Dayton Marketing Community - A Social Network with a Local Focus

Several years ago, I created a Squidoo site titled Dayton Marketing Community.  The site was designed to serve as a central hub for Marketing Professionals in Dayton to find information about networking opportunities, job openings, social functions, professional development, and other interesting items about the community.

I was inspired to build the site by Seth Godin, founder of Squidoo and my favorite author.  I decided to focus on Dayton and Marketing, because I had just gone through a job search and was frustrated by how difficult it was to find good information about the opportunities in the community.

The site is still up, and has been very successful over the years in connecting people with opportunities. Don’t believe me?  Go to google and search Dayton Marketing.  As of this post, the site is the number one result.  (Of course that may change over time, but needless to say, it has done well.)  Still, one element, a very important one, was missing.  People.

While the site was about the community, it did not contain a community.   It was flat.  Don’t get me wrong, the site has great information, does fantastic in search, and has helped countless people find opportunities.  Still, I had always hoped that I could somehow build in the element of conversation into the site.   After reading Seth Godin’s book Tribes, I decided that it was time to bring this idea, and the Dayton Marketing Community to life… and now I have.

If you are a Marketing Professional in Dayton, Ohio I encourage you to join the new social network Dayton Marketing Community. I am really excited about this project.  It launched just over a week ago, and already the site has over 60 members.  People are beginning to add events to the calendar, start discussions, upload video and photos, search for jobs, create vivid profiles, make friends, and engage one another in new and meaningful ways.

My hope is that the site can serve to connect our community in new and exciting ways.  From helping people to find job to helping local employers to fill them.  From encouraging people to share their thoughts through integrated blogs to sharing know how through the forums.  From connecting old friends in new ways to making new friends, to creating mentoring relationships and on and on.  The potential of the site is vast.  All it requires is people to care enough to make it something worthwhile and remarkable.

I know that personally, I get multiple emails every week from people looking to fill jobs and people looking to find them.  How great would it be if that connection could be made quickly through Dayton Marketing Community?

This city is a great place, filled with great people.  Now more than ever, we must seek out ways to help one another succeed.  Perhaps this site will further that cause just a little.

Join the community!

Dayton Marketing Community

Voices: Episode 5 - Kate Early

In this episode I sit down for a chat with fellow board member and chair of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio, Kate Early. Kate is a dynamic leader, an active member of the Dayton community, and oh… by the way… she is also a practicing attorney with Dayton based law firm Sebaly, Shillito and Dyer.  Kate is a native of Beavercreek, and a member of the Dayton Creative Class initiative.

Listen in as we discuss some of the legal implications of emerging technology, especially as it pertains to marketing.  We also talk at length about the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio, the upcoming mud volleyball event, the need for volunteers, committee, and board members, and other topics.

Thanks to Kate for taking the time to chat.

Podcast: VOICES

Speaking Directly - IABC Panel Discussion

On February I was given the privilege of taking part in a panel discussion put on by the Dayton Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. The discussion revolved around the use of Direct Marketing. I was joined by Michael Boyd from BRC Marketing and Jay Harris of 1 Earth - 2 really bright and insightful guys. It was really a great experience. We all seemed to share many of the same views about the changing world of direct marketing.

Michael had a quote that I loved. In talking about the importance of matching up the right message with the target market he stated, “You only have one chance to be irrelevant.” I thought this was great. Heck, I might argue that you might not even get a chance at all. The idea he was putting forth was right on. People are busy. By contacting them with your message, you are in essence interrupting them and asking them to pay attention to what you have to say. Well, mess that up once and you will likely never get the chance again. Thus, you better do your homework.

Jay had some great insights about the appropriate balance between copy and graphics - especially as they pertain to email marketing. He also spoke about some of the work that his firm had done in developing successful direct response campaigns. He shared my belief that too little time is spent on marketing to existing customers, whom you already have a relationship with.

I got to talk a little about some of my professional experiences with direct mail and direct response as well. Even better, I got to discuss the exciting new initiatives I am working on at LUCRUM like the company blog. I put forth the idea that if you are going to do direct response marketing, keep the message simple, make the creative compelling, and get the list right. Oh, and make sure to check the phone numbers, web addresses, and other key bits of information before sending items to be printed and mailed.

All in all, it was really a great experience. I would like to thank Samantha Enslen and Sara McCatherine at IABC for asking me to participate. I am honored that you gave me the opportunity, and I hope that you and the members of IABC enjoyed it as much as I did.

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