Knowledge, experience and the ability to put it together into some meaningful thought is well beyond the capacity of most would be authors. They don’t let incompetence keep them down. Here is the secret used by most business authors and reporters that know less than you, but make themselves look like freaking geniuses every day. Follow these simple steps and you’ll find yourself in the Harvard Business Review next month.

Step 1 – Come up with something completely obvious. Let’s try this...

The world of computer-mediated communication is fresh and exciting as it changes every day and is constantly offering new approaches to social interaction, especially through the internet. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are constantly increasing in popularity and are used by people all over the globe. In fact, according to Digital Buzz Blog, statistics from January 2012 showed that Facebook now has more than 800 million active users, and Twitter 100 million active users. Furth...

Promotion is where the vast majority of change has taken place. The change in promotion is at least equal to the change brought on by the advent of printing, mail, radio and television. While some very entertaining videos would have us believe it is bigger than all of those combined, when adjusted for changes in GNP, population and whatever else, we believe it is as revolutionary as any of these events on the world of marketing.

 Forrester Research and Shopping.org

With the change in pl...

Place has most certainly changed and extraordinarily so. Marketing strategy decisions regarding Type/Location of Stores must now include a company website with e-commerce capability. There was once the dominance of the brick and mortar store and perhaps a call center for catalog sales. Service providers, both B2C and B2B, were call-in businesses. Find the number on your Rolodex or phone book and call in your request or order. Now a growing number of businesses have a web presence as shown in the...

Other than the obvious change in cost structure in some web-based distribution models, pricing fundamentals too, have not changed. Price is set to maximize profitability in concert with corporate strategy regarding:

• Cost leadership
• Differentiation
• Niche focus

Corporate strategy regarding its selection of differentiation, cost leadership or focus plays a key role in pricing of course, but what has changed is the influence of changes in distribution on pricing flexibility. Compared to bric...

Product

Corporate strategy would typically define in some reasonably broad parameter product and place. Unless you’re in a web based business or a web substitute (more on that later) there has not been an appreciable change in product since Al Gore invented the internet. Yes, many products have become web enabled, but that’s a matter of product differentiation, not typically corporate strategy. There are also a plethora of products that would not exist if not for the web.

Pity poor Blockbu...

Fundamentals of Company Strategy The foundation of any marketing strategy has got to be a company strategy that defines the parameters of the business that you’re in. Among other things, it defines the scope of the product or service offering, target market, sales and distribution strategy. This is all based on a strategic analysis and strategic plan as depicted below in Michael Porter’s Wheel of Competitive Strategy.

 Strategy has always shared a lot more sex appeal in corporate man...

The internet has not changed the fundamentals of marketing. The internet has not created a new “silver bullet” of marketing, but introduced many new considerations and an enormous number of new tools to be employed. All too often people are confusing internet savvy, website design and SEO skills with marketing and it’s not. These skills are important parts of online promotion techniques and campaigns and important elements of most marketers’ tool kits. Marketing, however, needs to be app...

Small businesses rank their Marketing and Innovation lowest in a recent survey of the components of their competitive health. This is not surprising given the confusion generated by the proliferation of new online marketing tools. So called and self-proclaimed “marketing gurus” confuse knowledge of a couple of internet tricks with marketing.

Small businesses are disappointed with their marketing effectiveness as a result of having lost sight of the bigger picture while chasing inapprop...

I recently published an article, "Facebook and Twitter are Stupid", with the intent of drawing out people's concerns regarding the use of social media as a serious tool in marketing.  I recognized that the article would also draw the ire of social media addicts that would do anything to insure their next Twitter fix and to suck the next naive and willing spirit into their unholy social media haze of sensory deprivation where all problems, particularly marketing, can be remedied by just one ...

In a recent Business and Bagels, one of our tenants was discussing his business and his products.  After a round table discussion, andother tenant exclaimed enthusiastically, "If you were on Facebook, I'd like you!"

This line got a great deal of laughter around the table, but the words really rang true.  There is little doubt that in the business world today, Facebook is the way to connect not only with your clients, but also your potential clients.  It is a great way to communic...

Audrey Slade gave a great presentation on networking/connecting and social media today at Meadow Creek's Tenant Talks brown bag lunch session.  There was a great discussion on connecting with people, the importance of connecting to growing your business and using social media to extend and communicate with your connections.

Nine people attended.  Check our events calendar for the next Tenant Talks.

Mobile computing is the new growth engine for computing devices and is the hottest thing in online promotion.  If you aren't prepared to leverage this phenomonon, it's time to get started.  Smart phones and tablets are taking over the world.  Smart phone unit sales have exceeded those of cell phones, gaming devices and notebooks in there first 5 years from introduction.  Tablets are on track to exceed smart phones.

Mobile computing is all about content consumption. ...

I have invested a considerable amount of time in social media.  I’m not an expert by any means, but I have written dozens of articles made countless posts attended and hosted events.  I’ve even hosted workshops on how to use social media to your advantage, specifically to drive traffic to your website.

At the same time, I refer to social media as the narcotic of the masses.  Not the masses of people from pre-teens to octogenarians “talking” to their friends on Fac...

Social media web sites have provided a non-threatening environment to aspiring entrepreneurs to gain encouragement, education, camaraderie and networking opportunities not previously available.  Forums, events, articles and other online as well as in-person features and functions provide a valuable venue for making the entrepreneurial experience more enjoyable and productive.  To many entrepreneurs, it is an invaluable lifeline of support in the treacherous early years of starting a bu...