sites are dealing with a global audience. Perhaps esparanto is in the future of global web communicators...

My kids kept me up as babies, toddlers...and now as teens. Now that they're almost out of the proverbial nest I worry about the diintegration of freedom, jobs and integrity in America.

Thanks for this starter's guide to raising VC from angels. Joeys's comment above regarding creating your own media buzz is an excellent addition to the list. There are a ot of resources available to guide you through the press release compositin and distribution process -- and you'd be amazed what an old-fashioned phone call to a business editor can do for a young company with a good story.

With the advent of unified communications, virtually all communication mediums may be considered social media tools.

There's no doubt we'll be hearing more from Yang and Ichan on the issue...perhaps Yang's threepeat is a bluff and he is laying the groundwork for an ambush!

Thanks for the post! Some article e-marketers warn that posting identical material across various sites can actually harm seo...It really pays to post original content, erather than cut an paste.

Thanks for the post -- the concept of continual improvement is key to most worthwhile enterprises in life, and marketing is no exception. Nobody jumps straight to the top of the mountain...it can be a process that is more powerful than actually reaching the summit.

Put another way, a little marketing every day can lead to a lot of sales down the road...

Thanks for the links!-- Especially the express to the Google Ocean...

Relationships are the basis of most positive human interation, and sales are no exception. It's much easier and less risky to work with/buy from/sell to someone with whom you have a relationship -- and relationships result from conversations, as you point out.

I'm taking your advice and posting on a few blogs today.

I just became aware of the nofollow tag issue, and it appears that many sincere bloggers and contributors are being punished by Google due to activities of spammers.

Great to hear that there are ways to "give some juice" to the folks who contribute relevant content.

Whether there is a recession or not, the media has made the downturning economy an issue for both business and consumers...Your post points out that there are many recession-proof strategies. Protecting your niche and realigning goals with customers will benefit a business during and after slow economic times.

Great insights!

Fear sells newspapers and ads on the news channels...the prospect of a "recession" is pretty scary for many folks, but as long as the business community keeps their heads out of the sand, the economy is too diverse to stuble for long.

Keeping our eyes on customers and prospects rather than CNN is a key to busines prosperity.