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Recent Blog Postings
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What Does Your Presentation Look Like? Try A Word Cloud
Wordle Word Cloud for Rick Short's B2B Marcom Blog.
A Wordle Word Cloud of this posting.
Wordle offers a neat and free tool that helps you see what your communications look like (in one unique way). Using their online tool, I submitted Rick Short's B2B Marcom blog and got this word cloud.
It got me wondering what my other forms of communication look like. I considered inputting the copy from:
- an ad
- a webpage
- a PowerPoint presentation
- a speech
- a press release
- this posting
- etc.
Then, I wondered if such a cloud could substitute for an abstract or outline ... or if it could replace my entire presentation or paper or press release, or would it make for a better posting? So I wordle'd this posting and pasted the results here as well.
I'm only half-serious about using a Wordle word cloud for a real press release, but, if it works like I think it should (weighing words at the top higher than words at the bottom, weighing repeated words more than words that appear only once, etc.) <UPDATE: it doesn't -see my comment> then Wordle could be a good tool to check our communications.
What do you think about wordle and word clouds?
Image 1: Wordle.net
Image 2: Wordle.net
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Considering A Social Media Release? Think "FINDABILITY".
Findability Flower.
According to a report from SocialMediaRelease.org,
"To stay competitive in the tech industry today you have to be:
• Findable
• Believable
• Credible
• Prove Value
… just to get into consideration for the complex sale."
The report is from Brian Solis and quotes Steve Kayser.
It all starts with "findability".
Image: Findability Flower
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Economy's Affect on Marketing Budgets
According to MarketingSherpa's MarketingYak podcast:
Stefan Tornquist, Research Director, MarketingSherpa, talks about some of the profound shifts in spending that show up in a September 2009 survey of B-to-B and consumer marketers. Overall, 25 budgets are being cut for every spending plan getting a boost at larger companies – with the average decrease around 20%.
That said, lower-cost promotional tactics like emails and search engine marketing are less affected while higher-cost tactics (like trade events) are most affected. Outsourcing is predicted to trump adding marketing staff.
Taking a step forward in the down economy are the "aggressive marketers". These small- to mid-size companies are planning to take advantage of the opportunities presented in the economy.
The podcast is just shy of 9 minutes and worth the time. Listen to MarketingSherpa's MarketingYak podcast on 2009 Marketing Budgets.
COMMENT on how the economy is affecting YOUR budget.
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Wisdom in B2B Marcom: Be An Explorer
Be an explorer today.
I enjoyed this quote in today's American Marketing Association e-letter:
"Knowledge comes by taking things apart: analysis. But wisdom comes by putting things together."
- John A. MorrisonIt got me thinking of the people I've known in my B2B Marcom career - and what they've taught me.
KNOWLEDGE:
Many people enjoy "taking things apart". It can serve as a very informative process and reveal much interesting data. But, when people lose sight of their goals and use this process to become merely critical, much is lost. It is important to remain focused on the gaining of enriching and useful information in this part of the process. And it is important to remember that, while the amassing of knowledge is critical, it is not the end game.
WISDOM:
The creative process of synthesizing data, information, experiences, and knowledge is what builds wisdom. And wisdom enables a person to more creatively and effectively weave these elements into elegant solutions and creations. It's a virtuous cycle that should be cultivated and developed. After all, isn't this what we are seeking in our B2B Marcom practices? Who gets paid to be average?
So, how do we go beyond gathering knowledge and embrace the quest for wisdom? For that I turned to another quote:
"Be an explorer ... read, surf the internet, visit customers, enjoy arts, watch children play ... do anything to prevent yourself from becoming a prisoner of your knowledge, experience, and current view of the world."
-Charles 'Chic' Thompson (What a Great Idea)
Be an explorer, today.
Image: discover-science website.
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B2B Marcom in Social Media ... or ... Social Media in B2B Marcom
A few of my colleagues and I have been kicking around social media tools and how they relate to our business to business marcom endeavors.
We were listing the social networking sites that we belong to or are considering, including sites that aggregate such sites - and then wondering how it all might work together ... and even help our B2B efforts.
During my research I encountered a very interesting tool, the CONVERSATION PRISM. Based on work previously done by Robert Scoble and Darren Barefoot, this tool relates online social media tools and other online conversation platforms. The men who pulled this together are Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas. People are commenting on it on Brian's blog and on his Flickr site.
It can't be perfect, and the evolution of tools and activities on the internet will quickly require that this graphic be updated. That said, this is excellent work - something that prompts some serious thinking and encourages exploration - fueling creativity.
UPDATE: More info on the Conversation Prism on WikiSpaces.
Image: briansolis.com
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Punctuation Is Critical In B2B Marcom
Knowing that I am a stickler for proper punctuation, a colleague shared with me a link to NationalPunctuationDay.com. How fortunate that the message arrived on National Punctuation Day!
I like this site. I don't particularly like the "cutesy" nature (though I understand they are trying to appeal to a certain demographic). What I do like is their passion and their recommendations, rules, and guidance.
One key issue with my B2B Marcom practice is complexity. Our technological messages often include both sophisticated terms, lists, and process step discussions. Things can get confusing - comprehension can be affected. Therefore, I am a staunch advocate of the "serial comma". Guess what? NationalPunctuationDay.com boldly endorses the serial comma! Yay!
Site manager, Jeff Rubin (aka "Punctuation Man") offers, "Punctuation counts. A misplaced comma can alter the meaning of a sentence." I add that, when dealing with complicated messages, it is critical to make the reading as easy as possible for the audience. Of course, this means a great amont of effort must be spent in the construction phase - to design simplicity and clarity into the sentence. Still, any and every tool that further adds to the ease of reading is valuable. This is especially true when communications is your business.
This site lists the 13 punctuation marks (see image), defines each, provides examples of use, and extols the value of each. There are even links, provided for each punctuation mark, to style books and other resources.
For example:
ELLIPSIS
The ellipsis consists of three evenly spaced dots (periods) with spaces between the ellipsis and surrounding letters or other marks.
The omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words understandable from the context that would complete or clarify the construction. A mark to indicate the omission of letters or words. The ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in the flow of a sentence and is especially useful in quoted speech.
This site is fun AND practical. For my B2B Marcom practice it will serve as a point of reference. But here's the real application (for me). Since content is king, and since I have many individuals generating and delivering content to our target audience, I need to be sure that we, as a company, look professional and that our target audience gets the message clearly. So, I plan to use this website to augment the education and practice of all the people who create tech papers, blog postings, case studies, presentations, presentations, etc.
Image: nationalpunctuationday.com
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News Site That Sends Readers Away With Links Has Highest Engagement
This counterintuitive notion truly works with news websites. Does it work in the B2B Marcom world? I don't know, but I am intrigued with the Publishing2.0 article titled, "Drudge Report: News Site That Sends Readers Away With Links Has Highest Engagement".
The article concludes with an awesome question: "... what news site wouldn’t want to be open in a reader’s browser being refreshed all day, instead of hoping for drive-by referrals from aggregators?"
I ask, what B2B web site wouldn't want to be ...? This article is VERY interesting.
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B2B Magazine's 10 Great Web Sites
From a recent email to me from B2B Magazine:
"Each year, BtoB highlights 10 business-to-business Web sites that are particularly good examples of how companies can use the Web to communicate with customers. These sites turn out to be ones that do an exceptionally good job with the basics year after year, allowing visitors to find product and company information quickly and easily, providing a brand experience consistent with other marketing channels and offering a way to take the relationship to the next level. "
Check out B2B's 10 Great Web Sites.
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Video Interview Skills & Techniques in B2B Marcom
Video is no longer the next frontier - it is a part of our regular life. Therefore, it is a normal and desired part of any B2B Marcom program to put either yourself or a colleague in front of the camera. We all know that a video is a great way to depict the warmth and authentic nature of your organization, so you often want to pursue video opportunities. Other times a video interview may be thrust upon you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. But be careful, those million words can be good, or not so good.
I spend a good amount of time creating and considering Indium Corporation's video "face". We make video ads and we are interviewed by our industry's media. So, I pay attention to both how we do, and how some of the best interviewers and interviewees fare.
The leading video medium in our industry is REAL TIME WITH... These dynamic people travel the globe, going from customer to customer, exhibition to exhibition, and event to event, capturing video of just about every aspect of the subject. Interviews are a big part of their work.
Recently, Real Time With ... visited Nepcon South China, and interviewed a person who does an excellent job in front of the camera. Watch the Real Time With Nepcon South China 2008 interview of Josephine Lee. Josephine is Reed Exhibitions East China Vice President, and the head of this trade show.
Josephine (full disclosure: she is a good friend of mine) does it all in her interview. She is warm, humorous, focused, honest, and genuine. It all comes across so clearly as she makes it look easy. It's NOT easy. How does she do it?
Well, Josephine:
- answers the questions (no dodging)
- stays within her area of expertise
- gets her key points across
- works from notes when needed (though she makes it seem natural)
- acknowledges the viewer frequently, naturally, comfortably
- engages the interviewer
- is truly genuine
- shares interesting info (not platitudes or "the party line")
- gestures naturally and appropriately
- speaks at the right pace, and in a natural & comfortable volume
- expresses excellent body language and expressions
It's clear (even if you don't know Jo like I do) that she really knows what she is talking about, and that she loves it. It's also clear thet she is not a CNN talking head. Her "imperfections" are the exact thing that viewers appreciate. It is clear that she is real, warm, and human. If I was teaching a class on successful video interviewing, I'd show the class Josephine's interview.
If video interviews are increasingly important to your B2B Marcom practice (like it is to mine) then you will want to watch Josephine's interview several times, taking notes, picking up pointers, and learning what you need to know to excel.
Special Note: these techniques can be very valuable for live presentations, as well.
Please comment and let us know your thoughts on Josephine's interview skills, or on video in general.
Image: RealTimeWith screen grab.
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Facts, Not Fluff, in B2B Marcom
"It takes savvy marketing to break through to electronics engineers, a group that wants straightforward information and facts, not overblown marketing fluff."
If this quote turns you on, then you've got to read an article from BtoB Online. Written by Mary E. Morrison, the piece, titled, Facts, Not Fluff, Spark Interest, discusses the results of some research, and the opinions and thoughts of some experts - all regarding promoting technology products to a technical audience.
I have always believed that there is a special way to appeal to a tecchie audience, but this article is really going to help me share these concepts with my product and marketing managers. Here are some more pithy quotes:
- " the more complicated or layered the marketing message is, the more likely engineers are to "turn it off." "
- "a strong corporate Web site is an essential part of most manufacturers' marketing efforts."
- "marketers should be considering informational advertising that's in the context of what the audience is doing"
If you're nodding your head in agreement, I know you will read, and use, the article. If you are not sold yet, or if you think this is a little dubious, then you really SHOULD read the article.
Image: daylife.com
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