New York SBDC Research Network

From eMarketer : Once upon a time, social media marketing was very different than it is today. Marketers could open a page on Facebook, write a bunch of fun posts and watch the fan count go up. But that all changed when Facebook began drastically reducing the reach of organic (nonpaid) posts. "While organic serves a key purpose within our broader strategy, we are very mindful that the creative must be top-notch to resonate, and that it strategically incorporates the proper hashtags to ensure relevance within the marketplace," said Tad Ehrbar, senior vice president of global consumer social media and content at Citi. Others believe organic social is a waste of time and dollars—and they don’t mince words. “You might as well take your budget to the bank, cash it out in greenback $20s, pile it up in the parking lot and light the money on fire,” said Ogilvy's Marshall Manson. However, some marketers believe organic is not only still important, but perhaps more import...

Clearly, technology has changed marketing a lot. We fast forward through ads on television and block them on our devices. We have amplified word of mouth in social media. We pour over analytics and metrics. But what about the marketing plan? Has technology changed marketing planning? One thing for sure: The fundamentals still apply. As much as ever, marketing is still getting people to know, like, and trust your business. As much as ever, marketing still needs defining target markets, knowing those market segments, reaching the right people with the right message. Pricing is still the most important message, and the lowest price is – as always – not necessarily the best price. Another thing for sure: the marketing mix, the tactics, are changing rapidly. Goodbye to the yellow pages, hello Facebook. Goodbye public relations, hello social media. Goodbye advertising, hello content marketing. And where is the marketing plan, in all this? Let me suggest x essentials of a marketing plan...