A key part of modern marketing is creating a digital footprint.

Most buying decisions now involve an online search – often they start there.
So it is important that you are found.

Search engines have moved from ranking by how worthy your site is to how active it is – and a large part of that is social media driven.

Buyers have changed similarly. They don’t open…

New things are usually tried by one company or individual. That gives them a commercial advantage. Over a period others learn and do them to. Often with greater resource, but less understanding of what they are trying to achieve. Over time it becomes accepted practice and, since it is espoused by the big players becomes “Best Practice” – often without anyone really evaluating whether it still works when everyone is doing it.

Effectively it is…

After a period when it seemed the gap was unbridgeable, it seems that things are converging again.

With advertising out of the way and creative taking a back seat to data and targeting, a different breed of marketer is emerging. One who is not so disconnected…

There is never a single target market.

A decision such as business software will have multiple decision makers. Perhaps the COO, CFO and CEO, for example.

It will also have a size of company demographic. It will not work for a global conglomerate and a SOHO business (small office, home office).

It will have vertical markets. It may be strong in manufacturing, but not in retail, for…

Marketing Automation is the big hype of the moment. But the methodology behind it is over ten years on and the world, especially the online marketing world, has moved on. Here’s 14 reasons why you should move beyond marketing automation.
1. Marketing Automation is built on the old-fashioned push model of marketing.
2. MA is based on the discredited “Marketing makes leads for Sales” ideology.
3. MA is…

The aim in business is to make money. On that scale, these people must be the UK’s hit parade top 20. So what can we learn from them?

1. If you want to compete on the wider stage, this is the sort of money you are up against. A niche strategy is the only way anyone can build a business.

2. Real wealth comes from finding a market opportunity, not organic growth….

The marketing definition of a lead differs from the sales one. Marketing sees it as meaning any contact which may lead to a sale. Sales sees it as someone who has demonstrated commitment to purchasing the product/service/solution, is a decision maker and has a valid project in place or planned. Quite a difference.

My system is this:
Interest: A form fill, web visit, social media interaction or download is merely interest.
Suspect: Once a…

From way back in history we have been trained to pick up nuances that the other person is giving out unintentionally. This gives us a second guess at their real intention and stature.

It covers blinking too much, facial ticks, uneasy body language etc. in a conversational situation. Clothing is also an important visual signal.

But it also happens in a remote environment. That mis-spelling on a blog…

People go on about B2B and B2C, yet many seem confused about the different engagement techniques between the two. I’ve written up my personal view on my Marketing Pipeline Blog – I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts.

Peter Johnston

PS: I’ve deliberately kept the words marketing and sales out of this as the customer relationship affects both and the dividing line differs between companies. All I will say is that the best Sales…

Most people do this in isolation. But there is a better way. If you set goals for the company then the marketing budget sets itself.

For example, if you launch a new product and want £1m revenue in year one, you will have to decide how you intend to sell it – website, direct marketing, reseller, inhouse sales team etc.  You will have to look at competitors and see how it…