AHA Moments

It’s no secret: Creating content doesn’t come easy for some people. Some call it writer’s block but it really comes down to having confidence in your ability to write. Fear can actually be the motivating factor behind limiting your creative ability, but you can’t let it stop you from creatin... view entire article

We live in a world that never stops changing and if you’re not careful, you’ll get lost. New social media channels are always trying to make their big break, and the big ones are constantly changing to stay relevant. Instagram just revealed a new addition to their stories feature allowing bran... view entire article

Truly effective marketing strategies are ones that have the ability to change and adapt based on the needs and trends of consumer behavior as well as the current marketing landscape. An important first step in your overall strategic approach is to identify and prioritize all potential and relevant m... view entire article

It’s a harsh reality but unfortunately it’s true. For the most part, marketers can no longer control when a prospect will see a message. It seemed like it was just yesterday when the expectation of any marketing campaign was to reach and engage the right audience with the right message at prec... view entire article

Playing by the rules is never easy when you’re striving to boost your business’ performance as quickly as possible. Rules equate to regulations and red tape - both of which do not sit well with a business owner. On the other hand, any intelligent owner wants to avoid hastily investing in a cust... view entire article

“So, what exactly is this Customer Journey you keep talking about?” We get this question all the time -- and for good reason. The word “journey” can be used for many types of situations whether it’s a physical journey in a car, an emotional life journey, an intellectual journey, or even ... view entire article

One of the most revolutionary forms of wireless communication was introduced at the very end of the 19th Century. It was called the radio, and by 1920 there was hardly a household that didn’t have one prominently positioned in the family living room. The radio introduced a new creative platform... view entire article

Way back in 1999 our favorite marketing guru, Seth Godin, coined the phrase “Permission Marketing”. He defines Permission Marketing as “the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them. It recognizes the new power... view entire article

Your customers are real, living people. In marketing your business, it’s important to think like the people you are trying to reach. More importantly, if you want to increase or maintain customers, you must consistently invite them to engage with you. This doesn’t always include spending money �... view entire article

You love your business, right? You want to see it grow and thrive, of course. It sounds simple in quarterly meetings – “we need to grow ‘x’% in ‘x’ days.” But when it comes down to it, what do you actually have to do to grow? Yes, you can run specials. Yes, you can add new items. Yes,... view entire article

OK, it’s true - most paid advertising fails. The biggest reason for failure is typically a bad offer. The fact of the matter is that millions of people (like you and me) are overwhelmed with advertising offers on the devices we use every day. As marketers, one of the primary challenges in digi... view entire article

You’d be surprised how often a marketing plan is out of sync with the customer. The common flaw in developing a plan is to fall prey to “assumption”. It’s easy for a business to simply assume it knows exactly who the customer is and what he/she wants. There is absolutely no truth to the �... view entire article

Building Your Brand Starts by Building Trust The social media revolution has arguably provided us with the most immediate marketing tool ever created. It is easier than ever to send information about your business straight to the palm of the people you are trying to reach. But in an age where one ... view entire article

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Advertising versus Storytelling We are often asked what the difference is between “traditional advertising” and “content marketing” or what we call storytelling. Allow us to share a series of simple explanations: • Traditional advertising’s purpose is to build brand awareness using mas... view entire article

Tip #47: Start a Fan Club Before you read this blog I want you to think like a consumer versus someone trying to sell something. As consumers we are all constantly exposed to hundreds of ads, offers, or promotions every day. The “noise” has become so overwhelming that we have figured out how to... view entire article

We live in a digital world. So, you should agree that there is value in engaging your target audience directly through social media. A 2012 study conducted by Pew Research Centers found that 65% of Internet users use social media. Of users on Facebook, 58% liked a brand page in 2011 and 41% shared c... view entire article

In part 1 of “3 Steps To Increase Your Word-of-Mouth Marketing,” we discussed the importance of establishing your target audience and how to incorporate social media into your marketing strategy. In part 2 we focused on identifying your business’ unique story and how to share it. In our final... view entire article

In part 1 we discussed the importance of identifying your target audience and how to incorporate social media into your marketing strategy. In part 2 we focus on discovering your business’ unique story. Additionally, we’ll discuss the different ways to share your story. “Discover what makes yo... view entire article

Social Storytelling combines strategic marketing, public relations, digital marketing, and social media into one integrated program designed to connect with prospects, nurture your current customers, and encourage them to become loyal customers. The ultimate goal is to empower your customers to beco... view entire article

Earning and maintaining a positive reputation is critical to the success of any company. Your reputation starts by providing a good product or service. But that’s typically not enough to succeed long term. In order to establish your brand you need to keep your audience engaged with compelling s... view entire article

To succeed in business we’ve all been told that it’s critical to have a series of innovative strategies and plans. We’re told that we should have a business plan, a sales plan, and a marketing plan that are all supported by specific strategies. And now with the internet in full swing along wi... view entire article

Congratulations! You just made a sale and gained a new customer. But, before you start focusing on your next prospect make sure you take the time to develop a strong customer relationship with your new customer. Maintaining regular communication with your customers can be very rewarding. Not onl... view entire article

There have been several depictions of the traditional sales funnel but they all seem to revolve around 3 primary stages: Generating Leads, Closing the Sale, and Upselling. Social Storytelling puts a bit of a different spin on the sales cycle. In the last eMerge we shared our thoughts on Boosting Awa... view entire article

One of the biggest challenges for any marketing effort is developing an engaging message (story) that is designed to benefit a prospect or customer versus the business decision maker. It’s not uncommon for the owner or a decision maker of a business to use valuable space and time in a print ad, w... view entire article