Twitter for Business: still more resources

Quick post for a Friday: John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing recently did a conference call with Chris Brogan on using Twitter for business, and has posted the audio online. Listen in-page or download the MP3.

Two very smart men conducting one very smart phone call… What’s not to love?

Trend-spotting from Brand Keys

From Brand Keys via the Brand Strategy blog come nine trends for business in 2009.

There are a wealth of insights here, and I suggest you take the time to read the post. For example:

“Awareness as a meaningful market force has long been obsolete, and differentiation will be critical for success, i.e., sales and profitability. Those who primarily rely on “flavor of the month” promotional tactics will quickly find that they are creating a lasting perception among their consumer base that only price (or price cuts) differentiates their products from the competition. Do that often enough and your product and service will move away from being a “brand” and will come to be regarded as a “category placeholder” and nothing more.”

and

“Consumers are searching for and demanding simplification. In some categories this is showing up strong, such as cell-phone plans, search engines and laundry detergent. Who has not looked at switching cellular carriers and bemoaned the task of comparing one complicated plan to another? Simplification is also showing up as a driver in online travel sites for itinerary planning. Yet as the competition has heated up brands still continue to compete on price, and not what will engender positive
consumer behavior – simplification.”

What will you be doing to differentiate yourself in 2009, and how will you be making it simpler for your customers to buy from you?

A common dilemma: give information away for free, or put food on the table?

Pamela Slim writes about a challenge many consultants face — finding a balance between giving away too much and too little information. On one hand, offering lots of free information products as a marketing tactic can establish your reputation as an expert and lead to more sales; on the other, doing so can often feel like you’re “giving away the store.”

Fortunately, in “How to strike a balance between giving content away for free and earning a living,” she lays out a step-by-step action plan for doing just that.

1. Find your passion. “The key here is that you must find something that you care enough about to devote a substantial amount of time thinking and writing about it, and you must have a hunch that there are real, live humans somewhere on the planet who have enough dollars or euros or rupees or pesos to pay for it.”
2. Identify your target market. “When you create a really clear picture of the kinds of people that you would love to work with, it makes it much easier to decide what kind of content to develop for them.”
3. Plan out your content. “Good content can be re-purposed, repackaged, enhanced, digitized and/or turned into a book or workshop or presentation. When you share great information freely with the right people, it becomes your research, marketing copy, sales collateral and branding material.”
4. Choose your vehicle — blog, podcast, newsletter, etc. “The way to choose your best vehicle(s) is to think about the consuming habits of your People. Do they spend a lot of time on the internet? If so, a blog may be the answer. Do they own iPods and commute long distances on public transportation? Podcasts may do the trick. ”
5. Lay the groundwork for sales. “Once you build a list of subscribers, feed them with good stuff, nurture them, ask their opinions and be of service. Just don’t become the internet version of a jewelry salesperson on the beaches of Acapulco.”
6. Ask for the order. “Don’t be embarrassed to tell people what you sell! If you have been delivering good content over an extended period of time, most people will be more than happy to support and promote your business as thanks for all the great stuff that you provide for free.”

And finally, she repeats a formula favored by Robert Middleton, another marketer I regularly read: give away 80% of your information and charge extra for the remaining 20%.

Not necessarily a magic number — you may find you’re comfortable with giving away less — but it’s hard to argue with the experts.