Posts Tagged ‘networking’
7 reasons Linked-in works so well in b2b marketing
Sunday, September 11th, 2011If your business is based on reaching and persuading senior decision-makers, then Linked-in should be a core part of your business development. There’s a real value in developing an extensive contact base and maintaining a professional profile on Linked-in. It provides an essential complement to the traditional techniques of live events, networking, email marketing and telemarketing. I’ve found it invaluable for getting insight into key topics, and creating opportunities to meet prospective clients and business partners. Here’s 7 reasons you should build it in to your b2b marketing: (more…)
Tags: b2b marketing, Linked in, networking, recommendations
Posted in SME digital marketing, marketing, news
Why live and online events are a priority for specialist publishers
Monday, April 11th, 2011Specialist publishers are increasingly realising that their business is more about gathering together a like-minded community than about creating niche content. So it comes as little surprise to see the emphasis placed on live and online events and networking in the research recently commissioned by the Specialist Media Show among 200 publishers, with a bias towards smaller, independent specialist markets. Below are my top five insights. (more…)
Tags: e-learning, live events, networking, new research, online networking, specialist media show, virtual events, webinars
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, events, news
Can a virtual trade show replace a live event?
Friday, September 17th, 2010As the organiser of the Specialist Media Show I am well aware of the practical headaches of live events - venue costs, choosing a date, stand and feature build and break down, not to mention the carpet! There’s also the task of persuading visitors to take a day out and travel for hours and convincing exhibitors that the extra costs of staff time and travel are justified. So the idea of virtual events is highly appealing - no venue cost, no shell scheme, no carpet or catering - and it should be easier to persuade visitors to attend for a few hours from their computer screen, and for smaller exhibitors to try out the environment.
But can a virtual show replace the thrill and spectacle of a live event? I think it’s unlikely in consumer events, where people want to touch and feel the product, but could be more interesting in b2b shows, where the products are intangible and exhibitors focus on lead generation. Some UK organisers are testing the water, but the US as usual is more advanced. Yesterday I attended Publishing Business Virtual Expo to road test the environment. Here’s my admittedly subjective view based on the main reasons visitors and exhibitors attend trade shows, with a star rating based on the quality of the experience vs live: (more…)
Tags: events, lead generation, networking, specialist media show, thought leadership, virtual event, virtual trade show
Posted in b2b, business strategy, events, opinions
What media owners can learn from the hospitality industry
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010I’ve long believed that a specialist media owners’ greatest asset is not their content but their audience’s attention. Once you have built a community of interest it is much easier to find new products and services to sell to them, and even find ways to get them to pay to contact each other. Miles Galliford of Subhub has long been a proponent of this view, and a discussion he started on the Specialist Media Network on Linked-in moved in some interesting directions - read on to discover what a media business can learn from the hospitality industry, and the importance of valuing and entertaining your audience… (more…)
Tags: audience, Colin Bradshaw, content, entertaining visitors, events, hosting an event, Miles Galliford, networking, Penmaen Media, Specialist Media Network
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, events
Creating an event cycle that drives content and community
Monday, March 15th, 2010Many media owners are branching out into live events - either putting forward their experts as speakers or organising their own paid events, conferences, seminars and networking sessions. Events complement online content well, especially on controversial topics where the gurus disagree, and the audience has specific questions. Participants also love to meet each other in person even if they have already made contact online. But the greatest value in events is created by planning the entire event cycle to maximise the event’s ability to create lasting content and stimulate discussion in the community well beyond the time and place of the physical event. Here are my tips on creating an event cycle: (more…)
Tags: Business Zone, community, content, event marketing, events, networking, Penmaen Media, Specialist Media Network, specialist media show
Posted in b2b, consumer, events, news
Turn your media brand into a meeting place
Sunday, November 15th, 2009Most publishers - whether print-based or online - are rightly obsessed with content. Not surprising, it’s the tangible output of their efforts. It’s easy to assume that a media brand is simply the sum of the content it creates. But that ignores the magic of media brands - that their content brings together an audience of like-minded people. In the old days, this simply provided a handy target group for advertisers, but now that technology allows the audience to answer back, it also provides both a fabulous source of new content, and also a value in the connections between the members of that group. Now that there are many other routes for advertisers to reach audiences, and it is harder to charge a premium rate for content alone, I believe that the future of media brands is linked to their ability to turn their brand into a meeting place, and drive real value from their contributions and connections. It’s important to let go of the temptation to broadcast, and simply host the conversation, rather than hogging all the airtime. Here’s some practical ideas for how to transform your media brand, and importantly, create value. (more…)
Tags: Add new tag, content, events, free user ads, marketing, media brand, meeting place, networking, paid-for content, training, user content, user Q&A
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing
Creating profitable communities from media brands
Monday, July 20th, 2009Media brands have always principally defined themselves in terms of the quality of the content they produce. However, an equally powerful asset is being able to create a community around a particular topic or point of view, especially a community that is appealing to advertisers. See my recent post on the media futures conference for more on the idea that media brands will be a meeting place for conversations to take place rather than just a collection of great content. So how can media owners develop profitable communities; in particular how can they create a “meeting place” that can charge an entrance fee? Media businesses will have to go far beyond the usual collection of savings, offers and discounts to create a valuable community. Here are some principles that may help you in your thinking: (more…)
Tags: access, Add new tag, belonging, contribution, exclusivity, influence, media brands, meeting place, networking, Penmaen Media, profitable communities, user content
Posted in news
How traditional media businesses can create online subscriptions packages
Friday, June 5th, 2009The debate is still raging among traditional media businesses, particularly newspapers, over how to drive revenues from online content. Pure online news no longer will justify an entry fee, especially with the BBC providing such a comprehensive service for free. See my earlier post on reinventing online content for more thoughts on the implications for editorial teams. Meanwhile, online-only information businesses are carving out profitable niches serving very targeted groups, eg econsultancy. Publishers will need to think hard about how to use their editorial expertise to create specific packages that niche audiences will consider worth paying for. Rather than trying to charge multiple micro-payments for piecemeal chunks of editorial, I believe there is mileage in creating online subscription packages that combine a number of useful content-based elements for a carefully defined audience. Here are some suggested steps for media businesses who want to create an online subscriptions package: (more…)
Tags: digests, membership, networking, niche audience, paid-for content, Penmaen Media, privileged access, reports, subscriptions, tools, webinars
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content