Marketing, social media, communications resources

I've collected a list of online resources and thought I'd share. Let me know if you have other great ones to add.

Marketing Communications

http://www.marketingprofs.com/

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/01/understanding_t.html

http://www.mathmarketing.com/hugh-macfarlane (funnel marketing)

http://www.bcama.com/

http://www.womma.org/main/

http://www.iimaonline.org/

www.verticalresponse.com (email service)

http://www.mailchimp.com/resources/charts (email service and email marketing benchmarks)


Social Media

http://mashable.com/

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/

http://www.briansolis.com/ (PR 2.0)

www.hootsuite.com (for Twitter)

http://beth.typepad.com/ (not for profits and social media)


Monitoring

http://www.google.com/analytics/

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal (keywords)

www.socialmention.com (free)

http://www.radian6.com/

http://ca.cision.com/

www.vocus.com

www.leadlander.com

http://tweetlevel.edelman.com/

www.technorati.com

http://news.google.com/

http://blogsearch.google.com

www.icerocket.com

www.blogpulse.com



Communications

http://www.cprs.ca/

http://www.iabc.com/

http://www.ragan.com

http://www.htce.org/


Community Relations

http://www.cbsr.ca/

http://www.imaginecanada.ca/


Research

http://www.mustelgroup.com/

http://www.legermarketing.com/eng/

http://www.ipsos.ca/


Setting up as a Consultant in BC

http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/

Email Marketing Tips

I'm currently working on email marketing campaigns using Vertical Response, integrated with Salesforce, and found that it is important to remember the basics including what your purpose is for the email. From the book "Email Marketing An Hour a Day" they talk about the 5 types of emails:

 

1. Awareness
2. Consideration
3. Conversion
4. Product Usage
5. Retention and Loyalty

 

Awareness -- purpose is to ID interest -- use ad type placement in email

 

Consideration -- purpose is to accelerate interest and qualify -- use way to capture opt-in

 

Conversion -- to move from marketing to sales funnel after getting a buying signal -- use click-to-call or request demo

 

Product Usage -- purpose is to drive engagement with brand -- use cross and up-sell offers

 

Retention and Loyalty-- to deepen relationship -- use value added info (tips, e-newsletters)

 

 =======

 

Remember when your approach to email is different depending upon your brand awareness.

 

70% of business emails are opened and read within 3 hours of receipt.

 

Segment as much as possible and track stats (received, opened, clicked, conversion, bounced, unsubscribe).

 

HTML or text? Depends on your audience and what they expect. Youtube generation wants design and humour; boomers want the facts. Research your audience before you email ... buy, source free online, or survey.

 

And don't forget to comply with CAN-SPAM laws 

Opportunistic trend marketing

I'm a big fan of opportunistic marketing.

I noticed one campaign this week while watching a TV ad at the gym. Nestle's Juicy Juice Immunity. It is using the H1N1 scare and back-to-school time to boost awareness and sales. Since kids are exposed to so many germs this juice promotes how the extra vitamin c and zinc will help boost the immune system. I'm sure many Mom's are going to go for this as who wants their kids to be sick let alone get H1N1. Brilliant new product and marketing IMHO !!!

http://www.juicyjuice.com/products/Immunity.aspx

Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/juicyjuice?blend=1&ob=4

5 marketing communication tips

1. CRM system like Salesforce.com are fantastic systems for tracking leads, prospects, sales and all related communications through the funnel.
2. Email marketing programs like Vertical Response or Mail Chimp are easy to use and have templates and analytics to view %open, bounced and unsubscribe rates.
3. docmetrics provides tracking PDF tool to get stats to help with lead generation.
4. White papers are great “call to action” in direct marketing campaigns – whether email or mail. To share content there is Creative Common.
5. Leadlander gives you information about who is accessing your website.