In the last few days, I’ve been in on several Webinars–some more effective than others.
Hubspot’s “5 Tips for Advanced B2B Business Blogging” was well organized and to the point. ****
Although host and Hubspot Marketing VP Mike Volpe insisted on calling potential customers “personae,” (in my book, the persona is the character telling the story as opposed to someone you’re trying to reach)–he did a good job of explaining that instead of using blogs to push your products, you should offer information that will interest potential customers in order to draw them in. Among other suggestions:
- Offer a mix of posts–news, features, opinion, photos video, audio, lists, bold statements, funny bits, email or videocam interviews–and information about how to get photos, via flickr.
- Format in a readable way
- Be patient: this sort of marketing is a marathon, not a sprint,
The webinar video and slides are available at:
http://www.HubSpot.com/archive/b2b-business-blogging;
you can find a basic introduction to business blogging at
http://www.HubSpot.com/archive/blog-webinar
Elizabeth Marshall’s “Striking Content Marketing Cold” with Newt Barratt, Chris Brogan, and Paul Gillin, the authors of “Get Content Get Customers” was a bit roundabout. **
With four panelists, it was difficult to know who was speaking. The authors, who also used (and perhaps coined?) that peculiar
term “persona,” focused on what they call “content marketing,”
which involves using (or possibly employing the authors?)
to use “story” to bring in customers.
Despite the confusing format, the authors must have done
something right because here I am spreading the word on their
behalf!
The webinar may be downloaded from:
http://marketingmarshall.com/recommends/getcontent
Audio is available at http://authorteleseminars.com/audio
/getcontent1.mp3 and a written summary, in blog form, at
http://bit.ly/s2Jv
Vocus Teleseminar: -Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009 , featuring the increasingly visible Peter Shankman founder of the Geek Factory and HARO (Help a Reporter Out )and Kim Keelor, PR Director of Gaylord Entertainment, was informative but included a few discouraging words. ***
The Vocus moderator, in good social media marketing form,
kept discussion of Vocus’ media relations outreach offerings to
a minimum.
I felt encouraged when Keelor pointed out that PR consultants
seeing “free media” stand to do well as dollars for expensive
advertising sink in the current flailing economy.
I also found the advice to target a few key reporters rather
than send releases to huge list and to use social media tools
like Twitter and Gawker to find out what reporters are
covering–to be right on–especially with reporter layoffs, and
remaining journalists increasingly assigned to numerous
beats.
I was not shocked when Shankman predicted the imminent
demise of the press release–to be replaced by social media
tools used to reach individual reporters who have specific
informational needs.
I was, however, taken aback when one speaker (perhaps the
unnamed moderator?) expressed anger when asked
how to find reporters’ Twitter addresses– because he’d
posted instructions several months ago, online. If you can’t
figure out how to Google to find that information,” he asked,
do you really belong in this [PR] business?
As a long-time PR practitioner who is relatively new to
Twitter, I have to ask whether insulting potential Vocus
customers–I mean… personae– who ask honest questions is
an effective marketing tool.
That webinar and others are available at
http://onlinepressroom.net/vocus/.
The New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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