Tweet Crawford/Mikus would like to welcome guest blogger Derek Singleton of  Software Advice Lead quality is a central issue in any organization. While there are many strategies for improving lead quality, few Marketing departments look to telemarketing to improve the quality of their leads. In my view, this is a mistake. Generally speaking, lead qualification lives in the Sales department but I don’t think [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus I love reading clichés like these, but isn’t it true – doesn’t every company want to get the right information to the right people, but how many actually do?  Or more importantly, is the information in the right format or is it at the right time?  Let me address these [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus A general once said, “No battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.” While the comparison of warfare to marketing communications may be extreme, the quote does make a good point about adapting plans to meet circumstances. As we approach the 2013 marketing planning season, make it a point to try to anticipate changes in the [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus Marketing has always had a seat at the table. But, how can it get a voice at the table and gain more influence and credibility in the organization? Here are 8 tips to help marketers influence and gain support within the organization. 1. Focus on ROI. A recent global survey [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus How long has it been since you updated or refreshed the design, content and user experience of your website? For many of you, the answer will be some version of “too long.” The website is the front door to your company. If your site isn’t making a good first impression, [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus and Sheryl Roehl For decades, Marketing was a one-way street. We designed, wrote and delivered corporate marketing communications – collateral, ads, direct mail and the like. It was all about the company speaking to the market with one voice. Fast forward more than two decades and the old “Mad Men” [...]

Tweet Posted by Sheryl Roehl More and more businesses are jumping on the social media bandwagon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re getting everything right.  Here are 5 things that keep marketers from getting the most from their social marketing programs. 1. Running your social marketing without a strategy or a plan. Social media [...]

Tweet Posted By Beth Crawford & Scott Mikus Many organizations put significant time and money into their search optimization and neglect web optimization. Big mistake. Big mistake. While SEO can help improve search rankings and increase inbound traffic, it’s just as important to spend time optimizing the site’s content, user experience and design. If you don’t, your [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus and Sheryl Roehl As a marketer, choosing an agency is probably one of the hardest but most important decisions that you’ll make in your career. Choose well and you’re a rock star in your boss’ eyes. Choose poorly and it could ding you on your next performance review. It’s not [...]

Tweet Posted by Scott Mikus As social media swept aside many old marketing assumptions, many companies have discovered they have a lot less control over their brands than they used to.  Today’s consumers and B2B customers wield enormous power to define the market’s perceptions of brands through their online and offline conversations. In this new [...]