M4bmarketing commented on the following stories on BizSugar
Free Trials. What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
"I have seen a bit of a trend to charge customers for the trial the full fee and if they are not happy within a month they get their money back. The other thing about trials even if it is free or a small charge is the lack of follow up by the business. You may get one follow up email asking how it is going or some tips, but rarely do you get any more. It seems such a waste of an opportunity."Customer Loyalty – It’s all about CRM. | Management
"Good post Barney. I think CRM is essential if you want to build and strengthen the relationships. Instead of having the information in your head or in spreadsheets it is all in one place, can be updated. If yo use it properly you can have detailed customer profiles of your most important customers. It is so easy to segment and makes your campaigns more effective. I don't know if you have seen BatchBook? I have been using it and includes social CRM which I agree with Niall has big potential."8 Reasons it makes CENTS to give your content away | Marketing
"Good points Sarah especially number 3. If you get their details then you are also able to do research and tracking to see what they liked, what interests them etc so you can fine tune and build the relationships. I give away content happily, however I think it is important to determine the role free content plays as part of your overall marketing strategy to achieve your objectives otherwise it doesn't make business sense. My 2 cents. Susan"5 Ways Small is Beating Big for Flagship Clients | Sales
"Bill, I agree about them being hungry. I also think for the larger agencies it is outside their core business. You may see in time separate departments specializing in this area, like they tried to do when direct marketing was all the rage years ago."The Business Blog Ten-Point Checklist for Success
"Yoni, I like the post especially points 7 and 10. I know that these the usual things you should do, however many still do not. I think it is the way it is expressed that makes the difference and anyone can see whether the author actually cares. Having left a comment on one of your blog posts it is easy to see you practice what you say in this post."Tough Advice for Small to Medium Sized Business. Do you agree?
"I can't say I agree with micro management, partly because I always disliked it as an employee and I have found that it can slow you and the business down. I agree with you Anita that you must "inspect what you expect", however there are ways to help the person feel you are not looking over their shoulder all the time. One way is to have what Key Priorities which the employee actually works up and needs to deliver on. This way to get to know what is happening, how things are progressing and your employee gets to feel some ownership. I also think it depends on who you hire and whether they fit your business's values and whether they have the behaviors you want. "I’m Not Slow; The Creative Process Takes Time | Visible Logic: Design Advances Success
"I agree with you. Often a business owner has been thinking about something for quite a while and expect you to come up with something creative immediately. I have found giving 2 weeks for initial concepts and then more time to refine extra produces better work."Have Your Customers Ever Changed The Brief?
"Hi Martin, I have a number of them that I have built up over the years. If you want any templates let me know and I will email them to you. Unfortunately I don't know of any specific sources. many agencies also have their own templates that they get clients use."Print Ads Run for a Month, Online Content Lives Forever
"A couple of thoughts to consider. Not all target markets want to be educated to make their buying decisions. Doesn't it depend on the target market and knowing what influences their buying decisions? Also I have yet to see a successful company run a print campaign for 1 month only unless it is for a specific short term promotion and even then it is is used with other media and marketing tactics. Wayne you can actually measure the effectiveness, although many companies probably do not. I am a fan of blogging, however blogging like print etc is not done in isolation to drive traffic or sales. "Subscribe
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Why You Should Throw Out Your Marketing Tactics and Tools
"Hi Shawn, What I did not mention was the big edit I had to do the next day. I think it was due to watching the desserts being made and wanting to eat them. Thanks for your comment Shawn. Susan"