Online Critics and Hecklers: 5 Ways To Handle With Diplomacy
In our digital age where every brand’s move is scrutinized under the social media microscope, encountering critics and hecklers is an inevitable part of things.
Scrapping Strategic Tactics in Favor of Tactical Strategy
In a previous post, I suggested that the nature of “messaging” has changed so dramatically that the traditional messaging document, chock full of pre-launch analysis,
Key B2B Marketing Takeaways From Coke’s CMO Replacement
What does Coca-Cola replacing its CMO have to do with B2B marketing? Based on just the headline, you could conclude that this news is irrelevant
Planning Your 2015 Content Marketing Strategy
A funny thing happened recently when I was attending one of my son’s baseball games. My husband was out-of-town due to work, so I decided
This Ain’t Your Mama’s Meme: How B2B Marketers Can Successfully Tap into this Trend
As B2B companies continue to look for ways to stay relevant and top of mind amid the sea of information and content being generated daily,
Smart Video Marketing at B2B Trade Shows
Today, we’re featuring a guest blog from Kathy Cabrera of Red Clip Video, a strategic multi-media services partner to Carabiner. Kathy shares her insights on smart video
Developing Content that Converts
Why does that white paper you spent hours and hours developing not resonate with your prospects? How come that video you produced yielded so few
Feeling Overwhelmed? Consider a Dashboard to Take the Work Out of Social Media Marketing
While social media sites have opened new avenues for better engaging with prospects and customers, the daily grind of keeping up with others’ posts and
3 Hollywood Tips for Giving Your Business Videos a “Blockbuster” Punch
Today, Kathy Cabrera from Red Clip Video shares her insights on how businesses can use Hollywood-style storytelling tactics to produce engaging content that will convert their
Social Media’s Role in Product Design and Development
There was a time when companies weren’t the least bit interested to hear what consumers had to say about their products. Well, times have changed.
Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but “looks” sure count with the solutions we create
Googling the exact phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” returns nearly 13 million results. That’s an astounding number of reminders that we shouldn’t
Three Tips for Better Customer Case Studies
If there’s one tried-and-true marketing tactic still in vogue in the digital age, it’s customer case studies. Such vignettes showcase how real-world companies are resolving
Social Media’s 10-Year Snapshot: High School Connections, Commerce and…Cat Videos
So what were you doing in 2004? While we were collectively recovering from Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl half-time show and dealing
Three Quick Tips for Elevating Your Website’s Q4 Performance
Kathy Cabrera, founder of Red Clip Video, joins us today to share her insights on how to use Hollywood-style storytelling to help businesses produce video marketing
New Metrics for Determining Marketing Success in the Digital Age
Coinciding with the celebration of Carabiner’s 10 years in business, we’re taking a look at how the role of marketers has evolved over time in
Cupboards, Old Dogs and the Decade That Flew By
When I emigrated from England to America in the early ‘80s, I found that some of the sayings my mom taught me didn’t translate. I
Infographic: Celebrate a Decade of B2B Marketing and PR Evolution
Cue the birthday party horns. Let the balloons fly. Light the candles on the cake. Carabiner Communications is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. To commemorate this
“Messaging” Didn’t Die; It Went Direct
Marketers today have unprecedented, direct communication channels to prospects and customers that have come to dominate messaging. We tell our “stories” so quickly now, even
Marketing Performance: How Do You Measure Up?
According to a recent marketing performance management and measurement survey, 85 percent of marketers feel increasing pressure to measure marketing’s value and contribution, yet only 26
Three Tips for Mastering the Art of Storytelling in the Digital Age
There’s a big difference between a direct product pitch and what we at our agency refer to as “storytelling.” The former can often be ignored
Three Reasons Why You Should Optimize Email Marketing with Video Now
Today Kathy Cabrera, the founder of Red Clip Video, an affordable video production company that operates as a strategic multi-media services partner to Carabiner, joins
Can passion for helping a community be the basis for starting a company?
I had lunch the other day with a friend who asked, hypothetically, if I thought passion for helping a community could be the basis for
Bring Your Trade Show Online
You might initially think that trade shows and social media are opposites. One’s an old-fashioned, feet-on-the-floor physical meet and greet, while the other is all
Even Geeks Take a Pass on Google Glass
In our May issue of the Carabiner Communications newsletter, we feature a number of articles alongside Peter Baron’s recent blog post, “The Entrepreneur and the
The Entrepreneur and the Jedi Mind Trick Selfie
Unless your geek quotient is low, you know that a Jedi mind trick uses powerful suggestion to influence and control minds. Selfie has become so
Didn’t Attend Digital Summit 2014? Here’s the Digital Download!
I just got back from Digital Summit 2014 in Atlanta, which is coined as “the event where industry leaders and top content converge.” Digital Summit
Avoiding Online Image Copyright Issues
We all know that images – photos, graphics, even animated GIFs – can significantly up the appeal of websites,blogs and other social content. And, many
Can You Tell Your Story as Well as Your Customers Can?
Carabiner recently developed a case study to serve as a basis for marketing outreach on a client’s behalf. The task involved interviewing one of the
In Lockstep with LinkedIn Showcase Pages
On April 14, 2014, LinkedIn will remove the Products & Services tab from all Company Pages, in favor of presenting that content through more engaging
Best Practices for Content Marketing
Content marketing is a super buzzword these days, but do you absolutely know what it is? And how it’s different from general, garden-variety marketing? For
Hands-on Science Laboratory at Georgia World Congress Center
If you’re like most people, your most vivid memory of science class in high school is dissecting a frog. For most of us, this wasn’t
Treating the Customer as an Individual
In my year-end blog post, I predicted that 2014 would be the year of the great marketing U-turn – the year in which marketers fully
#SoCon14 Mash Up: Lessons Learned from the Southeast’s Largest Social Media Un-Conference
For the sixth year running, Carabiner was out in full force at SoCon, the Southeast’s largest social media “un-conference.” At this annual event, the best
Is LinkedIn’s New Publishing Feature Right For You?
LinkedIn is the ultimate networking platform for professionals. But many think of it primarily as a platform for promoting their professional experience in order to
Is Media Relations a Dying Breed?
We are often asked this question here at our agency, particularly by our clients who are budgeting their PR and marketing spend. Should they still
Crowdfunding: Is Entrepreneurial Acceleration Headed Our Way?
The more I look into crowdfunding, specifically the coming of equity crowdfunding, the more I’m intrigued by the democratization of capital infusions it should soon
No Free Lunch: The Importance of Paid Social Media
It couldn’t last forever. Social media has finally grown up and realized it had to get a real job. What I mean is that social
Three Tips for Creating More Effective Surveys
Online surveys can be used to achieve many objectives, from engaging audiences and driving website traffic to collecting valuable insights from target audiences – be
Going forward, we’ll realize that “marketing automation” is really “marketing assistance”
In my December blog post, I predicted that 2014 would be the year of the great marketing U-turn. My third of three predicted trends was
B2B Content Calendar Planning: Let Thoughtful, Fun Ideas Be Your Guide
Congratulations! It’s mid-January and you made it not only through the holiday rush, but also survived the impact of re-entry after the long winter break.
New Year, Better Organization: Does Your Business Need an Intranet?
Outside of client related activities, I spent a large portion of 2013 dedicated to the creation of our agency’s first intranet. We’ve grown significantly over
Get Social or Go Home! 2014 Essentials for Your B2B Strategy
A recent Fast Company story on social media trends got me thinking about the companies we serve here at Carabiner, especially as we begin updating
My 2014 Prediction: The Great Marketing U-Turn
What’s a blog without year-end predictions? After Dana took her turn in our last post, I peered into the Carabiner crystal ball and saw that
Three PR and Marketing Trends for 2014
We’re nearing the end of another year, which gets us all thinking about what changes 2014 might bring. While I don’t have a time machine
Grateful
My immersion in Atlanta’s technology scene started over 20 years ago, and during that time I’ve had unique opportunities to work with some memorable, outstanding
Are You Thankful for Your Content Strategy?
It’s that time of year again when most of us reflect on the things for which we are thankful, such as our family, health and
Got Deadline Drama?
Deadlines are part of life. Here are three steps for surviving them and making them less of a hassle. No matter what level you’ve reached
Want More Success Transforming Leads into Revenue? Personalize the Experience
I’m seeing first-hand that B2B buyers’ expectations are changing. Driven by the fact that they are and will forever remain a consumer, business buyers are
Venture Atlanta: Heavyweights Declare Us Among the Top Five U.S. Startup Cities
I posted last month about the Venture Atlanta Entrepreneur’s Reception as a preview to this year’s Venture Atlanta event, held at the Georgia Aquarium on
Are You Throwing Away Media Hits Like a Half-Eaten Banana? Five Quick Tips to Get Maximum Content Value
Back in the days of yore – you know, the late ‘90s – I was an intern for a corporate bank in Buffalo, New York.
New Survey Reveals Impact of Content Marketing on B2B Brands
The latest report on content marketing for B2B companies finds that 93 percent of these organizations rely on content marketing for brand building and demand
The Direct Line between Compelling Content and Short-Term Growth
I recently talked with execs at a company that had just received a healthy dose of financing. These good people now face aggressive goals for
Open. Click. Bounce
What do your email marketing metrics say about your newsletter's success? Are you average? Above average? It seems there’s always room for improvement. In our
Gamifying Your Website: Attracting Leads and Keeping Them There Can Be Fun!
No matter whether you’re trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables or motivate your company’s website visitors to opt into your email newsletter
Presenting to Investors: It’s What They Need to Hear, Not What You Want to Say
Last Thursday evening, I attended the Venture Atlanta Entrepreneur’s Reception, thrown by Silicon Valley Bank for the 32 entrepreneurial CEOs selected to present to Venture
How Well Does Your Agency Listen to You?
Just recently, I was in the market for a new car – or more specifically, a “new to me” car: a used, slightly older model
B2B Video: It’s Not About Going Viral – It’s About Being Relevant
As far back as 2008, online video for marketing was “trending” as becoming an important medium. Five years later, the day has finally come: If
8 Websites for Startups to Get Free Publicity
Every new company knows that exposure is vital to business success. Without it, your customers and other stakeholders, such as potential investors, will never know
Congrats – You’ve Posted Your Latest Blog! Now What?
Finally. You’ve finished your latest blog post and uploaded it to the web. So you high-five your nearest co-worker, scratch THAT off the list and
Google Debuts New Gmail Categorization Feature, But Is It Curtains For Your Company’s Marketing Emails?
Earlier this year, Google began rolling out its new email categorization functionality for Gmail. Using new Inbox tabs, messages are now automatically categorized by type:
Tips for Increasing the Value of Marketing Infographics
By their very nature, infographics – graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge – make for great content in social media. And, to further
Blogging Made Easier – Four Ways to Keep Content Fresh Without Killing Yourself
By now, we all know the benefits of blogging: engaging with audiences, developing thought leadership, getting regular website hits and bumping up pages in SEO
Creating Stronger Connections with Customers and Delivering an Outstanding Customer Experience
What do you really know about your customers? Not just as buyers of your products or services, but as people? Looking beyond demographics, job titles
How To Create Customer Connections That Keep Them Smiling
I recently shared some thoughts on how many companies, at least at the time of their initial launch, don’t always have a clear or full
National Small Business Week Panel Offers Tips for Managing Online Reputation
We just wrapped up another annual National Small Business Week sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and while there was much useful information shared
Social Media – Key Marketing Tactic for Staying Competitive
Carabiner’s Director of New Media, Kathy Cabrera, interviews Marva Bailer of IBM’s NA Smarter Planet Industry Leader Software Group (on Twitter @marvabailer) on why social
Build Your Brand to Grow Your Business (And What Hollywood Can Teach Us About Creating a Customer Experience)
In an increasingly crowded marketplace, branding is more important than ever. Not only do we want customers to be aware of our existence, we want
Atlanta’s Startup Community Embraces Enterprising Youth
Like many of you, I attended a standing-room only Startup Day Atlanta last week. Flashpoint and Hypepotamus were the sponsors and the main show was
“I’ve Got News!” Series: How to Select and Use a Wire Distribution Service for Press Releases
Our friends at Venture Atlanta invited us to submit a guest blog series to break down the options available to marketers for wire distribution services.
Not All Customers Are Created Equal: Four Tools for New Brands to Find the Right Buyers
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to watch as well as take part in the launch of hundreds of unique and innovative companies. Many
Five Insider Tips for Maximizing Corporate Blogs
According to HubSpot, companies that blog 15 or more times per month get five times more traffic than companies that don’t blog at all. Companies
Atlanta’s Tech Scene: Still Young and Cool After All These Years
The TAG Business Launch Competition is always fun for me. I love to see the great new companies compete pitch-for-pitch to win the big $50,000
Social Media: The Fundamental B2B Customer Engagement Tool
One of the most powerful ways I use social media in my personal life is to stay engaged with my nieces and nephews by following the
Three Tenets of Client Service
Whenever I’m in the Starbucks near my home, I often take note of a sign it has displayed. I’m paraphrasing, but it says something to
The Art and Science of Earning Leads
Judging by the conversations we are having with clients and prospects lately, lead generation is top of mind with many marketers, more so than ever.
New Social Media Marketing Report Highlights Challenges; Most Effective Tactics
A new report reveals insights into the social media strategies of nearly 700 B2B and B2C companies around the world. Conducted in February 2013 by
SoCon13: Highlights and Key Takeaways for B2B Business Owners
Several Carabiners attended this year’s SoCon, the Southeast’s longest-running social media conference. The event included an interactive keynote panel of social media managers and executives