Everyone knows the story of the old salesman: a world-weathered man who lugs a suitcase of samples from door-to-door in the July heat or the November slush or slogging through his rolodex late into the night, hustling to make ends meet.  In the end, his hard work and charisma are rewarded in sales and grateful customers.  

Decades ago, making unsolicited calls to generate new business leads was effective simply because there weren't many alternatives.  But the era of the salesman has ended, and consequently, the effectiveness of marketing methods has also evolved.  While sales still requires hard work, cold calling is as outdated as Don Draper and smoking in the office.  The digital age has rendered the arduous and thankless practice of cold calling entirely obsolete.

Manufacturers are increasingly looking for new ways to generate leads online. In the process, decision-makers ask tough questions about social media ROI – questions that may be hard to answer early in a brand’s digital efforts. Most boil down to this: Is social media worth it?

I have to admit to some major annoyance lately by people trying to sell to me using social media.  Normally I’m a big proponent of social media as a business tool. Recently though, it seems like the sales pitch is in my inbox before I’ve finished clicking the “Accept” button to connect. It’s part of a bigger communication issue in our society often described like this: We don’t listen with the intent to understand; we listen with the intent to reply.  I mean, how can someone send me a sales pitch when they don’t even know what my pain point is?

Emojis. You've seen them in your teen's texts. Twitter and Instagram are full of them. You've probably utilized them yourself in personal communication. But what about professional communication, and even marketing - are they appropriate, and if so, how do you use them well?

via @DanMentos

Emojis are tiny images used to depict an emotion, thought, or idea. They come preloaded on most smartphones today. As companies continue to embrace new technology and social media in their marketing strategies, more and more brands are starting to incorporate these into their communication.