Some fifteen years ago, in a period that seemed full of change and uncertainty in marketing, I asked my colleague Ted Levitt where he saw our field heading. Levitt, who had a marvelous talent for speaking in epigrams, responded, “The future of marketing will be more like its past than anyone imagines.” Today, as the internet, social media, new analytics, and mobile devices upend the work of marketing, it may seem strange to say he was right. But if marketing is the hinge that links human nature to business methods, half of that hinge remains fixed to something enduring: consumer behavior.

Marketers, then, would do well to ask: what do we really know about how consumers behave in commercial settings? What truths and tendencies have been proved by rigorous research?

A new book produced by the Marketing Science Institute provides an abundance of answers. Consumer Insights: Findings from Behavioral Research features concise (2-3 page) summaries of reliable insights on 42 subjects, with pointers to the studies that yielded them. On a perennial topic like the effects of ad likability, for example, it saves marketing executives from making casual assumptions—the link between more likable ads, more positive brand attitudes, and higher purchase rates is soundly proved by dozens of studies. As for newer, digital-age assumptions like the expectation that easy search would lead to high market efficiency (which is to say, cutthroat price competition), in that case the answer is no. Work by Eric Johnson and others reveals why. – What We Really Know About Consumer Behavior by John Deighton 

The evolution of technology has moved the PR pitch away from hard copy press releases to the phone and email, but now reporters are busier than ever. Emails too easily get lost in the melee and when you catch them on the phone, they often don’t have time to listen to a pitch and ask you to send an email.

So how do you get their attention?

Over the past year or so I have been using Twitter to contact journalists. It’s not only an extremely useful platform to get their interest, but it also helps you to get to know their work, to create a rapport, and to spot media requests; all of which are integral to being a good public relations professional.

The worlds of the media and PR agencies are both fast paced so the immediacy of Twitter enables both parties to take advantage of reacting to trends and breaking news – stories can be imagined, written and published within an hour if it’s a hot topic. – Using Twitter for Effective Media Relations by Keredy Andrews

One of the keys to building a great client list, is to embrace the following 2 points.

1. There is more than one opinion:  You may believe you are right, but you have to believe that there is more than one way to look at things.
2. There is more than one truth:  It may be true to you that cheesecake is delicious, but it is equally true to another person, that it tastes disgusting.

It can be tempting to assume that our own perspectives, are the only valid ones.  Now, if you are marketing exclusively to people, who are just like you, you may get away with that kind of narrow assumption.  But very few accountants will work only for other accountants, few lawyers will represent only lawyers and just as few fitness instructors will only train fellow fitness instructors.

Respect is essential

If we want to attract clients from outside our own industry, social class, age range or personality type, we need to embrace the right for others to be different AND respect their differences.  We don’t have to agree with everything our prospective clients think or inherit their beliefs, but it’s important to respect their right to be different. – Stop marketing to yourself by Jim Connolly

Here are the top Internet strategy, marketing and technology links for the week of November 26, 2011… [Read more...]

Google+ had a hot start, but has since cooled down. For a lot of people, that means ignoring Google+. I want to warn you that is a bad idea.

Although the lights are on and it seems like nobody is home, trust me: there are people there. And they are the very people who can have a huge impact on your blog and business.

Why Google+ isn’t going anywhere

Google+ is designed to draw you away from both Twitter and Facebook. And in time, it could do this.

Yes, Facebook has over 800 million users. People like to state that number and then say “Facebook isn’t going anywhere.” Fair enough. But people do migrate. It happened to AOL. And it could happen to Facebook. In fact, former Facebook president Sean Parker says influencers are already moving from FB to Twitter and Google+.

That’s bad news for Facebook. But good news for you.

Of course I know that it’s important not to waste your time. So the following list of things that you should be doing on Google+ will keep you both productive and effective, not just entertained. – 10 Productive Tasks You Should Be Doing On Google+ Right Now by Neil Patel

With the advent of social media channels, customer service has forever changed. Consumers are no longer willing to sit and listen to classical music on hold. In today’s age of hyper-responsiveness, customers expect instant responses from support reps on very public online platforms.

Instead of shying away from social media, smart businesses will leverage their social channels to spread a positive brand reputation, to connect happy customers and to step up their customer support efforts.

Consumers aren’t eager to blast negative messages about your company – unless your brand is unresponsive. I recently learned at an IBM conference that customers are five times more likely to post something positive than negative, and that companies usually have at least 10 warnings before someone posts a negative comment.

Happy customers who get their issues resolved tell an average of four to six people about their positive experiences, according to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs. It pays to treat your customers well, not only for the repeat business, but also to gain the positive word-of-mouth consumers now broadcast across social media. Satisfied customers can become your most influential brand ambassadors. They’ll help to answer customer service questions posted online and also tout their own positive experiences with your business. – 5 Ways to Turn Social Customers Into Brand Ambassadors by Duke Chung