How to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Just last week a client asked if his manufacturing company engaged the right digital marketing agency. It’s a question I’m often asked. Your business has different goals, strengths, customers, and resources than every other company, even ones in your industry. Hiring the same agency your board member or friend did could be a mistake as your business’ needs are likely different. Digital marketing agencies offer a menu of services including digital advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social…

Your 2024 Super Bowl Ad Cheat Sheet

This Sunday in Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58. Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes returns for his fourth Super Bowl in five years. Nap before the game. You won’t want to miss a second. On the field, the battle between the Chiefs and the 49ers is predicted to be a fight until the end. Off the field, there may even more drama as celebrities descend Las Vegas. Will Taylor…

2023 Year-End Marketing Checklist

As the year draws to a close, your plate is likely overflowing. That’s why we crafted this concise end-of-year marketing checklist to make sure you kick off 2024 with confidence. This checklist is about the 3 P’s that are critical to your 2024 marketing strategy: People, Performance, and Partners. #1: PEOPLE. Your customers and employees are at the center of your success. Understanding your customer – their wants, needs, shopping and buying behaviors, and online habits…

Where’s your customer?

Before you sign off on your 2024 marketing plan, pressure test it by checking to make sure it has your customer at the center. Your customer should be at the heart of what you do. Whether it’s signing a new business partnership, choosing keywords for an email newsletter, or building your product roadmap, your first step should be making sure the decision is good for your customer. That means you need to understand your customer. How…

Words matter. What are yours?

Words matter.  People connect with a brand when it demonstrates empathy and offers a solution that meets their lifestyle. Brands use words and visuals to communicate. My crude stick figures preclude me from preaching about visuals! My love for and experience writing does enable me to provide tips for effective written communication :). Before I share fun examples of savvy marketing messages, here are tips to create effective messaging: 1. Write for a specific target audience. 2….

Using ChatGPT for Your Marketing

ChatGPT has come up in conversations with clients who aren’t sure how to use the tool in their marketing. Here are tips on how to take advantage of this emerging technology that you can try for free. Not familiar with ChatGPT? ChatGPT is the hot artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s attracting a lot of attention from investors, software companies, gamers, marketers, and pretty much everyone. Why? The technology allows you to have human-like conversations with…

Your Super Bowl Ad Cheat Sheet

The big game is Sunday! This year’s Super Bowl is sure to be entertaining both on and off the field. The game is predicted to be a nail-biter. As of today, Philadelphia is a 1.5-point favorite to beat quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Off the field, there’ll be plenty of entertaining plays for the 100 million viewers. With a price tag of $7M for a 30-second TV spot, advertisers are focused on creating…

1 Tip for Better Communication

I’m often asked by clients how to communicate news, good and bad, to employees, customers, and partners. The answer can be summarized in one sentence: be honest, and true to who you are. Two recent events are great examples of the power of being candid with your stakeholders. Real Life Example #1: The NFL When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field a couple of weeks ago during Monday Night Football, National Football League executives…

Year-End Marketing Checklist

Now’s a great time to reflect on the past 11 months and evaluate the impact of your marketing on your business results. Patterns may reveal themselves about your team or your clients. What worked and what didn’t? Here’s a checklist to help you evaluate your marketing’s effectiveness and plan for a successful 2023. MARKETING CHECKLIST #1: Marketing Team Do you have the right internal talent in the right positions to accomplish your goals for 2023? If…

US Open: Why its marketing is a grand slam

I wasn’t planning on watching night after night of the US Open. Something about it lured me in. I wasn’t the only one. More than 2.7 million people were glued to their seats to witness Serena Williams’ victory over Danka Kovinic in her farewell tournament – up 279% from last year and the largest opening round audience since ESPN aired the tournament in 2009. Serena’s retirement and excellent marketing drove this massive rise in viewership. There…

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