2009: A Retrospective from Contractors and An Early Outlook For 2010
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the economy in 2009 wasn’t good to most contractors, especially those whose primary market was new construction. To that end, we did phone interviews the last quarter of 2009 with 22 contractors across the country, primarily in the HVAC and Plumbing markets to get a better sense of how they are surviving and what’s on their minds.
Search Marketing Must Be Working For Small Businesses
Small businesses must have been listening when it came to PSEO. According to data from WebVisible, search advertising has sharply increased in Q3 0f 09. According to a recent post on eMarketer.com, small business search spending by smaller companies was up 91% year over year.
B-to-B Marketers: Put The “Why” Before The “How” In Social Media
When it comes to social media, many marketers first concern is on “How” are we going to use social before the “Why.” They should really first consider the “who” are we trying to connect with and “What” do we bring to the party.
Dynamics Have Changed Over The Years and B-to-B Marketers Need To Adapt
For those of us who I will call “Seasoned Veterans” (been in the B-to-B world for more than 15 years), we’ve seen major changes in they way people get info and go through a buying process.Those who are successful today are the ones who have adapted and embraced the changes as they have come along.
Trust Agents: A Must-Read
For those of you who want to get a great overview of ways to build relationships, both off line as well as on line, I’d suggest you read Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. What you learn are common sense ways to let people get to know, like, and trust you, and hopefully do business with you.
Where Are Your Prospects In The B to B Sales Cycle?
In an ideal world, every lead from every source would be waiting to hear from you so they can place an order. Please pinch yourself and wake up, this only happens in dreams!
B-to-B Marketers: Utilize Surveys Before The Sale
We’re all used to doing surveys after the fact to make sure the customers are satisfied and to see if you could be of additional service. Not many of us, though, think of surveys as a way to identify where the prospect is in the buying cycle and what the best way to communicate with them is.
Participate in an Industrial/Construction Marketing Survey
Now that 2009 is over, we’re all looking forward to a new year. To that end, I’d like to know what kinds of plans you’re doing for 2010. Please take a few moments to take this quick 8-question survey. I’d be happy to share the results.
Integrate Social Media and CRM to Reach The Professional Tradesmen
As social media continues to grow, B-to-B marketers better be on board or the train will leave them at the station. In a recent Social Media Marketing Industry Report, it interviewed nearly 900 marketers. 88% were already using social media and 64% were using it 5 or more hours a week.
Do B-to-B Companies Have An “Online Advantage”
When it comes to online issues as they revolve around the B-to-B community, it’s mostly assumed that we are lagging behind. That may be true in some cases, and we may not be using the latest widgets, but for the most part, those that have embraced online activities do a pretty good job at it.