This question was posed on AdAge.com and the results of respondents reflect what we are hearing in our conversations with clients. The top response was Social Media (60%) and second was Optimization and Tracking (19%). Finishing with less than 10% each were Creative Innovation, Agency Structure and Publishing Economics.

Of the social marketing options available, the most visible and somewhat controversial right now is Facebook. To get a better handle on the value marketers are seeing by integrating Facebook into their marketing mix we are conducting a poll and invite you to participate. The results will be shared at the SMX Conference in Seattle on June 9 and sent to all respondents after that.  Please take three minutes to share your experience by taking the survey at http://bit.ly/ajniij.

I appreciate your feedback and hope the results will be informative to you.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

What’s the most important digital marketing discussion in 2010?

A fun and informative presentation by social media consultant Mack Collier. I thought it was worth sharing.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

Think Like a Rockstar: How to Build Fans and Community Around Your Social Media Efforts!

It’s that time of year to reflect, renew and refocus. And resolutions are a time-honored tool to help us do these things. So here are five resolutions I propose for marketing leaders everywhere and ones that I hope to accomplish myself.

In 2010 I resolve to:

1. Get out of the economic-meltdown funk: We are all worn out from the fight to keep our heads above water. It’s time to regain some optimism again, put a spring in our step and start smiling once more. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Dr. John have all sung the following lyrics. It’s time for us to do so as well. “You’ve got to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Latch on to the affirmative. Don’t mess with Mister In-Between.”
2. Shake things up: The status quo just won’t cut it. It’s time for things to change, and change for the better. We must be the ones to instigate the change initiatives that our organizations desperately need. Yes it is risky. But trying to do the same things for yet another year is even riskier. It’s time to take a leap of faith. Let’s jump together!
3. Get out more: Marketing leaders are the critical connection between the market and the organization. Yet the magnetic pull of standing meetings, management off-sites and daily crisis management keeps us internally focused too much. Let’s get out and meet with customers, visit our channel partners, eat in our restaurants, talk with people and regain the pulse on the market that is critical for honing our intuition. Decisions will be made quickly this year. Let’s make sure our gut instincts are in tune with today’s market.
4. Care deeply: Let’s be passionate about what we do. And genuinely care for those with whom we do it. If you’ve lost the passion for your work, ask yourself why. Is the intersection between what you love to do and what the company needs still there? If so, find a renewed sense of mission that gives you the energy you need. If not, go do something different. If we really care about what we do, it is much easier to care for the people around us. Ask them how they are doing. Learn what is happening in their lives outside of the office. Say thank you. Write them a short note of appreciation. Give them the support they need to grow. Work is much more fun when we do it as a team that takes care of each other.
5. Make a difference: In the lives of our family. For our team members. For our companies. For our customers. For our communities. We are difference-makers and what we do matters. Let’s be purposeful about the difference we want to make in the new year. Let’s be clear about the impact we want to have. Let’s share that with others. We’ll be more committed and more supported if we do. And in the end we can look back at 2010 and say, like Frank Sinatra sang, “It was a very good year.”

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

Five New Year’s resolutions for marketing leaders in 2010

1.   The surgeon, medical assistant, nurses and physical therapists whose dedication to their professions improved my quality of life immeasurably!
2.   All the new mothers and fathers at nFusion. It was a banner year!
3.   My two sons, now both college graduates, who are following their hearts.
4.   My nephew, his shipmates and all those whose service keeps me safe and free.
5.   The great people I am privileged to work with every day.
6.   Our volunteers, staff and supporters at The First Tee who make a difference in the lives of young people in Austin.
7.   Wonderful clients, past, present and future, who challenge us and bless us with their trust.
8.   Personal friends who encourage me, support me and make my game better.
9.   Professional friends who inspire me, question me and make me think.
10. The courageous families in Juticalpa, Honduras and their supportive friends in Austin who remind me constantly of the true sources of happiness.
11. My “followers”, most of whom I have never met, who take their precious time to read what is on my mind.
12. The opportunity to make a difference every day.
13. Smiles that lift me up when I need it.
14. The ability to travel freely and enjoy such wonderful places the Snake River, Augusta and Torrey Pines.
15. An extended family that is way less dysfunctional than Modern Family.
16. The brilliant people I met this year, either in person or virtually, who have made me a wee bit smarter.
17. Technologies that have helped me learn new things and reconnect old friends.
18. And last but certainly not least, my wife, my nurse, my chauffeur and my best friend for 29 years, Terri.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

18 things I’m thankful for this year

This is the title of an article on BusinessWeek.com by Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer and senior VP at GE. In the article she asserts that marketing should be more prominent during challenging periods, not less. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I’m focused on helping marketers step forward as leaders of change for their organizations.

According to Ms. Comstock, “there are three core strategies we have adopted to help us optimize today”:

• Understand the needs of customers as never before

• Gain share

• Reexamine value and how to measure success

Her insight is worth reading and taking to heart.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

A marketer is a terrible thing to waste

I believe there will be at least three key priorities for b-b websites in 2009:

1. Engage your audience with compelling content that advances the conversation towards a relationship/sale. This will mean presenting multiple forms of media, including text documents, photos, Flash modules and video, that offer a positive user experience.

2. Make the content part of your search engine optimization plan. This priority often conflicts with point number 1 since many Flash-based sites are not SEO-friendly. Content in HTML (searchable) should integrate with Flash assets (presentable) in new and engaging ways.

3. Content must be easily updated. The use of content management systems and database-driven asset presentation will be more important than ever as resources for Web maintenance are frozen or reduced in 2009.

The new nFusion website is an example of these three practices put to use. Check it out and send me your comments.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

Website best practices for 2009