Q:        What’s the real pay-off from Information Technology?

A:         Making a positive difference to the customers.

The businesses (and their consultants) who maintain a precise focus on the customer value delivered by IT will thrive.  Those who don’t won’t. (more…)

Filed under: Business At Its Best, Technology by Zack Self
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The act of selling via the new or social media outlets is to market via these channels. That’s why it’s called Social Media Marketing.  Do not let the brand personality of social media keep you from perceiving the opportunity of the medium, which is to enhance and extend your company’s reach, and influence.   This is far easier to say than to successfully accomplish.

Here are some ideas that will help you to achieve your own social media marketing success. (more…)

Filed under: Communication, Marketing, Social Media by Zack Self
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“Being relevant”  determines everything about a business — what it sells, how it sells, how it prices what it sells — but especially should it impose a discipline on customer-facing communication.  So, how are you doing with your customers?

Here’s how you find out if you’re relevant – or not.

Evaluate your company’s communication.  A majority of companies large and small fall into three categories listed below, each with an example from actual Twitter and Facebook posts: (more…)

Filed under: Bank Marketing & Advertising, Business At Its Best, Communication, Public Relations, Small Business Services, Social Media by Zack Self
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It almost never happens: the biggest competitor on the block stumbles and stops being an effective force in the market.  He is the subject of congressional investigations.  He gets pilloried in the media.  His customers actually become reluctant to admit they do business with him. The government calls him a bad guy in the media for days in a row over several months, AND, get this, shames him into not taking a salary!

And that’s not all.

Here’s the really interesting part: all of the smaller competitors have almost nothing to say.  Not a peep.  Almost none of them get out front with the message “Hey, now’s a good time to switch to me!”

Sound strange?  Well, this is what’s happening to community banking – at least in my small corner of the world. It beats anything I’ve ever seen in my 20+ years of watching.

Here’s why this matters. And what community bankers can do about it. (more…)

Filed under: Bank Marketing & Advertising by Zack Self
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