CaliberPulse

The way we do business has changed significantly in the digital age. Every aspect including lead generation, customer service and retention, branding and marketing has shifted into overdrive as customers are more empowered and informed than ever before with research tools at their fingertips. Reputation management is more challenging as customer touchpoints continuously emerge and […]

What do you do when your company has exciting news that will likely meet with strong opposition by the exact target audience you are trying to reach? Preemptively planning and precisely positioning your message to best accommodate that specific demographic could be the best approach.

Our social media team recently participated in a highly successful Twitter chat and wanted to pass along a few thoughts of using Twitter chats to increase your professional development, customer service, community relations and most importantly your business objectives.

Surveying existing and potential customers is an excellent way to learn their needs and priorities. The information received can then be used in the development of your business and marketing plan. The questions you ask, and the way you ask them, are very important in capturing information that is actionable and can then be used to increase sales and profits. In order to get the best actionable results from a survey, thorough planning is required. Before a survey is conducted, consider the following questions:

Social media has become a critical tool for companies to share news, product information, and promotions with their followers. While these are important elements of building a brand and executing marketing campaigns, social media is also a powerful tool for providing real-time, continued customer service.

A growing percentage of your customers have become online journalists, reporting their experiences using your brands in their social networks. Are you listening to what they are saying and responding to their suggestions? Social media can provide valuable insights about your customers and their brand preferences. To learn more, check out this article published in Inside Tucson Business by Caliber’s CEO…

We have yet another answer for the ever-present challenge of how to stimulate more interaction on Facebook. Facebook recently introduced a new feature that allows page administrators to build interaction by polling. This added feature allows social site managers to not only survey their fans to find useful information, but it can also be used to reinforce message strategy via questions.

The Caliber team recently participated in a half-day virtual conference by Vocus, titled: “Social Media. So What?” One of the keynote speakers, Scott Stratten, gave an insightful talk reminding us that every employee is a marketer, and engaging with customers online improves your brand enormously. Stratten’s views on marketing inspired many industry professionals, including our friend and respected colleague, Abbie S. Fink. Today, we are happy to share her guest blog post, which provides some thoughtful insight on Stratten’s new book, “UnMarketing.”

John C. Maxwell once said, “Feeling appreciated brings out the best in people.” We all want to be appreciated in our relationships; at work by our staff, boss, and clients, and at home by our family and friends. Eileen Shenker recently gave a seminar called “Romancing Your Relationships™” at the February Women’s Financial Group hosted by National Bank of Arizona. Shenker reminded attendees that we have to make a conscious effort to appreciate those around us. She pointed out that often times, we think about calling someone up and saying thank you or think about sending a small gift, but never end up following through. In this case, it is not the thought that counts. Shenker’s mantra is “When you think it, act on it.”

It’s relatively common knowledge in the business industry that building on existing customer relationships is more cost effective than trying to attract new customers altogether. But before you start trying to upsell your existing customer base, it might be a good idea to find out how they really feel about your business. Such information could help you come up with a winning strategy that entices them to purchase more of your services. Asking a customer at the counter what they think of your business is like asking your significant other if he or she thinks you’ve gained weight. Some couples have the kind of open and honest relationships that allow them to successfully navigate such a sensitive topic. Other couples might squirm and feel awkward. Or worse yet, the relationship is already lost and someone may take the opportunity to hurt the other.

Throughout my 23 years in advertising and marketing, the one thing that perplexes me most about business owners is how they could respond to the question, “Who is your customer?” by saying “Everyone.” Mom taught me a long time ago, you can’t be all things to all people, you’ll forget who you are. This goes for businesses as well. There are many ways to determine who your core customers are. Read about six great suggestions that will help you identify your high-value customers in How to Define a ‘Good Target’ in the Digital Age. These are the customers that will give you your highest return on your marketing and advertising investment.

Face-to-face encounters with other human beings are easily avoided with all the new technology we have at our fingertips. Given how easy it is these days to keep up with business acquaintances and colleagues by e-mail and social media, the traditional methods of engaging with professionals in your industry have taken a back seat. However, tradeshows, once the most direct way that companies engaged with and targeted new customers, are still an important part of any marketing strategy and should not be overlooked. A new study by Oxford Economics USA shows how a dollar invested in business travel, returned a $12.50 increase in revenue and $3.80 in new profits. With that reinforcement in mind, plan your next industry show with a strategy. Check out these “11 Trade Show Strategies to Boost ROI” to get the most out of your time and investment.