Webinar Recap: Cause Marketing and Strategic Philanthropy – A Differentiator in a Competitive Market – with Darren Sudman, Unless Agency, and Melissa Margis Kapur

Webinar Recap: Cause Marketing and Strategic Philanthropy – A Differentiator in a Competitive Market – with Darren Sudman, Unless Agency, and Melissa Margis Kapur

by | Jul 20, 2021 | Business & Marketing Strategy, Events, Insights

Webinar Recap: Cause Marketing and Strategic Philanthropy – A Differentiator in a Competitive Market – with Darren Sudman, Unless Agency, and Melissa Margis Kapur

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Humans are driven by feelings. So, if you want the consumer to remember your product or brand, they must be engaged and impassioned by the interaction with your company.

Gerald Zaltman

Professor of Business Administration Emeritus at the Harvard Business School; Executive Committee of Harvard University's Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interfaculty Initiative

In our post-pandemic world, companies of all sizes are navigating three key business challenges:

  • Rising customer expectations. 60% of customers prefer to buy from purpose-driven brands. 64% of consumers would buy or boycott a brand solely because of its social or political positioning
  • Employee turnover and retention. 71% of employees feel disconnected from their work, and 60% are open to a new job. Turnover costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion per year.
  • Hyper-competitive marketplace. Brands are struggling to find a key differentiator, stay relevant, and ultimately drive business growth.

Many companies have turned to philanthropy and cause marketing, as they’ve proven to not only benefit communities, but also create better working environments, create a strong sense of collective purpose that drives employee satisfaction, and increase profits.

However, some brands have fallen short, often lacking strategy, intentionality, and authenticity.

Last week, &Marketing’s Community Relations and Philanthropic Lead, Melissa Margis Kapur, and Darren Sudman, CEO of Unless Agency, co-led an interactive webinar and Q&A exploring:

  • The whys and hows of cause marketing programs for small and medium-sized businesses (especially in today’s hyper-sensitive social marketplace)
  • The dos and donts of cause marketing, and how to ensure your cause fits your mission and the values of your customers
  • Ways to execute a cause marketing program with a limited budget
  • How to creatively tie-in public relations and social media to tell your story about your cause marketing program
  • Examples of executed successful campaigns

If you were unable to join the webinar live, we encourage you to check out the free recording at the link below!

 

Watch the Replay of the Cause Marketing Webinar
About the Speakers

 

Darren Sudman

Darren Sudman is founder and CEO of Unless Agency, a Philadelphia-based entity helping companies imagine and implement cause marketing campaigns. This endeavor is the culmination of a professional journey and personal tragedy. Darren began his career as a lawyer in 1995. In 2000, he joined the business unit at America Online (AOL) and, through the Helping Hands Initiative, saw what happened when a company embraced philanthropy. Later, Darren would help design and implement a cause marketing campaign at Advanta, which encouraged small business credit card holders to support entrepreneurs around the world by offering a match.

In 2012, Darren’s career path took a sharp turn. A few years earlier, his three month old son died, suddenly and unexpectedly. He and his wife co-founded Simon’s Heart, an organization to prevent sudden cardiac arrest and death in children, teens and young adults. After running it on nights and weekends for seven years, he assumed the role of Executive Director, where he created innovative and lifesaving initiatives, including cause marketing campaigns with The Philadelphia Flyers, Wheels Up, Speedo and Scrub Daddy.

Now, through Unless, Darren leverages his passion, purpose, and creativity for the benefit of other companies.

Melissa Margis Kapur

Melissa Kapur is the Community Relations & Philanthropy Lead at &Marketing. With a background in promotions, public relations and marketing, Melissa has been working on community-based marketing programs for 25 years. Her career has spanned small businesses, non-profits, and food retailers and manufacturers. Her specialty is crafting marketing events and public relations programs on a small budget.

About Unless Agency

Unless is a creative agency developed exclusively to connect companies and causes in a meaningful way through cause marketing, focused philanthropy, and mission building. We find a cause that aligns with your company, and then create a partnership that will differentiate you from the competition, and attract and retain the best talent.

About &Marketing U

&Marketing U is a modern marketing course for busy solopreneurs and one-person marketing departments. This course provides all of the marketing tools, education, and accountability you need to grow your business, all in one place and for a fraction of the cost of hiring an agency or new employees.

 About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.

Sending LinkedIn Invites to Strangers: Is There Protocol?

Sending LinkedIn Invites to Strangers: Is There Protocol?

by | Jul 9, 2021 | Business & Marketing Strategy, Insights

Sending LinkedIn Invites to Strangers: Is There Protocol?

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The pandemic has forever changed how people network, with digital networking becoming mainstream. And nowhere has this been more prevalent than on LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s usage soared through the pandemic, with a 31% increase in engagement and 19% increased revenue over the past year. Gone are the days where LinkedIn was only for ‘finding a job’ and you only connected with people you know in real life.

We’ve all faced a situation like this on LinkedIn: You encounter someone on LinkedIn and you want to connect with them. Maybe they posted something you identified with or you share a similar position in your industry. Maybe they’re a potential prospect and you want to build a digital relationship. In any case, you want to connect with this person that you haven’t actually met.

However, you don’t want to just ‘reach out’ given the amount of SPAM or overly “salesly” message requests we’re bombarded with on a regular basis. It’s understandable for people to be wary of a request from an unknown person.

How do you create a LinkedIn invite for a virtual stranger?

Since there’s no hard-and-fast rule of etiquette surrounding these types of requests, we went straight to the source by asking our own contacts through a LinkedIn poll, and the results were quite revealing!

Overall, we found that about one-third of people will either accept every invite, or not accept an invite from someone they don’t know.

Under what conditions do you accept LinkedIn invites from people you don’t know?

  • 20% NEVER accept unsolicited requests
  • 68% accept some
  • 12% ACCEPT all invites

This leaves about ⅔ of people in the “gray zone,” that space where there is no black or white answer and it really depends on several factors. Some people prefer a tight network of close contacts and to avoid strangers online, while others prefer to explore new contacts and discover the unknown potential networks in their industry.

After reviewing the 150+ comments, we created some guidelines when approaching your next potential LinkedIn contact:

1) Always customize the invite (and don’t use AI!)

Many respondents said that they wouldn’t accept invites from those who didn’t customize their invites with a message to make the benefit of connecting clear. So, take a few moments to customize your message to make the benefits of connection with you clear. Is it a common industry or geography? Common LinkedIn connections? A common former employer or university?

And besides being explicitly against LinkedIn’s terms of use, many users feel they know when automation is being used to automatically send invites.

I’m highly filtered for whom I let in, if I haven’t interacted/met them. I first look to see if they wrote me an actual message addressed to me personally, that’s relevant. If not – and I don’t actually know them – decline. If you can’t take the time to address why you’re asking to connect with me, it’s pretty straightforward that I don’t know you anyway.

Jeff Fryer

I only connect with people who send me a personalized note (it’s pretty easy to tell the generic AI invites). I’m not looking for followers – I actually know (or had at least a few conversations with) every one of my LinkedIn connections. They are my network, my collaborators, my team.

Merrill Loechner, Storyteller

If we know people in common, or send me a personal, not automated, message I accept them.

Helen Passfield , Business owner

2) Make the benefit of connecting clear to the receiver

“It’s not about you!”

Nobody wants a spammy sales pitch as part of the invite, so avoid the “unsolicited sales pitch” at all costs. Look from the perspective of the receiver and build a benefit into your message. If accepting the contact means you can both broaden your knowledge in your field or offer a new perspective on a situation or process, you are likely to have more success in getting new contacts. Any worthwhile relationship takes two to make the connection worthwhile. While you want to ensure you will benefit from adding the contact, let them know how they can benefit from a connection. If it appears a mutually beneficial relationship can develop from an unknown contact, many agree it’s worth saying yes.

A critical element for me is threefold. Will it create a business or learning opportunity, provide welcome insight and different perspectives, or widen my network to better business outcomes and untapped opportunities. Relevance, as mentioned above, is the key driver.

Dana Lupton

I go back and forth on this. For the most part…I accept. I think it makes sense to connect with others as much as possible and to provide value to them via that connection. If I can make a referral or connection where and when that makes sense…then it is a win for everyone. But recognizing bandwidth has its limitations is practical.” 

Drew Griffin

3) Make sure the connection is relevant – common interests or connections

Another major benefit of making a request on a social network versus an in-person connection is the opportunity to do some research. Many respondents concluded that if the contact is a stranger and yet seems like a good match, some initial research can help with the decision to accept or decline. Many specifically said that they would accept invites if the person has common LinkedIn connections

I think it depends on the strength of those connections. If the mutual connections are strong, then I wouldn’t hesitate to accept and reach out to set up a one-on-one. If those connections are weak, I may pause. My ultimate goal with LinkedIn is to develop professional relationships that I can lean on if need be. That reminds me that it might be time to prune my connections a bit.

Eric Knoblauch, Financial Analyst

If they put a personalized message explaining what they are looking for or how we may work together, I’m likely to respond favorably. Because LinkedIn is primarily a business tool for me, I try to make connections with people that are going to help my business. Granted, networking is all about who you know, so even people involved in different industries may get me a connection to a potential customer, but I have to figure out that balance. Our customer base is primarily in North America, so typically I will not accept requests from connections outside of that area.

Maryn Elliott

Sales Representative at Elliott Company

I accept the request if we are in the same industry or have mutual connections.

Olivia Martinez

I will accept if the individual is connected to several current contacts.

Tracey Woomer

If you’re still unclear on where you stand in networking, especially in the Post-COVID business environment, consider researching the importance of relationship marketing post pandemic.

4) Make sure your own profile is updated!

Many respondents will do their own research when reviewing an invite and deciding whether or not to accept it. So, make sure your profile is updated and reflects genuinely on your position and goals. Many believe that creating a virtual team of contacts from whom they can learn can be a valuable opportunity to make an impact or even just provide a better understanding of issues at play.

I look for relevance, a genuine aspect of their approach, common connections that validate them and some way we can each win from connection. Sometimes it’s business opportunity, sometimes partnership, sometimes learning and lately…it could be about aligned missions (ie, fighting for the event industry’s optimization of engagement and value). Without relevance at all, I will decline an invite.

Beck Wentz

I check out their profile before accepting. What I look for are number of connections (500+), people we have in common, and what they do. The only exception is my students. I always accept them!

Orly Zeewy

5) Interact with those you invite if they ask questions!

Some of our respondents specifically reach out to those who have sent them in invite who they don’t know. If this happens, always follow up!

If the invitation does not include a note, and I think that the connection may be useful for both, I answer asking for the purpose of the invitation. Only 10% of the cases o receive an answer. No answer in 7 days, I decline and block the person. If I receive an answer, I analyze if I make another question or I politely decline.

Pablo Lewin

Sometimes I ask them why out of millions of people they wanted to connect with me, when we can easily follow people we find interesting. I do not connect with everyone, but I do always research who they are and how I could add value to their lives.

Harriet Stein

 

Final Thoughts 

Remember: LinkedIn can be a powerful tool, but until you fully realize how to leverage it, you may need to spend some time learning how to best grow and develop a network.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you may still get your invitation declined. The times to say no to an unknown contact are broadly personal. Some prefer to keep their contacts limited to their own industry, while others are hesitant to accept offers from anyone unknown in anticipation of sales pitches and unsolicited headhunters.

To summarize, it’s always a good approach to send a brief introduction with a LinkedIn request to someone you haven’t met to clearly show them the benefit of connecting with you. Identify mutual benefits of connecting, the relevance of your connection, and any mutual alignments. And always have your LinkedIn profile updated!

Is your business interested in learning more about leveraging LinkedIn to drive business? Download our ebook, “Powerful tips to increase and engage your LinkedIn company page followers” or contact us directly for an evaluation on how you can best utilize social media in your business.

Download the eBook
About Rajat Kapur

Rajat “Raj” Kapur is the founder and Managing Director of &Marketing. He strives to provide growing businesses of all sizes unparalleled marketing strategy and execution services. Raj brings two decades of professional experience in marketing, sales, and strategy development experience spanning B2B and B2C Fortune 50, mid-sized, and startups.

Ann Ehinger is a Marketing Manager at &Marketing. She serves as the link between clients and creative to drive projects that deliver results. With over a decade of experience working in the non-profit, technology, and agency space, Ann is adept at managing a project from idea to completion while navigating all the ups and downs that pop up in between.

 About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.

Leveraging Marketing Tech to Streamline Your Marketing Just Got Easier – With &Marketing U

Leveraging Marketing Tech to Streamline Your Marketing Just Got Easier – With &Marketing U

by | Jul 7, 2021 | Business & Marketing Strategy, Events, Insights

Leveraging Marketing Tech to Streamline Your Marketing Just Got Easier – With &Marketing U

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As you grow your business, it’s likely one thing has become clear — you need a strong digital presence and marketing strategy that works for you and doesn’t take a ton of time and energy away from you. After all, you need to be able to focus on what you’re good at.

On the surface, having an online presence and a process for attracting and converting new customers might seem simple. But when you dig a little deeper, the overwhelm sets in and you start asking yourself…

  • What’s the difference between a web host and a website builder?
  • What’s a CRM?
  • How do I keep track of all of my leads?
  • How can I make emailing everyone on my list easier?
  • Is there an easier way to follow up with people who are interested in my offer?

Whether you have a website you love and are looking to up your game in other areas of tech, or you just started going digital and have no idea where to begin, be on the lookout for these traps that are easy to fall into.

  1. Choosing the wrong website platform.It’s hard to tell the difference between them all, but depending on what your business goals are and how you plan on using your company’s website, a wrong decision here can make everything else much harder.
  2. Not implementing a CRM when you need it.A CRM, or Customer Relationship Management software, makes building and nurturing relationships with your ideal audience easier. You might think you don’t need one if you’re a small shop, but if you don’t put this in place before your leads get hard to manage, you’re in for trouble.
  3. Not automating some of your emails.You might think you can keep up with your standard newsletter, welcoming new people to your list, follow-ups for form fill outs, etc. without automating anything because it feels less personal. But there’s a way to set it up so that it feels authentic and allows you to stay connected with people without those emails getting lost in your to-do list.
  4. Leaving other helpful tools on the table. High converting landing pages, call tracking software, web form integration tools — all of these might sound foreign to you, but if you write them off before you understand them you’re bound to regret it later.

If this all sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re not alone. The good news is that with the right education and setup, you can:

  1. Select the website builder that’s best for your business. No more wondering if you should have chosen WordPress over Squarespace.
  2. Understand if you need a CRM and what you need it to do.There are standalone systems and platforms, these aren’t one-size fits all softwares and we can show you how to make the right decision for you.
  3. Set up email automation that feels authentic and makes your lead nurturing easier. All email service providers (ESPs) are not created equally, and you don’t always need all the bells and whistles.
  4. Feel confident you’re leveraging all the tech available to help you grow your business.From CallRail to Zapier, be informed enough to know if you need it.

Sound like something you’d like to implement? Our &Marketing U team is ready to show you how.

 About &Marketing

In today’s fast paced world, many growing businesses are struggling to modernize their marketing approaches because either they don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth to do it themselves.

&Marketing provides seasoned marketing strategy professionals and a nimble execution team to help our clients achieve their goals. Our unique partnership model allows us to augment our client’s existing teams or outsource the entire marketing function in an affordable, flexible, and transparent way.