The 9 Best Business Blogs You Should Be Reading




1. You’re the Boss (http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com)


2. Seth Godin’s Blog (http://sethgodin.typepad.com)


3. Workshifting (http://www.workshifting.com)




5. Pando Daily (http://pando.com)


6. Naked Capitalism (http://www.nakedcapitalism.com)


7. Anita Loomba (http://anitaloomba.com)






Repurpose Marketing Content

Repurposing your content

How do you become more transparent?

Repurposing content is often one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to create an abundance of creative content, while at the same time extending the shelf life of your current marketing investment. Here are a few tips to help you creatively repurpose marketing content:

Combine related blog posts on specific topics into an e-book. Add content as needed to make it flow smoothly from one post to another.

Convert PowerPoint presentations into videos by adding animations, background music, or a voice-over. Maximize exposure by posting your videos on YouTube and sharing links via social media, your website, email, direct mail, and other marketing tools.

Turn publications or articles into podcasts by simply reading them aloud or having a narrative conversation about a topic of interest.

Create a company history timeline highlighting the stages and evolution of your business. Include news releases, company posts, social media announcements, and articles about your company.

Review unconventional content as well, such as an employee handbook that may include an introduction from the president outlining the company’s vision or a well-written summary of your target audience meant to educate new employees.

Archive your news releases in a “news” section on your company website to increase ongoing exposure.

Reuse parts of press releases, case studies, white papers, and other publications. Pull key quotes, stats, facts, and highlights, then use those materials in brochures, newsletters, blog posts, website pages, and email campaigns.

Create a landing page or microsite using in-depth product pages or articles that you’ve already written.

No matter how you repurpose your content, just remember that the more content you create, the easier it is to generate interest, educate and inform prospects and customers, and increase sales.


Take a look at a couple of books to review:  “The Referral Engine by John Jantsch”, andWhat would Google do?”, by Jeff Jarvis.  These two books take a look at how to move into the internet world and generate relationships with many nitches and personalization…. give us a call we can help you create that.

Start Spreading the Word About Your Full Product Line


    • Offer a product catalog with in-depth product features and highlights.

Marketing Takes a Holiday

fun promotions for the winter

If you’re planning a winter getaway or are already thinking about a summer retreat (and really, who among us isn’t thinking about summer already?), here are a few ideas to help you take your marketing with you on the road….

  • Hold a sale. We’ve all seen ads with the idea of “the boss is away, so we’re having a sale” or something to that effect. Have fun with it, and make it memorable.
  • Send postcards. Bring the names and addresses of your top customers with you, and send them postcards from on the road. Or send postcards back to the office, and have your employees post them in a common area where everyone (customers included) can see them.
  • Blog about it. Along those same lines, post regular updates to the company (and/or your personal) blog, with lots of photos and details about the things you’re doing on your trip.
  • Encourage involvement. Ask your customers to send you updates when they go on vacation, then post them to a display at work or as guest posts on your blog.
  • Have some fun. Bring along an item related to your company, such as a shopping bag or mug with your logo on it, or a fun object like a garden gnome or stuffed animal wearing a company shirt. Then take pictures of the object sitting in front of popular tourist attractions.
  • Make a promotion/game out of it by encouraging your customers to do the same thing on their trips or by having people guess where these photos of your “mascot” were taken. If you have your customers take their own photos, supply them with the “mascot” to take with them on their trip, and offer an incentive for participating (such as $x off their next purchase for each photo they provide).

An Important Message from…You

Owners writing a blog about them or from them

Create Relationships






Become a Resource for Your Customers

The average prospect is bombarded by so many salesmen eager for their business that they can be selective over the solution provider they choose. While quality and price will always remain important factors, the level of expertise and guidance provided is often just as important. Here are a few ways you can become a resource for your customers:

  • Offer hands-on training as an extension of your customer’s organization. By enhancing their ability to anticipate, understand, and solve problems, you can help them develop solutions faster and more efficiently than on their own.
  • Provide a newsletter, or encourage customers to sign up for your blog. Then fill that newsletter or blog with tips, articles, industry trends, new product highlights, and relevant industry articles and resources. Create an archive section on your website that makes all previous information you’ve provided available for viewing.
  • Create a resource page on your website that offers a comprehensive list of engaging and helpful links to industry resources, helpful websites, associations, event calendars, etc.
  • Create an industry chat forum through your web page that gives people with similar interests the ability to chat with others about your industry, products, resources, etc.
  • Stay current on industry trends and new products, as well as competitor solutions, so you can offer educated answers to your customers.
  • Stay involved with your customers. Periodically check in to see how they are doing and to show that you sincerely care about them and your relationship with them.
  • Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Learn more about their industry, customers, associations, events, etc. Think of creative ways you can help them be more successful in their ventures.
  • Don’t just use a sales pitch. Instead, share your enthusiasm and knowledge. Salespeople who are passionate are the most successful because their belief in the products or services shines through.


What’s Your Story?




At its heart, marketing is storytelling. Like a storyteller of old, you need to connect with your audience (your customers and prospects), engage them, educate them, enthrall them, and inspire them to act on that new found knowledge by buying your wares or responding to your offer.



The key is to make the customer the focus of your story, not your company. Your company merely helps that person overcome their challenges. Readers need to relate to a story’s main character and to the struggles they face. Otherwise, they won’t feel invested in the story enough to care how it ends. They’ll also tune out if they sense a story is nothing more than chest-thumping and self-absorbed bravado.

Of course, storytelling isn’t limited just to case studies or testimonials. Consider your company-focused content, like your history and executive bios. Are there any interesting stories from your company’s past you’d like to share? For example, what led your company’s founders to start your company? Did they as consumers have a need that no one else was meeting? What challenges did they face? Were there any obstacles that stood in their way? And how did they position themselves to overcome those challenges…to the benefit of their customers (people like those who are reading your materials)?

Even product literature offers a chance to tell a story and captivate an audience. What led your company to introduce the product you’re writing about? What challenges does it help customers (like those reading your materials) overcome? How has customer feedback helped you improve the product? And what role do you see customer interaction playing in future product offerings and upgrades?

Notice a common theme here? In all of these, the focus is on the customer. They are the heroes of the stories you tell. It’s their challenges, struggles, and needs that shape your decisions and encourage you to do what you do.

And that makes for one very compelling storyline.