Company recognized by Adobe Systems

Our Copies&Ink division was recently honored by Adobe Systems as a Success Story on the Adobe Systems website. Our thanks to Laura Thurman of Big Sky Communications who wrote the feature story, and our client Erin Johnson of Aubrey and Associates, whose project was also featured in the story.

The article can be viewed online on here or viewed as an Acrobat document.

New Tools, Same Old Traps

OK, I love the web, and likely you do too. Still, I’ve been hard pressed to understand how “social networking” comes into play for business marketing. Most of what I’ve seen falls into the category of shameless self promotion. And that’s a shame.

Certain hard truths will always be unavoidable, be it in print, direct mail or on the web. Foremost among these, nobody else cares about your self-serving PR message. On the other hand, if you’re willing to share your knowledge and gifts with the world and do so without the expectation of reciprocity, the universe will amply reward you.

Giving away the store may not be what your sales department is looking for but on the other hand, generosity is the only message that will ring out above the din of myriad competing sales messages that buzz overhead like mosquitoes in a swamp.

There’s no quick fix here, but if you’re willing to invest in a valid online strategy, here’s some audio that might be useful. It’s from a webinar entitled Taking Your Brand Online hosted by John Jantsch with an all-star panel including Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan and David Meerman Scott. Grab a latte and put in an hour with some of the most interesting online personalities around.

(Not So) Simple Choices

As a marketer, I’m allowed to choose from only one of these operating paradigms:

Option One: I’ll be persuasive, methodical and diligent in convincing you to buy from me, or:

Option Two: What I’m offering will be so coveted and compelling that you’d seek me out and/or even become my advocate to others.

The first option gets you up and running quickly, but demands a long term dedication to the tangential task of finding and keeping customers.

Option two may require a protracted startup, though once up and running will be self perpetuating in that it will keep you focused on your most enjoyable tasks and will magnetically align you with your chosen mission.