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The Resource Center has all the info you'll need From content to user feedback, the resource center has the information you need for every level of the entrepreneurial process.
Every marketing plan starts the same way: by defining the target customer. Only then can an entrepreneur figure out the best way to reach them. Naturally, different types of target customers, or audiences, require different media and campaigns -- referred to as a promotional mix -- to reach them most effectively and efficiently. This tool takes a look at some different types of promotional media, and discusses the pros and cons of effectively reaching a target audience through each.
Are you the voice of your business? A blog can be your chance to interact on a regular and direct basis with your customers. Plus, it can drive more business in your direction.
"Citizen Marketing" is a form of influence that capitalizes on the persuasive power of consumer relationships in cyberspace. Entrepreneurs using web-based technology to promote their firms increasingly are looking to their customers to promote their brands via four categories for user-created sites: filters, fanatics, facilitators, and firecrackers.
Transforming customers from passive buyers to active participants will likely require a shift in marketing strategy for most entrepreneurs. Yet building a community of passionate consumers can be an effective way to create long-term growth and competitive advantage.
The impact of social media is increasingly becoming a part of entrepreneurial strategies for growth. The "Word of Mouth Marketing Association" cautions that disclosure of the firm's relationship with its bloggers should be transparent so that an opinion expressed might be judged more appropriately. Marketers are encouraged to demonstrate honesty of relationship, opinion and identity, as well as to take responsibility for the acts of recruited agents or volunteers.
Podtech's director of corporate media strategy, Jeremiah Owyang, shares his thoughts on the "practical approach" to listening to the marketplace. He provides an outline of a five-step process to integrate corporate marketing strategies into the blogosphere, and methods to develop prospect/customer trust and credibility.
San Francisco-based VC, Pascal Levensohn, discusses his use of blogging to establish a connection with entrepreneurs starting new businesses by sharing more than just best practices for venture backed companies. The spiritual and philosophical nature of his blog has created an affinity with his audience and a substantial impact on his business.
In this podcast, entrepreneur and marketing expert, Seth Godin, shares thoughts on social media and influencing in the marketplace. His stance is that psychographics have displaced the importance of planning based on demographics. Remaining in close contact with the market, providing customers with choices that matter to them, and guiding them towards possibilities they haven't yet imagined are three suggestions elaborated upon.
For entrepreneurial ventures to compete with larger competitors, creative publicity and inventive viral marketing campaigns are among some tactics that can be used. Building a brand requires a compelling story and solid leadership.
Blogging on behalf of your company and its products can be an effective public relations tool. While some companies, including GM and Sun, have embraced blogging-from CEOs to staff-it's important to provide quality content that focuses more on conversations with customers than pure company promotion.
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