When I travel to a new city, I want to be sure I don’t miss a good coffee shop. When I attend Summit 2016 I will spend most of my time in the Tampa Convention Center. But I am sure I can make time to sneak out for a good cappuccino. Here are a few places I would like to try.
Read moreIs a Professional Video of Your Client Event Worth the Cost?
Events are expensive. Very few Dynamics ERP/CRM partners want to add to the budget by hiring a professional video crew to film the event. But you should.
I love to save money just as much (actually more) than the next partner. But I still feel that an event video is worth the expense. There are just so many ways this video can be used, for years to come.
Before I get into the FAQ, take a look at the video of our last event to get an idea of the type of video I am talking about:
Read moreClues I Find In My Favorite Google Analytics Reports
How often do you remember to check the Google Analytics data for your website?
I can go several months without thinking about it and that means I am missing out on valuable insights into the success of my online marketing efforts.
For that reason, I have several reports automatically emailed to me each month. On the first of the month Google Analytics kindly sends me these 4 reports as PDF documents:
Read moreWhen is the Right Time To Start Building Your Own Brand?
You are your own brand. And you want your brand to be recognized.
But strong brand recognition does not happen overnight. Some companies spend millions, over years building their brands. Fortunately, you can do it for free, but it does take time.
So you'd better start doing it now. Here are some tips....
Read moreThe Marketers Dilemma: Gated vs Ungated Content
How much do you want this information?
Are you willing to give me your personal information to get it? Even though you know that means I could start nagging you endlessly?
These are the questions we are asking our website visitors every time we ask them to fill in a form to get a piece of content. This is “gated” content. There is a gate in front of it, and their contact information is the key.
Ungated content is not guarded by a form. Anyone can see it and download it anytime.
In this post I give you my thoughts on the arguments FOR and AGAINST gated content. And the bold decision we made for our Dynamics GP website.
Read moreHow Much Information Should You Provide on Your Website?
How many pages does your website have?
According to one source I found, “a personal website typically contains 4-10 pages, a corporation's website might have anywhere from 10-50.”
The CAL Business Solutions website has 239 pages. (Plus an additional 539 pages as blog posts).
My online strategy is to Just Be Open. Here is proof that this works...
Read moreHow Beringer Associates Became Our Most Popular Dynamics CRM Blog Star
For the past two months one company has written 4 out of 5 of the most popular blog posts on the CRM Software Blog. They have consistently been on the most popular list, but now they are completely dominating it. I told them that the blogger at Beringer Associates deserves a gold star. Then I found that they deserve a whole bunch of gold stars, because everyone at their company is a blogger. Lisa A. Beringer, Vice President at Beringer Associates, Inc. shared her company’s secret to success with me:
Read moreI Felt Like We Were Best Friends Until I Sent the Check
When someone is a prospect, they are a VIP. They get our full attention. But once they sign the contract or send the check, what happens? Do they still feel your love? A recent experience had me feeling like a top priority then totally ignored after the deal was done. And of course this made me think of ERP software....
Read more13 Interview Questions to Write a Compelling Microsoft Dynamics Client Case Study
How many case studies do you have in your marketing portfolio?
A compelling case study is an excellent marketing tool, but they are not always easy to create. Here are 7 steps I use with each case study I write. Plus 13 interview questions I ask my clients to draw out the information I need.
Read moreProof That More Blog Posts Equals More Website Traffic - Dynamics CRM Partner Success Story
Anybody can say that writing more blog posts is better, especially someone who owns the blog site. But I can give you proof.
A Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner who is a member of the CRM Software Blog shared their statistics with me, and the results are very clear. With an increased focus on blogging and very few other changes to their marketing strategy, this Dynamics CRM Partner has seen a
- 57% increase in website traffic in 2015 over 2014.
- 322% increase in website traffic since they joined the CRM Software Blog in 2010.
- 126% increase in referral clicks from the CRM Software Blog.
And that is not all.
Read moreFour Ideas to Promote Your Session During an Event
What if you plan a party and nobody shows up? Or worse, just one or two show up and you stare awkwardly at each other while they wonder where all the cool people went instead?
The same is true if you present a session at an event.
Don’t just rely on the event coordinators to promote you, do your part to get people into the room to listen to you. Attendees usually have several sessions to choose from during a single time slot, and plenty of people to distract them in the hallways, so you have tough competition. There are several things you can do to promote your session DURING the event. Here are four ideas:
Read moreInside the Enterprise Software Podcast: Interview with Bob McAdam
What is involved in producing a successful podcast? Bob McAdam, one of the hosts of the Enterprise Software Podcast, along with Todd McDaniel and Darcy Boerio, shared his story with me about how their podcast started, what is involved in producing it and some of the benefits along the way.
Read more
The History of How the ERP Software Blog Actually Got Started
“Can you imagine if we actually got one member in every state?”
I clearly remember sitting in our kitchen and asking my husband that question just before the ERP Software Blog launched in June 2009. Fast forward 6 years later and we have over 150 members across several sites that are the most popular ERP and CRM group blogs, not just in our channel, but on the web.
But let’s go back to when it all began.
Read more3 Ways to Avoid Posting Duplicate Blog Content
Duplicate content is bad. You should not post exactly the same blog article on more than one site. But many of you that write for the ERP/CRM Software Blogs also write for your own company blog sites. How can you avoid duplicate content across company and group blogs? Here are my 3 tips:
Read moreDirectories & Events Every Microsoft Dynamics Marketer Needs to Evaluate
Once you have been in the Dynamics channel for a while, you know where to get the information you need.
For example, here are my “go to” directories when I want to find a specific ISV product or partner. (Hint: if you are an ISV partner that wants to get found, you should check out these lists too). And a list of top events for Dynamics partners you shouldn't miss.
Read moreShould I Post On My Own Blog Or A Group Blog?
They say that location is the key to value, and the same is true with blog posts. Many people ask me where they should post their content - on their own blog or a group blog such as the ERP Software Blog. Find out how I decide.
Read more5 Ways ISV Partners Can Connect With VAR Partners Using Social Media
ISV partners often need to form new relationships with VAR partners in the Microsoft Dynamics community and many of them still rely on cold calls. As a VAR partner I can tell you that I get far too many of these “cold calls” and I tune them out. But I can also tell you that there is a better way. Here are some simple ways that ISV partners can connect with, and get their names known by, VAR partners using social media.
Read more6 Tips From Fellow ERP Software Blog Writers
Don’t feel bad, you are not alone. Ever blogger I have met struggles to find enough content. But we can help each other by sharing our creative ideas.
At the annual Microsoft Dynamics Convergence event I met with several of the writers for the ERP Software Blog. Here are some of my favorite ideas that were shared by the group:
Read more8 Tips for Bloggers to Make the Most of Convergence 2015 and Other Events Too
Convergence 2015 is starting soon. On your mark, get set – BLOG!
I always think that I am going to have more time at Convergence than I actually do. So here are a few tips to help my fellow bloggers, and tweeters, to get the most out of the event.
Read moreFeeding the Content Machine When You Think You Have Nothing to Write About
When I talk to people about content marketing, specifically blogging, I usually hear three main objections:
1) I have nothing to write about.
2) I don’t have time to write.
3) I’m not good at writing.
In this article, let’s tackle the objection that you have nothing to write about.
Read more