Friday, 26 April 2013 06:09

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by Michael Reynolds, President/CEO of SpinWeb

Article sponsored by Data Boy Computer Services

Inbound marketing is both an art and a science. The technology, metrics, measurements, testing, and goals are the science part of it while the creative campaigns and intuitive ideas are a critical part of the art of inbound marketing.

While the numbers and metrics are very quantifiable, the multifaceted nature of inbound marketing can make it somewhat challenging to tackle from a productivity standpoint.

Let’s face it… there is always more you could do. There is always one more blog post you could write. There is always one more ebook idea to work on. Always one more video campaign. One more social media experiment. One more network to try.

Yikes! Where do you draw the line?

Whether you are an agency partner doing inbound marketing for your clients or you are a marketing pro who is in charge of marketing for your organization, how do you know when you’re “finished?” for the day, week, or month?

Reference Your Goals

Before you get all worked up over whether you are doing enough, take a look at your goals. You may feel like you’re not doing enough but if your metrics show that you are on track with your goals, relax! You’re on the right track.

Naturally, you’ll want to continuously improve your results and nudge your goals higher and higher but this can be done in a manageable way that is realistic and achievable.

Follow your Cookbook

While the results are the most important measure of your success, you also need to be working from a “cookbook” so that you have a framework for your activities. A sample cookbook might contain these activities for a given month:

• Writete and publish 4 blog posts
• Schedule one Facebook post per day
• Schedule 3 Twitter posts per day
• Create one new offer, video, or webinar (could also be per quarter)
• Review keywords and prune/add
• Look for opportunities to improve conversions and adjust accordingly
• Create one new A/B test variation for CTA
• Newsjack as needed
• Monthly review with client

This is a pretty simple list of activities that are proven to lead to positive results over time. However, if you get three months in and discover that you are not hitting your goals, then you can go back to your cookbook and make some adjustments.

Traffic not as high as you want? Try doubling your blog post output while slowing down offers. Traffic is high but you leads are down? Spend more time creating offers and optimizing conversion opportunities.

Read the entire article on Duct Tape Marketing

Article sponsored by Data Boy Computer Services

Wednesday, 24 April 2013 05:18

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Article sponsored by Vincent Crotty Memorial Foundation

PEARL RIVER, New York, April 23, 2013 ― On April 30^th, the Rockland Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is hosting a free, informative seminar that will focus on strategic planning for the future of a family-owned or privately held business. Sponsored by Provident Bank, “Succeeding at Succession Planning, Building Your Next Generation of Leaders,” will be held at the Hilton Pearl River, 500 Veterans Memorial Drive, Pearl River, NY, starting at 8:00 a.m.

Succession happens, and companies need to be ready for it―better, faster, and more precisely than even a decade ago. Nearly 90% of our country’s small businesses are family-owned or privately-held, and within the next four years, nearly 65% of those small business leaders will be ready to transition into retirement or new ventures.

To ensure continuity in the leadership of a company and help a business prepare its chosen candidates assume their new role, Keynote Speaker, Lisë Stewart, founder of the Galliard Group, will present:

The essential steps in developing a practical game plan for your unique situation; Succession planning with a focus on developing the next generation of leadership; Discussion of key components of an exit strategy and succession plan; Steps in creating a leadership development strategy and individual leadership development plans; Key practices that will support success, and more.

Attendees will learn more about: How to prioritize and plan business growth for the future; Understanding leadership development strategies for sustainability; Discovering policy gaps in critical areas such as governance, finances, and compensation, How to identify the timing and necessity for outside advisor support; and How to leverage a legacy.

“Succession planning goes well beyond having an exit plan in place. Business leaders won’t want to miss this ideal opportunity to learn more about the critical elements of succession planning and Ms. Stewart’s presentation will give them an excellent understanding of how to do that,” said Eric Dranoff, Chairman, Rockland IDA.

Registration is required. To register, contact Jayne Nichols, REDC, at 845-735-7040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Program Date & Time:      Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:00-10:30 a.m.

Location:                              Hilton Pearl River

                                                500 Veterans Memorial Drive

                                                Pearl River, NY 10965

For more information about the business seminar, contact: Steven Porath, Executive Director, Rockland IDA at 845-735-7040.

About the Keynote Speaker

After almost 20 years in business consulting, Lisë Stewart founded the Galliard Group in 2004 to serve the unique needs of family-owned and closely-held businesses. A vibrant and sought-after speaker nationwide, Lisë is passionate about raising the awareness of the importance of family businesses as the foundation of our nation’s economy. She focuses her client work on organizational development, exit strategies, strategic planning, family governance and developing effective succession plans. To learn more, go to: www.galliardinc.com

About the Rockland IDA

The Rockland IDA provides financial incentives to retain, expand and attract business in Rockland County. Incentives include state and local sales tax exemptions, mortgage recording tax exemption, tax exempt bond financing and a real property tax abatement program. IDA Members, who serve as volunteers, include: Eric Dranoff, Esq., Chair; Howard Hellman, Secretary; Timothy Riley, Treasurer; and Catherine Nowicki. The IDA does not receive any public funding and operates solely from the fees it generates. To learn more, go to: www.rocklandida.org.

Article sponsored by Vincent Crotty Memorial Foundation