business – Kimberlee Raymond

Cable’s Swan Song

January 17, 2014January 17, 2014 by Kim, posted in Blog

One very clear trend I have seen, among my peers, who are just now renting their first apartments is that everyone is opting out of getting cable. When did cable die? I grew up on cable, and it wasn’t always about television shows, it was about the news and interviews with influential world figures. Then I got busy with school, completing college applications, and not getting home until 11 pm each night. I stopped watching television because television stopped fitting into my schedule.

Then I went to college and for four years and I was constantly busy, and the only television shows I had time to watch were the ones that were recorded on the television in my sorority house. I did not follow shows on a regular basis, I would watch one or two episodes every now and then when someone else was playing a recording.

Upon graduation, is it any wonder then that I opted out of paying for cable? For arguably the previous eight years of my life television had been utilized less and less. My situation is not universal, there are some who have had a completely opposite experience, for example one girl in my sorority kept a spreadsheet of her favorite shows and the times they aired so she could follow each one of them. However, she was the only friend I had who was so devoted to following her shows.

At dinner with friends post-graduation, the topic of television and shows always comes up and the conversation always comes back to what channel or subscription service we watch everything on. Most of my friends have chosen to stick with Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Instant over traditional cable. When we have a discussion of world events we are citing articles online, not our nightly news as our sources.

There has become a separation of fiction and nonfiction. During the day, we are reading articles on the web. We are getting to those articles from our social media networks most of the time, twitter. At night, when we are home and trying to relax we are following the latest television drama on Netflix. It’s comforting in most respects to view genres and be able to select whether we want to laugh, cry, or be terrified for the next 90 minutes of our life. That’s something you don’t always get to pick during the day, in the news. It’s about control and now we are able to control the content we watch, down to the speed at which we watch it.

It was no surprise then when earlier this week I learned of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the Aereo case. There has been a lot of speculation on the part of journalists and myself as to what this could mean for cable networks. Is this case cable’s swan song?

While I’ll have to wait some time before getting my answer to that question, I leave you with this infographic (via Business Management Degree) which portrays an interesting battle. If all of the twenty-somethings and I start switching over will the battle come between subscription services like Amazon and Netflix?

Keys to Client Relationships

January 4, 2014March 26, 2016 by Kim, posted in Blog, Digital Marketing

Communicate

Be available to them and keep them in the loop. Always making the client aware of your actions is good because it lets them see the work you are doing as well as helps you make sure you are doing what they expect. Generally, as time goes on some clients may want less communication, which is normal and understandable. On that same note, there is one thing be cautious about, and that is devaluing their time by sending emails that too long, or pointless. The general rule that I abide by is that if it takes writing a long email, it’s probably worth meeting in person. Also try to respond to their emails promptly, I’ve found they will treat you with the same respect and respond quickly to yours as well.

Anticipate Their Questions

Anticipating what your client will need next is extremely important because it can be what sets you apart from not only other companies but in your industry looking seduce a lucrative client, but everyone they deal with on a daily basis. So, the next question is how do you go about this? Next time you give them suggestions for a project go a few steps further and think through all questions they might have.

Going into a business meeting an agenda and expanding on that agenda certainly means extra work but it shows you really through things through. It will make you stand out; so go ahead and shine.

Treat them like people not clients

Learn their subjective biases. It isn’t sucking up, it’s learning how to present your information to them in a way they will best understand. If your client isn’t good with certain programs, find what they are familiar with and adapt to them. Clients want someone they can trust, and treating them like a person will help establish that trust. It is easy to get caught up in formalities, but don’t forget to be a friend.

Going from B2B to B2C

October 30, 2013March 26, 2016 by Kim, posted in Blog, Digital Marketing

An excerpt from my latest blog post on Highly Relevant:

Social media is an extremely important customer acquisition tool for B2C companies, and its importance for B2B is not far behind. According to a recent study, 41% of B2B companies and 67% of B2C companies have acquired a customer specifically through Facebook.

While all social networks are important, a few stand out: Facebook, on average, produces 30 times more customers to an ecommerce site than Twitter, and for B2B brands, LinkedIn accounts for 64% of all visits to corporate websites. The numbers speak to the fact that social media has given brands a viable platform to drive traffic to their sites, which brings up another key component of marketing today: ecommerce websites themselves.

B2C companies need a strong e-commerce site to succeed, and in recent years, B2B companies have begun to follow suit. In a global survey of 400 B2B companies, as many as 92% were already online. Due to the increase in activity in the online marketplace, these B2B brands are realizing the importance of search engine marketing and the optimization of their websites, especially for mobile devices.

Why it makes sense to invest in B2C as a B2B

If B2B companies are already investing in a strong web design, SEO, and perhaps even PPC, it makes sense to use those same channels to sell directly to the consumer as well. After all, every B2B customer is also a B2C customer (because businesses are people, too).

By selling directly to consumers and getting their feedback, B2B companies can learn the best strategies for marketing their products and, in turn, selling to large companies via ecommerce marketplaces. Everything from web design to shipping issues can be solved in the B2C space to better optimize the buyer experience in the B2B arena.

Another economic advantage that B2C for a B2B provides is the creation of brand loyalty among consumers through direct interaction. Once a brand has loyal followers, it’s easier to raise prices on the B2C side—something not as easily done on the B2B side. Therefore, there are potentially stronger profits to be made on the B2C side long-term after a strong following amongst consumers has been built.

Expanding to the B2C space is a natural progression for a B2B company that helps them learn the ecommerce space, develop brand loyalty, and create a supplemental revenue flow from a new consumer base.

Check out the full post on why B2B companies should go B2C: http://www.highlyrelevant.com/road-from-b2b-to-b

Great Bag Finds for $50 or less!

October 4, 2013March 26, 2016 by Kim, posted in Blog, Fashion

Happy Friday!

Every woman needs great accessories to keep all her belongings as she is on the go. Here are some bags to get you in the Fall spirit, a lot are great for work and I included some clutches and crossbodies for those nights out.

Hope you enjoy! (Links posted below)