Autodesk’s Blog Survey: Blogs as Marketing, Sales and CRM Tools
Autodesk - one of the leading software editor in 2D/3D design and modeling – is conducting a survey on new communication technologies such as blogs, podcasts, and RSS feeds.
The survey - that can be accessed from their home page – asks visitors about:
- Their profiles (age, sex, profession, industry sector…)
- Their information-gathering habits (independent media, vendor web sites, personal blogs…) and possible needs as far as product search, usage and assessment are concerned.
- Their ties with Autodesk products (which ones do they use and how often and deep?).
Most questions focus on blogs and aim at assessing the respondents’ degrees of knowledge and enthusiasm for this new communication media. At the end of the survey, you are provided with the following list blogs related to CAD and Autodesk solutions: Angel’s Civil 3D Thoughts, AutoCADder, Beside the Cursor, Beth’s Cad Blog, Blaugi, CAD Panacea, CADDManager.com Blog, Civil 3D - Paving the Way, HyperPics, In the Dynamic Interface, JTB World Blog, Mistress of the Dorkness, PR, Marketing and the Business of CAD, Revit OpEd, RobiNZ CAD Blog, Scott Durkee, sDotson.com, Taylor Technologies Autodesk | AutoCAD Software News, The Architect’s Desktop, The Autodesk Informer, The Mad Cadder, TLConsulting, Will render for food…, WorldCAD Access.
While some companies – including some selling high-tech, ‘Space Age’ products - are still using Stone Age marketing and communication, others always try and leverage emerging technologies not only to facilitate the product innovation in their R&D department, but also to revolutionize their marketing and communication strategies and boost their sales.
From a customer’s point of view, Autodesk’s blog survey demonstrates their commitment to innovativeness and customer relationship management. Also, the list of blogs that they provide at the end of the survey - while presenting the traditional risks related to the endorsement of second-hand information - will undoubtedly generate very positive word of mouth among the most dynamic individuals in the CAD and Autodesk communities. If only 50% of the bloggers cited in the list take the info back on to their blogs (and believe me, they will!), I let you imagine the power of that information spread: this is very cheap and efficient viral marketing!
