After a number of years in technical public relations, Mark Fletcher, former editor of 'Eureka' magazine, is going freelance.
Mark, a degree-qualified engineer, will offer a variety of services but will primarily provide technical writing capabilities to high-tech industries and companies.
Mark's new company, Technical Lucidity, defines his approach... think technically, write lucidly.
Anyone interested can contact Mark at
mailto:mark@technical-lucidity.co.uk
Industrialmarketingtalk issue 35
=============================================================
INDUSTRIALMARKETINGTALK
=============================================================
A monthly newsletter for industrial marketing managers, from Pro-Talk,
publishers of:
Buildingtalk - Electronicstalk - Engineeringtalk
Laboratorytalk - Marketingservicestalk
Manufacturingtalk - Printingtalk - Processingtalk
=============================================================
Pro-Talk - harnessing the power of the internet for business
=============================================================
Issue 35: 28 November 2008
Published from the UK
=============================================================
Industrialmarketingtalk online:
http://www.industrialmarketingtalk.com
=============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
Jackie's message
[1] Photographs now an option on the new 'Talk' sites
[2] Your own virtual press office
[3] Video on the 'talk' sites
[4] FAQ's: generating sales leads with Pro-Talk
[5] B2B blogs
[6] Make yours seem huge...
[7] Marketing warfare
[8] Technical PR account manager wanted...
[9] At a glance
[10] Competition: win something useful?
=============================================================
Hello!
An article arrived on my desktop on the 13 November, from the UK
Association of Online Publishers, entitled 'B2B Websites Essential to
Business Decision Makers', so I thought in this last newsletter for
2008 I'd share some extracts with you (it's all good stuff).
It says, "In the latest AOP research, released this week, business
websites emerged as a highly valued and indispensable source of
information for business decision makers. The survey, conducted in
association with IPSOS Mori, revealed:
* B2B websites are ubiquitous among business decision makers, 97%
stated that this is the media most used for work
* 60% ranked business websites as an essential source of information
in their work
* 60% consider business websites as providing information that they
couldn’t get elsewhere
With 51% choosing B2B websites as a preferred source of business
information, B2B websites are also favoured over two and a half times
more than TV, Radio, Magazines and Newspapers sources combined."
That's good news for those of you using the 'talk' sites.
And there's more...
"B2B sites are also shown to provide a highly effective medium
for advertisers with 43% of business professionals being more likely
to respond to advertising on a business website than advertising in
other media."
It goes on by stating that:
"53% of users being more likely to have confidence in, or do business
with, a company, if it advertises on a business site they know"
"74% trust a website more if it comes from a source that they know
already (e.g business publication or industry body)"
And then,
"Of those using 5 or more digital delivery mechanisms, 70% found that
B2B websites offer more engaging content and advertising than other
business information sources and considered them to:
Offer instant access to information - Save time - Offer innovative
ways to access information - Allow business decision makers to
interact with peers more efficiently"
Do read the full article at: http://tinyurl.com/6yl8wf and visit The
UK Association of Online Publishers homepage at
http://www.ukaop.org.uk and have a look at their events, available to
non-members and covering such subjects as getting your website
noticed and developing communities around content.
All positive stuff I'm sure you'll agree - and a good way to end
Industrialmarketingtalk for this year.
However, before I take my leave I would remind you to contact the team
to discuss your future online plans to ensure that your company
utilises the 'Talk' sites as much as your budget will allow - and if
someone higher in your organisation starts talking about cutting your
budget show them Andy Marken's article (item 7) and then read item 6
'Make yours seem huge...'
Hope it helps!
Have a great festive season - I'll be back in 2009.
With kind regards,
Jackie
mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
===================================================
[1] Photographs now an option on the new 'Talk' sites
===================================================
Jackie writes:
the new site designs are certainly hitting the spot. The addition of
photographs alongside company news are playing their part in growing
visitor numbers - increasing opportunities for contributing companies.
If you're interested in having a photograph published with your
release do contact editorial assistant Alan Carter, who will organise
this for you. There is a cost for this service, it's £120 -
the photograph (with your release) will be up on the 'net forever,
working hard - unlike the photograph you pay to have published in
printed matter...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading at: http://tinyurl.com/55x99v
Call Alan on +44 (0)207 970 4940 or mailto:alan.carter@pro-talk.com
===================================================
[2] Your own virtual press office
===================================================
The main reason for writing press releases is to get them published.
Once published, readers need a mechanism for obtaining further
information, and more commonly these days, this is done by referring
them to the company website. It is therefore surprising to report
that, in very many cases, the new products about which a press release
has been written is conspicuously absent from the company website. So
the opportunity to benefit from an interaction with a prospective
customer is gone for ever...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading at: http://tinyurl.com/6f7q6f
===================================================
[3] Video on the 'talk' sites
===================================================
Still thinking about adding video/slideshow elements to your page(s)
on your chosen Pro-Talk site?
Click on these links and browse a few examples of what Russ Swan has
created:
American tulipwood video:
http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/whp/whp104.html
Silent slideshow Andrews Glass:
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/anr/anr100.html
Titled/captioned slideshow Dionex
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/dio/dio136.html
Narrated slideshow plus video, HemoCue
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/hem/hem116.html
Narrated slides and video, Nikon
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/nik/nik203.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> + Many of you will know Russ as the editor of Laboratorytalk, he now
has an additional role within the company as head of video content.
Email Russ with your questions about video/slideshows/slides on
Pro-Talk sites mailto:russ.swan@pro-talk.com
Or call +44(0)207 970 4941
===================================================
[4] FAQ's: generating sales leads with Pro-Talk
===================================================
There’s nothing more frustrating for your sales team than NOT knowing
who has been investigating your products and services on the internet.
Pro-Talk's lead generation service, enables your sales people to
follow-up on potential ‘named’ customers that have taken time to look
and enquire about your news, products and services within our websites
and newsletters.
Q: How does it work?
When you sign up for the service, each one of your press releases on
our websites (and newsletters) will have a special link added, asking
your customer whether they would like to receive more information
regarding your products. At that point they will fill in their details
on the form provided by us‚ and it’s those details that you will
receive from Pro-Talk...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading the FAQ's at:
http://tinyurl.com/643br8
===================================================
[5] B2B Blogs
===================================================
Still thinking about setting up a blog?
Visit this site and get some inspiration, help, hints and tips. They
say "Each week we'll pull a half dozen stories from the marketing
blogosphere that we think you'll find interesting or useful. These
blogs are written by vendors, analysts, researchers and, yes, even
professional b-to-b marketers themselves. There's so much information,
there's no possible way you can digest it all. So we've attempted to
select the best-of-the best. As you can see from the blogroll, we're
currently monitoring over 70 different blogs to find the best stuff
out there..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Put aside some time, grab a coffee and browse at:
http://tinyurl.com/6m7b8l
All courtesy of BtoB the magazine for marketing strategists
http://www.btobonline.com
===================================================
[6] Make yours seem huge...
===================================================
"...you have a great product, a great website and a great staff. The
only thing that isn't "great" is the size of your marketing budget.
Roughly $27 billion dollars will be spent in online advertising in
2008, according to eMarketer. With so many marketers occupying the
same space, how can a company stay competitive while staying within
its budget?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Chad Little, courtesy of imediaconnection, writes about something
close to all our hearts - our budgets!
Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/578lms
imediaconnection home: http://www.imediaconnection.com
===================================================
[7] Marketing Warfare
===================================================
Andy Marken writes: ...at the first whisper of problems or given the
weakest excuse, they will slash their marketing and communications
budgets. The marketplace's consistent winners, however, understand
that solid marketing and communications develops growth for their
firms in the future. And any retreat from that position can likewise
have a negative effect on growth. The winners performance also shows
that when downturns occur, they are less severe for them than their
knee-jerk competitors and they recover more quickly. In other words,
they are in a better position to manage their growth and their market
dominance...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Read Andy's article in full at:
http://tinyurl.com/6ach5p
===================================================
[8] Technical PR Account Manager wanted...
===================================================
...to work on a FT-SE 100 account.
You will act as an Account Manager working closely with the Account
Director in managing the communications of a FT-SE 100 company within
the EMEA region. As part of a well respected specialist consultancy
you will be expected to take a high level of responsibility in
managing the day-to-day process of identifying, researching and
producing news stories liaising closely with both the client and the
media...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> More on this vacancy at (together with contact details):
http://tinyurl.com/5e77td
===================================================
[9] At a glance - practical help, information and updates (some of it
is free!)
===================================================
+ Free white paper: Sustainable Marketing Procurement – Turning Myth
into Reality. Available to download here http://tinyurl.com/6oswtk
+ Still available - free guide to marketing in the slowdown. Email to
request your copy mailto:richards@stonejunction.co.uk
+ 10 Most Useful Free Google Marketing Tools - courtesy of SiteProNews
http://tinyurl.com/5khmxd
+ Four Strategies to Bend Rules on Landing Pages and Double Conversion
Rates. Courtesy of MarketingSherpa:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article_print.html?id=30886
+ How to slash your marketing expenditure...while increasing your
incoming sales leads. Free download at http://tinyurl.com/5u3plp
+ We know you're busy...but have you got 20 minutes to spare?
Contributing to a Pro-Talk website, and wonder how your material can
work just that bit harder? Request a phone demo:
mailto:admin@Pro-Talk.com or call on +44 (0)20 7970 4941.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/6c33xl
+ Publitek brings cost-effective, global electronics PR services to
Silicon Valley: http://tinyurl.com/5q2sht
+ Interview with Web Design God Steve Krug (Audio MP3 + Transcript)
Courtesy of Marketing Sherpa
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=3165
+ Online marketing - request the daily email with the day's featured
article. It's free at http://tinyurl.com/5gq99c
===================================================
[10] COMPETITION: win something useful?
===================================================
Congratulations to Rizwana Tarer of ProProcure Ltd who won last
month's competition by correctly answering the question "Who has
recently announced their support of Process Engineering Live?"
(Profibus, of course!) - Rizwana wins a copy of 'Elements of Great
Public Speaking: How to Be Calm, Confident and Compelling' by J. Lyman
MacInnes.
Thanks to everyone who entered. This month you've a chance to win:
'Here Comes Everybody' by Clay Shirky. The book is about what happens
when people are given the tools to do things together, without needing
traditional organisational structures. Visit the blog at
http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/
And the (seasonal) question: "Name at least three of Santa's reindeer
- excluding Rudolph"
Answers via email, by 15 January, please.
Winner to be announced next issue.
===================================================
Email competition entries to mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
===================================================
Search for b2b marketing jobs
http://tinyurl.com/6x238o
Search for a conference in your sector:
http://tinyurl.com/5873qa
Process Engineering Live is the event for process companies to prepare
their business for the future http://tinyurl.com/5kwjwv
===================================================
Next issue of Industrialmarketingtalk: 30 January 2009
Want to contribute? mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
Deadlines for contributions: 15 January 2009
===================================================
INDUSTRIALMARKETINGTALK
=============================================================
A monthly newsletter for industrial marketing managers, from Pro-Talk,
publishers of:
Buildingtalk - Electronicstalk - Engineeringtalk
Laboratorytalk - Marketingservicestalk
Manufacturingtalk - Printingtalk - Processingtalk
=============================================================
Pro-Talk - harnessing the power of the internet for business
=============================================================
Issue 35: 28 November 2008
Published from the UK
=============================================================
Industrialmarketingtalk online:
http://www.industrialmarketingtalk.com
=============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
Jackie's message
[1] Photographs now an option on the new 'Talk' sites
[2] Your own virtual press office
[3] Video on the 'talk' sites
[4] FAQ's: generating sales leads with Pro-Talk
[5] B2B blogs
[6] Make yours seem huge...
[7] Marketing warfare
[8] Technical PR account manager wanted...
[9] At a glance
[10] Competition: win something useful?
=============================================================
Hello!
An article arrived on my desktop on the 13 November, from the UK
Association of Online Publishers, entitled 'B2B Websites Essential to
Business Decision Makers', so I thought in this last newsletter for
2008 I'd share some extracts with you (it's all good stuff).
It says, "In the latest AOP research, released this week, business
websites emerged as a highly valued and indispensable source of
information for business decision makers. The survey, conducted in
association with IPSOS Mori, revealed:
* B2B websites are ubiquitous among business decision makers, 97%
stated that this is the media most used for work
* 60% ranked business websites as an essential source of information
in their work
* 60% consider business websites as providing information that they
couldn’t get elsewhere
With 51% choosing B2B websites as a preferred source of business
information, B2B websites are also favoured over two and a half times
more than TV, Radio, Magazines and Newspapers sources combined."
That's good news for those of you using the 'talk' sites.
And there's more...
"B2B sites are also shown to provide a highly effective medium
for advertisers with 43% of business professionals being more likely
to respond to advertising on a business website than advertising in
other media."
It goes on by stating that:
"53% of users being more likely to have confidence in, or do business
with, a company, if it advertises on a business site they know"
"74% trust a website more if it comes from a source that they know
already (e.g business publication or industry body)"
And then,
"Of those using 5 or more digital delivery mechanisms, 70% found that
B2B websites offer more engaging content and advertising than other
business information sources and considered them to:
Offer instant access to information - Save time - Offer innovative
ways to access information - Allow business decision makers to
interact with peers more efficiently"
Do read the full article at: http://tinyurl.com/6yl8wf and visit The
UK Association of Online Publishers homepage at
http://www.ukaop.org.uk and have a look at their events, available to
non-members and covering such subjects as getting your website
noticed and developing communities around content.
All positive stuff I'm sure you'll agree - and a good way to end
Industrialmarketingtalk for this year.
However, before I take my leave I would remind you to contact the team
to discuss your future online plans to ensure that your company
utilises the 'Talk' sites as much as your budget will allow - and if
someone higher in your organisation starts talking about cutting your
budget show them Andy Marken's article (item 7) and then read item 6
'Make yours seem huge...'
Hope it helps!
Have a great festive season - I'll be back in 2009.
With kind regards,
Jackie
mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
===================================================
[1] Photographs now an option on the new 'Talk' sites
===================================================
Jackie writes:
the new site designs are certainly hitting the spot. The addition of
photographs alongside company news are playing their part in growing
visitor numbers - increasing opportunities for contributing companies.
If you're interested in having a photograph published with your
release do contact editorial assistant Alan Carter, who will organise
this for you. There is a cost for this service, it's £120 -
the photograph (with your release) will be up on the 'net forever,
working hard - unlike the photograph you pay to have published in
printed matter...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading at: http://tinyurl.com/55x99v
Call Alan on +44 (0)207 970 4940 or mailto:alan.carter@pro-talk.com
===================================================
[2] Your own virtual press office
===================================================
The main reason for writing press releases is to get them published.
Once published, readers need a mechanism for obtaining further
information, and more commonly these days, this is done by referring
them to the company website. It is therefore surprising to report
that, in very many cases, the new products about which a press release
has been written is conspicuously absent from the company website. So
the opportunity to benefit from an interaction with a prospective
customer is gone for ever...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading at: http://tinyurl.com/6f7q6f
===================================================
[3] Video on the 'talk' sites
===================================================
Still thinking about adding video/slideshow elements to your page(s)
on your chosen Pro-Talk site?
Click on these links and browse a few examples of what Russ Swan has
created:
American tulipwood video:
http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/whp/whp104.html
Silent slideshow Andrews Glass:
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/anr/anr100.html
Titled/captioned slideshow Dionex
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/dio/dio136.html
Narrated slideshow plus video, HemoCue
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/hem/hem116.html
Narrated slides and video, Nikon
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/nik/nik203.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> + Many of you will know Russ as the editor of Laboratorytalk, he now
has an additional role within the company as head of video content.
Email Russ with your questions about video/slideshows/slides on
Pro-Talk sites mailto:russ.swan@pro-talk.com
Or call +44(0)207 970 4941
===================================================
[4] FAQ's: generating sales leads with Pro-Talk
===================================================
There’s nothing more frustrating for your sales team than NOT knowing
who has been investigating your products and services on the internet.
Pro-Talk's lead generation service, enables your sales people to
follow-up on potential ‘named’ customers that have taken time to look
and enquire about your news, products and services within our websites
and newsletters.
Q: How does it work?
When you sign up for the service, each one of your press releases on
our websites (and newsletters) will have a special link added, asking
your customer whether they would like to receive more information
regarding your products. At that point they will fill in their details
on the form provided by us‚ and it’s those details that you will
receive from Pro-Talk...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading the FAQ's at:
http://tinyurl.com/643br8
===================================================
[5] B2B Blogs
===================================================
Still thinking about setting up a blog?
Visit this site and get some inspiration, help, hints and tips. They
say "Each week we'll pull a half dozen stories from the marketing
blogosphere that we think you'll find interesting or useful. These
blogs are written by vendors, analysts, researchers and, yes, even
professional b-to-b marketers themselves. There's so much information,
there's no possible way you can digest it all. So we've attempted to
select the best-of-the best. As you can see from the blogroll, we're
currently monitoring over 70 different blogs to find the best stuff
out there..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Put aside some time, grab a coffee and browse at:
http://tinyurl.com/6m7b8l
All courtesy of BtoB the magazine for marketing strategists
http://www.btobonline.com
===================================================
[6] Make yours seem huge...
===================================================
"...you have a great product, a great website and a great staff. The
only thing that isn't "great" is the size of your marketing budget.
Roughly $27 billion dollars will be spent in online advertising in
2008, according to eMarketer. With so many marketers occupying the
same space, how can a company stay competitive while staying within
its budget?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Chad Little, courtesy of imediaconnection, writes about something
close to all our hearts - our budgets!
Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/578lms
imediaconnection home: http://www.imediaconnection.com
===================================================
[7] Marketing Warfare
===================================================
Andy Marken writes: ...at the first whisper of problems or given the
weakest excuse, they will slash their marketing and communications
budgets. The marketplace's consistent winners, however, understand
that solid marketing and communications develops growth for their
firms in the future. And any retreat from that position can likewise
have a negative effect on growth. The winners performance also shows
that when downturns occur, they are less severe for them than their
knee-jerk competitors and they recover more quickly. In other words,
they are in a better position to manage their growth and their market
dominance...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Read Andy's article in full at:
http://tinyurl.com/6ach5p
===================================================
[8] Technical PR Account Manager wanted...
===================================================
...to work on a FT-SE 100 account.
You will act as an Account Manager working closely with the Account
Director in managing the communications of a FT-SE 100 company within
the EMEA region. As part of a well respected specialist consultancy
you will be expected to take a high level of responsibility in
managing the day-to-day process of identifying, researching and
producing news stories liaising closely with both the client and the
media...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> More on this vacancy at (together with contact details):
http://tinyurl.com/5e77td
===================================================
[9] At a glance - practical help, information and updates (some of it
is free!)
===================================================
+ Free white paper: Sustainable Marketing Procurement – Turning Myth
into Reality. Available to download here http://tinyurl.com/6oswtk
+ Still available - free guide to marketing in the slowdown. Email to
request your copy mailto:richards@stonejunction.co.uk
+ 10 Most Useful Free Google Marketing Tools - courtesy of SiteProNews
http://tinyurl.com/5khmxd
+ Four Strategies to Bend Rules on Landing Pages and Double Conversion
Rates. Courtesy of MarketingSherpa:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article_print.html?id=30886
+ How to slash your marketing expenditure...while increasing your
incoming sales leads. Free download at http://tinyurl.com/5u3plp
+ We know you're busy...but have you got 20 minutes to spare?
Contributing to a Pro-Talk website, and wonder how your material can
work just that bit harder? Request a phone demo:
mailto:admin@Pro-Talk.com or call on +44 (0)20 7970 4941.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/6c33xl
+ Publitek brings cost-effective, global electronics PR services to
Silicon Valley: http://tinyurl.com/5q2sht
+ Interview with Web Design God Steve Krug (Audio MP3 + Transcript)
Courtesy of Marketing Sherpa
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=3165
+ Online marketing - request the daily email with the day's featured
article. It's free at http://tinyurl.com/5gq99c
===================================================
[10] COMPETITION: win something useful?
===================================================
Congratulations to Rizwana Tarer of ProProcure Ltd who won last
month's competition by correctly answering the question "Who has
recently announced their support of Process Engineering Live?"
(Profibus, of course!) - Rizwana wins a copy of 'Elements of Great
Public Speaking: How to Be Calm, Confident and Compelling' by J. Lyman
MacInnes.
Thanks to everyone who entered. This month you've a chance to win:
'Here Comes Everybody' by Clay Shirky. The book is about what happens
when people are given the tools to do things together, without needing
traditional organisational structures. Visit the blog at
http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/
And the (seasonal) question: "Name at least three of Santa's reindeer
- excluding Rudolph"
Answers via email, by 15 January, please.
Winner to be announced next issue.
===================================================
Email competition entries to mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
===================================================
Search for b2b marketing jobs
http://tinyurl.com/6x238o
Search for a conference in your sector:
http://tinyurl.com/5873qa
Process Engineering Live is the event for process companies to prepare
their business for the future http://tinyurl.com/5kwjwv
===================================================
Next issue of Industrialmarketingtalk: 30 January 2009
Want to contribute? mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
Deadlines for contributions: 15 January 2009
===================================================
FAQ's: generating sales leads with Pro-Talk
There’s nothing more frustrating for your sales team than NOT knowing who has been investigating your products and services on the internet. Pro-Talk's lead generation service, enables your sales people to follow-up on potential ‘named’ customers that have taken time to look and enquire about your news, products and services within our websites
and newsletters.
Q: How does it work?
When you sign up for the service, each one of your press releases on our websites (and newsletters) will have a special link added, asking your customer whether they would like to receive more information regarding your products. At that point they will fill in their details on the form provided by us‚ and it’s those details that you will receive from Pro-Talk.
Q. When do I get the leads?
Almost instantly! One of the biggest benefits of using an internet publication is the speed that information can be gained. No more waiting for the publisher to sort out which enquiries are yours and to send them to you by post. A Pro-Talk lead is always a 'hot' lead.
Q. How much does it cost?
£1300 per annum, and if you're featured on more than one Pro-Talk site that covers you for EVERY one. If you know the cost-per-lead you'd expect from, say, magazine advertising, you can work out for yourself how many leads you'll need each month to make this better value.
Q. How do I subscribe?
Just call us. Your subscription will start as soon as we have processed your information‚ so no waiting for next month's publication!
Q. Who gets the leads?
Whoever you wish to designate, typically your sales manager or director.
Q. Why is this better than a link to my website?
Because it gives you the name and contact details of the enquirer, enabling your sales team to follow up on the lead while it's still hot.
Q. We registered ages ago, and used to get leads, so why haven't we had any leads recently?
It's likely that either you were given a free trial subscription which has expired. But if you haven't supplied any press releases recently, you might not have had many leads. Or perhaps the person who was originally registered to receive your sales leads has changed and we simply haven't been kept informed? Please call us so that we can investigate.
Q. I advertise in the trade press; why do I need to subscribe to Pro-Talk?
With Pro-Talk the costs are generally much lower but the returns can be greater! And of course, our website visitors and newsletter readers now massively outnumber the readership of the trade journals you may advertise with.
Don't forget, unlike magazines, your press release isn't consigned to history a few days after publication. On a Pro-Talk website your release goes on working forever.
Q. Can we just have leads from the UK?
That's fine, simply say so and we will filter the UK enquiries for you.
If you wish, we can also send any overseas enquiries to a different contact (for example, your Head Office in the US or your European Sales office in Germany).
If you are still having doubts, take five minutes to ask your sales people what they would call a quality lead. We're confident that their answer will be pretty similar to ours: no more than 2-3 days old, named, and from someone who is specifically interested in your products. Only the internet can give you that now.
Call +44 (0)207 970 4941
and newsletters.
Q: How does it work?
When you sign up for the service, each one of your press releases on our websites (and newsletters) will have a special link added, asking your customer whether they would like to receive more information regarding your products. At that point they will fill in their details on the form provided by us‚ and it’s those details that you will receive from Pro-Talk.
Q. When do I get the leads?
Almost instantly! One of the biggest benefits of using an internet publication is the speed that information can be gained. No more waiting for the publisher to sort out which enquiries are yours and to send them to you by post. A Pro-Talk lead is always a 'hot' lead.
Q. How much does it cost?
£1300 per annum, and if you're featured on more than one Pro-Talk site that covers you for EVERY one. If you know the cost-per-lead you'd expect from, say, magazine advertising, you can work out for yourself how many leads you'll need each month to make this better value.
Q. How do I subscribe?
Just call us. Your subscription will start as soon as we have processed your information‚ so no waiting for next month's publication!
Q. Who gets the leads?
Whoever you wish to designate, typically your sales manager or director.
Q. Why is this better than a link to my website?
Because it gives you the name and contact details of the enquirer, enabling your sales team to follow up on the lead while it's still hot.
Q. We registered ages ago, and used to get leads, so why haven't we had any leads recently?
It's likely that either you were given a free trial subscription which has expired. But if you haven't supplied any press releases recently, you might not have had many leads. Or perhaps the person who was originally registered to receive your sales leads has changed and we simply haven't been kept informed? Please call us so that we can investigate.
Q. I advertise in the trade press; why do I need to subscribe to Pro-Talk?
With Pro-Talk the costs are generally much lower but the returns can be greater! And of course, our website visitors and newsletter readers now massively outnumber the readership of the trade journals you may advertise with.
Don't forget, unlike magazines, your press release isn't consigned to history a few days after publication. On a Pro-Talk website your release goes on working forever.
Q. Can we just have leads from the UK?
That's fine, simply say so and we will filter the UK enquiries for you.
If you wish, we can also send any overseas enquiries to a different contact (for example, your Head Office in the US or your European Sales office in Germany).
If you are still having doubts, take five minutes to ask your sales people what they would call a quality lead. We're confident that their answer will be pretty similar to ours: no more than 2-3 days old, named, and from someone who is specifically interested in your products. Only the internet can give you that now.
Call +44 (0)207 970 4941
Your own virtual press office
The main reason for writing press releases (perhaps the only reason) is to get them published. Once published, readers need a mechanism for obtaining further information, and more commonly these days, this is done by referring them to the company website. It is therefore surprising to report that, in very many cases, the new products about which a press release has been written is conspicuously absent from the company website. So the opportunity to benefit from an interaction with a prospective customer is gone for ever.
Of course, the easiest way to sort this problem out is to ensure that there is co-ordination between updating the website and updating and issuing the press release. But it can be easily overlooked, and in many companies, the upkeep of the website falls to a different department, such as the IT department, or may even be managed in a different country.
If this is the case in your country, why not arrange to have a link on your site to the index page on our site where all of your press releases will be listed?
In effect, we become an automatically updated press office, just as if the press releases were listed on your own site. And because we will publish them fast, you can be sure that your latest products are listed on your website at the same time as your press releases are published. It's a service we provide for FREE and it saves you a job! What could be better?
And for a fee, we also offer you the opportunity to have your own Talk-Site, as part of our Premium Package, launched in response to the many existing advertisers who have indicated they'd like even more branding and even more leads from our websites.
In addition to a package of banners, advertising newsletter entries and our famous Sales Lead Service, we'll also create a single-page 'micro-site' for your company, with in-depth descriptive text and illustrations. You can use it for a company profile, product descriptions and a perfect introduction to your business. The page will be branded as your company and will feature your latest news.
For more information about any of the items mentioned above call +44 (0)207 970 4941
Of course, the easiest way to sort this problem out is to ensure that there is co-ordination between updating the website and updating and issuing the press release. But it can be easily overlooked, and in many companies, the upkeep of the website falls to a different department, such as the IT department, or may even be managed in a different country.
If this is the case in your country, why not arrange to have a link on your site to the index page on our site where all of your press releases will be listed?
In effect, we become an automatically updated press office, just as if the press releases were listed on your own site. And because we will publish them fast, you can be sure that your latest products are listed on your website at the same time as your press releases are published. It's a service we provide for FREE and it saves you a job! What could be better?
And for a fee, we also offer you the opportunity to have your own Talk-Site, as part of our Premium Package, launched in response to the many existing advertisers who have indicated they'd like even more branding and even more leads from our websites.
In addition to a package of banners, advertising newsletter entries and our famous Sales Lead Service, we'll also create a single-page 'micro-site' for your company, with in-depth descriptive text and illustrations. You can use it for a company profile, product descriptions and a perfect introduction to your business. The page will be branded as your company and will feature your latest news.
For more information about any of the items mentioned above call +44 (0)207 970 4941
Photographs now an option on the new 'Talk' sites
The new site designs are certainly hitting the spot. I'm certain that the addition of photographs alongside company news have played their part in keeping visitors on the sites for longer - increasing opportunities for contributing companies.
If you're interested in having a photograph published with your release do contact editorial assistant Alan Carter, who will organise this for you. Of course there is a cost for this service, it's £120 - the photograph (with your release) will be up on the 'net forever, working hard - unlike the photograph you pay to have published in printed matter...
We look to publish - completely free of charge - news releases that are concerned with new products and services, new applications of products and technical background articles. Releases that we publish must be relevant to the subject areas that your chosen 'Talk' site seeks to cover. Our site categories are listed in the left-hand column of the homepages.
If you have any queries as to whether your release is suitable, please e-mail managing editor Lyndon White mailto:lyndon.white@pro-talk.com for guidance.
Call Alan on +44 (0)207 970 4940 or mailto:alan.carter@pro-talk.com
If you're interested in having a photograph published with your release do contact editorial assistant Alan Carter, who will organise this for you. Of course there is a cost for this service, it's £120 - the photograph (with your release) will be up on the 'net forever, working hard - unlike the photograph you pay to have published in printed matter...
We look to publish - completely free of charge - news releases that are concerned with new products and services, new applications of products and technical background articles. Releases that we publish must be relevant to the subject areas that your chosen 'Talk' site seeks to cover. Our site categories are listed in the left-hand column of the homepages.
If you have any queries as to whether your release is suitable, please e-mail managing editor Lyndon White mailto:lyndon.white@pro-talk.com for guidance.
Call Alan on +44 (0)207 970 4940 or mailto:alan.carter@pro-talk.com
Marketing Warfare: facts get in the way
Ries and Trout (Marketing Warfare) brought us the vernacular of the military establishment.Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence) gave us a more peaceful approach by urging us to listen to customers.
Corporate management has been reading the words without digesting the essence of the statements. The result is they're still focusing on pulling in new customers month after month and quarter after quarter, and leaving existing customers to fend for themselves.
As they view the battles of the marketplace through the wrong end of the telescope, company management emphatically states that they know what customers want and need. These are the people who proclaim that they have the pulse beat of the market-place despite the fact that they haven't been on a customer sales or follow-up call for six months. Management has flown over the battlefield, but hasn't made the time nor found it necessary to spend time in the trenches with their foot soldiers--sales, support and service. They’ve spent so much time focusing on beating the competition that they’ve lost sight of their ultimate goal--winning customers.
Corporate managers should listen a little closer to Ted Levitt, former editor of Harvard Business Review, as he continually told us, “The purpose of business is to create and KEEP a customer.” Rather than changing their service and support for existing customers, companies continue to blame the competition for "stealing” people away. And all the while they are perfectly straight-faced and saying:
“We already know who our customers are.”
“Our business comes from word of mouth.”
“Everyone knows us.”
“Business is great, so we don't need to market.”
Knowing Customers:
It may have cost $1,000 to keep the customer, but it will cost $5,000 simply to replace them. It's little wonder marketing costs continue to rise.
Word of Mouth:
Word of mouth is a powerful tool, but you have to look at tall aspects of word of mouth. For example, noted marketing expert Bill Davidow recently noted that TARP (Technical Assistance Research Programs) pointed out that only one out of every 25 unhappy customers complained to the manufacturer. That's great, since none of us like to hear complaints.
Unfortunately, those other 24 unhappy customers did tell 10 people about their dissatisfaction.
The fact is that since we feel we "deserve" to be satisfied, we don't voice our satisfaction at the same rate. In fact, satisfied customers only tell five others.
In short, relying solely on word of mouth marketing and communications is a losing battle. Everyone Knows Us:” Everyone" in the computer and communications industries knows Compaq, Lotus, IBM, Cisco, 3COM, Dell, Nortel, Ascend, Hewlett Packard and a few other prominent names.
Likewise, "everyone" knows Ford, McDonald’s, United Airlines, Panasonic,
Ford, McDonald's, Coke and IBM regularly carry out extensive and expensive name recognition research projects. At no time has any of them scored 100 percent in the area of name recognition. In many instances, when the name was known it was for the wrong reason. This is especially true in industries, which change so rapidly and so radically.
If your company has been in existence for five years it probably doesn't look anything like it did back then. Chances are you've had a "few" management, product and distribution changes over the years, with more planned for this year and next. The way the "known" companies mentioned earlier stay known is by consistently and aggressively marketing and communicating their message(s) to the marketplace.
They manage their risks and they manage their opportunities, rather than having the risks and opportunities manage them.
They manage risks and opportunities by listening. They listen to existing customers, prospects and lost customers.
They find out who these people are, what their needs and wants are, their likes and dislikes and their decision-making processes, as well as the options they consider.
With this kind of information, they are in a position to significantly minimize risks and optimize opportunities. It's no wonder they win more frequently, have greater sales and continue to increase their market share.
Business is Great:
Hence, they don't need to be aggressive in their marketing and communications. In fact, they have to "keep a lower profile" because they couldn't satisfy the customers' needs even if they sent a certified check with the order. When the company is in a valley, business is so bad that they can't afford the "luxury" of marketing or communications. Instead, they need to conserve all of their resources and focus all of their efforts in immediate sales.
Despite the overwhelming statistics by the Business and Professional Advertising Association (BPAA) and leading market research firms that show solid marketing has a cumulative effect, management views the marketing budget as an expense rather than an investment.
At the first whisper of problems or given the weakest excuse, they will slash their marketing and communications budgets. The marketplace's consistent winners, however, understand that solid marketing and communications develops growth for their firms in the future. And any retreat from that position can likewise have a negative effect on growth. The winners performance also shows that when downturns occur, they are less severe for them than their knee-jerk competitors and they recover more quickly. In other words, they are in a better position to manage their growth and their market dominance.
Levels of Expectation:
At the other end of the spectrum, the chairman of
They must continually come out from behind the protection of their desk and make decisions based on the reality that people, not technology or lofty plans, sell products and people buy products. Then the "facts" won't get in the way of their success.
Andy Marken
Marken Communications
(408) 986-0100
Cell: (408) 390.0002
November 2008
Publitek brings cost-effective, global electronics PR services to Silicon Valley
Europe's leading PR and marketing communications agency serving the electronics industry opens in Palo Alto
Publitek Limited (
Jones previously spent 10 years as Director of Global Market Communication for programmable logic company, Actel. Prior to this he was the principal at Marcomm Technology Marketing,
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the Imperial College of Science and Technology,
Commenting on the appointment, Publitek CEO, Bob Jones, said, "Clive is the ideal addition to our team as we continue our global expansion. Like our other consultants, he is a qualified electronics engineer and brings many years' experience in global marketing communications to our clients. Publitek's business model is based on lean operations, outstanding technical understanding, and a commitment to delivering agreed, quantifiable results for our clients in a cost-effective way. We are now bringing our unique business model to the heart of
Paul Miller, CEO of TechInsights, the leading provider of technology information to the electronics industry, added, “Publitek has already gained the respect of our editorial and advertising teams on both sides of the Atlantic through their pragmatic, technically competent approach to PR and marketing communications. I’m sure its expansion into the
Industry analysts are enthusiastically supporting Publitek’s move. Will Strauss, President and Principal Analyst at Forward Concepts, said, “These guys know what they’re doing and, in the current downturn, aggressive PR and marketing efforts are going to be essential to survival for many firms. It’s good news for those electronics companies in the
Further information about Publitek can be found at http://www.publitek.com
Bob Jones, Publitek Ltd,
Tel: +44 1225 470000
Mobile: +44 7802 956179
US Office:
Clive Jones, Publitek Inc.,
Tel: +1 650 798 5212
Mobile: +1 408 718 5887
November 2008
Don't drink and fly...
Charles Pascall of Alphalabs http://www.alphalabs.co.uk sent this photograph in response to my editorial in the last Industrialmarketingtalk newsletter - thought I'd share it with you all.....
Thanks Charles.
Thanks Charles.
Technical PR Account Manager wanted....
Technical PR Account Manager working on a FT-SE 100 account.
Employer: BCM
Location: Surrey
Sector: HiTech
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Position: Account Manager
Salary: £30,000
* Excellent written communication and interpersonal skills
* Self motivated team player with a positive "can-do" attitude
* Detail conscious and the ability to multitask
* European language an advantage
You will act as an Account Manager working closely with the Account Director
in managing the communications of a FT-SE 100 company within the EMEA
region.
As part of a well respected specialist consultancy you will be expected to
take a high level of responsibility in managing the day-to-day process of
identifying, researching and producing news stories liaising closely with
both the client and the media.
Fluency in a foreign language will be as important as a keen eye for detail.
Although located in Surrey this position offers travel opportunities to the
right candidate who also be involved in organising UK and overseas press
events on a regular basis.
This position offers long-term career growth and is an exciting opportunity
to work as part of a close-knit highly motivated team.
Ballard Communications Management
The Malt House
Westcott
Surrey RH4 3PX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1 306 882288
Fax: +44 (0) 1 306 882111
http://www.ballard.co.uk
Employer: BCM
Location: Surrey
Sector: HiTech
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Position: Account Manager
Salary: £30,000
* Excellent written communication and interpersonal skills
* Self motivated team player with a positive "can-do" attitude
* Detail conscious and the ability to multitask
* European language an advantage
You will act as an Account Manager working closely with the Account Director
in managing the communications of a FT-SE 100 company within the EMEA
region.
As part of a well respected specialist consultancy you will be expected to
take a high level of responsibility in managing the day-to-day process of
identifying, researching and producing news stories liaising closely with
both the client and the media.
Fluency in a foreign language will be as important as a keen eye for detail.
Although located in Surrey this position offers travel opportunities to the
right candidate who also be involved in organising UK and overseas press
events on a regular basis.
This position offers long-term career growth and is an exciting opportunity
to work as part of a close-knit highly motivated team.
Ballard Communications Management
The Malt House
Westcott
Surrey RH4 3PX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1 306 882288
Fax: +44 (0) 1 306 882111
http://www.ballard.co.uk
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