So often a marketing mistake results from what you could describe as a version control problem. An old version of a marketing item (e.g., a press release) is mistaken for the real version … and trouble ensues. Cringe.

To avoid this kind of problem, consider using the open source (free) content management tool called Alfresco. This system looks like a shared hard drive (what many people use today to share documents). However, you can create rules that are attached to documents. Things like who needs to approve a document for it to move forward. From there, it also automatically manages and tracks versions, so there’s really no risk that people get their hands on the wrong version. By adding workflow to your documents, systems like these can help you create marketing process that keeps things moving smoothly – on-time, and on budget.

While everyone likes to talk strategy, the reality is that getting work done is what occupies most of our time. This may be the key to improving your company’s efficiency.

When you’re going to head to head with entrenched competitors, it can seem impossible to unseat the top dog.

One way to change the game is to get all of the little guys together … using something that’s provided for free.

Consider how Google is working to change the game in mobile operating systems by introducing Android. Android is an open source mobile platform that can run a host of basic and third-party applications. Android is not Google’s version of the iPhone; it’s the software, itself, that runs on your mobile device. Qualcomm, Intel, Motorola, Sprint and many other big names in mobile technology have partnered with Google to develop Android applications.

In almost any industry, there are opportunities to help bring together smaller players to create a community … and also change the nature of competition. This same approach has created fierce competition for Microsoft (Firefox browsers, Linux Operating System).

When you’re thinking about how to change the rules of the game, consider how an open source mindset could shake things up … in a good way.

One of the first steps in modern web design involves getting customers or users to react to a wireframe diagram. Don’t make the mistake of jumping right into fancy graphics and animation when what you really need to align on is the basic layout and flow.

Now you can create and even collaborate on wireframe diagrams for your web site using the diagramming tool called Gliffy. Sign up for a free account, choose the wireframe option, and then you have access to drag and drop tools to develop your own wireframe diagram. Once you’ve created a diagram, adding a dropdown here or a text box there, you can then invite others to view it, or even invite others to come work on the diagram with you.

Now you can use free online tools to design the optimal user experience … maybe even sharing the task with some of your best customers.

Making things happen can be tough enough when you’re with your team and can have ad hoc conversations to keep everything moving forward. Then, you have to go on the road and everything falls apart.

Now you have a way to collaborate even when you’re on the road, thanks to Google Docs going mobile. As even the Apple website explains, now you can view your [Google] documents from anywhere on your iPhone. First, you’ll need to get your team to use Google Docs as the vehicle for sharing information. Or, see where we mentioned in Close the loop how you can use it for an inexpensive CRM system. Then, all you need to do is visit your docs using your iPhone and you’ll be able to see what’s been posted. From there, you can then track any changes over time.

These are the early days when it comes to moving office documents (and their creation and tracking) online. However, this trend is accelerating and we’ll no doubt wonder some day what we used to do when everything was trapped on our hard drive.

There are so few secrets on the web. Your competitor’s positioning, key benefits, product descriptions, and sometimes even their secret recipe may be readily available . . . right on their website. However, so few companies spend any time looking at what their competitors display in public.

Try using Diigo to bring together your team and track what’s important and what changes on your competitors’ sites. As they put it, Diigo is about social annotation – it lets you and your team highlight, annotate, share & interact on any webpage. Simply set up a profile, invite your colleagues to join, and then you can simply visit your competitors’ sites (or any site) and make highlights or add sticky notes wherever you like. It’s remarkably easy to set up, as you can see from this little example from one of our favorite sites.

When was the last time you visited your main competitor’s web site?