Posts Tagged ‘Revenue Models’

Hootsuite Certified Professionals Directory Fails at Customer Policy

Most of you know that I use (and support) Hootsuite as a social media management platform.  I mention Hootsuite here all the time and have even written entire posts about the browser-based application.  It’s a tool that just works really well. Today, I received the system-generated email you see in the screenshot.  When I saw the chance to get certified in how to best fit the application to my client’s needs, it immediately caught my attention.  But when I read  further, I was disappointed to find this little hidden gem of content: How snarky is that?  I’m only a “Hootsuite Certified Professional” and listed in the directory as long as I’m paying a monthly fee?  Hmmm.  That just doesn’t work for me. A Power User Scenario Here’s a scenario Hootsuite might want to consider: Let’s say a power user signs up for Hootsuite University and gets listed as a Hoosuite Certified Professional.  Over a few months time, they complete all the training they need.  Let’s say that person even becomes the best in the world at implementing Hootsuite across large organizations, complete with case studies to prove their success.  Since they learned what they came to learn, eventually our power user opts out to save the monthly subscription fees. Per Hootsuite’s customer policy, our power user is now ousted from the Hoosuite Certified Professional Directory, regardless of any real success they’ve achieved.  No money paid, no listing in the directory.  It’s that simple. Let me ask you this: Does this type of marketing make you trust the folks at Hootsuite and their intentions? Will this offer generate long-term revenue? Is Hootsuite University really about creating better consultants who can help organizations implement the software? Does this move fit with the present consumer-driven call for organizational transparency? Is the brand perception [...]

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5 Ideas Marketing Agencies Can Use to Generate Revenue by Helping Clients Blog

We all know why companies (and the humans inside those companies) should be blogging.  There is significant qualitative and quantitative information out there making a case for the benefits of having active and well-produced blog. But there’s a two-sided conundrum when it comes to getting a business to really embrace a blog as a business communications platform. On one side, blogging can be tough.  Staying creative and full of fresh and relevant content ideas is always a challenge.  Finding the time and staying committed to producing your blog content is an even bigger issue for all sizes of business.  Sure, you have people like Michael Hyatt and Jonathon Schwartz who have adopted the lifestyle of blogging and are finding great success.  You also have the collaborative approach, which we’ve seen work for big players like Southwest Airlines and Dell. But lets face reality, folks.  In small and mid-sized organizations where schedules are strapped, extra help is expensive and hard to find, and budgets are limited, blogging often gets shifted to a lower priority – if even a priority at all.  That’s not surprising.  At the end of the day, humans working in businesses have jobs to do and blogging is often “one more thing” to add to the task list. Enter the Agencies Seeing a market need, advertising, marketing and public relations agencies have swooped in to offer help to their clients.  Being communicators who produce more traditional content, this seems like a no-brainier.  Shouldn’t your agency be able to help you move the needle in this area as well?  In most cases, yes.  But only if the agency first understands the medium and how it works, and then approaches the situation in a practical and transparent manner. Ghost Blogging is Tricky (and Fails) Ghost blogging has been a heavy [...]

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