Before we hurry off in to 2010, here’s a quick peak back at the best of The Marketing Spot blog in 2009. Chosen by what readers thought were important, based on views, engagement and sharing online. The articles are organized and grouped according to the four essential spots of small business marketing, as illustrated in The Marketing Circle of Life.
Branding
The Basics of Marketing: What is a Brand? – A concise article that breaks down the explanation of a brand into simple, understandable terms. The most viewed article of the year on The Marketing Spot blog, thanks to ranking #2 in Google search results for “What is a Brand?” (Wikipedia is the #1 result)
Case Study: Branding a Furniture Store – For Distinctive Forest Creations in Rochester, New Hampshire. Branding in action for a real business.
The Dont’s and Do’s of Naming a Business – Naming a business is fun, yet gut-wrenching. A little advice to make sure you get it right.
Experience
Classic Spot: The Customer Experience Map – A revisit to my simple tool for mapping out customer experiences that inspire loyalty and spark word of mouth.
Changing Customer Service That Sucks – Yes, customer service really sucks, and here’s how to start changing it at your business.
Critical Intersection: Your Customer’s Experience – When a customer enters your business, it’s the intersection of loyalty, evangelism and disappointment. Which road will they take?
Conversation
Twitter for Local Business: Tools for Finding Followers – Don’t wait for followers to come to you, go to them. Here is the right way to do it for local businesses.
5 Steps to A Unique Social Media Profile – Before you start tweeting on Twitter, or friending on Facebook, get your profile right. (A guest post by Judy Dunn)
You’re Wasting Your Time on Facebook and Twitter – Is Facebook and Twitter a waste of time? For most businesses, yes. Here’s how you could be better spending your social media time.
Bonus: Social media was a popular read in 2009. But because I think social media gets too much attention by small businesses, I’m adding this bonus article to the best-of list: Word of Mouth is Still Sexier Than Social Media
Promotion
Advertising Trends: Digital Billboards – Traditional advertising is shifting to keep up with the times. This is how billboards are doing it. (The second most popular article of the year on this blog)
Clever? Yes. Effective? Probably not. – An analysis of a local billboard created quite a discussion online and became a mini-case study of advertising copy and branding.
The Complete (Thumbnail) Guide to Choosing the Right Media – Synopsis of why and how you should use traditional and new media.
Sometimes things don’t fit into a neat category. But these posts deserve some attention and I’m throwing them into a category I call…
Foundations
10 Best Small Business Marketing eBooks – Free, downloadable PDF ebooks on Facebook, creating case studies, viral marketing, Twitter, email marketing, branding, and website conversion.
Between Selfish Giving and Doing Good: 7 Tips for Authentic Cause Marketing – Cause marketing works when it’s a relationship, not a ploy.
Powercast #4 – Marketing is Work – You want marketing to be easy? Too bad, because marketing is work. A video discussion of resources, routines, and responsibility.
Thanks for a great year! I hope you’ll keep reading in 2010. To make it easier, you can receive The Marketing Spot by Email or 
Get The Marketing Spot in a blog reader
Best wishes for an awesome 2010,
Jay Ehret – The Marketing Spot Blog
[…] 2009 – The Best of The Marketing Spot […]