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Why am I so excited?
It seems to me, and I suspect to many others, that for far too long, the financial impediment to marketing has prevented an untold number of people with great ideas and big dreams from sharing them with the world.Now all that's changing—thanks to people the world over who have spontaneously risen up to enthusiastically embrace what's been called, "web 2.o", an unprecedented way for humankind to commune. Suddenly, we find that technology, of all things, is removing longstanding barriers and providing opportunities for cross-culture relationships and greater understanding. And as this social phenomenon spreads, more individuals, small businesses and organisations stand a fighting chance to be seen, heard and appreciated in the marketplace of ideas and commerce.I call this the "democratization of marketing"—a powerful catalyst promoting a new more egalitarian era. Instead of old marketing gimmicks and superficial business/customer relationships, companies can engage in a forthright, direct and honest dialog with their customers and build stronger, more personalized and meaningful relationships. And whether a company wants to construct a valuable web resource for local customers, or reach out to the world, they can do so at a far lower cost than has been possible until now. After 24 years working (reluctantly at times) in the world of marketing and advertising (see my post, “ The ZZZZ Factor: Marketers; How Do You Sleep at Night”), I’m more enthusiastic than ever about the work I do, more fulfilled by the positive impact I can make, and more hopeful for the marketplace, society and indeed, humankind.That's why I’m so excited—and I hope you are too. More power to you!
To learn more about the services I provide, visit www.marketpowersource.com
What's up with the text-message style blog title?
The text messaging rage is emblematic of the spontaneous and fluid nature of communication today. It seemed appropriate to create a marketing-focused blog title that reflected emerging trends and the evolving state of the world, which from global warming, to international relations, to the marketing of goods and services, increasingly requires highly creative and adaptable solutions.
There’s a reason why the marketing industry refers to the public as "targets"--and why our “targets” use phrases like, “junk mail” and words like, “annoying” and “invasive” when referring to the work we do.Somewhere along the line, many of us in the industry lost site that at the end of the day, marketing is all about people and building positive relationships between those who create a product or offer a service, and their customers.Below are 5 ways marketers can get back on track, increase effectiveness and catch up on lost sleep:
- Change the language. Stop referring to people as, “targets” or thinking of them as numbers. This one act can change your whole perspective.
- Be eco-friendly. If you haven't heard, the trend is to use less paper (direct mail, etc) and embrase web-based marketing. Consumers will appreciate it, and so will mother earth. For many small start-ups, and all-web strategy may be the most cost-EFFECTIVE way to launch and grow. And even large, well-established direct marketers now report more sales generated via the web than catalogues.
- Listen to your customer--really. Communication isn’t one-sided. Engage in a dialogue with the public and hear what they have to say. It’s the best way to earn their trust, grow your customer base, and stay relevant to the market.
- Make more friends, fewer enemies. Thanks to "web 2.o and other developments, it's now more cost-effective than ever to promote widely AND engage those who are interested in your product or service, with highly personalized communication that actually provides them with information they value.
- Reach Out. By globalizing your marketing, you'll promote cross cultural, cross-idealogical understanding. And you never know where in the world it could take you.
- Realize the world is not your oyster. Rather, you are one of many pearls from which the public may choose. If you want to build a corporate empire, you are probably living in the wrong era. It has been said that fewer mega multi-national corporations will rise to power in the years to come. For most of us, that's good news. A more egalitarian environment means we all stand a better chance to build something of value and contribute to a stronger socio-economic fabric.
