Mary Kearl
Professional writer, marketing consultant: @Adobe @Pinterest @Zillow @Target @BusinessInsider @HuffPost and more brands and publications
Articles by Mary Kearl
Kreuzfahrt: Meine Familie hasste Kreuzfahrten – doch ich liebe sie jetzt
Ich bin in einer Familie aufgewachsen, die Kreuzfahrten ablehnte. Seit ich als Erwachsener meine erste Flusskreuzfahrt gemacht habe, kann ich gar nicht mehr aufhören, davon zu schwärmen. Mary Kearl Ich bin in einer Familie aufgewachsen, die große Reisen liebte, Kreuzfahrten aber strikt ablehnte. Mit 40 machte ich meine erste Flusskreuzfahrt mit meiner Familie und war überrascht, wie sehr sie mir gefiel.
Kreuzfahrt: Meine Familie hasste Kreuzfahrten – ich liebe sie jetzt
Ich bin in einer Familie aufgewachsen, die Kreuzfahrten ablehnte. Seit ich als Erwachsener meine erste Flusskreuzfahrt gemacht habe, kann ich gar nicht mehr aufhören, davon zu schwärmen. Mary Kearl Ich bin in einer Familie aufgewachsen, die große Reisen liebte, Kreuzfahrten aber strikt ablehnte. Mit 40 machte ich meine erste Flusskreuzfahrt mit meiner Familie und war überrascht, wie sehr sie mir gefiel.
I went on a river cruise with my husband and our 2 young kids. It totally changed my perspective on cruising. Original
My parents are so anti-cruise that when we visited Alaska for my 21st birthday, we took a series of planes, trains, automobiles, and ferries to experience what a cruise would have made possible with a lot less planning and logistics on our part. Loading audio narration... Now that I'm older, I decided to finally give cruising a real try. With my husband and I both turning 40 this year, I wanted us to take an epic trip to celebrate, and I set my sights on a four-day, three-night Nile River cruise.
Mary Kearl - The Points Guy
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That’s why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
I'm a pro at getting free things for my kids, including bikes and a swing set. Here's how I found my best scores. Original
Several years ago, my husband and I did a "year of no shopping" challenge to save up to travel with our oldest daughter when she was a baby. During that time, we bought nothing new unless what we had was broken or worn out beyond repair or we had a new need. These days, we're back to shopping in moderation, though we're strict about following the 50-30-20 rule, allocating a minimum of 20% of our after-tax income to savings each month.
I met my husband while teaching him English. He's still my favorite conversation partner 14 years later.
In 2010, one of the students at the English language program where I volunteered asked me to dance. We've been together for 14 years, and having open conversations is a big part of our relationship. We put in the effort to have open and honest conversations. It was December 2010, and the English language learning program where I was a volunteer in Queens, New York, was hosting a party for graduates and volunteers.
I met my husband while teaching him English. He's still my favorite conversation partner 14 years later.
In 2010, one of the students at the English language program where I volunteered asked me to dance. We've been together for 14 years, and having open conversations is a big part of our relationship. We put in the effort to have open and honest conversations. It was December 2010, and the English language learning program where I was a volunteer in Queens, New York, was hosting a party for graduates and volunteers.
Which Thanksgiving Foods Can I Give My Dog?
holidays safety people food While many of us already know we’re going to overeat on Thanksgiving, we still need to apply some restraint when it comes to sharing Thanksgiving foods with our dogs. It’s not just the obvious cautions—like splintering roasted turkey bones or toxic onion-filled stuffing—that are unsafe choices for your dogs. There are other known foods that are toxic to dogs and should be kept off their plates.
Teaching Good Behavior Before It's Too Late
socialization cgc prep virtual home manners Puppies, like human babies, do a lot of learning in their early months, especially when it comes to navigating their new environment and adopting good manners. For tips on how to facilitate that learning, we turned to certified dog trainer Kate Naito, who is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and Manners Program Director at Doggie Academy.
Which Thanksgiving Foods Can I Give My Dog?
Key Points Thanksgiving tends to coincide with an uptick in vet visits, due to dogs being fed unsafe human foods. Turkey meat, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin are all safe, healthy foods to share with your dog. Bones, sweets, alcohol, and fatty foods are all things that should be avoided by dogs. holidays safety people food While many of us already know we’re going to overeat on Thanksgiving, we still need to apply some restraint when it comes to sharing Thanksgiving foods with our dogs.
What Do Dogs Really Think About Halloween? – American Kennel Club
holidays safety halloween Humans in costumes. Dogs in costumes. New decorations around the house. Doorbells ringing throughout the night. Going trick-or-treating. All the tempting smells of Halloween candy. It’s a lot for a dog to take in. But what do they think of all the rituals and routines of the holiday? For humans, the spooky atmosphere is what makes this time of year special and fun. But the out-of-the-ordinary rituals of Halloween aren’t always safe, inviting, or exciting for our pets.
How I saved thousands of dollars by DIY-ing an island hopping trip in the Galapagos
Locals in mainland Ecuador refer to the remote Galapagos Islands as a “lujo,” or luxury, to visit thanks to pricey cruises and tour options. During my own do-it-yourself 10-day island-hopping tour of the area with my husband and our one-year-old, I learned firsthand how costly this destination can be to explore compared to other places in the country and continent. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Top 5 Employee Experience Takeaways from Medallia’s Experience 21
PHOTO: Adobe Employee experience as we know it is on the cusp of great change. With more than one in four employees planning to switch employers in 2021, about 25% cite the need for greater support for their well-being and a desire for more meaningful work as their key motivators for wanting to leave. That’s why understanding every stage of the employee journey, from recruiting and IT to training and development, must be the new standard.
Why Is My Dog a Picky Eater? – American Kennel Club
dog food diet gastroenteritis Does it seem like your dog suddenly has lost interest in eating food? Or do they knock their bowl over out of boredom with their food? While it could mean you have a picky eater on your hand, changes in appetite could also signal a greater health problem that should be addressed right away, particularly in young puppies, senior dogs, or pets with known underlying health conditions. Is My Dog a Picky Eater or Behaving Normally?
I'm a freelancer who once biked across the country to solve my burnout. These days, I'm taking a more sustainable approach to stay grounded.
Freelance writer Mary Kearl has taken two breaks from working full time after burning out. Rather than rely on long vacations like before, she now focuses on moments of rest every day. Being patient with herself and others and doing one thing at a time has helped her avoid stress. See more stories on Insider's business page. I've taken not one but two breaks from working full time, both related to burnout.
18 common phrases and acronyms recruiters use in the job search process and what they mean
There are many terms, phrases, and acronyms used by talent acquisition that job seekers should know. These include KSA, DOE, purple squirrel, ATS, poaching, blind screening, and exploding offer. Knowing these terms can give you a competitive edge in both the application and interview process. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. If it feels like job descriptions and hiring emails are loaded with an alphabet soup of words you've never heard before, you're not alone.
5 Tactics to Make In-App Messaging Work for You
Given that it reaches customers when they are at their most engaged, in-app messaging is a key part of any cross-channel marketing strategy. But knowing that is only half that battle. Here’s how to make the most of this powerful and flexible messaging tool. We’ve come to take the existence of mobile apps for granted, but do you remember the feeling of opening one for the first time on your very first smartphone?
What Is Customer Engagement, Anyway?
Consider “customer engagement.” Over the past decade, we’ve seen this term emerge from relative obscurity, becoming an essential concept for brands looking to understand, motivate, and build relationships with their users as individuals. But while the idea of customer engagement has come a long way, too many marketers aren’t clear on what it means and the impact it can have on their outreach efforts and long-term business goals. I used to be one of them.
Eight Rules for Effective SMS Marketing Compliance
Get an overview of key SMS laws, industry regulations, and guidelines to follow to ensure SMS marketing compliance when your brand sends text messages to customers. Disclaimer: Brands that send SMS campaigns must adhere to specific legal requirements. To ensure that your company is deploying SMS campaigns in compliance with all applicable laws, your organization should seek out legal counsel. This article should not be taken as—nor should it replace the need for—legal advice.
4 fun techniques to keep kids learning while they’re stuck at home
© Provided by Popular Science Playthings that come with no set rules, like these colorful blocks, encourage kids to be creative. Editor’s Note: This story was produced in collaboration with the team behind PopSci’s new line of STEM toys. A year into living in a COVID-19 world, we’ve learned to live with things like face masks and one-third-capacity gyms, but challenges remain.
5 tough lessons I learned as a novice freelancer that cost me thousands in potential earnings
© Courtesy of Mary Kearl 5 tough lessons I learned as a novice freelancer that cost me thousands in potential earnings Mary Kearl is a professional freelance writer and marketing consultant. When she first began freelancing, Kearl says she made mistakes that cost her thousands in lost potential income. Now, she asks for partial deposits from new clients, confirms rates and budgets upfront, and avoids unpaid tests.
The Ins and Outs of Building Braze Native MMS
The Braze customer engagement platform is built to be both naturally cross-channel and channel agnostic, allowing brands to reach their customers on the channels that speak to them in ways that support personalized, intuitive experiences. That means we’re always looking for opportunities to expand the mix of messaging channels that our platform supports.
A Day in the Life of a Braze Senior Technical Recruiter
Hiring best-in-class talent is essential for growing companies like Braze—but reaching that goal doesn’t just happen. You need exceptional recruiters to supercharge the hiring process. To give more insight into this key role, we spoke with Carolina Lopez, a Senior Technical Recruiter at Braze, to learn more about what her day to day looks like. Every company needs great employees to be able to thrive.
Grubhub Creates Buzz and Engages Diners With Personalized Emails
Grubhub connects diners with more than 300,000 restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. To build engagement, the company wanted to send its 30 million diners a year-end summary of their Grubhub activity. To do this, Grubhub partnered with Braze, leading to a 100% increase in social media mentions and an 18% lift in word-of-mouth mentions. Diners have been using Grubhub's online ordering platform to discover new restaurants and connect with their favorites since 2004.
How Plain Sight Is Getting to Know (and Engage) Its Customers Better…
Plain Sight, a new social platform for virtual networking, wanted to get to know its community better to serve up more effective personalized recommendations. The startup partnered with Braze to deliver retention-focused cross-channel customer engagement. Check-in. Connect. Share. That's the tagline of Plain Sight, a new networking community that launched five months prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic with a mission of helping its users facilitate in-person networking.
Being Black in Tech: Tech For Black Founders Companies Join Braze at…
At this year's Braze Kickoff, Omari Matthews, Manager, Technical Support at Braze spoke with leaders at Nalaverse and Plain Sight regarding their participation in the Tech for Black Founders program and the challenges Black founders often face within the industry. Tune into the full session below. We all live in a world significantly impacted by systemic racism and inequality—and we all have a responsibility to do what we can to drive real change.
Tim Hortons Uses In-App Messaging to Gamify Their App in Record Time
Few things say “Canadian” more than massively popular fast-food chain Tim Hortons and the sport of hockey. When the NHL playoffs were suddenly slated to begin in August of 2020 following a pandemic-driven pause, the quick service giant needed to rapidly ramp up an app-based promotional tie-in game. With Braze in-app messaging, it was game on.
Recruiters, headhunters, and HR
To navigate the job search effectively, candidates should understand the roles of recruiters, headhunters, and HR. Within internal and external recruiting, there are subspecialities, too, like technical recruiters. Recruiters are great to know not just to land jobs now but down the road, but you have to tailor your networking strategies. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. Headhunter. Recruiter. Talent acquisition manager. HR manager.
The Rise of In-Message Experiences: AMP for Email, Rich Push, Push…
The easier you make things, the more likely your customers are to do them. That's why the rise of in-message experiences across email, mobile, and beyond are a game-changer for marketers. By keeping things simple, these immersive messaging options have the power to improve conversions, engagement, and more. For marketers today, making things as easy as possible for customers to do is more than a best practice—it's a must-do.
Beyond Paid Acquisition: Driving Growth for Digital Payments in APAC
Digital payment adoption in Asia is unparalleled, with digital wallets surpassing cash at point-of-sale and accounting for 58% of ecommerce transactions in the region. And despite this market penetration, there’s no sign that this space is slowing down—in fact, capital invested in the payments technology sector hit a new record in 2019, and five of the top-funded startups are either paytech brands or active in the payments sector.
Braze Winter 2021 Product Launch: Creating Opportunities In…
Each season, Braze shares an exclusive look at our platform’s new features and functionality. This winter, Braze is introducing five new and updated features to help brands find opportunities to confidently expand their customer engagement programs in unpredictable times. 2020 was a humbling, chaotic, transformative, and clarifying year.
Fitness and Nutrition App 8fit Leverages Braze to Promote User…
With gyms closed or operating at reduced capacity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and group classes difficult to pull off in a socially distanced world, those looking for a way to maintain their physical well-being at home are increasingly turning to their computers and mobile devices for guidance, new exercises, and the kind of tailored workout experience that used to be the sole purview of high-end clubs with juice bars attached.
4 Best-in-Class Push Notification Campaigns
For the very best push notifications in the biz, look no further than Burger King, Fiverr, NASCAR, and Anthropologie for inspiration. Here are mobile messaging campaigns that have surprised and delighted customers and driven KPIs like engagement, revenue, and more. Every 12 minutes—that's how often Americans check their phones each day. It's no wonder brands that are focused on innovative marketing strategies give a lot of consideration to mobile marketing best practices.
PureGym Generates a 55% Open Rate with Targeted, Relevant Emails…
PureGym offers low-cost and flexible memberships across nearly 300 gyms in the United Kingdom. To build customer loyalty and improve the gym-going experience, PureGym partnered with Braze to create timely and relevant API-triggered email campaigns, winning an open rate of 55%. PureGym calls itself “the UK’s favourite gym,” which highlights the friendly relationship most people have with the places they work out in, day after day and week after week.
A (Fictional) Marketer Explores Segmentation: Build a Segment for…
Yikes, you’re right about this whole IP warming thing. Miguel realized that he was getting ahead of himself. He couldn’t launch a welcome email, let alone a full onboarding journey yet! Yikes, you’re right about this whole thing. Miguel realized that he was getting ahead of himself. He couldn’t launch a welcome email, let alone a full onboarding journey yet! Still a totally valid goal, but getting the platform set up for success definitely needs to happen first.
A (Fictional) Marketer Explores Segmentation: Build Some Preference…
Miguel replies back with a *head desk* emoji and returns to his brain dump segmentation ideas he’d made back when they were still in the SDK implementation phase. Miguel replies back with a *head desk* emoji and returns to his brain dump segmentation ideas he’d made back when they were still in the SDK implementation phase. He had a bunch of ideas around preference-based segments that he’s now ready to build out for real. He starts with the easy ones: Channel Preferences.
A (Fictional) Marketer Explores Segmentation: Build Platform and…
Miguel thought this was a really smart approach, and a great way to get a better sense of what kind of user base he’s working with in terms of devices and channel subscriptions. Miguel thought this was a really smart approach, and a great way to get a better sense of what kind of user base he’s working with in terms of devices and channel subscriptions.
Kolibri Games Increases Total Revenue by 15% With Braze and Looker
If you’ve spent any time exploring the world of mobile gaming, you’ve likely run across the “incremental” genre. These titles, also sometimes referred to as “idle games,” require minimal interaction from the player (often just repeatedly clicking on a given screen) but leverage a stepwise reward system that drives continued gameplay and inspires intense involvement that can lead to lost sleep and that “just five more minutes” feeling—all very good things from a game designer’s POV.
Choose Your Fighter: Content Cards Vs In-App Messages
I’ve been having this recurring dream where I’m waiting on Bill Murray’s table at a restaurant and he asks me, “What should I order, in-app messages or Content Cards?” I freeze up and cannot think of a solid answer. Now I’m here to lay down the answer once and for all so neither you nor I have to endure that nightmare. What Is an In-App Message? Simply put, an in-app message (IAM) is literally a message inside of an application. There really is no more poetic way to describe it.
We're freelancers who relocated to a tiny town in Maine during the pandemic. Here's how we earned over $150,000 in 2020 while raising our toddler and enjoying local adventures.
© Mary Kearl We're freelancers who relocated to a tiny town in Maine during the pandemic. Here's how we earned over $150,000 in 2020 while raising our toddler and enjoying local adventures. In 2019, Mary Kearl and her family traveled to 12 countries while working remotely. As COVID-19 spread, they decided to move from Los Angeles to Maine to shelter in place.
Birchbox Boosts Conversions 25% With New Email Segmentation Strategy…
Subscription service Birchbox had beauty on lock, but its email marketing strategy’s one-size-fits-all approach needed an update. With help from Braze Alloys solutions partner Notable Growth and a focus on audience segmentation, the brand made its messaging runway-ready. Launched in 2010, Birchbox set out to bring beauty products to their customers’ doorsteps with a personalized, subscription-based service.
Why Doesn't My Dog Play Fetch? – American Kennel Club
games toys positive reinforcement Maybe your dog once loved playing fetch, but they’ve since lost interest. Or perhaps they never really enjoyed chasing after balls in the first place. Whatever the case, you may be wondering what’s going on, and why your dog doesn’t seem into fetch. Why Do Some Dogs Not Care About Fetch? While catch might seem like a universally loved dog activity, it’s normal for some dogs to simply not want to take part. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of preference.
Channel Surfing: What Waves Did Brands Catch in 2020? | Braze
By any standard, 2020 has been an eventful year. We’ve experienced a global pandemic, a renewed movement focused on racial injustice, and a business landscape that has often seemed to be struggling to keep up with current events. These rapid shifts have disrupted nearly every part of modern life, up to and including the ways that brands speak to their customers. At Braze, messaging channels are at the core of what we do.
LinkedIn hashtags are an underrated tool for getting hired. 6 recruiters share the ones they use to find and poach talent.
Recruiters are increasingly using social media to connect with top talent, especially LinkedIn. The platform's hashtag feature can be a great tool for job seekers looking to find relevant job postings and get on recruiter's radars. Several recruiters shared the exact hashtags they follow, search for, and use in their LinkedIn posts. Look out for hashtags like #nowhiring, #joboffer, #jobsearch, #hiring, #recruitment, and #remotework, industry-related keywords, and other company-specific hashtags.
5 tech recruiters for companies like Tesla, Google, and Amazon share how candidates can stand out in a more competitive job market and the qualities they look for in hires
Over 80,000 tech employees have been laid off in today's market, which breeds fierce competition. Five technical recruiters shared with Insider what their employers look for when vetting candidates. At the start of your job search, they recommend applying early and to multiple roles at one company. See more stories on Insider's business page. We're in the midst of a flipped labor market, and tech talent hasn't been spared from layoffs and stiffer competition.
How SMBs and Mid-Market Brands Can Leverage Cross-Channel Engagement…
Customer engagement is essential for brands of all kinds, including SMBs and mid-market companies. Here's how a customer engagement platform can help your company improve customer experiences, engagement, retention, and other key outcomes to deliver growth. When you work in marketing and growth for a small business or mid-size brand, it's common knowledge that you have to do more with less—especially during challenging times like these.
Nudge Users to Take Action with Braze Promotion Codes | Braze
When it comes to guiding customer behavior, sometimes it pays to offer a little incentive. With promo codes tied to discounts and other perks, brands can reward customers for engaging in certain ways, and Braze Promotion Codes makes it easier than ever. Crafting a great promotional message—one that grabs consumer attention and translates it into a conversion—is something of an art.
Push Vs. Push: Why Some Notifications Arrive Faster Than Others |…
Push notifications enable timely communications between brands and customers—but not all push notifications get sent as fast (or arrive at the same time) as others. In some instances, that can lead to delays in otherwise urgent updates, such as flight change announcements, delivery notifications, fraudulent activity alerts, suspicious login notifications, and more.
Braze Hits Customer Milestone, Continues Hiring Surge Amid Global…
Company surpasses 1,000 customers and leans into talent acquisition for the new year to support expanded business around the world. As we prepare to close the door on 2020, there is time to reflect on and give thanks for the remarkable run Braze has had in this unprecedented year. We have been fortunate to have had a banner year for the company in many ways, and the momentum continues. I am proud to announce that we have just surpassed 1,000 customers using the Braze platform around the world.
How Braze Overcame Data Leakage to Build Predictive Churn | Braze
Earlier this year, Braze announced the launch of Predictive Churn, the first feature in our new Predictive Suite. This collection of predictive analytics tools is intended to make it easier for brands to understand and proactively identify trends and insights about their audience, supporting smart customer engagement and helping companies build stronger relationships with their users. On its face, Predictive Churn is a simple feature.
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