The Leslie Knope Guide To Successful Marketing

Let’s talk about Leslie Knope for a second. She’s a leader. She’s a motivator. She’s a hard-worker. She’s the backbone of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department. Leslie has a lot of qualities that make her an unstoppable force when it comes to getting what she wants and achieving her goals. By thinking about what she does to succeed and following her example, you can amp up your marketing! Here’s the Leslie Knope guide to successful marketing:  
  1. When you fail, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going!
  Leslie Knope has taken some pretty hard falls… both literally and figuratively. But she always pulls herself out of it and manages to maintain a positive attitude! Remember, sometimes the only person who can truly motivate you is YOU. So, step up to the plate! It might help to realize that you sometimes have to try marketing a few different ways before you get it right. It’s not something that’s always easy to get right the first time. With practice, you will develop a tactic for successful marketing. IF you aren’t getting the results you want, don’t stagnate or get discouraged. Simply go back to the drawing board, and brainstorm to come up with a new method!  
  1. Be enthusiastic.
  Leslie Knope throws herself into her work and she LOVES it. As a result, she effortlessly motivates the people around her. You need to do the same if you want to succeed. Your marketing should represent your company and your vision so well that it makes you excited! If it doesn’t, then you’re probably doing something wrong. After all, enthusiasm is contagious, so if your customers see that you’re excited about your product and that you aren’t afraid to express yourself, they’ll be excited too! Not only that – your employees will be more excited to be a part of your team if you’re an inspiring motivator. So leave out the boring, technical drivel when you’re creating marketing materials. Have some fun, and inject personality into everything you do. Talk to your audience like they’re actual people, and tell them about what makes working with your company so exciting!  
  1. Surround yourself with good people and recognize their strengths.
  Leslie Knope surrounds herself with good people constantly. Not only that – she recognizes their strengths, even if she doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with them. Take Ron Swanson, for example. Leslie and Ron disagree on a lot of important things and have very different values. He’s apathetic, and she’s passionate. He hates the government, and she can’t get enough. However, by keeping Ron in her life, she is able to gain a unique and different perspective on life, her job, and the situations that happen to her. Overall, because of her relationship with Ron, she ends up becoming a more well-rounded and successful person. And Ron isn’t the only good person in Leslie’s life. Leslie quickly recognizes the potential of April Ludgate. She invests time into helping April develop her strengths and pushes her to do better, and it helps both the department in general and April’s life. If you want successful marketing, you should also surround yourself with talented people and take the time to invest in their potential and career development. Too often, people with great ideas and undiscovered talents are overlooked. If you don’t take the time to get to know your team, you may be missing out on harnessing their talents to help you succeed! Don’t be put off by people who don’t agree with you on everything. And try to refrain from judging peoples’ abilities without getting to know them first.  
  1. Be an IDEA person.
  Leslie is constantly brainstorming and coming up with new ideas to improve the Parks and Recreation department and help Pawnee. By doing this, she is able to constantly innovate and come up with unique solutions. Marketing is all about change and trying new things. To market successfully, you’ve got to make sure that you’re always adapting to the needs and wants of your target market. Be sure that you don’t stagnate and that you continuously look for ways to improve your marketing!   …Still feel like you need help with your marketing? Well, you’re in luck. Here at TRIdigital, we help IT companies get RESULTS. We want to help you next! Contact us today, and let’s get started!

45 Stupid Marketing Strategy Fails – These Companies Are Doing it Wrong!

All businesses need a good marketing strategy to generate new leads and customers for their company. But how do we decide what is ‘good marketing’ versus ‘bad marketing’? It doesn’t matter how many people your advertisement reaches if none of those people turn into customers. The only way you can measure the value of marketing is if the method has a positive effect on your business results. Building brand awareness is enough, getting people talking about your company is great – but if all of that chatter and awareness never translates into actual dollars – the marketing wasn’t good.

Market, Measure, Repeat

Start measuring your marketing based on how well your message encourages people to sign up for your service, pay your membership fee, or buy your products. Measure marketing regarding actual business results. Repeat the activities that generate more leads and customers, and let go of any marketing activity that simply doesn’t.

Marketing Strategy Fails

While you’re working on a new marketing strategy and figuring out how to measure your results, take some time out to laugh at some major marketing no-no’s we found over at Unbounce.com. These are too good not to share, because let’s face it – we all enjoy learning what not to do from the companies that are doing it all wrong, right? Cracked.com put together a list of The 5 Most Disastrous Marketing Failures of All Time. The marketing on this list just might be some of the most creative I’ve seen, but unfortunately, I don’t think turning a swimming pool into a chemical warfare agent helped sell Jagermeister. How about this list of 15 Legendary Marketing Fails by Stefanie Griser?! My favorite just might be the funeral home advertisement cleverly positioned on the other side of the train track, asking the reader to “come a little closer”. Are you kidding me?! bad marketing Since people can’t seem to get enough laughing at the expense of others (no really, we’re laughing WITH you, not AT you!), Oli Gardner followed Stefanie’s article with another 15 Epic Marketing Fails. In this masterpiece compilation, Oli reminds us to be mindful of ad placement as nearby signage and advertisements can completely change the meaning you’re hoping to share through your marketing message. For example, a childhood obesity ad, urging us not to “take it lightly” situated right next to a McDonald’s “My kinda shoppin’ spree” advertisement! bad marketing And finally, WatchMojo.com put together this Top 10 Marketing Failures list in this video featuring some well-known commercials over the years:   Do you have any examples of bad marketing? Share them with us in the comments!

3 Indispensible IT Marketing Tips From The Walking Dead

There’s really no doubt about it – The Walking Dead is amazing. Everything from the zombies to the storyline to the acting… It’s all amazing. After watching the season premiere last weekend, I thought, “Hey, why not use my favorite TV show to write a blog post about IT Marketing tips?” And here we are.

So, let’s dive right into some IT marketing tips learned from The Walking Dead.

  #1 Be adaptable. I’ll start at the beginning. In the very first episode of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes, the main protagonist of the series is introduced. After being unconscious for several days in a hospital where he was being treated for a gunshot wound, Rick wakes up and quickly sees that the whole world has changed. He musters the strength to get up out of his hospital bed, and he makes his way through the hallways of the hospital, gazing in horror at the bloodstained walls. When he finally finds his way outside, he sees that the ground is covered in dead bodies. There are no living human beings in sight. Long story short – he’s been unexpectedly thrust into a pretty dire situation. It’s the zombie apocalypse. At first, he is panicky and scared at the sight of even one “walker.” Eventually, though, he adapts to his environment. He becomes less and less fearful over time. He learns how the walkers react to various stimuli and plans his attacks and evasive maneuvers accordingly. And he doesn’t just stop there – he becomes a respected leader among his loyal gang of survivors. …So, how does any of this apply to you? Well, when you’ve been in business for a while, you might think that you’ve got your marketing all figured out. You’ve done all the testing, you’ve seen all of the analytics, and you know what works. Except… you really don’t. The market is in a constant state of change. Consumer wants and needs change over time as technology evolves. Think of your customers as “walkers.” You’ve got to constantly analyze how they react to varying marketing tactics and plan your tactics accordingly – just like Rick! So, whether you’re writing copy, sending marketing emails, or something else, be sure that you’re always willing to adapt.   #2 Don’t be afraid to have fun. Remember in Season 1, when Glenn found the Dodge Challenger? He had a lot of fun driving it, and he wasn’t afraid to be expressive about his excitement, even in the midst of the zombie apocalypse! I don’t know about you, but that scene provided some much-needed comic relief for me during the episode. You should have fun with your marketing too, no matter how boring or technical you think the subject matter is. Don’t be afraid to be expressive. Think about it. When someone is looking for an IT company to work with, chances are, they’ve had to sift through a lot of REALLY boring web content. If you can inject some personality and excitement into yours, you’ll stand out like crazy!   #3 Utilize the strengths of everyone on your team. In The Walking Dead, Rick is obviously the leader of his group of people. But he isn’t the only person who plays an important role! Take Herschel, for example. At a glance, he’s just an old man with a farm. You wouldn’t think he’d be much of an asset to a team of zombie-killing survivalists. But, if it weren’t for Herschel’s medical skills and specific expertise, Carl would have surely died in Season 2. Can you imagine what effect Carl’s death could have had on Rick and, as a result, the entire group? Because of Herschel’s unique abilities, the whole group gained a little bit of peace of mind and hope. Rick was able to maintain a healthy mental state and focus on keeping everyone on his team alive. Find out the unique strengths of your team to get the most out of your marketing. Like Herschel, their strengths may not be something you can see on the surface, but if you do a little bit of digging, you will likely find that each person on your team can be a helpful asset in a unique way. …But maybe you don’t have a marketing team. Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here at TRIdigital Marketing, we specialize in finding out what’s special about your company and utilizing that quality to help you drive sales and make money. We’ve got an endless supply of IT marketing tips and an exceptional team of digital marketers with a record of success, and we want to help YOU next! Contact us today for a free consultation. Let’s work together to amp up your marketing!

4 Killer Copywriting Tips Learned from Futurama

You’ve got a major problem – your web content sucks. Seriously. Everyone who lands on your page would rather swan dive into a pool of angry fire ants than try to sift through the bland wall of text that you have so painstakingly written. As a result, you aren’t able to get leads and gain loyal new clients. So, what can you do about it? …Well, maybe you’ve heard of an awesome animated series called Futurama. And, if you’re like me, you’ve even binge-watched it on Netflix a few times. But I bet you didn’t realize that you could improve your copywriting skills (and, therefore, your business!) with a little help from the show. Here are 4 tips that are sure to kick-start your efforts:  

#1 Cause an emotional reaction

futurama1 Remember the episode where Fry bravely declared his undying love to Leela by creating a love letter in the stars? He did it to show her how he felt. And, if things had gone as planned (remember, she didn’t even see it!), I’d be willing to bet that she would have really appreciated the gesture and responded emotionally. While you don’t have to literally profess your undying love to your clients, you DO need to understand them and get them to grow an undying love for your company. And trust me – you won’t ever do that with technical jargon. Think about your target market and what makes them tick. Then, craft your copy accordingly.  

#2 Don’t be overly sales-y

futurama 2 Remember when Bender became the god of an entire race of people? It didn’t take long for him to fail miserably –  all of the people were killed off in a mini nuclear war. But the last line of that episode was really interesting, and can certainly be applied in both copywriting and marketing in general: “When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.” Powerful stuff, huh? You see, people don’t want to be sold to. The days of succeeding with sleazy sales gimmicks are over. You need to do better than that. You need to craft copy that captures the minds of all of your readers. You should get them to do what you want them to do subtly. Don’t be skeevy and unappealing. Use emotional appeal and logical appeal. Tell your readers that you understand their problem, provide a solution, and show them how you have succeeded at providing that solution in the past. It’s that simple.  

#3 Embrace the fact that you’re unique

Turanga-Leela-Cartoon-Anime “But, you’re better than normal, Leela – you’re abnormal!” That’s what Fry told Leela when she was feeling unsure of her distinguishing characteristic – the fact that she was born with only one eye. You see, while Leela constantly saw her one eye as a flaw, Fry saw it as something endearing that set her apart from everyone else and made her more appealing. You’ve got to embrace your uniqueness when it comes to writing copy, too. Don’t play it safe like everyone else. Because, let’s face it, you AREN’T like everyone else. There’s something about your company that’s better. You’ve got to showcase your unique quality with unique copy. Don’t be boring and write your copy just like everyone else in your industry. Inject some personality! If you do, you’ll stand out and easily gain loyal clients!  

#4 Be straightforward

Untitled   Leela was completely straightforward with this message for Fry. When he read it, there were no questions in his mind as to how she felt about him. When copywriting, you need to plainly state what you want your reader to do. That’s right – I’m talking about adding an effective call to action! Don’t embellish or skirt around the issue – let your readers know exactly what you want them to do. Make sure that you state your call-to-action simply, and make it easy to understand. Don’t be afraid to be straightforward, or you will leave your readers hesitant and unwilling to comply.   Still not sure if you’ve got the wordsmithing skills it takes to write good copy? With the help of TRIdigital Marketing, you can get a total marketing package that includes compelling website content, white papers, email campaigns, eBooks, and more. So, if you’re looking to boost your sales and make more money, don’t trust anyone else with your marketing needs – we’re the best in the business. Contact TRIdigital today for a free consultation!

6 Situations When Pay Per Click Advertising is Better than Organic SEO

There are two primary ways to get visitors to your website: organic search engine optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click (PPC). Both are useful parts of your total marketing strategy and you will probably want to use a combination of the two methods for the best results. While SEO is free and it is every website owner’s goal to get their website listed at the top of the search results for their search terms – there are some situations when it makes more sense to use pay per click advertising instead of SEO. Pay-Per-Click Advertising vs. SEO Pay per click advertising is exactly how it sounds – you pay for each internet user who clicks on your ad. The most commonly used PPC programs include Google AdWords, Facebook, and Yahoo advertising. You can use PPC marketing to get your ad into the sponsored results section of the search engines when someone types in words that relate to the keywords for your advertisement. Search engine optimization is the phrase used to describe the various techniques people use to try and move their website into the first page of search engines. Since 80% of website traffic comes from search engines, getting your site into a position where people will actually see it and click on it, whether through free SEO techniques or Pay Per Click advertising, is extremely important to the success of your business. 6 Situations When PPC is the Better Choice While you want to get as much free traffic to your website as possible, there are at least 6 situations when it makes more sense to rely on PPC advertising: 1)      Use PPC when you need very specific website traffic. When you use pay per click advertising, you have the ability to display your link only to people who meet your demographic criteria. You can promote to a certain age group, to people with a specific level of education or career, or even to people based on where they live. If your business provides extremely targeted services or products, PPC is a great way to ensure your link is displayed to the right people. Having five targeted visitors per day is always better than having hundreds of people come to your website who have no interest in what you’re selling! 2)      Use PPC when you need immediate results. Search engine optimization takes time. You can target keywords and work on getting your website into the top of the search engine for long term results, but if you need website traffic immediately, you should use a PPC campaign. As soon as your advertisement is approved, your ads are displayed and people will start clicking the link to your website. If you are launching a new product, participating in a seasonal promotion, or advertising an upcoming event – PPC is the ideal method for gaining instant website traffic. 3)      Use PPC when you get a new website or your SEO isn’t working effectively. Because SEO techniques take time, if you set up a new website or are not getting results from your SEO efforts yet, PPC can help you get website traffic. 4)      Use PPC when you’re using a squeeze page. In order for SEO techniques to work, you need a website full of informative content that is regularly updated. A squeeze page, or a landing page, is not a website that offers this and will not likely get indexed or listed in the major search engines. Because landing pages/squeeze pages are often effective marketing tools, you can use PPC to bring traffic to the website instead of SEO. 5)      Use PPC when advertising a time-sensitive offer. If you are promoting a product, event, or service with a limited amount of time, you’re not going to get the results you need from a typical SEO campaign. Use PPC to get traffic to your offer immediately so you can take advantage of the limited-time offer before it’s too late. You can run the campaign for a few days, or even just a few hours, if that is all the time you have for the offer. 6)      Use PPC to get to the top of the search results for your keyword. Studies show that most internet users will click on the top 3 sponsored links when searching for a site. You can use PPC to get to the top of the organic search results because PPC campaigns are displayed on top of the organic search results. About 50% of traffic will click one of the top three sponsored links.  

3 Foolproof Copywriting Tips Learned from Awkward First Dates

We’ve all been there. The awkward first date with someone you barely know. You get dressed up, arrive at the location, and just hope that the person you’re meeting up with isn’t as horrible as the last person you dated. And maybe, if you’re lucky, they’re actually tolerable! Either way, you’re prepared to turn on the charm and put your best foot forward. You might be surprised to learn that the actions you need to take to write good copy are a lot like the actions you need to take to have a good first date. Here are a few copywriting tips to help you out:   Showcase your personality Remember that professor you had in college whose class was so mind-numbingly boring that you could hardly stay awake? Not only was the subject matter boring – the professor himself was also about as exciting to listen to as Ben Stein. Don’t be like that professor. I’m not saying you need to be bubbly and fake if you’re naturally calm and sarcastic. But at least put your personality out there. That way, you put the most interesting parts of yourself on the table for your date to see. It’s a good way to gauge whether or not the two of you are a good match for a relationship. You should also showcase your personality when you’re writing copy. Show your potential clients that you’re a human being, and that your company is a good match for them. Too many companies write boring, technical copy. Do you think anyone really wants to read that? I don’t. You can show personality by asking questions, using exclamation points, and just writing in a way that is conversational in general. That way, your copy is more effective – people are more likely to enjoy reading it.   Don’t Be Self-Centered Maybe you like to talk a lot – which is fine. But, do you really think someone you just met wants to know every boring detail of your day? Do you think they’ll listen attentively as you tell an hour-long account of your life story. Maybe they will, but probably not. And, if they do, well… I feel sorry for them. You need to focus on your date too, and learn about them to appeal to them. How can you know whether or not you like them if they can’t get a word in? Copywriting is similar. If you write a ton about how great your company is and all you’ve accomplished, your readers will be bored our of their minds. They want to know what’s in it for them. When you’re writing copy, try to use “you” as often as possible (referring to the reader) instead of using “we” (referring to your company) or “I.” It’s easy and tempting to focus on yourself and your company when writing copy, but focus on the reader and you’ll be much more successful.   Be Visually Appealing I doubt you’d go on a first date in pajamas with un-brushed hair. You’d probably want to look your best, or at least try to look decent. After all, the first impression your date will form of you will likely be based on your looks. On that note, when you write your copy, many readers will scan it and form an impression of it based on how it looks. So, your copy should be visually appealing, too. Strategically, you need spacing in your copy. People have short attention spans, and will skip right over a huge wall of text without thinking twice. So, next time you’re writing, look for the logical breaks and add spacing where you can. Also, shortening your sentences is a good practice for writing copy and keeping your copy visually appealing.  

Can you think of any other copywriting tips that also apply to the dating world? Let us know in the comments below!

 

3 Awesome IT Marketing Tips Learned from the Cast of The Office

The Office is just one of those TV shows that you get addicted to. So if you’re like me (and countless others), you were devastated when it ended after nearly a decade on the air. No more laughing at Dwight’s rudeness and absurdity. No more fawning over Jim and Pam’s enviable but realistic relationship. No more annoyingly lovable Michael Scott. It’s sad to think about. But don’t get too upset – there are some important IT marketing lessons you can take away from the cast of the show!   jim Jim Halpert. He’s proactive. When Jim couldn’t have Pam, he still went after her and, eventually, won her heart. When he didn’t like his job at Dunder Mifflin, he took the initiative to get a job doing something he was truly passionate about. Jim’s kind of a quiet guy, but he’s never passive about getting what he wants. You’ve got to be proactive like Jim when it comes to your company’s IT marketing. Think for a second – what are the goals you’ve set for your business, and how can you craft your marketing materials to accomplish those goals? If you are always thinking ahead, you’ll be able to get ahead of your competition. You can’t let your marketing fall low on the priority list just because you’re “too busy” to do it. Think about it this way – are you really too busy to do something that will help your company succeed? Marketing is an important aspect of your business that can make or break you in your industry, so treat it that way. Don’t make the mistake of standing by and letting competitors go after your clients. Be proactive.   stanley Stanley Hudson. He’s painfully honest with himself. …And he’s pretty grumpy too. Terrifyingly grumpy. Don’t be as grumpy as Stanley in your marketing – you don’t want to scare your customers off. But do be painfully honest with yourself when it comes to assessing your company. You might think you’ve got the best product, the best IT marketing, and the best website. But wait – are you really analyzing everything objectively? Let’s face it. Every single business owner in your market thinks that their company is the best. Being 100% honest with yourself is the only way to understand your weaknesses as a company and truly make improvements.   creed Creed Bratton. He’s weird. And he doesn’t hide it. And when I say Creed is weird, that’s probably an understatement. He’s just plain creepy. Lots of the things he says make him seem like he’s not “all there.” I mean – he was a hippie musician as a young adult, so what do you expect? While you shouldn’t come off as a creepy, weird old man to your clients, you should try to come off as weird in your own way. Let me explain. Any company can talk about how much experience they have, how great their products are, and a bunch of other stuff that clients don’t really care about. Find something weird about your company that you can use to draw people in. You don’t really need to appeal to absolutely everyone – you need to find the people who love you for who you are. Then, work on appealing to that audience even more. Companies that have the best branding tend to have a strong but unusual persona – and it draws people in because it’s different. People browsing the Internet are constantly bombarded with cheesy ads and boring sales text. Don’t become another faceless business in the crowd. Set yourself apart. Be weird. … So, can you think of any more marketing tips learned from the cast of The Office? Let us know in the comments below.

And don’t forget to contact us if you need an awesome IT marketing team on your side to help your business succeed!

     

Get Repeat Website Visitors with List-Style Blog Marketing

You probably already know your blog is a great resource for you when it comes to adding another layer of SEO to your website and attracting repeat visitors. After a while though, you start running out of topics to cover in your blog marketing if you’re not a writer (or, heck, even if you are a writer!) You need to make sure your blog marketing content is updated on a regular basis to encourage visitors to return to your website for the new content, but the more frequently you update your blog, the harder it can be to come up with ideas that add value to the site. One way to make sure your blog offers valuable and interesting content is to create list-style articles. List articles are easy for people to scan and figure out what the article is about – all without actually reading it from top to bottom. List articles make it possible for website visitors to locate and read only the sections of the article they are most interested in – ideal for the growing number of people who are in a hurry – or just about anyone who uses the internet these days. People rarely read things from start to finish online, so creating a list-style article makes it easy for a reader to pinpoint the exact section of the article they want to read. Lists can be created for just about any topic of interest and for any industry. Tips for Creating List-Style Blog Marketing Articles
  • Create list topics that are related to your site and your audience.
  • Keep tips simple for the average reader to understand and follow.
  • Use bulleted or numbered lists for easy reference, or divide the article into several categories using subheadings.
  • Create numbered lists or tips sheets to appeal to the reader (ie: ’33 Ways to… 13 Steps to….89 Tips for’….)
  • Link specific tips or keywords to products or other information on your website whenever possible, and link to other relevant websites or products if the reader will find them useful.
  • Create a PDF version of lists for readers to download and print if it is a handy reference.
Ideas for Popular List-Style Articles How-To Lists – you can cover a series of how-to topics that teach your readers how to do something in several steps. What You Need Lists – you can write several lists that outline things people would need to complete a project, do a chore, or prepare for an event. Number of Ways to Lists – this style of list article is popular and can even become viral, particularly if you manage to come up with a relevant topic that triggers an emotional response in your readers. Try creating articles around different ways to do something or provide resources. For example, a writing company might create “87 Online Writing Tools for Writers”, which would be shared among the writing community because it offers useful content. What to Do Lists – you can outline things that need to be accomplished to complete a goal, how to react in an emergency, or steps for achieving change. FAQ Page – having an FAQ page on your website allows you to address the most commonly asked questions your clients or prospects have about your business or industry. It’s structured exactly like a list-style article and offers value to the reader while providing another opportunity for SEO. Not every post you put on your business website or blog should be in a list format, but adding list-style posts will give your current content marketing strategy a boost. If your content marketing strategy isn’t offering the results you want, see how Tridigital Marketing has generated over 30,000 MSP and Cloud leads through their comprehensive MSP marketing plans.

Why Kirk and Spock Would Make an Awesome IT Marketing Leadership Team

I have a confession. I’m a big fan of Star Trek. Like, seriously. It’s amazing. But before you write me off as a huge nerd, let me make my case. Watching Star Trek is great because it’ll make you think. You’ll consider complex philosophical questions, imagine “what if” science fiction scenarios, and watch characters with contrasting personalities struggle to interact on a daily basis. And perhaps the most interesting relationship you’ll find in Star Trek is the friendship of Kirk and Spock. Why? Well, it’s simple really. They’re opposites, yet they complement each other. They irritate each other, yet they’re fiercely loyal to one another. …Basically, if you looked up the word “bromance” in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of Spock and Kirk. They make a great team and share a deep mutual respect for one another. But wait – what specifically makes these two so different? Let’s explore their individual personalities a little bit. First, there’s Spock. He’s calm. He’s collected. spockdialogue6 Let’s be honest… He’s basically a robot. His main concern in life seems to be logic and keeping his emotions on a tight leash. And he certainly isn’t a social butterfly. In fact, it’s pretty hard to draw Spock out of his shell unless you’re challenging him intellectually. Spock is kind of the opposite of spontaneous and friendly. He’s incredibly structured and analytical, and he has no problem openly stating facts that others might find offensive. He doesn’t really like risk taking and prefers to stick to the rules instead.   Kirk, on the other hand, loves to take risks. Constantly. He’s the stereotypical fearless leader. e4c He’s also a pretty emotional guy and completely unafraid to express himself. He has a great sense of humor and is naturally charismatic. People like him. Because of that, he’s an excellent leader. His passion for his job inspires others to follow him. Kirk is an eternal optimist, too. He doesn’t believe in “no-win scenarios” and is completely confident in his ability to overcome challenges using only his intuition. He’s both respected and widely adored by his crew.   …So, how is it that Kirk, the reckless relator, and Spock, the logical analyzer, work so well together on the Enterprise? Spock-and-Kirk It’s simple. Because of their differences, they can work together to analyze situations from multiple perspectives and, therefore, create the most effective solutions. But how effective would these two be as an IT marketing leadership team? My guess? Very effective. How so? Well, let’s think about Kirk as the President of a hypothetical IT marketing company and Spock as the Vice President. First of all, effective IT marketing requires an understanding of people and the ability to easily relate to them. That’s what it’s all about – getting people to believe in your cause and making them feel like they need to buy what you’re selling. Emotions are important in IT marketing. And that is why Kirk would be great at leading an IT marketing team. He’s emotive and knows how to talk to people. He’d be able to get both his employees and his potential clients motivated because of how passionate he is. Kirk’s tendency to take risks would also serve him well in an IT marketing leadership role. Many marketers fall into the rut of conforming and following traditional, boring marketing rules. If you really want to succeed, you’ve got to strive to be different than your competitors, even if it seems like you’re taking a chance. A good marketer will take some creative risks to put their company on the map and help the company grow. Know what else a good marketing leader will do? Work with people who have different ways of seeing the world. That’s where Spock comes in. In Star Trek, Kirk always relies on him for a different point of view than his own. And he would do the same thing if they were working together to lead a marketing company to business success. Why? It’s simple: Logic is important in IT marketing. And Spock is definitely a logical guy. You see, you can’t always rely solely on emotion. People are getting smarter when it comes to buying, so you’ve got to be able to appeal to logic too. Buyers need a good reason to rationalize the action that you want them to take. And, as a marketer, you’ve got to be able to think logically in general. You need to examine complex information and make good decisions for your company based on that information. If you aren’t analytical enough to even understand complicated marketing data in the first place, how can you ever hope to succeed? You see, with only emotion or only logic, things probably wouldn’t work out so well for a marketing leadership team. But, when these strengths are combined, they create an unstoppable force. After all, you can’t take every single risk – if you do, you’ll likely put your company in jeopardy or lose it completely. And, on the other hand, you can’t use logic all of the time. Some impulsive risk-taking needs to happen. Otherwise, it’s likely that your company will likely stagnate and fail. …So, next time you’ve got an important business decision to make in regards to IT marketing, think about Star Trek. What would Kirk and Spock do?  

Information Overload Wreaking Havoc at Work Creates an MSP Marketing Opportunity

Information overload is a lot like a disease, leaving people mentally exhausted and decreasing productivity in the workplace. People who get things done require focus and concentration for the task at hand. We all want our employees and team members to operate efficiently and to help our businesses succeed through their productivity – and yet we distract them with an endless onslaught of digital intruders like email, instant messaging, phone calls, texts, and social media alerts. When we are distracted, the possibility for error increases drastically, people feel more stress and productivity plummets. You can help treat the information overload disease and increase productivity in your office. The Effect of Chronic Interruptions The blinking notification in the corner of your screen signaling a new email, social media notification, or incoming instant message may seem like a productivity tool, but that interruption of only about 2.8 seconds doubles your risk for errors according to studies conducted at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Michigan State University. If you actually take the time to look at the incoming email or message and increase the interruption to 4.4 seconds – you triple your chances for making mistakes. Not only will interruptions cause employees to make more mistakes, but it can actually decrease their intellect! Switching tasks rapidly can lower your IQ as much as 10 points. Each time you switch tasks, your brain needs time to figure out where you left off, which ends up slowing your performance by 50% or more according to psychology professor, David Meyer, at the University of Michigan. You may think multitasking is the solution to keeping up in today’s fast-paced world, but your brain actually has to switch back and forth between the tasks. Business people receive an average of 109 emails per day. If your email automatically checks and alerts you every five minutes of incoming emails, you’re looking at the potential for 96 interruptions during an 8 hour work day. About 67% of business people report using texting for work purposes. People are answering messages from their desks, their cars, from the dinner table, and even from bed. It’s an onslaught of information and interruptions and it’s causing increased stress and decreased productivity. The Cost of Interruptions and an MSP Marketing Opportunity Business owners are not aware just how much time is lost to distractions and interruptions. If they knew and understood what the cost of these chronic interruptions was for their business, they would be more likely to seek out solutions. That’s where you come in! As a managed services provider or IT consultant, you can demonstrate how employee monitoring, web filtering, and firewalls can reduce interruptions and increase productivity for your clients. Use your MSP Marketing efforts to demonstrate how your technology solutions can save your clients money and increase productivity. Tips for Reducing Information Overload and Distractions If you are among the millions of American’s struggling with information overload and distractions in your own business, here’s what you can do to correct the situation:
  • Stop multitasking. Don’t respond to messages or emails while on conference calls or in meetings.
  • Turn off automatic email notifications and social media sites and schedule a block of time two or three times daily to check and respond to emails or social media instead.
  • Start every work day with a no-intrusion block of time – two or three hours of concentrated work time where employees do not contact each other, phone calls go to voice mail, email is not checked, etc. Use this time to concentrate on an item from your to-do list.
  • Write down your to-do list. Trying to keep a list of things you need to do is a strain on the brain! Write it down so you don’t have to use your energy remembering everything while you’re working on something else.