Our top
inbound marketing
article this week explains just how to do it, offering a very informative guide for businesses that covers everything from creation to distribution to measurement.
1. HOW TO: Create and Distribute Effective Online Coupons
Author: Darren Waddell of Mashable
Offering online coupons is a simple, cost-effective way for Internet marketers to attract price-sensitive customers, keep existing ones and generate customer and brand loyalty. While it's fairly simple to create a coupon, the challenge lies in its distribution.
Mashable's guide walks you through the entire process, detailing specific suggestions of ways to promote your coupons using channels like social media as well as how to measure their success .
Marketing Takeaway: Pay attention to buyers' emerging trends and look for ways to take advantage of them in your marketing initiatives.
2. How to crowdsource videos for your company
Author: David Meerman Scott of Web Ink Now
Still not ready to jump into the exciting world of creating online video for marketing purposes? Why not ask your customers and fans to do it for you?
David's post highlights a few examples of companies who have successfully crowdsourced their video needs using contests and prize money as motivation, which also promotes company/buyer interaction.
Marketing Takeaway: Brainstorm different ways for you to fit online video into your marketing mix .
3. What's The Best Formula For B2B Search Marketing Success?
Author: Barry Bowman of Search Engine Land
Barry's article seeks to advise B2B marketers how and when to use what types of search marketing tools, including SEO, pay-per-click advertising and social media optimization (and all of them combined!) in their marketing programs.
He notes that there is a time to use each and a time to use all, but that it largely depends on the situation. His article discusses when to use what, as well as the need to define marketing goals before you get started.
Marketing Takeaway: Don't attach search marketing with a "one-tool-fits-all" approach. Strategize based on your marketing goals.
4. Social Media Changes in B2B HR and Recruiting
Author: Jeffrey L. Cohen of Social Media B2B
This one is for all the HR professionals out there wondering how social media fits into recruiting efforts. Jeff's article showcases a video interview with HR pro Laurie Ruettiman, who talks about changes in corporate recruiting and human resources due to social media practices.
Some of the trends Laurie mentions include aligning corporate brand and employment brand,
using social media as a communication tool
with employees, the idea that following technology creates more opportunities and that social media positions (e.g. Community Manager) will become even more pravalent in the future.
Marketing Takeaway:
Marketing isn't the only business function that can benefit from social media engagement.
5.
The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion
Author: Nathan Hangen of Copyblogger
We're all guilty of a little shameless self-praise every once in a while, but let's admit, it's not a good idea to overdo it. Nathan's article highlights the fine line between self-adulation and self-promotion, clarifying the difference, explaining that promotion is an art and discussing how to create a platform to go about it successfully.
In short, self-adulation is just the promotion of accomplishments, whereas self-promotion is the promotion of ideas , which might inspire hope, thought, or action. Stick to the latter, and you'll be golden.
Marketing Takeaway: Bragging about an accomplishment and promoting an idea are two different things. Know the distinction.
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