By Alexandra Reid
As a regular feature, we provide our readers with a roundup of some of the best articles we read in the past week. On the podium this week are Velocity, Forrester, TopRank, The Washington Post, and Econsultancy.
‘You had me at hello’ – How to nail personalized marketing in B2B
Say “persona” to a marketer and nine times out of 10 he or she will need to fight an involuntary eye-roll reflex. Author Ryan Skinner is on a one-man mission to turn personas into the sexiest topic you work with. He covers a few simple ways to apply personas so that people see your marketing and think “Damn. I wish I did that.”
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By Alexandra Reid
Mitch Joel sparked an interesting conversation recently on his blog when he argued that podcasts could make a comeback.
Joel runs the popular podcast Six pixels of separation and admitted that the podcast is a guilty pleasure for him to ask interesting people his burning questions. He also confessed that he had no data to back up his claim that podcasts could be on the rebound, but listed a handful of successful podcasts which are acting as indicators that consumers do in fact have an appetite for longer, in-depth and content-rich audio programming. These podcasts are:
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By Alexandra Reid
As usual, we covered a lot of ground this month on our blog. We argued that RIM won’t commit suttee, why Harper’s free trade efforts need more thought, how Don Drummond’s arguments on Canadian business are flawed, and we also offered loads of advice for PR and marketing professionals.
Here are our posts from August, as ranked by the enthusiasm of our readers:
August 27: Harper’s free trade efforts need more thought by Denzil Doyle
August 29: Thinking outside the bunker by Leo Valiquette
August 30: Marketing’s hidden treasure map by Francis Moran
August 13: Secrets of bulletproof marketing implementation by Rob Woyzbun
August 8: 5 tips content marketers should take from journalists by Alexandra Reid
August 14: Five common content marketing mistakes by Alexandra Reid
August 1: Any press is not always good press, but it may pay dividends down the road by Leo Valiquette
August 28: 2012 B2B content marketing trends by Alexandra Reid
August 22: Inbound marketing: An alternative to traditional PR? by Alexandra Reid
August 23: Truth … and sincerity … in advertising by Leo Valiquette
August 2: Waterloo will not commit suttee on any RIM funeral pyre by Francis Moran
August 9: How to get the media’s attention with your dignity and reputation intact by Leo Valiquette
August 21: The case for inbound marketing: What’s in it for you? by Alexandra Reid
August 15: The buck has to stop with whoever owns the byline by Leo Valiquette
August 16: Unleash your inner consultant by Caroline Kealey
August 7: Don Drummond on productivity by Denzil Doyle
August 10: The worst marketing sin by Francis Moran
Image: Curt Fleenor Photography
By Francis Moran
Whenever I present to groups or prospects on my Four Steps on the Road to Revenue™ marketing methodology, the first sentence out of my mouth is always, “It all begins with the customer.” My point is that marketing must start with identifying a customer requirement that your product or service can fulfill. Too many companies, and especially technology companies, start with building a product and then go looking for someone willing to buy it. It is far more effective to first find that burning pain or unmet need that you — and, preferably, you alone — can address in a unique manner that creates high value on both sides of the transaction.
I will admit that it is getting easier all the time to persuade folks of the sense of this approach. Every time we have rigorously applied this methodology, the client ends up with a clearly defined market need, a well-described customer, a sharply articulated value proposition, a product-development strategy that compells alignment with that market need, and an effective and measurable tactical plan to bring the product to market. In every case, the process is anchored by a detailed understanding of the customer, whether that comes from the client’s own reliable knowledge of customer requirements or from independent executive-interview-based or third-party research.
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By Leo Valiquette
Effective marketing is often an exercise in thinking outside the box to make the most creative use of assets already at hand.
In a content marketing context, this may mean tapping into the brain trust residing within your organization to use the industry experience, perspective and forward-thinking vision of key individuals to establish thought leadership through blogs, whitepapers and contributions to trade and industry publications.
There are also those instances where a certain caché can be built around providing a unique experience to your marketplace. British startup Screach, which we regularly check in with on this blog, is an excellent example of a technology vendor that is all about audience engagement and interaction by creating unique and fun experiences that take advantage of mobile ubiquity. But with any kind of product or service, there are unique aspects that can be used to create an original and memorable experience.
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By Alexandra Reid 
