Current thinking on digital strategy

06
Feb

Is Your Blog Having An Existential Crisis?

By James|Guest Blogging, Strategy/Tactics, Success Blog

“If your reason to have a blog is because a content marketer said to, or because your competition has one, or because you figured out how to install WordPress on your hosted web service, these are not good enough reasons. Blogging is not climbing Everest; “Because I can” does not constitute a good reason.
More than likely, you blog because you have been convinced that the more content you generate, the more sales you will ultimately create. I’m not going to argue with that idea, but I will quibble with your execution.”

Is Your Blog Having An Existential Crisis? from Liz Strauss’ Success-Blog.com

29
Jan

What Are Your Assumptions?

By James|Guest Blogging, Strategy/Tactics, Success Blog

“People don’t read the web, they scan. People don’t like to click. People don’t look past the first four Google search results. People only search Google with 2-3 word search terms. People don’t open their email on the weekends. People don’t spend money online. People don’t trust strangers online. No one cares what you had for breakfast. No one will want to look at a picture of your lunch. People buy most Christmas gifts online on the Monday after Thanksgiving. No one will download a movie to watch on their phone.
All of the above statements were once considered gospel at one time. Gospel. Carved into stone tablets. Given to marketers’ children to recite every morning.
But you should all see at least one statement that you know to be patently false (in fact, I’m pretty sure that they almost all are, depending on circumstances). But they linger on, because they are based on assumptions.

What Are Your Assumptions? from Liz Strauss’ Success-Blog

23
Jan

What to Do When Someone Steals Your Creative Work

By James|Guest Blogging, NBC Chicago's Inc.Well, Social/Digital

“There’s an immediate gut-level freakout when you realize someone has stolen your creative work. The time, effort, blood, sweat and tears that go into making sure your work is released to your satisfaction seems wasted when someone comes in, looks at your designs, content and ideas and begins to pass them all off as their own. In this Internet age, this isn’t an aberration, it’s a common occurrence. The Internet is, after all, one giant copying machine. But once you get past the heartache of the theft, you need a plan. Once stolen, there’s no getting it back. You need a strategy to move past this.”

What to Do When Someone Steals Your Creative Work at NBC Chicago’s Inc.Well

22
Jan

The Wisdom of Mike Tyson: Scenario Planning in Marketing

By James|Guest Blogging, Spin Sucks, Strategy/Tactics

“It’s strange something said by Mike Tyson would have such legs, but his quote, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” really seems to resonate with people. Marketers especially. You see marketers, who traffic in things called marketing plans, are surprisingly averse to planning for that knock-out moment when they get punched in the face.”

The Wisdom of Mike Tyson at SpinSucks.com

22
Jan

Two Questions Google Analytics Can Answer Right Now

By James|Analytics, Guest Blogging, Orbit Media

“If you’ve got Google Analytics installed on your website, you already know that logging in and trying to get useful data (the kind that can actually help you make smarter decisions) is tricky. Maybe harder than just “tricky.” Maybe like finding a specific needle in a needle factory.

So here are two things you can learn right now with your analytics, even if you aren’t a data nerd. These are questions I’ve been asked over and over again by people I work with, so I think they’ll be useful questions for you.”

Two Questions Google Analytics Can Answer Right Now at Orbit Media’s blog

21
Jan

Why Losing weight and Growing a Business are Similar Endeavors

By James|Guest Blogging, NBC Chicago's Inc.Well, Strategy/Tactics

“Since it’s resolution season, maybe you’ve decided to lose 10 pounds. No judgements from me, folks, because i’ve got another 22 to go to hit my goal. But everyone who’s succeeded at weight loss will tell you the same thing: Making massive changes to your lifestyle all at once means that you will struggle for a week before finding yourself in front of the bakery counter asking if they have a bulk-rate discount. The success usually comes from making a small change, easing it into your life, embracing it, and adding a new small change next. This isn’t a strategy for overnight success, this is one for achieving small but steady results, week over week, for the long haul.”

Why Losing weight and Growing a Business are Similar Endeavors at NBC Chicago’s Inc.Well

21
Jan

The Secret Advantage All Small Businesses Have

By James|Guest Blogging, NBC Chicago's Inc.Well

“Your 10-person company, which is filled with smart people who are dedicated to a common vision, visited by a loyal customer base and beholden to a track record of going the extra mile, is growing slowly but surely. You’ve got everything a small business owner could want.
But you’re at a crossroads. You could stay small or niche or boutique and do everything you can keep these good times rolling. But you know that’s impossible. Your staff likes raises and promotions. Your customers are fickle, looking out for a new idea or new product. Rent goes up. Markets shift. New competition pops up. Where are your good times, now?
So you look to grow. As a smart business manager, you are confident that you can scale your smart staff and processes to double or triple in size quickly. But what really scares you is the idea of growing enough that the big companies become aware of you.”

The Secret Advantage All Small Businesses Have in NBC Chicago’s Inc.Well

10
Jan

What’s Worth Measuring?

By James|Analytics, Guest Blogging, NBC Chicago's Inc.Well

“Welcome to the digital age. Because we’ve broken the world into ones and zeros, we can now measure every one and zero. Don’t believe me? Ask your cell phone service provider exactly how many bits you uploaded and downloaded. They might not tell you, but they know. While the ability to measure each one and zero is in almost everyone’s hands, the question isn’t what can we measure? It’s: What should we measure?”

What’s Worth Measuring? from NBC Chicago’s Inc.Well