Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2015

Entrepreneurs and startups often ask if they should select only social media for marketing, or stick with digital media, or just count on traditional media. Social media as a marketing tool is here to stay, and is now widely accepted. Focus first on the social media trinity.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Marketing Resource 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2022

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Earned media. Real customers.

Marketing 127

Marketing Framework Social Media Media 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

Marketing is everything these days. You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late.

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2023

Instead, they need to validate a customer problem and real market need first. Don’t create solutions looking for a problem , since investors ignore these, and customers other than early adopters will be hard to find. I say again, customers buy solutions, not technology. Your passion isn’t enough to create a market.

Customer 110

Customer Custom Social Media Technology 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2021

With the advent of the Internet, social media, and instant communication via texting, customer expectations for service, as part of their entire customer experience, have changed. They expect you to be there, to know their history as a customer, and to treat them with priority and respect.

Customer 171

Customer Custom Social Media Design 171

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. In fact, I believe modern entrepreneurs need to be super sales people, in the most positive sense, to their team as well as customers. No pain usually means no sales.

Sales 139

Sales Training Startup Customer 139

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2013

Entrepreneurs and startups often ask if they should use social media for marketing, digital media, or traditional media. The place to start today is if your company only uses traditional media for marketing, or no marketing. Focus first on the social media trinity.

Social Media 103

Social Media Media Marketing Startup 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2022

In my role of business advisor to startups, I often recommend these to increase initial brand identity and market penetration. With the rate of market change today, and the advent of worldwide competitors, you need every strategy you can muster to keep up, and respond quickly to new threats. Show potential customers that you care.

Marketing 119

Marketing Social Media Mentor Conference 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2019

An all-too-common question I get from startups and small businesses is “Which is the right social media platform for my business?” If you are in the 30 percent of all small businesses who still ignore social media, you need to read the book by Dave Carroll, “ United Breaks Guitars.” Increase customer leads and conversion.

Social Media 98

Social Media Platform Media Customer 98

socalTECH

MARCH 14, 2018

As part of our sponsor relationship with the conference, we're running a series of interviews with speakers from the conference about their experience in the area of recurring revenues, customer service, and similar topics. What's the biggest lesson you've learned about retaining and keeping your customers using the subscription model?

Customer 166

Customer Custom Conference Social Media 166

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2022

Today’s customers are much more in control of their buying decision, as they have more choices and more information than ever before. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.” This is a key moment where your customer acquisition costs go way down, and your profits go way up.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Startup Course 146

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

If you are a passionate technologist , it’s easy to forget that marketing is required to sell even the most compelling solution, to cut through the information overload everyone sees today on the internet. If customers don’t know you exist, you can’t solve their problem, they won’t buy.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

Unfortunately, in my role as business advisor , I don’t see the same response to more common weak signals , like the move to phone texting instead of voice, or politics invading social media. You may be getting killed today by customer expectations you never worried about just a few years ago.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2013

As I visit the websites of many startups, as well as more mature businesses, I still too often see a “contact” page offering nothing but a sterile form for customers to submit, never to be heard from again. Social media connections, if they exist, are buried elsewhere or reserved for monitoring purposes only.

Social Media 99

Social Media Customer Custom Media 99

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2012

As I visit the websites of many startups, as well as more mature businesses, I still too often see a “contact” page offering nothing but a sterile form for customers to submit, never to be heard from again. Social media connections, if they exist, are buried elsewhere or reserved for monitoring purposes only.

Social Media 91

Social Media Customer Custom Media 91

Tech.Co

JUNE 22, 2021

Shopify is planning to strike a blow at Amazon by entering the affiliate marketing space. Now, Shopify has apparently approached major publishers including Complex and Vox Media as well as getting Buzzfeed to sign on to the new program. Why Would Shopify Expand into Affiliate Marketing? How Will Shopify Affiliate Marketing Work?

Marketing 179

Marketing Buzzfeed Guide Platform 179

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2015

Social media is so pervasive in today’s world that every entrepreneur believes instinctively that they know how to use it for their startup. When it comes to social media for your business, expect a high learning curve, but rest assured it’s not rocket science. Top social networks are Facebook (1.2 billion users).

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Tips 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Proactively seek out win-win alliances.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2013

One of the questions I’m most often asked by CEOs is how to hire sales people. I’ve also written extensively on sales and on which sales execs to hire and how to think about the different kinds of sales leaders. Clearly in an enterprise customer this is unlikely. Call high, and get passed down or; B.

Sales 375

Sales Technical Review Organization Case Study 375

SoCal Tech Calendar

NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Driving Purchase Decisions in the Social Media Era. TCOSC Marketing and Sales Executives Society. Social media is evolving rapidly and is dramatically altering how purchase decisions are made. See [link] (more)

Social Media 113

Social Media Media Technology Council TCOSC 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

As I talk to many of you in my role as business advisor, I still often hear the concern for maximum return to the business and stakeholders, more than a passion for sustainably enriching the lives of your customers and team. This applies to your own team, as well as customers. Make every customer experience memorable.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

SoCal Tech Calendar

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

Thursday, November 15, 2012 -- Driving Purchase Decisions in the Social Media Era. TCOSC Marketing and Sales Executives Society. Driving Purchase Decisions in the Social Media Era Social media is evolving rapidly and is dramatically altering how purchase decisions are made. See [link] (more)

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Technology Council TCOSC 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2020

Instead, they need to validate a customer problem and real market need first. Don’t create solutions looking for a problem , since investors ignore these, and customers other than early adopters will be hard to find. Customers buy solutions, not technology. Your passion isn’t enough to create a market.

Technology 127

Technology Marketing Social Media Customer 127

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

TikTok is struggling to make a dent in the world of US and European ecommerce , and has now enlisted the help of a number of startups to try and reverse that trend and bring the Live Shopping craze sweeping Asia to other markets. Should Tech Giants Stop Trying to Make Social Commerce Happen? Please verify before subscribing.

Social Media 151

Social Media Startup Commerce News 151

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

Some make big mistakes, such as Webvan expanding too fast with a huge infrastructure, and Pets.com , trying to grow the business with a negative margin, under the mistaken assumption that winning customers is more important than making a profit. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners.

Startup 134

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2019

Today’s customers are overloaded and overwhelmed by too much information, so making a decision is a challenge. You may think this is only important to your marketing and sales people, but in reality it doesn’t matter how great your product or technology might be, you won’t succeed if you don’t understand your target customer decision process.

Customer 107

Customer Custom Sales Social Media 107

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2013

An all-too-common question I get from startups and small businesses is “Which is the right social media platform for my business?” If you are in the realm of the 47% of small businesses who still ignore social media, you need to read the book by Dave Carroll, “ United Breaks Guitars.” Maximize customer retention.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Platform 108

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Proactively seek out win-win alliances.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012 -- Turbo-Charging Social Media Engagement for Retail in Time for the Holidays. Social Media Club. How does social media drive engagement for retail marketers? Expect to leave the session with a game-plan to turbo-charge your social media engagement for this holiday season.

Social Media 113

Social Media Media Mogreet Tips 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2015

With the advent of social media and the pervasive move to smartphones, even customers who still prefer to purchase in brick-and-mortar stores have dramatically changed their shopping habits. If you refuse to play by their rules, they have the power to easily find alternatives, and actively pull other potential customers away.

Customer 103

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2019

Too many business owners still think of “ customer support ” as an after-sale process to rectify customer problems with completed transactions. With the advent of instant communication and social media, customer service starts at the first hint of interest by you, and never ends for repeat customers.

Customer 84

Customer Custom Company Companies 84

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Does your business have a visible positive strategy, or do your customers and employees still see your primary focus as closing more sales and killing competitors? Certainly that has been the strategy of many companies, and has worked in the past, but today’s customers and workers are looking for more.

Competition 110

Competition Sales Customer Custom 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2020

With the availability of high-speed Internet and social media access around the world, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to assume that the world is just one big homogeneous market, and project their business will scale accordingly. Re-validate your business model in every market. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Marketing 134

Marketing Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur 134

Berkonomics

APRIL 21, 2022

Owned media comes from the databases you own, such as your company’s web site, email newsletters, profiles in social media, or apps you have created requiring registration or download. And here’s the most powerful new media model. The post How powerful has new media advertising become?

Advertising 156

Advertising Media Social Media Newsletter 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2012

An all-too-common question I get from startups and small businesses is “Which is the right social media platform for my business?” If you are in the realm of the 47% of small businesses who still ignore social media, you need to read the new book by Dave Carroll, “ United Breaks Guitars.” Maximize customer retention.

Social Media 79

Social Media Media Marketing Platform 79

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

In my first enterprise software company we developed a methodology for sales that we called PUCCKA. Having a methodology instead of just going on random sales visits helped force a bit of rigor and honesty amongst team members about how well or not we thought we were doing. The best sales meetings are discussions.

Sales 367

Sales Slides Startup Customer 367

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

In today’s totally interconnected world with its abundance of information, choices, and marketing, how your customers buy has drastically changed. Whether you are an executive, an entrepreneur, a marketer, or a salesperson, it’s time to look beyond how you sell, and focus on how your customers buy.

Customer 94

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 94