Weekly Reads for July 9, 2012
13 July 2012 by Ashley Biondich
The top 10 PR and marketing articles this week:
12 free social media tools to make your life easier
from Ragan.com
With the myriad tools available to help you with social media, often it’s hard to know which ones to try. People ask me whether there’s “an app for that,” and I love when I can give them the right tool. Here are 12 of the best free tools, each one of which I use in my own business.
If you’re not using @newsle to keep track of your friends in the news, it’s your loss.
from Sarah’s Faves
This is so freaking brilliant I can’t type fast enough. Here comes a game changer and a HUGE time saver. Newsle tracks your friends in the news and so much more. Check it: Great design. Check. Intuitive. Check. Meets a need. Check.
16 Ways to Simplify Your Prospects’ Decision-Making Process
from HubSpot’s Inbound Internet Marketing Blog by Ellie Mirman
Research company Corporate Executive Board (CEB) found that a 20% increase in decision simplicity results in a 96% increase in customer loyalty, 86% increase in likelihood to purchase, and 115% increase in likelihood to recommend. Here are 16 ways you can simplify your marketing to make your prospects’ decision-making process easier.
The data challenge: Leveraging technology to clean up the ‘mess’
from BtoB Magazine
The challenges of integrated data management dominated presentations today at the Business Mailers’ Co-op and Interactive Marketing Conference hosted by database marketing company MeritDirect.
Most Fortune 500 CEOs are not on social media
from PR Daily
Can’t get your CEO to approve a Twitter handle in his or her name? You’re not alone. A report released Thursday from business intelligence firm Domo and CEO.com found that less than 30 percent of Fortune 500 chief executives have at least once social networking profile. The vast majority has none, and among the ones that do, the accounts are dormant.
B2B Selling: 4 steps to gain customer intelligence before your sales call
from B2B Lead Blog
They’ve downloaded your whitepapers, attended your webinars, read your blogs. They’re actively engaged with your content, and their lead score is consistently climbing. When your prospects are doing their research, make sure your sales team is doing the same if you want an immediate competitive advantage, advises Dan Kosch and Mark Shonka. Kosch and Shonka are authors of the business book, Beyond Selling Value, and co-presidents of IMPAX Corporation, a sales consulting company.
Where everyone is a customer service agent
from RepMan
Imagine an organization in which everyone from IT and finance to marketing and human resources considers herself a customer service agent. Their sole focus? Ensuring they’re following through on the company’s brand promise: delivering happiness.
The 4-1-1 Rule for Lead Nurturing
from Modern B2B Marketing – Marketo Best Practices Blog » B2B Marketing by Jon Miller
For every one self-serving tweet, you should re-tweet one relevant tweet and most importantly share four pieces of relevant content written by others. What’s great about this approach is that it lets you engage in the conversation, build awareness, and keep in touch with your followers without coming across as pushy or too “me” focused.
Investing in the Mobile Enterprise
from Brian Solis
Your customers are not only becoming increasingly social, their digital lifestyle is fueled by mobile devices. Whether it’s a smart phone or a tablet, they are masters of the small screen experience and accomplished in the art of communicating with both their thumbs and their voice. The most riveting facet of the mobile revolution is not only what we’re witnessing, it’s what we’re missing in these important times of transformation.
16 Creative Ways to Use Twitter for Business
from Social Media Examiner by Charlene Kingston
Is your Twitter activity feeling stale? The good news is that you can easily revitalize your Twitter experience! Here are 16 ways to bring new life and renewed business purpose to your Twitter efforts.
