Anna Ritchie : Community Maven
Anna Ritchie
Marketing & communications practitioner, and product manager for TMCnet. Focus on content marketing and social media with a specialty in Online Community-building for businesses. Follow @Connectincloud and @apritchie
| Expertise and Advice on Successful Online Communities

Steve Wozniak to Keynote ITEXPO Las Vegas

We are extremely proud to announce Steve Wozniak is a keynoter at ITEXPO in Las Vegas, Thursday, August 29 at 10am....

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Attend the WebRTC Webinar and Learn More about the Disruption

Tomorrow, February, 20th, Dialogic will be hosting a WebRTC webinar and we’re pleased to have with us respected analyst Dean Bubley from...

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Thank You Amazon, Retailers May Now Merge at Will

When reports surfaced regarding Office Depot merging with OfficeMax, the first thing which may have occurred to many, is regulators wouldn’t let...

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Scam Users, Accumulate Facebook Likes, Buy a Ferrari

Bitdefender Labs recently reported that a site showing kittens and unicorns suggested users download a “business flash” plugin in order to see...

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Windows 8 Sync Settings - Security Hole

Windows 8 has a cool new feature that lets you login with your cloud-based Microsoft account (@hotmail.com, @live.com, @outlook.com) and it will...

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Is Apple Too Sexy for MWC?

In deciding not to exhibit at the Macworld events, CES and MWC, Apple has shown the world that it doesn’t need...

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5 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Online Community

November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving – though a splendid time to stuff your face – also tends to bring out the best in people. It’s a time we remember and share things we’re thankful for, and spend quality time with family and friends.

It’s also a crucial time of year for marketers to roll their sleeves up and make some tough decisions for 2012. They will be crunching numbers, and asking critical questions like “what’s worth our continued investment in 2012?

People Want to Engage With Their Passions, Not Your Brand, on Social Networks

November 16, 2011

Marketers are investing in social media in a big way, even B2B marketers, but according to a recent survey by Kantar Media’s TNS, “almost 60% of social network users in the U.S. do not want to engage with brands online.”

Confused? Don’t be: There’s a subtle distinction that needs to be made between social network users engaging with your brand, and using social media to research your brand.

What's All the Plus Fuss About?

November 10, 2011

Since November 7, marketers have been scrambling to take advantage of the new Google + fan pages. With 40 million Google+ users and counting, it’s silly not to create a page on Google +, I guess. But when I was tasked with the initiative to create a page, and fast, I did feel a moment of overwhelm and hesitation

Another social media page to manage? So, I did what any marketer would do in my situation: I ‘Googled’: ‘Googled’ tips on creating pages, how the pages differ from Facebook fan pages, and how to spread the word of the new page once it’s been created (Mashable has some great content, like this Google+ Guide) Because that’s what most of us do, right?

Boo! How Not to Scare Your Customers Away from Your Online Community

October 31, 2011

Scouring the internet can be scary. At any turn you may be asked to download a document, submit a form, or enter any amount of personal information. And then, the dreaded Spam starts flowing into your precious inbox that you work so hard to keep organized and clean. So you stop.

B2B vs. B2C Marketing: Where Passion and Practicality Collide?

October 28, 2011

In a recent webinar, Navigating the New World of Online Lead Generation and Advertising, experts Rich Tehrani (CEO, TMCnet) and Jon Miller (Co-Founder, Marketo) discussed some challenges companies currently face with promoting their brand and boosting sales online. In addition, they make some insightful distinctions between what activities work best for B2B versus B2C brands during the Q&A portion of the event. Here are some highlights from their responses:

Q:  “Do you draw distinction between B2B and B2C marketing?

Social May be the 'Silver Bullet' - But All Roads Lead to Your Company Website

October 26, 2011

The recent 2011 Demandbase National Marketing and Sales Study by the Focus Expert Network had some interesting findings that some social media strategists might not want to hear: That your company website is the top source of new sales leads, and is 7x – yes 7x! more effective than social media.

Wait- before you shut down your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, just listen to the rest of the findings. Though perceived as a ‘silver bullet’ for online marketers who, let’s face it, love to experiment in the latest social spaces, this survey urges marketers not to ignore the #1 source of sales – your company website.  

It's Time For Your Community's 6-Month Check Up- Are You Prepared?

October 24, 2011

I had an interesting call with a client today who was in the process of reviewing their online community’s “health” 6 months after launch.  I thought this was an interesting concept: I’m a strong proponent for constant site evaluations, audits and updates to keep content and design fresh, but a six-month “check up” was a concept I hadn’t considered before.  But what does this evaluation entail?

Online Lead Generation Podcast- Branding: A Profitable Undertaking

October 18, 2011

During the third installment of the online marketing Podcast series, hosted by Rich Tehrani (CEO, TMC) and Peter Radizeski (RAD-INFO, Inc.), the topic du jour was online lead generation and advertising: Two interrelated but very different battles marketers must fight day-in and day-out .

You can listen to the complete Podcast here, which features insights on how marketers aren’t spending enough time, or budget, on proper branding initiative, even though it’s one of the most important things a company can invest in. By building trust with your target audience, your sales efforts will see radical improvement as people don’t buy from companies they don’t trust.

Consistency is another vital component of online marketing and lead gen discussed during the Podcast, and also covered by TMCnet Managing Editor Juliana Kenny in a recent article about the event.

The Risky Business of Online Lead Generation and Advertising

October 4, 2011

According to a recent Infographic released form @Econsultancy, “76% of CMO's list high-quality lead generation as their greatest challenge.” In addition, according to reports from IDC, 44.7% stated their biggest challenge in implementing lead nurturing initiatives was lack of resources available to do the work.

So the biggest ticket item for marketers is also the biggest challenge. No surprise here. As marketers struggle to navigate the new world of online lead gen and advertising, more and more are turning to social media and online communities to help them not only build brand awareness, but nurture and capture those prospects who visit their sites.

How to Maintain Brand Consistency Across Multiple Sites: Lessons from Dell

September 29, 2011

Online marketing has its challenges, regardless of your company size. Even large companies like Dell struggle with brand consistency, online reputation, and social media interactions. In a recent article by Christopher Hosford,   Dell shares some of the lesson they learned while trying to build a brand through online communities, and has some insights I think any community sponsor could learn from and apply to their own programs.

For one, the first and most important part of your online marketing strategy must be brand control.

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