eMarketing Association Blog

First of all I am old. How old, let's just say I remember a time when Beatles music was not played in elevators. Therefore I remember fondly the “old days”. So I get a bit nostalgic thinking back on time when there was really just newspapers, TV, radio and direct mail as key advertising elements (ok billboards too). It was a great time here are 5 reasons why.

1. WE REALLY DIDN’T LISTEN TO CUSTOMERS - Ok we had focus groups, but we conducted a monolog with our customers. Not a dialog. Customers couldn’t moan and complain about our poor customer service, or our faulty products to the whole world. We could crush small business with the strength of our budgets, not the quality of our service and products (with some exceptions. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT - Because now small business can compete on a more level playing field, and the strength of your marketing does not necessarily have to rest with the size of your budget.

2. WE COULD USE EXPENSIVE COMPELLING CREATIVE FOR MAGAZINES, DIRECT MAIL AND OTHER MEDIA - Ok, there are still magazines and newspapers, but unless you have been living in a cave you have seen them get smaller and smaller. Direct mail is down substantially from a decade ago and the Postal Service will be bankrupt by December, without a government bailout. Our magazines are on iPads. Now we have text ads (little things), tiny banners, or 140 character tweets, social groups, fans and likes. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT - Because now we have to get even more creative than ever, in the way we present our company, on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin (and other Internet media). We have a smaller canvas on the Internet and therefore must get much better with our brushes.

3. WE COULD MEASURE - With Nielson, Arbitron, ABC, and so on we could get reliable numbers that had been proven for decades (as opposed to a few years). Today we are bombarded with statistics, but how much is necessary to make marketing decisions. WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT - Now we need to reduce our metrics to actionable and relevant statistics, instead of just pouring over data dumps.

4. WE COULD KEEP OUR JOBS - In the old days, in order to make your numbers and keep your job, all you had to do, is what you did before. With social media looming, and new technologies and devices appearing out of thin air, we do not have the historical data to ensure success. So we have to take chances. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT - Because marketing is no longer "safe" - and the risks are higher than ever, but so are the rewards.

5. WE COULD DRINK MARTINIS AT LUNCH - Doesn't seem like that’s being done much anymore. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT - Because it was fun.

WHY AM I IMPORTANT - Well, I'm really not, however with the advice of Kevin Lee, Yale Graduate and CEO of http://www.didit.com/ and YOUR HELP, WE HAVE BUILT THE LARGEST MARKETING NETWORK GROUP IN THE WORLD. Just a second,  I will check the Linkedin number - 331,849 as of a minute ago. Additionally, our social networks on Facebook, Twitter and Ning add thousands of marketers to our followers. Please follow us on the links below. Sign up for our discounted social marketing course below (one of the most distributed on the Internet), and get an edge on your competition as well as boosting your career. Next, sign up for our conference in Providence in the fall, we will focus on social media and have a great program (ok, you can also get a martini at our welcome reception). Use the promotional code for a 10% discount. (pssst discount code is   linkedin)

See below for expiration and conditions.

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Sign up for our latest advanced social marketing course and save 10% through 7/15 with the promo code: linkedin

http://www.emarketingassociation.com/ecourse_social.html

1. We have extended early bird rates expiring on July 15th, for the Power of eMarketing Conference, Providence, October 12th and 13th. In addition to that savings, we will give you an additional 10% off through the 15th of July  when you use the discount code: linkedin at checkout (your total savings will be around $400) The event is really only about 3 months away, so take a minute and register at the link below for your early bird savings.

http://www.emarketingassociation.com/2011/PROV/register.html

3. Speakers and panelists' interested in participating in our east coast event should email: reed at eMarketingassociation.com with a bio, photo, speaking experience, area of expertise, and contact information (principals only).

4. Member rates for the eMA are increasing soon, join at current rates and save. In fact you can save an additional 10% off all memberships through June 10th with the promotion code: linkedin - Step up your game and join today.

http://www.emarketingassociation.com/benefits.htm

Have a great week and thanks for helping to make the eMarketing Association Network Group the largest marketing network in the world.

Cheers,

Robert

Robert Fleming

President/CEO

eMarketing Association

www.eMarketingAssociation.com

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