Susan Silver, Author at Argentum Strategy

If Your Business Model Relies on Ad Revenue, You’ve Got a Problem

I do a lot of advisory work with startups, both in the general community through Chicago’s largest tech incubator, 1871, and in the more academic world of University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Regardless of where the entrepreneur is based, I can’t help but cringe when I talk to a startup team whose business model is...

Getting Into Your Customer’s Head – A Reading List

One of our newest clients at Argentum is a super sharp life-long learner. As the co-founder of a business that is breaking ground in a brand new category (and kicking butt), and she’s interested in understanding more about consumers and human nature in general. So I put together some resources to help her. In addition to being a skilled...

Smarter Marketing for Smaller B2Bs

Background: Earlier this month, I met with Mark, the founder of $100K B2B cabinet hardware company. His five product lines consist of colorful knobs and handles, and he’s just about to launch two new lines in neutral colors. Like most companies in this space, the bulk of Mark’s business comes from showroom sales to interior...

B2B Featured Tactic: VITO-esque Campaign

Way back when I was working with one of my very first B2B clients, the CEO’s agency introduced me to the concept of a VITO (Very Important Top Officer) campaign. It was a great addition to my marketing arsenal, and I pull it out when I have a client who is targeting a manageable number of senior-level individuals. VITO is a direct...

Looking Your Best On Camera

If you’re like a lot of my clients, you know that looking your best is important when you’re being videoed or photographed. But you may not know how to bring your “best you” on camera. You may have even heard the horror stories of the people who looked like floating heads on film because their clothing blended into the...

The Difference Between Strategies and Tactics

Many people seem to have a hard time differentiating between strategies and tactics. Here’s a video from one of our Marketing Strategy workshops that lays out our handy rule of thumb and some real world examples.

Measuring Your Brand’s Word of Mouth Potential: Net Promoter Score

Last week I was contacted by two colleagues who had questions about using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) metric. NPS measures customer loyalty, and it came to prominence in a 2003 Harvard Business Review article, The One Number You Need to Grow, by Frederick Reichheld and Bain & Company. Reichheld’s assertion in the article was that it is...

Book Launch! Marketing Your Book By Working Your Network

Occasionally I get asked for recommendations for marketing a book. This email, from my business school friend Sheryl O’Laughlin, is a great example of leveraging social media and your connections to spread the word about a book or anything else you’re personally passionate about. It was written by Sheryl to spread the word about her...

Have I Got an Opportunity For You! Evaluating an Unsolicited Tactical Opportunity

If you’re like me and the companies I work with, you probably get unsolicited emails pitching goods and services every day. Some are worthy of your consideration, but most aren’t. I’ve seen clients asked to sponsor Bears radio because they’re headquartered in Chicago or to pay to participate in a holiday promotion on an obscure culinary cable...

The News Section of Your Website Makes Me Sad

Is there anything sadder than a “Press” section on a website that’s filled with nothing but unrequited press releases? The good news about this is that many people have clearly gotten the message that public relations is a great tactic if one of your core marketing strategies is Generate Awareness. The bad news is that a sizable...