The Ultimate Guide to Launching a Print Custom Magazine

For the past three years, social media has taken center stage for corporate marketers. In talking with many senior marketers, there was a drop everything mentality, meaning that many strategies within the integrated marketing realm were left on the sidelines while companies scrambled to figure out social media tactics, assign resources and determine why anyone would use Twitter.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to talk with marketers all over North America about their marketing plans and struggles. Of course, I heard the usual about social media, content creation, email and lead generation. To my surprise, though, there was talk about print. Full Article >

Branded Words: How Do You Talk to Customers “After the Sale”?

When someone decides to become a customer, it’s your handshake moment to welcome them aboard. They’re filling out your online forms. Getting your emails. Reading your welcome packet. Who are you? What’s your tone? How do you talk to them in this moment? Does your brand voice sound like a real person making contact, or is the voice cold and artificial?

Recently, we worked with a global bank we’ll call Gigantor. The bank wanted to reinvent itself. They wanted “big” to feel “small.” Because banking is now mobile, Gigantor was passionate about making customers feel welcome, about making the global “conversation” more real. Here’s what came out of it. Full Article >

The Anatomy of a Great Web Persona

Melanie is your market research with an attitude, your analytics in a skirt. Bill is the voice that rings through the headsets of your customer support people, unwavering in his desire to get what he wants. Amy is that segment of your house list who got distracted before she finished ordering online.

None of these people exist, but they are powerful guides for any business that wants to grow in an age of digital content. Melanie, Bill and Amy are touchpoint personas, and they can walk right into any meeting you have and “lay down the law.” They know what they want, and they are your ally in getting the resources you need to deliver.

Read on to learn why a touchpoint persona is so powerful and to figure out what information you should include. Full Article >