Membership marketing–the process of acquiring, engaging and retaining members–is the cornerstone for associations and member-based organizations. It is also a very challenging task. Now is the time to start thinking about your goals for 2012 and what you want your association or member-based organization to look like in the coming years. Will you be able […]
Integrate your marketing in 2012
Now is the time of year when everyone comes out with their version of predictions for marketing in 2012. I recently read Gini Dietrich‘s “8 Social Media Trends for 2012” and while it was a great piece (and I love Gini), I did raise an eyebrow at her third choice: Integration of all disciplines. “Today […]
Content marketing: People, perception, personalization
I don’t remember the last time I did something without simultaneously thinking about or doing something else. I’m a serial multi-tasker. Who isn’t these days? So last night, as I’m sketching a new website layout and finishing up some keyword research, I was also flipping through my copy of Chief Content Officer Magazine (Content Marketing […]
Marketing: Hire it out or do it yourself?
I often work with many organizations that don’t always have marketing departments (or may have one person on staff wearing multiple hats, marketing included). So when is it appropriate to keep your marketing in-house and when should you hire out your marketing? Here are five suggestions: 1. Leave design work to professionals Microsoft Word is […]
6 lbs of influence: Measuring social media success
Social media takes time, and it can be fatiguing. How can you tell if the payoff is worth the investment? According to Peter Drucker “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” but how do you measure something as seemingly intangible as social media success? Strategies: Instead of always wondering if social media is […]
A List: Five reasons you need print communication (back to school edition)
The dog can’t eat e-homework, and that’s not the only reason we still need print communication.
Consumer tendencies of Generation Y
Social media and the digital world is inherently entwined in the lives of Generation Y. I can remember getting my first computer in the mid 1990s. A bulky desktop, hooked up to a million cables and wires. The possibilities, it seemed, were endless with this machine. Little did I know that this computer and what […]
Poor editing ruins marketing
Last week, I received two flyers in the mail from two different pizza joints in town. Neither was new to the area, but one had recently changed its name and the other now had new ownership (and a new location). The first flyer listed the business’s “new” website which, when I went to look it […]
A List: Six considerations for business planning
On Tuesday, August 9, we held our first B4: Small Business Workshop focused on business planning. It was a great two and a half hours of learning, conversation and networking. Here is a brief recap of the areas we covered–the six considerations for business planning, if you will: 1. Plan Planning, whether business plans, marketing […]
Your marketing plan lineup, fantasy football style
It is estimated that over 24 million people participate in fantasy football leagues every year (Washington Times) in the United States. I play in three leagues along with a healthy participation in fantasy baseball and golf. One could say that my fantasy life eats up a good portion of my real life. The key to […]
Thinking inside the outbox
It seems like I can’t buy a roll of aluminum foil these days without a sales associate asking for my email address. When this happens, I’ll do one of three things: say “no,” give the hotmail account that I opened in middle school and check once a year or, if it is something I am […]
The decision: What LeBron James taught me about employee retention
On July 8, 2010 a television program like we have never seen (and may never see again) aired on ESPN. It was on that evening LeBron James, most prized free agent in the history of the National Basketball Association (and quite possibly in any sport), announced live that he was leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers […]
The spirit in social media
Recently, Allée had the pleasure of working with the nonprofit organization Social Media Shepherds on a pro bono branding project. Originator Greg Swan, social media champion, who was recently named one of Metromix.com’s “Top Tweeps of the Twin Cities,” started Social Media Shepherds about two years ago. Currently, there are about 100 people in the group, […]
No plan? Beware of the crash.
Yesterday, in my haste to get the kids to daycare and off to my first appointment of the day (after we all woke up late), I ran the side of my mini van into the side of our garage. That’s right. I had an accident in my own garage. Now, after you stop laughing at […]
Squeezin’ the juice
As a coach of youth sports, a manager of several departments, branches and territories, a father of four and a self-proclaimed “leadership junkie” I’ve seen my share of good and poor leadership (and have made several great and poor decisions myself). Good leaders have good teams. Poor leaders do not retain employees or hit goals. […]
Get your social media policy in writing
If your company is using social media you need a social media policy. If your company isn’t using social media directly (but rest assured, others out there are talking about you online) you need a social media policy. And as much as no one wants to sit around and draft another version of the employee […]
A List: Five fun QR code examples
Ever wonder what the heck these black and white squares are that keep popping up all over the place? (Go ahead, scan it…it really works). QR codes (quick response codes), like the one above, are two-dimension bar codes that are slowly sweeping their way through the U.S. They’re another fun means of mobile marketing (among […]
The perception of brand: When customers take hold of your plan
Marky Mark, the Old Spice guy and Burger King: Keeping in mind customer perception when (and if) it comes time to change up your company’s brand.
