Technology Marketing by Tatum MarketingJust another WordPress weblog

We’ve just about finished our transition from Tatum Marketing to Clicks ‘n Conversions – and I personally am excited but ready for it to be done!

The new website (www.clicksnconversions.com) and our blog focusing on Remarkable Marketing Strategies for Remarkable Products and Services are live. They’re still being tweaked and you may find a few glitches, but check them out anyway.

This is probably the last post for Tatum Marketing. If you’ve subscribed to us via email or RSS, you don’t need to do anything. Your subscription will be automatically moved over to the Clicks ‘n Conversions blog.

Thanks for reading us on Tatum Marketing. See you at Clicks ‘n Conversions!

Technorati Tags: tatum marketing, clicks n conversions, remarkable marketing, marketing strategies

From the week of October 26

LA Selects Google Email

Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation to outsource its email system to Google. It will be moving 30,000 city employees to Google’s so-called cloud over the coming year. Contract value is $7.25 million. Read more at the LA Times.

Google Testing Social Search

Google Social Search became officially available this week through Google Labs, which lets users test experimental search functions among other things. Apparently Google pulls publicly available Web content from your social circle through blog posts, status updates, tweets and pictures. The set of connections, or social circle, provides the network. Read more at Online Media Daily.

Changes are in the wind – among them, changes in how we communicate.

I’ve discovered that Twitter is a good avenue for finding out about things that I might want to look into more closely. The folks I follow on Twitter keep me up-to-date with the latest trends, ideas, and topics. I get to pick and choose what I want to learn more about.

It occurred to me that this is a great way to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in marketing. I post links to articles, websites, blogs, webinars and anything else I think you might find valuable; and you decide which ones you want to check out.

You’ll also learn a little more about me and – if you’re new to Twitter – something about “social media” in the process.

So, follow me on Twitter.

If you’re not on Twitter yet, here’s what to do:

1. Go to www.twitter.com.
2. Sign up for an account. (It’s free).
3. Set up your profile.
4. Now go to my twitter page and click on Follow.

See you there!

When it comes to factors that contribute to the success (or failure) of a marketing program, few things rank higher than copywriting.  Lots of people – especially non-marketing people – believe that no one reads text, but this is just wrong. And it’s been proven wrong over and over in multiple studies. We also see the affects of copywriting in our own tests to compare the effectiveness of websites, ads and landing pages.

So, believe me when I tell you that good – or better yet, great – copywriting should factor heavily into your marketing. And starting tomorrow you’ll be able to turn to this blog for insights, strategies and tactics to help you create effective copy whether you’re writing it yourself or working with a pro.

Twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays, Tatum Marketing will feature an article written by B2B copywriting expert, Sue Anderson. Sue is the founder of eVoice Communications and a 20-year veteran of the software industry. More importantly, she is a darn good copywriter.

Her first article, Mining for New Business: Seven Tips to Keep your E-Mail Out of their Trash Can, appears tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: copywriting, email, website, advertising

We’re very pleased to be named a Business Building link in CompTIA University’s center of excellence for solution provider professional learning and business improvement resources.Thanks CompTIA!

This post is for those of you who own or run technology companies – or know someone who does.

You may be familiar with the concept of peer groups – lots of company owners use them as a sounding board / advisory board / board of directors. There’s nothing like learning from the successes – and mistakes – of others facing situations similar to yours.

Our friend, J.R. Samples, at Accountability Partners organizes peer groups specifically for technology firms. J.R. himself is a great example of what these peer groups can do. He counts them as a significant factor in helping him grow two firms of his own from $2M to over $10M to $30M and increase his profits 500% in a three year period.

J.R’s next Technology Peer Group meets in October and will focus on Lead Generation (a subject near and dear to my heart) and Productivity Assessments. If your company has at least $1M in annual revenue and you want an extremely cost effective way to get some truly experienced support in getting to the next level, I recommend that you check this out.

You can find our more about the Technology Peer Groups by emailing  Info@AccountabilityPartners.com”. If the October group is already full, you can find out about future groups.

And let me know how it goes.

Technorati Tags: peer groups, technology, marketing, lead generation

I don’t often use this blog to blatantly push our services and I agonized a little over doing that now. But we recently launched an email-based coaching program at an incredible cost of $100 a month – with a free month to test it out. There are only two spots left, and it didn’t seem fair not to mention it to TechnoBuzz readers.

So, if you’re interested in jump-starting your marketing with the help of a 25-year technology marketing veteran, check it out here: E-Marketing Coach.

Maybe it’s just me, but it sure seems like high tech entrepreneurs and company leaders had a real challenge accomplishing marketing goals last year.

My conversations with these talented & hardworking individuals reveal that marketing may well be the single most difficult activity to get under control.

Yet, they all agree that marketing is critical to the success of their company. They just don’t know how to get started or how to improve or how to find the time to make it all happen.

That’s why I’m joining the “coaching revolution” and offering a customized (and surprisingly affordable) coaching & advisory service to companies that are serious about improving marketing.

And, to get this program off the ground in a big way, for the next 48 hours we’re offering 6 months of coaching for $1000. After 8:30 AM pacific time on Thursday January 17, the cost will be $4000.

We can work with company leaders or in-house marketing staff to provide expertise and structure to ensure that 2008 is the year you launch a decidedly successful marketing program or put an existing program into high gear.

If you’re interested in this kind of marketing support, shoot me an email (susan@tatummarketing.com) or give me a call at 310-857-6978 and let’s chat about how it would work.

Technorati Tags: technology marketing, coach

If you’re focusing all your technology marketing efforts on reaching out to new prospects and not worrying too much about how visible you are to anyone looking for you, stop right now! The ease with which your prospects can find you is critical.

Today’s business technology buyers are very proactive about seeking a solution. In asking hundreds of business executives how they chose a new vendor or technology, MarketingSherpa found that a whopping 80% of decision makers believe that they found the vendor. Only 20% said the vendor found them.

This means that putting yourself in a position where you are easy to find is becoming more important than (dare I say it) email blasts, traditional ad campaigns and direct mail programs.

Think of it this way. As MarketingSherpa says “Instead of hunting down new prospects, you are the prey they are hunting”. So, put on a big orange vest, wave your arms around and make sure they can see you in the jungle of competition and other distractions.

But seriously, how do you do that?

1. Start with the search engines. That’s where your prospects – around 65% of them – start. Identify your best key words and do what you can to rank high when someone searches for those key words. (I realize this is far easier said than done and we’ll go into the “hows” of it in another post.)
2. Create value-packed white papers and syndicate them on sites where your prospects go to research new products.
3. Become a thought-leader. Write and place articles on websites, in newsletters and in publications your target market reads. Launch a blog. Participate in roundtables and speak at trade events.
4. Win some awards.
5. Do everything necessary to make sure your current clients are thrilled with you and your product. Create a formal referral program to help them get the word out about you.

Am I saying that you can stop actively seeking new prospects? Heck, no. Twenty percent of your prospects will buy from a vendor who found them. And those might easily be your most profitable opportunities.

Technorati Tags: target marketing, technology marketing, awareness, visibility

Web 2.0 could easily be one of the more over – and often incorrectly – used terms now appearing just about everywhere. But it does have significance to tech marketers because it substantially changes the way we communicate with our prospects and clients.

Basically, we are talking about hosted applications with a community of users. The most common of these right now are social networks and blogs. A recent technology marketing study shows that podcasts are coming on strong.

One of the hallmarks of Web 2.0 is user-generated content. That means you as a marketer no longer control the message. All participants can pretty much add content at will. The result is often a much more “real” view of a product, service, company, problem or opportunity.

The community aspect of Web 2.0 creates a great opportunity for marketers because it ensures a truly targeted audience. People will subscribe to your blog or podcast only if they’re interested. TechnoBuzz is a good example.

Technology marketers simply cannot afford to ignore Web 2.0 marketing channels. You’re reading this blog so you’re already a part of it. Now join in and start commenting.

Technorati Tags: technology marketing, tech marketing, web 2.0, blogging, social networking, podcasts, technobozz, tatum marketing