Your Agency's Clients Deserve the Truth -- Can You Handle It? The Digital Age Will Force You to Give Up Pseudo-Science and Rules of Thumb

If you aren't yet, get really digital, really fast. Don't just hire some kid out of college that knows .NET or PHP and talks of something called Cold Fusion. No, go find one of those really expensive geeks that has been in the biz for a while. Then get out of their way.

Martin, Tom. Advertising Age (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Marketing

Talking 'Bout My Generation: The Evolution of Online Marketing Research

Utilizing reliable market research on an ongoing basis is the most effective way to ensure a successful marketing campaign. Nevertheless, for many companies, the benefits of conducting marketing research and the costs of conducting marketing research always seem to be at odds. Marketing research can be expensive. Not knowing your customer's needs can be costly.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Research

Strictly Business: Marketing With Social Networking Sites

For writer, photographer, and video producer David Chandler-Gick, Facebook is a practical tool. "On a recent cross-country excursion to work with Cathy Steffan of Parallel Media Productions, Facebook served as a central hub to keep me in contact with friends and colleagues," he writes. "Accessing Facebook kept me in touch with what was going on, last-minute changes, and more."

Yankee, Steve. Event DV (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Social Networking

Is My Brand Right For Twitter?

Marketers are increasingly engaging with consumers on social media platforms and Twitter, in particular, has received, and continues to gain, attention. From shock tactics, to useful value propositions like @amazonmp3 content feed, brands are revealing themselves on Twitter. We are starting to hear of stories about top executives calling meetings about how they should "get on Twitter" and saying, "We need a social media profile." But should they? Do they?

Weisman, Benjamin J. Marketing Daily (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Social Networking

Marketing: Intertwining The Mobile Revolution

Online through mobile will be, is, WAS the future. Ori Carmel from Ambergreen says that The Future of Mobile Marketing crept up on us while we were looking the other way and is already here.

Carmel, Ori. 160 Characters (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Wireless Web>Marketing

How To Write a White Paper to Attract Clients

Do you have a new idea, business model, product or service? Do you want to get noticed by using a marketing method that might only cost you time? Try writing a white paper to attract people to your door.

Markenson, Ari J. Dumb Little Man (2009). Articles>Business Communication>White Papers>Marketing

Presenting Consumer Technology with POP: A Rhetorical and Ethnographic Exploration of Point-of-Purchase Advertising    

Point-of-purchase advertising (POP) is responsible for half of the purchase decisions made in the store. Because of: 1) the influence of POP on the sale of technical consumer products and the economy; 2) our need to understand trends that shape technical and business communication; 3) the intermedial nature of POP (where spoken and written words work with place, visual image, physical structures, and multimedia integrated marketing campaigns); and 4) its theatrical and local nature, we need both a situated and theoretical exploration of POP. Drawing upon three months' participant observation in advertising, I describe a POP composing process in an integrated marketing campaign. Cognitive responses to layout and the interrelation of rhetorical canons are considered for preparing communication for a marketplace that is three-dimensional variegated, noisy, and peripatetic.

Cross, Geoffrey A. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

How to Select a Proper Article Writing Method

Here are two main methods you can use to launch off your article marketing campaign.

How to Write Anything (2007). Articles>Writing>Marketing>Business Communication

Netiquette, Twettiquette: How to Build the Social Media Audiences You Want 

How can you build the right following? The question is important because like it or not, as communicators, we’re expected to lead the way in our organizations’ use of social media.

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Social Networking>Marketing

Forget the Golden Rule 

Treat others the way you would want to be treated. It seems ridiculous to think that one of the most common rules taught to children somehow hinders effective business communication when these children become adults. But it’s true. To be effective at communicating with customers (for example, internal audiences who buy into ideas or messages, or external audiences who buy products or services), one must turn away from this standard rule and focus instead on treating others the way they want to be treated.

Parkhurst, Morgan Leu. Communication World Bulletin (2009). Articles>Business Communication>User Centered Design>Marketing

A Simple Shortcut For Writing Irresistible Benefits 

Do you know if you're promoting features or benefits in your marketing materials? The answer to this question plays a significant role in the effectiveness of your marketing message. While features are facts benefits explain why facts are important. Its these benefits that target your prospects emotions a key factor in selling situations.

Marketing Tips (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Writing>Marketing