Category Archives: career

Weekend Reads for Better Marketing: SMBs and Social Media

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A new study of SMBs’ use of social media turns up some interesting results, among which are:

  • 36% of respondents spend $845 a month on social media management tools
  • 76% measure referral traffic from social platforms to websites
  • Facebook is the most popular social media site (73%), followed by LinkedIn and Twitter
  • The most common use of social media is to share information (91%); only 46% see social media as a place to handle customer service issues

Copyblogger has a comprehensive guide to formatting WordPress posts and pages — which also works if you’re using a different content management or blogging platform.

Lisa Barone tells you how to create an editorial calendar for your blog.

Lisa also explains how to use stock photographs better by telling you what not to do.

The Wall Street Journal takes on one of my favorite topics — procrastination — and offers four great tips on managing it.

So next week, stop procrastinating and work on improving your marketing! And if you see any good tips on the subject, don’t forget to let us know.

Tips for Marketing Professionals at Review Time

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It’s review time and time to showcase your accomplishments. Saying “I spent so much time submitting our website to directories” won’t do you much good while asking for a raise. What bosses (managers, CMOs, CEOs) need to see are results. And if you’ve been doing things right, this should be easy.

Here are some ways you talk about the results you’ve achieved.

Business Results

If you can showcase business results you’ve helped achieve, that’s the best business case you can make for rewards (read: raise or bonus and/or promotion). What kind of business results? Continue reading →

We WILL Try

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No. Saying “I will try” is not a sign of failure. It’s a sign that you aren’t full of arrogance. It’s a sign that you don’t completely lack self-awareness. It’s a sign that some tasks are difficult. It’s a sign that you’re aware that some circumstances are out of your control. It’s a sign that you’re human.

Not that I’d advise you to say “I’ll try, boss” when she tells you to get into office on time. But if she gives you a task that you haven’t done before, it’s okay to say “I’ll try.”

If you’ve never created a case study on your own before, it’s okay to say, “I’ll try.” It’s also okay to say “I’ll try to get this done tomorrow” when you need answers from Abhijeet the Account Manager and he’s been too busy to talk to you.

Continue reading →

Wondering If A Marketing Career Is For You?

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Often, I hear from acquaintances or friends who are bored in their current jobs, consider themselves creative, and wonder if they should try to build a career in marketing. Here is what I wrote in reply to one such email.
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I don’t quite know where to start. I understand your problem: it’s difficult to know whether you’ll like something different until you try it out. But the best way to find out is to try it out. And I’m glad you’re willing to take the risk.

I’d advise you to do these three things. Continue reading →