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It’s About the Conversation… Not the Campaign

Over the past five years, my columns have espoused the value of variable data and integrated campaign management. While I continue to be a firm believer in relevant messaging and cross-media communications, I am quickly learning that in today’s wired and social media world, the market has taken yet another turn. Marketers are focusing on the importance of social media, and they will start seeking partners that go beyond integrated marketing campaign management. These marketers are hoping to tap into the conversations that are taking place via social networks as they move from a monologue to a true dialogue with customers. As we move into 2010, the rise of social media will require solutions providers to deliver and support a new concept: Integrated multi-channel conversation management™.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

The Facts About Social Media Today

Marketers and companies are certainly excited about the concept of social media, but not everyone knows how to go about embracing it. From a definitional perspective, social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. Social media is a shift in how people discover, read, and share news, information, and content; it is a fusion of sociology and technology that transforms monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many). It is the true democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media enables people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political, and business use. Simply put, it enables people to have dynamic conversations online.

Marketers realize that whether their focus is business-to-consumer or business-to-business, customers are engaging in social media conversations. Right now, people are discussing companies, the industry, and market competitors in social media circles—marketers that are not listening to and participating in these conversations will find themselves on the outside. Sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, and Ning attract millions of visitors each and every day, and traffic is up by hundreds of percentage points


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About Barb Pellow

A digital printing and publishing pioneer, marketing expert and Group Director at InfoTrends, Barbara Pellow helps companies develop multi-media strategies that ride the information wave. Barb brings the knowledge and skills to help companies expand and grow business opportunity.

Please offer your feedback to Barb. She can be reached at [email protected].

Recent Articles from Barb Pellow

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This holiday season, savvy retailers are working to meet customers on the channels where they are shopping and buying, whether it’s in a physical store, online, or via social media. This article highlights how various retailers are driving sales and encouraging engagement with multi-channel integrated campaigns. Read More

Differentiating Your Business with Wide Format

Wide format printing is a profitable and complementary product offering for print service providers that are seeking new markets and higher-margin businesses. This article discusses the three key practices for success in this market. Read More

It’s Time to Take the 15 Page a Day Challenge… and Share it with Friends!

This past July, the Paper and Packaging Board launched its 15 Pages a Day Challenge, which encourages everyone to commit to reading 15 pages each day. This article cites recent research to highlight the benefits of reading on paper and also provides information on the challenge. Read More

Industry 4.0 Will be Everywhere at Print 2017

Many historians agree that there have been three industrial revolutions to date, but interconnected digital technology might be triggering the fourth. Print 2017 is nearly upon us, and the concept of “Industry 4.0” will likely be a major theme at the event. This article discusses some of the Print 2017 advancements that are expected to change how print is manufactured, what service providers produce, and who print service providers will become as they transform their businesses to better align with digital technologies. Read More

Pricing Strategy: Labor Theory of Value versus Value-based Pricing

Companies within in the printing industry have historically had a manufacturing mentality—they subscribe to the labor theory of value, which states that the value of a service is determined by the amount of labor that goes into production. Now, thousands of firms in a variety of industries are pricing their services according to the external value created—as perceived and determined by the client—rather than the internal costs incurred in generating services. This article explores the concept of value-based pricing and highlights some real-world examples of companies that are embracing this strategy. Read More

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