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Articles by Brittney Ervin
The Savviest Tips for Twitter: 6 Ways to Integrate Your Website
So, you added social buttons to the header of your website, next to your other contact information. Now you think you’re socially integrated. We hate to break it to you, but that’s not integration. There’s no appeal to your visitors to click those buttons. You have to encourage your visitors to interact with you socially and make social media part of the user experience of your website.
5 Real-Life Business Brands That Have Tumblr's Number
If you have been looking to expand your brand’s visibility through social networking, Tumblr might be the one under-the-radar site that can do your brand the most good. Understanding how to take advantage of Tumblr’s user base by constructing a blog that is visual and dynamic is one of the keys to expanding your brand via Tumblr.
11 Clichés Content Marketers Should Avoid "Like the Plague"
See what we did in the title? It’s no secret that bad writing is everywhere: in advertisements, blogs, books, and television. And few things pop up on a reader’s “I hate this” radar more often than reading content that is full of bad clichés. Not only are clichés a lazy way out of creating compelling content, but they can also bore and even annoy your reader. Do you know where a bored and annoyed reader goes?
This 88-Year-Old Has One Interesting Bucket List And It Includes Skydiving
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5 Lessons In Creative Content Marketing From Mad Men
What We Can Learn from Don Draper and Company Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Mad Men, the multiple-Emmy-winning, AMC drama that centers on an advertising agency in Manhattan in the 1960s. And while, yes, much of the show is devoted to capturing the enigma of the time period, an equal portion of it is an insight into one man's uncanny ability to connect to the hearts and minds (and wallets) of people through creative, spot-on advertising.
5 Tips for Better Copywriting on Social Media
Social media savvy is perhaps more important for brands in 2016 than ever before. More people are relying on social media to get their news, and ad revenues for digital sources (namely Google and Facebook) are growing at mind-boggling rates. Brands know how important it is to get in the social media race. But many of them struggle to find their voice (and their spellcheck) when publishing content on social media. Maybe you’ve made a few spelling faux pas or design missteps when publishing on social.
The Four “P’s” of Marketing: How Do They Apply in the Digital Age?
If you’re a fan (or a die-hard obsessive, like me) of the AMC television show Mad Men, then you probably remember the opening episode of season 7. SCDP (or Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price for the unfamiliar) is at risk of churning a client, the footwear company Butler Shoes, because the new head of marketing wants to cut costs by taking their advertising in-house.
6 Lessons Taught by Instagram's Biggest Brands
These days, snapping photos is second nature, and having a social media presence isn’t just recommended – it’s essential. And though Facebook and Twitter remain king and queen, Instagram is quickly rising in prominence as social media’s place-to-be. It’s no surprise, then, that Instagram is home to some of the largest brands in the world, many of which have accrued millions and millions of followers within Instagram’s population of over 400 million users.
How to Detect the Interviewer’s Personality
During all of my corporate working years, my subordinates and associates heard me say, “Nobody impresses me the first 60 days on the job.” I must have said that dozens of times because I truly believe the thought. Basically, via that sentence I was expressing the concept that the impression one makes in the job interview doesn’t always pan out in real life on the job after, say, 60 days, once reality begins to set in.
Master Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Access for $29
The two most powerful people at the office aside from the boss? The one with the best candy bowl treats (fun-size Twix bars for the win!)…and the one who knows what they’re doing when it comes to data, spreadsheets, and presentations (aka all of the stuff that most everyone else can’t do or dreads doing). Leave the sweets to someone else and become your office’s (and boss’) go-to Microsoft master.
3 Qualities to Embrace to Improve Results
The desire to improve results is alive for most people. It’s the only way in which we and our business grow. The three qualities listed below may sound simple enough, but the implications and detail are what will make the difference. To be brief, the three qualities to be given serious consideration are: By demonstrating an easy-to-work-with nature, you provide a very compelling reason for people to buy from you.
Drones with Camera: 5 Fun and High-Tech Drones Under $100
Whether you’re a techie, photographer or simply someone who wants to experiment with new technology, drones are the way to go. With these camera-equipped drones, all less than $100, you can dabble in the art of aerial photography, as well as test out its Wi-Fi capabilities and 360-degree movement. Other features include gravity sensors, HD video, midair flip capabilities and more.
4 Unique Ways to Fundraise for Your Nonprofit
Most nonprofits face a dilemma at some point in their existence. They are supposed to focus on a positive goal without being driven by profit, yet funds are always necessary to continue operations. Grants are increasingly competitive and the market is crowded with other nonprofit groups, so it is difficult to stand out. Also, there are pitfalls along the way: Organizations that devote much of their time and efforts to fundraising can raise eyebrows.
The Definitive Guide to Creating a Successful Loyalty Program
Have you thought of running a loyalty program for your online store? Do you struggle to convince your colleagues or yourself? Well, I can tell you that loyalty programs just work. Starbucks, Amazon Prime and Google also created their amazing programs. I bet you’ve also participated in at least one of them. But why would these giants – even McDonald’s, who jumped on the loyalty program train this year – need a customer loyalty program?
The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Campaigns for Nonprofits | Part 3 of 4
Last week we covered our the relationship between you, the nonprofit, and your donors. This week we’ll examine the fundamentals of fundraising and the best emails to send to get your donors to take action. Here are some examples of emails you can send to help bring in donations in a non-aggressive way. Leverage the power of your success to collect donations. Donors want to know how their money will help, so you need to show them.
How to Perform Your First SEO Audit: Content Overview
So you want to perform your first SEO audit…well, that’s just great because here you’ll find a comprehensive step by step guide for conducting your first technical audit. An SEO audit is the absolute must-do, especially if you are starting a new project. However, you should evaluate the overall health of a website and its performance hitherto before you can plan a smart marketing strategy based on data. An audit is a pretty wide topic, so let’s divide it into three parts.
Just To Get a Rep
As a mode of communications, the internet in general, and social media, in particular, has allowed us to connect to others in many different ways. We can share all types of happenstances in our lives and this ability can affect our lives both our personal and professional lives. Social media, for some, has seemingly blurred the lines between what you do & say as a person and how you position yourself in business.
8 Tips For Bringing Your Best Old Blogs Back From The Dead
If you’ve been in the content creation game for a while, you know how dramatically blogging standards have changed, even in just the past few years. As you learn more about communication and reaching your audience, your tone and style have to evolve to better connect with them. As you learn more about SEO, you have to change your formatting and editing style to fit its guidelines (which change often, too).
8 Incredible Online Resources for Creative Design Inspiration
Design, whether it’s for print, digital marketing, editorials or websites, requires constant creative juice. But even the most prolific and passionate designers can hit inspiration road blocks. When you’re on a deadline, and you’re committed to doing good work, a little outside motivation can get the wheels turning again. If you’ve found yourself stumbling over the same design rut again and again, consider these online resources for a fresh perspective.
How to Stand Out on LinkedIn With Visual Content
You know consumers like to research businesses online before making a purchase. But did you know that they’re also looking for information about the people behind the business? It’s happening on LinkedIn. 77 percent of LinkedIn users say they’ve used the platform to research people, as well as companies. Use visual content in your personal profile to grab attention and showcase your expertise.
3 Fascinating (and Scary) Facts About How Google Evaluates Your Website
Google’s ranking algorithm is constantly changing. Something that worked last year might get you huge penalties this year. Techniques that you relied on (and were touted by talking heads) just a few seasons ago can be disastrous for your website today. So how you know if you’re committing a cardinal sin of SEO and optimization? How do you know if your website or content is repellent to Google’s algorithm?
5 Key Elements of Shareable Content
Content creation is a massive and ever-evolving element of digital marketing. Dynamic content that offers value to consumers is shared. Fluff content that doesn’t is ignored. Becoming a good copywriter or content creator takes years; you might have to create a hundred or even a thousand posts before you write one that strikes a nerve and encourages readers to share.
5 Ways to Use Snapchat to Build Brand Awareness
Since it first launched in 2011, Snapchat has become one of the fastest-growing social networks. As of January 2016, the platform boasted over 100 million active daily users, plus video traffic that rivaled Facebook’s. A big reason that Snapchat is catching the attention of business owners and forward-thinking brands? Their demographic is overwhelmingly young. 71% of Snapchat’s user base is 18-to-34-year-olds.
SEO Today: What Should You Really Know?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most important aspects of yours (or anyone’s) online presence. Does your website measure up in 2016? Google can be terrifying, with its surprise updates, algorithm changes and upheavals. Add to that the secretive nature of how Google communicates its updates, and you’ve got a recipe for confusion. You can be prepared, though, with the right adjustments and precautions. In fact, there are a few key developments from 2016 that you need to be aware of.
Psychology and Marketing: A Spotlight on Success
Throughout history, successful marketing and advertising has hinged on making emotional connections with the audience. Good marketers know how to utilize psychology in effective ways, transforming their products into symbols of enjoyment, security, or comfort. In this article, we will explore some of the most effective uses of psychology throughout the history of modern advertising and marketing. Persuasion; connection; memorability; emotional symbolism.
Customer Insight: What is Ethnography and How Can It Help Your Brand?
In this entry in our “Customer Insights” series, we will explore the merits of ethnography in getting to know your customer base. As you develop as a marketer, it’s important to explore both old and new methods for getting to know your customers. Not only will this breadth of knowledge help you develop more intuitive and useful products and services, it will help you market them in more appealing ways.
Customer Insight: Can Focus Groups Help Your Company?
As modern marketers, we must look both to the future and to the past to create the most effective strategies for reaching our clients. In this “Customer Insight” series, we will explore some time-tested, classic methods for getting to know your customer base in meaningful ways. Today’s topic: focus groups. Let’s take a look at how focus groups have been used in the past, and how they are still applicable to the digital marketing landscape of today.
7 Things Every Blogger Should Know About Working With Brands
As a blogger, earning an income is always a difficult. Over half of all bloggers never make five figures. But you can successfully earn an income through working with brands. It’s one of the best ways to earn a lot of money through your words. At the same time, it’s also one of the hardest niches to break into. This guide is going to show you what you need to know about building and maintaining trustworthy relationships with brands and making the most from these arrangements.
Finding the Right Content to Tell Your Brand's Story
As you’re well aware, there are a lot of brands out there who are all trying to tell their own unique story in an effort to bring in new customers. So, how do you separate yourself from the rest of the pack and stand out amongst all of the noise? You must not only tell your brand’s story, but tell it right. Storytelling is important for your brand because:: In a nutshell, we are programmed to love storytelling.
Investing in Innovation: The Research and Development Giants of Today
According to several recent articles, corporate America is turning its back on science. Are the days of Bell Labs, Xerox PARC, and major discoveries by chemical giants like Dow and DuPont really gone? Research by Duke University’s FUQUA School of Business seems to indicate that research really is on the decline, finding that 6.1% of U.S. companies published new scientific research in 2007, down from 17.7% in 1980. Of course, those numbers can be misleading.
Your Better Qualified Connections Are Key for Success
The most important lesson is that above all sound relationships come first. The best outcome is to blend personal and professional relationships by becoming a friend to your prospective audience and clientele. It is seen as you striving to do your best on their behalf. While it takes a bit longer to get established in selling well, the time spent produces results beyond expectations.
The Rise of the Specialist
It’s been developing for a few years. It’s been tested over the past couple of years. And it may be coming to a head now. This is one conclusion I have come to. I’ve not tested it extensively with regressive and longitudinal studies, but I have noticed that a lot of people seem to have focused on specialization.
7 Vital Questions to Ask During Client Onboarding
The excitement of signing a new client is palpable. You have the opportunity to expand your knowledge of a new industry and deliver new results. You have new revenue coming in, as well as unfamiliar challenges. It’s a hopeful, albeit fraught, time. Unfortunately, many businesses underestimate the importance of the onboarding process. A mishandled onboarding process can have lasting effects not only on your relationship with the new client, but also on the success of the work you do for them.
How Empathy Can Take Your Marketing To The Next Level
What is the value of emotion? In marketing, it’s substantial, especially when you use empathy to appeal to your prospects in ways that have a lasting impact. Many say empathy marketing is the way of the future, wherein consumers will demand that the brands they support show a true sensitivity to their struggles, concerns and issues. In 2016, we’re moving ever faster towards completely customer-centric marketing.
5 Ways to Give Credibility to Your Brand
Ah, credibility: that multi-syllabic word that holds so much power when it comes to brands. Without it, your business will have trouble staying afloat in this massively-connected world. The modern consumer connects with companies who are authorities, who have established themselves as trusted sources of information and purveyors of quality products or services.
How Do You Implement Progressive Profiling?
How do you utilize progressive profiling, anyway? We’ve touched a little on progressive profiling in the past—mainly highlighting how it can help you segment and qualify your leads and create efficiencies for both your marketing and sales teams. But we haven’t really expanded on the nature of progressive profiling and how to implement it effectively.
6 Best Business Apps for iPhone 6
With the newest iPhone available for purchase, many Apple enthusiasts have moved on from the iPhone 5 to the greener pastures (and slimmer lines) of the newest iPhone issue. Being tech-savvy is a professional advantage for people in many different fields, and utilizing the latest and greatest apps for your smartphone can help you stay up-to-date on recent developments in your field, informed on a variety of news topics, and organized during your business travels and busiest weeks.
6 Ideas for How to Write Intriguing Headlines
Hit a Headline Homerun Every Time This post was originally published in May of 2014; we have since updated it to reflect the most timely and relevant information. If you’re a content creator, you know how difficult it can be to churn out new and interesting content on a regular basis. All of the pieces have to fit, from the quality of the information you provide to the formatting you choose to the outlets you choose for publishing.
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