One of the points I continue to harp on is the relation of product training to product marketing. Prospective buyers, the target for marketers, want to be customers. They research a company with a candidate product to see if that product can solve their problems. Customers want to know how to use the product to…
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Selling the Experience — Emerging Opportunity for Affiliate Marketing
In Alex Rampell‘s guest post at TechCrunch entitled “Say Goodbye To The Long Tail Of Product Resellers, At Least On The Internet“, he insightfully points to five (5) variables that affect consumers traditional shop at Retailer A vs. Retailer B: Price (actual price to consumer + “friction” in ordering process) Geography (proximity to consumer) Selection (do they have X in my size, or…
Great Example of Sim Marketing: Adidas Sneaker Wall from Start Creative
I just came across this outstanding effort by Start Creative for Adidas — an interactive display wall that lets users examine footwear with 3D views as well as specs and videos. This is the kind of thing I imagined being used to include product simulations as well.
Idea for Content that Drives Conversions to Advance Along Sales Cycle
I spotted an interesting observation/recommendation from Dianna Huff in her B2B Marcom Writer Blog, in a post entitled “Manufacturing Marketers Aren’t as Confident About New Tactics“. Which brings me back to the original point of my CMI blog post: manufacturing marketers need to 1) develop content that helps drive the conversions that move prospects along the sales…
“Show Don’t Tell” – but Show What?
David Scott Meerman posted today a short blog entry entitled “Show Don’t Tell“, in which exhorts marketers, by way of example, to show what the product can do for the prospect, rather than merely telling the audience what the product does. This begs the question ‘what should I show the product doing for the prospect’? I…
Product Experience Angle from Forrester Bodes Well for Prod Sim Marketing
I received a schedule for an upcoming conference (Forrester’s Marketing Forum 2011, April 5-6) presented by Forrester Research, and I was reminded several months ago of an enticing report that I have not gotten my hands on yet. It was entitled “Let Your Product Do the Talking“, by Chris Stutzman, David Cooperstein, and Corinne Madigan. Here…
Engaging Your Prospects through Re-Purposed Training & Support
What they heck does that title mean, why are we trying to train prospects who don’t even have the product yet? While it is my attempt at being provocative, let me explain the thought. Essentially, it echoes my philosophy about re-casting useful product training into a role in product marketing. To expand on this a…
The Best Content Marketing for Product Manufacturers: Problems Your Products Solve
As the marketing world plunges into ‘content marketing’, thought leaders are helping companies understand developing strategies for how content marketing can help their business soar. For example, Joe Pulizzi, the content marketing guru, recently wrote an interesting post, “Starting a News Service for Your Industry“. In it, he sketched two points from a panel discussion he…
Our Take: Illuminating Role of Training and Support to Address New Marketing Trends
On B2B Online, I came across the recently released study/survey (now in its seventh year) entitled “Insights to Action: ISBM B-to-B Marketing Trends 2012“, a report that summarizes and discusses results from a survey of academics and marketing practitioners in a broad range of B-to-B industries. I think some of the results indicate a very positive…
Scenario-Based Simulations: the Makings of a B2B Love Story
Okay, it’s late, so please excuse the headline. My point will become clearer when you understand I just saw a good post by Rick Liebling entitled “It’s Time for the Advertising Industry to Rediscover Storytelling“. Rick reflects on the power of a good story to connect and engage potential customers. In short, “People like, want and need…