You may have heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, which states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes. When applied to business and marketing, this can mean several different things:

  • 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers
  • 80% of your profit comes from 20% of your products
  • 80% of your company’s output comes from 20% of your employees

This principle shows that inputs and outputs of your efforts are rarely balanced. So how do you make the best and reap the maximum rewards? One of the keys to success is to maintain and build lasting relationships with your customers. Relationship marketing focuses on communication and efforts to retain customer loyalty in order to build a mutually beneficial relationship. Many businesses forgo this approach in exchange for quick profits in the short run. In the long run, keeping customers happy will help you retain a loyal base of customers.

Rather than constantly looking for new customers, it’s important to keep existing ones happy. This can be easier said that done, especially for large companies who tend to focus on getting more new sales. It’s time to forget the phrase, “If you build it, they will come” and emphasize the point that “The customer is king”. Customers have plenty of choices and can easily choose one of your competitors if they are not treated well.

Twitter Statistics

Who really uses Twitter and why is it important in promoting your business? First, it is important to understand the demographic of users and how to use that to your advantage. According to Twitterholic, the most popular people on Twitter include: Ashton Kutcher, Britney Spears, and Shaq. On the other end of the spectrum, CNN Breaking News, Barack Obama, and the New York Times also rank among the top. Nowadays, almost everyone knows about this social media utility, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone is using their account. A study by the Harvard Business School, the average number of lifetime tweets per member is… ONE! Research also shows that only about ten percent of the Twitter users create ninety percent of the updates. Out of 11.5 million Twitters users, here are some statistics that you might find interesting:

  • 45-54 year olds are amongst the top users
  • 85.3% of all Twitter users update less than once day
  • 53% of females and 47% of males make up all of Twitter users
  • Twitter is most active on Tuesday – Wednesday and Friday follow
  • Marketers are using Twitter. 15% of users who follow more than 2,000 people identify as social media marketers

So, why is it important to keep up with Twitter? An article on BusinessWeek, argues that Twitter lacks the ability to retain consumer attention and that it will take time before it is widely used as a broadcast medium, rather than a social networking utility. Whether it is a fad or here to stay, Twitter is growing everyday. From 2008 to 2009, there were over 20 million unique visitors to the site. By using Twitter, companies are able to keep consumers updated in real time. Dedicated fans or potential consumers will especially appreciate frequent and up to date Tweets. Also, the good thing about Twitter is that it does not hurt your business. When it comes to social media sites, early Twitter adapters can benefit from gaining experience while competitors may not fully understand its use. By being more connected and accessible to your consumers, you may also learn more than you would through using traditional methods of marketing.

A “frenemy” is loosely defined as someone who is part enemy, part friend. Ever since their beginnings, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have been the dominant contenders in the soft drink market. With a rivalry that spans over 100 years, Pepsi and Coke have been known to take jabs at each other in their marketing campaigns. But, in the new age of social media, it may finally be time for Pepsi and Coke to be friends.

Amnesia Razorfish, a leading creative agency, invited both companies on the social utility site, Twitter. The agency encouraged both companies to become friends or Twitter followers. Surprisingly, the two giants agreed and even extended greetings to each other. This may be a first for the two and we will all be able to witness how this experiment works for them. Frenemy relationships are not solely for publicity, but gives you an edge on what your competitor is up to. A company who fails to take direct and indirect competitors seriously will suffer a huge disadvantage. Some other big frenemy relationships include: Google and WPP Group, eBay and PayPal, Facebook and MySpace.

This new online relationship will not only give publicity to Coke and Pepsi, but may even promote a positive image for both companies. Nowadays, traditional advertising may be trite and monotonous to the public. Since more consumers are turning to the internet, companies can now use social media advertising and viral marketing in order to attract online attention. When approaching online marketing, the competitor-friendliest companies may be the most successful. As the well-known saying goes, it is important to “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”.

What is Direct Marketing?

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Direct marketing is simply the business of selling products or services directly to the public by mail order, telephone, fax, e-mails, or web selling, rather than through retailers.

This type of marketing can have two objectives:

  1. The thirst to obtain new clients. The identification of new potential clients is very crucial when it comes to recruit new prospects and transformed them into your clients.
  2. The perpetual loyalty of clients. A loyal consumer cost less than recruiting a new one.

This is the reason why direct marketing exist which is to maintain the relation between the company and his cli