The Trick to Seeing Through Marketing Statistics

Tortured StatisticIf you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.

One of the challenges with relying on research, particularly research companies use in their own marketing, is that the statistics used have been tortured.

When you see a sales pitch full of statistics, how do you differentiate the real story from the spin? Short of dismissing all of the data presented (a good idea, but not realistic for most of us), these five methods will be a good starting point. [Read more…]

4 Mistakes Marketers Make With Audience Research

FacepalmMarketers, encouraged by self-proclaimed gurus, experts and thought leaders, are increasingly misusing and abusing research and statistics when developing their marketing approach.

Yes, market and audience research can be incredibly valuable. But when it is misused, even the best information can lead you in the wrong direction.

Here are four mistakes marketers make when using market research data. [Read more…]

B2B Marketers Are Begging For Bad Data

In B2B marketing, bad data represents a huge lost opportunity. According to SiriusDecisions, companies with the best quality data drive 70% more revenue through marketing programs than those with simply average data quality.

Despite the cost of bad data, the practice of the average marketer guarantees bad data, and it may be getting worse each year. With a growing body of research showing current marketing practices are consistently delivering bad data, it is time for change. [Read more…]

10 Things You Need to Know About B2B Mobile Marketing

my iPhone family pileYou see them everywhere, crossing streets, in meetings, at lunch and even driving. Busy professionals focused on their smartphone, nearly oblivious to everything else around them.

These are the same business decision makers and influencers your B2B marketing is targeting. But chances are they aren’t looking at your site, email or content on their smartphone. [Read more…]

Facebook Is Bigger than the Numbers

Facebook is set to pass Yahoo in 2011, capturing 21.6% of all US online display dollars, according to eMarketer. The number is impressive on its own, particularly since only two years ago, Facebook had developed a huge audience but still had almost no revenue to show for it.

However, 21.6% doesn’t tell the whole story. Facebook is even more important to marketers. Display ad revenue doesn’t capture the investment in community management, pages, content, even advertising in apps.

As a platform, an ecosystem and a media property, Facebook is now second only to Google in its importance to media and marketing.