A Brief Note about Brief Notes

Sometimes effective marketing (and old fashioned etiquette) gets lost on the morass of KPIs, best practices, and "digital first" obsession. A couple weeks I produced and hosted a virtual event for one of our user groups (shout out to BASUG!). Like all of us, they were looking for an alternative for their live meeting and turned to us for help. We offered a simple @ON24 webinar as an alternative. We helped them create the agenda, produce the materials and even offered @SAS employees as guest speakers. It went really well, with a larger than expected turn out, simple registration process, and flawless presentations. Truth be told all our webinars work out this way, but for them it was a lifesaver that exceeded their expectations.

Today I got a note, a real note I could hold in my hand, in the mail, like, mail box mail from BASUG thanking me for assisting them. They even used a commemorative stamp no less. It reminded me how we often overlook the simple, impactful ways we can message with our customers, prospects, co-workers, friends, and family. Here's the lessons I was reminded of:

• Always make sure to help others out where you can - especially in today's COVID days where we all need a little help. For me, it was just what we do, but for BASUG it meant the world to them. It will make a difference one day.
• Always find time to thank someone for the help they offered, it can be an email, a pat on the back, or for bonus points, a real tangible note with a commemorative stamp. It will make a difference one day.
• Don't forget to make sure that appreciation is shared with the person's boss. Good work always deserves recognition. Make sure the people in charge know how good their team is. It will make a difference one day.

While we charge forward in our digital marketing transformations, don't forget employing some of the timeless old school tactics that can out-KPI even the most effective new school digital campaigns. They will make a difference one day.