actionable marketing guide

Dear ,

While New York City toys with fall weather, we headed out to Brighton Beach for one last afternoon of ocean air before it’s too cold to venture out.

I loved how the sun’s rays peaked through the clouds like a child’s drawing. We enjoyed the empty expanse of beach and were entertained by kite surfers launching themselves skyward off the waves.

On a business note, let’s discuss networking, an activity we all practice when we’re looking for jobs or new work.

But the reality is many of us don’t practice our networking skills enough.

At MarketingProfs B2B Forum this lesson was hit home for me when I ran into an acquaintance I know from my neighborhood and hadn’t seen for a while.

For networking, “loose” connections are a great way to network. Your closest friends and colleagues don’t see you the way someone fresh may see you. As a result, they cut off networking opportunities.

In job search mode my acquaintance was a man with a mission: networking. He had done part of his homework by scrawling a list of people he wanted to meet. But he hadn’t gone the next step to check LinkedIn and other social media sites to see whether he knew anyone who connected to these people.

As the veteran of multiple downsizing efforts I get job search and seeking clients. I’m happy to help someone I know BUT only if I’m sure they’ll respect the people I introduce them to.

I knew many of the people on his list. But I respect these people and am not going to put my relationships at risk by introducing someone who'll reflect badly on me.

I had volunteered to introduce him to a colleague who worked for one of his target firms and was at a session in the adjacent room. But my acquaintance made me wait so he could publically ask a question. 

I bet you can guess where this is going.

A journalist by training, my acquaintance thought he had found an issue to trip the speaker. I tried to persuade him not to ask the "gotcha" question because he didn’t understand it wasn't relevant to the discussion.

But he had to ask. As I predicted, the speaker acknowledged the question and stated that it was irrelevant to their analysis and findings.

While my acquaintance got his question answered, he lost my willingness to introduce him to a wider circle of people. His behavior made me question whether he’d respect my connections.

Networking Tips Actionable Marketing Style

• Always be networking. Build your network before you need it. Even better pay-it-forward by helping others first.

• Do your homework before attending an event or conference. There are 3 parts to this.

  • Determine who you’d like to meet. Don’t just go after the big names. Consider who else you’d like to know. Check Google and social media. Know their interests and whether you have any connections.

  • Know what you’re looking for. Be ready with your elevator pitch. Not a sales pitch but rather your mission statement. Be able to quickly articulate what connections you’re seeking, why you need them, and what you bring to the party.

  • Check if anyone you know will be at the event. While events don’t publish attendee lists, hop on their mobile app and check for potential connections. When you find them, do a Google and social media check to see what their current perspective is and reach out to them by email ahead of time.

• Perfect the short introduction. Make the connection and ask for permission to follow up. Don’t be a time hog. Don’t overlook the power of people further down the food chain. You never know who they know or may influence especially in team-oriented organizations.

• Follow up with both new and existing connections. Remember your manners. Send email notes thanking everyone.

The networking bottom line: Your network is only as strong as your weakest link.

Your network needs care and tending on a regular basis! Send 3 to 5 emails per day to keep up with people in your network.

This is one of the reasons I’m attending Incite’s Brand Marketing Summit next week. I’m excited since it’s truly a senior level conference. Even better, it’s in New York’s coolest borough: Brooklyn. If you’re interested in attending, there are still 18 tickets left. (Please note this isn’t an affiliate link!)

Incite’s event focuses on 4 key topics:

1. Customer personalization and experience. Tap into the power of your data to tailor and personalize your customer experience. Jay Baer, author of Hug Your Hater,s and Dan Gingiss, author of Winning at Social Customer Care, have been talking about this for a while.

2. Brand storytelling. Your unique story makes your brand standout. (Here are 29 tips to help you find your brand stories.)

3. Attribution and Insights. Dig into your big data to discern insights for business success.

4. Omni-channel. Understand how different channels influencer your prospects and customers.

Is Social Media or Content Creation part of your 2018 plans? if so, please join me at Social Media Marketing World 2018. There are both full conference admission and content creator tickets. I’m speaking about Content Creation. Buy your tickets before Friday, October 20^th after which the price increases.

Happy Marketing
Heidi.

Heidi Cohen
Actionable Marketing Guide

How To Improve Your Winning B2B Content Marketing Distribution [Case Study]

Entrepreneurial You – Book Interview

5 Interactive Content Types That Will Boost Your Results

​​​​​​​Social Media Marketing World 2018 is just around the corner (February 28 - March 2, 2018, at the San Diego Convention Center.)

Brought to you by Social Media Examiner, this is the conference for anyone wanting to learn how to make the most of social media and meet the companies and experts in the field.

Join me at this exciting event. Don't delay – the current promotion ends Friday!

• Heidi was interviewed by Mary Ellen Slayter for Velocitize regarding Interactive Content.

  If you’re interested in getting up to speed on Interactive Content here are 3 great primers:

  • Interactive Content Defined
  • 5 Types of Interactive Content
  • Interactive Content Metrics
    
    

• Dennis Shaio interviewed BuzzSumo’s Susan Moeller on Medium about content creation. Moeller mentioned HeidiCohen.com as a go-to-site! W00t!

  Important take-aways:

  • Moeller spent about 12 hours crafting a blog post over a period of 2 weeks! This is on the high end based on Orbit Media’s Blogging Survey.
  • Shaio created interview content on Medium. Are you using Medium yet?
    
    

• Big hat tip to my colleague Lee Odden of Top Rank Marketing. He truly walks the talk when it comes to Influencer Marketing. Heidi Cohen was one of 50 B2B Influencers for 2017.

  

  Looking to take your marketing to the next level? Then fill your social media streams with these folks and read what they write and think is important.