Tactical Execution

With broadband connectivity, the internet is supporting more rich
media than ever before, allowing content producers to bypass
traditional channels like TV. The trend is moving away from mass
marketing and towards micro-segmentation where viewers can find
information catering to their individual preferences. Webcasts,
webinars and blog talk radio are perfect examples and we can expect to
see more and more content shifting to those channels in the future.

Today’s information economy requires producers to categorize their
content into beginner, intermediate and advanced. Beginner content
should be given away for free as a way of demonstrating expertise and
building trust with the audience. Intermediate content should also be
given away for free, but only in exchange for contact information like
an email address. Examples might include white papers or industry
reports. Advanced content needs to be monetized to generate revenue
and profit. Most importantly, advanced content should be described in
all beginner and intermediate content, forming a sales funnel for
prospects and customers.

One of the best ways to encourage innovation in business is to
encourage employees to join groups related to their work on platforms
like Facebook and LinkedIn, and then report on the activity at weekly
or monthly staff meetings. By doing so, employees are seeing
firsthand how other people and companies are leveraging social media
platforms. Alternatively, employees could be encouraged to follow
industry thought leaders on Twitter and then report on the insights
gleaned. Either strategy leads naturally to fresh ideas an
innovation.

Service professionals including doctors are beginning to leverage
social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to market
their services and attract new patients. These websites allow expets
to demonstrate their expertise in the public domain and build
communities of customers, prospects and adoring fans. By building
trust and interaction with an online audience, service professionals
can dramatically expand their reach and grow revenue in the process.

The internet offers endless destinations for our curiosities. As a
result, time spent online only ends with a conscious decision to
disconnect. Without that discipline, the web can destroy
relationships and weaken family connections. The key to success in
today’s information economy is to log on with specific objectives in
mind and rules for how those objectives can be adjusted or expanded.
Unstructured surfing is nothing more than daydreaming with your eyes
open.

Manufacturers are increasingly using social media platforms like
Twitter to communicate with their customers in the public domain,
often revealing wholesale pricing structures that have traditionally
been kept secret. Indeed, the transparency of today’s information
economy is putting increasing pressure on businesses that act as
middlemen between suppliers and endusers. Rather than fight the
inevitable, these distributors need to add value to the finished
product, justifying their margins. Attempts to restrict communication
only bolster the rewards for those who continue to do so.

Strategic partnerships are essential in today’s difficult economy.
Nobody wants to buy a drill. They want to buy a hole in the wall! They
don’t want a process. They want the result. Today’s consumers want
out-of-the-box packaged solutions and strategic partnerships are the
easiest way to deliver them. Specialized providers need to find
complimentary products or services and then offer their customers
larger solutions.