Can A Blog Really Help Increase New Business?

One of my business partners at Dimension X, Robert McClelland, conducts a small experiment when we meet with new prospective clients. Bob always counts the seconds from when I mention the Social Media Strategy of Blogging and when he sees them get glazed over eyes & agitated... This experiment has become very entertaining for us. :-)

Even though Blogging has become a very important part of the advertising & marketing process these days, it appears that there is still a lot of uncertainty and skepticism of how effective it is.

Well, let's see if I can help build some clarity by defining what a Blog should and should not be used for:

What your Blog should NOT be...

• Your Blog should NOT be treated as advertising
  
• Your Blog should NOT be all about you or your company
• Your Blog should NOT be done sparatically
• Your Blog should NOT be boring
• Your Blog should NOT be generic
  

What your Blog SHOULD be...

• Your Blog SHOULD be of value to the readers
• Your Blog SHOULD be specific in nature
• Your Blog SHOULD be about creating a dialogue
• Your Blog SHOULD be enjoyable to read
• Your Blog SHOULD be used to position you as an expert
• Your Blog SHOULD be used to instill trust & insight
  

Ok, so the original point of this post was to answer the question "Can A Blog Really Help Increase New Business". Well, if your definition of getting new business is to engage your customers and cultivate relationships, then - yes. A Blog is the best way to convey your philosophies on how business in YOUR industry should be done. This means a lot to buyers. They want to know that you care about their industry, their company, their needs.

Start being passionate about Blogging and your customers and, in time, it will pay off big.




Dimension X Advertising & Marketing - "Anybody Can Build Weapons Of War... Strategies Win The Battle"!

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Creativity Without Strategy Is Art!

Let's face it, there are a lot of very talented and creative advertising agencies out there in the world. We are blessed to be in an industry that strives on "Thinking Outside of the Box" (Even though I hate that saying).

Creativity is like a drug to the folks in our industry. We really get a great high when we come up with a concept that blows away our clients, our peers and win awards... we keep wanting MORE! We love it. So, please don't stop feeding the creative ego of the Creatives... it's important to keep us wanting more.

Ok, enough of that feel good stuff (I can say that 'cause I'm one of them :-)

The bottom line IS the bottom line. You need to make sure that the agency you hire keeps things in perspective - They are hired for results! The goal is to grow your Brand, Market Share & Profits. If they loose site of why they were hired in the first place, let them know that they are missing out on the best high of them all... giving you what they were hired for - results.

Over the past 15 years I have been preaching to my team "Creativity Without Strategy Is Art". There is nothing wrong with a nice work of art IF, it's for the sake of art. In the agency business, your artistic abilities better hit your clients Strategic Objective, not just win another creative award.

A successful, agency should be both "Creatively Strategic & Strategically Creative". This is what you should look for when hiring a new advertising agency... This should be the Ying & Yang of their business.


Dimension X Advertising & Marketing - "Anybody Can Build Weapons Of War... Strategies Win The Battle"!

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A Time For Thanks

I know this topic isn't really Advertising & Marketing related, however it's good for your mental health. And let's face it, if your head isn't on straight, your creativity will suffer. ;-)

Well, Thanksgiving is here :-) It's time for us to have a LONG weekend, eat great food and hang out with family and friends.

With everything that is going on with the economy and the other changes ahead, we need to start putting things in to perspective. We need to remember to give thanks for all that we have;

• Thanks for our health.
• Thanks for our family.
• Thanks for our friends.
• Thanks for being able to live in such a great nation.
• Thanks for our freedoms.
• Thanks for being able to provide for our loved ones.

We all have a lot to be thankful for and we need to spend some "alone time" for reflection. And... when we get back to work we can be grounded in what's important.

Happy Thanksgiving :-)

Dimension X Advertising & Marketing - "Anybody Can Build Weapons Of War... Strategies Win The Battle"!

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The Battle Ground Of The Mind

First, I would like to thank everyone for the positive feedback about my blog... I hope that it continues to be a valuable resource for you.

To be successful today, you must touch base with reality. And the only reality that counts is what’s already in the “prospect’s mind”. You need to create a position that will separate you from the competition. Stop playing follow the leader and start becoming one.

The basic approach of positioning is not to create something new and different, but to manipulate what’s already up there in the mind, to retie the connections that already exist.

In every industry, the lines between competing companies is being blurred. Business executives are studying their competition’s every strategic move and, of course, mimicking them – creating “Me Too” products or services. This on-going process confuses the prospect and they have no recourse but to look at price as being the only “Differentiator”.

We believe that companies need to break away from the “Me Too” pack. It is imperative to develop a strategy that is “Brand Driven” with a clear and distinct message that separates your products and company from the competition... a unique "Position".

Capturing Mind Share through "Positioning" requires creating an Emotional Tie to your brand… this is not an easy task. You need to develop a story that your prospects can buy into and want to support. You need to determine what you truly “Stand-For” and construct a powerful and laconic Brand Promises or positioning statement that your prospects and company can rally around …Create A Battle Cry!

Dimension X Advertising & Marketing - "Anybody Can Build Weapons Of War... Strategies Win The Battle"!

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Is Your Sales Team Social Media Savvy?

The times they are a changin'... and so is the way we communicate. With the advent of social media, we have found that more and more sales relationships are being developed through the use of this ever expanding medium. It has become common place for perfect strangers to establish a trusting business relationship in a very short period of time.

If you haven't already, you should encourage and train your team on how to get the most out of this new media. As you develop your 2009 strategy, consider how your sales team can strengthen valuable relationships and start new ones.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on where to begin.

nwright@dxadvertising.com or 1-877-505-DXDX (3939)


Dimension X Advertising & Marketing - "Anybody Can Build Weapons Of War... Strategies Win The Battle"!

;-)