Archive for May, 2015

Are You Attempting to Influence “Thinkers”? What You Need to Know

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

By Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at an article in Harvard Business Review written by Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller titled “Change the Way You Persuade.” In this article, Williams and Miller discussed five personality types observed among the nation’s executives. Their purpose in writing this article was to give some advice on how to approach pitching ideas to each type of executive, because each has a unique way of analyzing business choices and making decisions. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at each type individually, starting with the thinkers. (more…)

Are You Attempting to Influence “Charismatics”? What You Need to Know

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

By Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at an article in Harvard Business Review written by Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller titled “Change the Way You Persuade.” In this article, Williams and Miller discussed five personality types observed among the nation’s executives. Their purpose in writing this article was to give some advice on how to approach pitching ideas to each type of executive, because each has a unique way of analyzing business choices and making decisions. Last week we discussed thinkers. This week, we’ll take a look at the other end of the spectrum – charismatics. (more…)

When You Simply Have to Say “No” To New Business, or a Potential New Client

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

By Linda Pophal

Have you ever turned down new business or said “no” to a potential new client? It may seem hard to believe (especially for very new businesses), but there are definitely times when saying “no” is the best thing to do. Doing so effectively, though, is a bit of an art, and it may take a while for you to determine the types of clients and projects that make the most sense for you to tackle—and those that simply don’t make sense. (more…)

My #1 SEO Tip

Thursday, May 21st, 2015

 By Linda Pophal

Ever since websites became a reality, marketers have been interested in finding ways to drive traffic to their sites. One of the traditional ways of doing this has been through search engine optimization (SEO)—a “fancy” phrase that really just means posting content that contains the words and phrases that potential visitors are likely to enter into search engines (like Google) when they’re looking for what you have to offer. (more…)

Best Blogging Practices

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
Blogging can seem like a big commitment and, to a certain degree, it is. After all, you don’t want to start a blog without committing to posting to it regularly. But the time and effort don’t have to be overwhelming. I started this blog in February 2009 and have been posting to it regularly ever since. Over the past few years, I’ve been posting a couple of times a week.

I have five tips for those wanting to start a blog, or do a better job of managing an existing blog: (more…)

The Biggest Mistake You May Be Making With Your Blog

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

A client contact asked me recently what I consider to be the “biggest mistake” bloggers make as they attempt to connect with their audiences. I’m sure there are many! I have been publishing this blog for several years now, and we also work with various clients to create and manage their blogs. There are a variety of mistakes that I have made (and, hopefully, learned from!) and many missteps that I see others make as well. (more…)

Engaging Through Mobile Channels

Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

Pew Research recently released their State of the News Media 2015 report, which includes some interesting information on the impact of mobile.  Consumers are increasingly consuming content via their mobile devices—even long-form content. Google’s ongoing algorithm changes and a growing trend toward the use of mobile have advertisers and marketers wondering whether their content will continue to resonate in smaller mobile formats.

The jury is still out, as they say, but the question is a valid—and evergreen—one these days. (more…)

How Are Marketers Remaining Relevant in the 21st Century?

Thursday, May 7th, 2015

MadMen is a popular television program, now in its final season. It’s served to highlight one of our favorite professions—advertising. The program is instructive, both from a societal standpoint (the 50’s and 60’s are, thankfully, behind us…) and from a marketing standpoint. Despite the fact that we now have a wide range of new communication options to choose from as we attempt to connect with our audiences, the fact of the matter is that (more…)

Should Print and Traditional Direct Mail Still Be a Part of Your Promotional Mix?

Monday, May 4th, 2015

Short answer: Yes!

Today’s media environment is far more complex, offering both benefits and challenges for marketers. The benefits are that they have many more options to choose from to allow them to more specifically, and narrowly, connect with their target audiences. That is, however, also the challenge. (more…)