marketing
The emergence of the servant leader in times of crisis
Authenticity is a buzzword that’s been so overused in marketing that it has nearly lost all meaning. But right now amid the global pandemic that is COVID-19, authenticity should be the cornerstone of any brand communications your business undertakes right now. I’m going to voice a controversial opinion here. It’s one that I’ve already been…
Read MoreWork From Home…Like a Boss
NOTE: This article is one in a series of excerpts from the forthcoming book, Work From Home (Like a Boss), by Üma Kleppinger. Thousands of small and medium businesses are suddenly facing the growing reality that their workers are likely to have to work from home in the foreseeable future. The global pandemic known as…
Read MoreOptimize your testimonials for better social proof and sales
Social proof is an undeniably powerful tool in any business owner’s or marketer’s toolkit. And of all forms of social proof, nothing converts more effectively than customer testimonials. Whether you’re selling services or product, and regardless of whether your audience is b2b or b2c, testimonials work. They work because people tend to take the word…
Read MoreDo you need to hire an expert, a generalist, or both to make marketing magic happen?
Which is better: specialization or generalization when you’re ready to make marketing magic? Depending on who you read, watch, listen, or talk to, you’ll get a different answer. When it comes to marketing staff, some hiring managers swear by specialization, others prefer a generalist. But what if the correct answer is both when it comes…
Read MoreTactical strategy + strategic tactics = winning.
If I had a nickle for every time a client came to me and wanted content marketing but didn’t have an optimized website (or vice versa), I could have retired a number of years ago. Too often I see start-ups taking a do-it-yourself approach to both, then wondering why their sales are still low, or why…
Read MoreContent is (Still) King, but Data is Using the Force, Luke
So you’ve finally decided to take your small business or emerging brand to the next level. You’ve decided to overhaul your 10-year-old website and make it responsive. You’ve started to emailing newsletters to customers now and then. You’ve got a Facebook business page and you post something once a week. Maybe you’ve set up…
Read MoreMeet Your Customers Where They Are
Recently I had a conversation with a local small business owner who suggested social media marketing was on the decline. “People are burned out and tired of it,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.” This is not an unfamiliar refrain; I‘ve heard it many times, usually from a solopreneurs or start-ups and…
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