Category: Business
-
How Budget Season Can Be One of the Strongest Growth Levers for Businesses
Guest Post by Linda Farha As businesses enter the early stages of 2026 planning, many leaders find themselves engaged in the same annual ritual: reviewing past spending, finalizing departmental budgets, and shaping priorities for the year ahead. While this process may feel procedural, economic indicators suggest it is far more…
-
Why Your 2025 Marketing Didn’t Work (And It Wasn’t Just Your Budget)
If your 2025 marketing didn’t get you the results you wanted, something needs to change, and it wasn’t for lack of effort. You boosted posts, ran ads, posted more than you ever have, and yet nothing really moved the needle. We’ve all been there. It’s frustrating, especially when money is…
-
Google Antitrust Ruling: No Breakup, But… Changes Ahead and Unresolved Issues
Federal Judge Amit P. Mehta delivered a landmark ruling this week in the long-awaited Google antitrust case, but the decision reveals the complex challenges of regulating Big Tech in the AI age. While Google avoided the breakup many expected, the ruling introduces significant new oversight measures that could reshape how…
-
Coming Soon: Major Changes in the Broadcast TV Industry
We’re about to see a major shift in broadcast TV unlike anything we’ve seen before. Big statement, but it’s true if a few things fall into place. While radio consolidated years ago, letting big ownership groups control a significant number of stations in a marketplace, the FCC has limited anyone…
-
What Jobs Will AI Impact the Most?
A new study from Microsoft gives us some insight into what researchers think about jobs most impacted by AI. The study “Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI” investigates how generative AI interacts with tasks across hundreds of occupations. Rather than predicting job replacement, the authors focus…
-
Hi. I’m AI. Let Me Take Your Job.
Ask 1,000 employers in 55 different world economies and you’ll get a pretty good picture of what’s going on right now. That’s what the World Economic Forum (WEF) did for its Future of Jobs Report 2025. The big takeaway won’t come as big news to you: AI is shaking up…
-
Is This Finally the Beginning of Some National Online Privacy Legislation?
The American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 would set clear data privacy rights and establish robust enforcement mechanisms. The bipartisan effort was introduced by House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “It reins in…
-
Google’s New Algorithm Update Crushing Sites With AI-Generated Content: My Experiment
Google’s March 2024 core algorithm update is cracking down on low-quality, AI-generated content across the web. Google wants to “reduce unhelpful, unoriginal content on Search and keep it at very low levels.” Google says the update involves adjusting its rankings “if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience. or…
-
Google AI Cracking Down on Fake Business Reviews
To tackle the rise of false internet reviews that hurt local companies and mislead customers, Google has turned to artificial intelligence (AI). More than 170 million bogus reviews were removed by the corporation in 2023—a 45% rise from the year before. Local business owners who have suffered from false reviews…
-
AI Writing: Muted Tones, Lack of Persuasiveness
B2B sellers using AI for content need to know this: A study by Originality.AI shows that large language models (LLM) – i.e. generative AI models – tend to “move sentiment scores closer to the neutral part of the scale.” What’s that mean? AI tends to mute tones and feelings. Sentimental…
-
Major Technology Companies Join Forces on Responsible AI Development
Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have formed the Frontier Model Forum, a new consortium focused on advancing safe and responsible AI. The Forum aims to benefit the AI community by developing best practices, evaluating capabilities and risks, and enabling research access. Key goals include: Membership is open to organizations developing…
-
Analyzing Searcher Intent Signals for Better SEO Content
Understanding user intent is central to effective SEO content creation. Search engines are getting increasingly sophisticated at detecting the underlying needs and goals behind each query. In order to rank for those queries, your content must align with searcher intent. By researching and analyzing intent signals around your target keywords,…
-
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Updates Endorsement Guides
The FTC has recently revised its endorsement guides for influencer marketing and online reviews, marking the first update since 2009. The objective of the guidance is to prevent deceptive practices in consumer reviews and paid endorsements that appear as genuine feedback. The FTC continues to emphasize the disclosure of “material…
-
Why PR is Essential for Small Businesses
By Mark Kaley, PR Manager — Otter PR As a small business owner, you juggle a lot of responsibilities. Emergencies arise. Schedules overflow. You can easily neglect little tasks, like sharing newsworthy content about your product or service, creating buzz around milestones and awards, and promoting new hires and product…
-
Improving Engagement on LinkedIn | How Often Should I Post to LinkedIn?
One of the keys to getting engagement is to increase activity and distribution. LinkedIn provides broader distribution to posts that get early engagement when first posted. One way to do that is to encourage friends and co-workers to comment and engage. One friend I have has fostered a small network…
-
Remote Marketing Jobs Hit New Pandemic High
There’s been an incredible explosion in high-paying marketing jobs that are now available to work remotely. Data scientists from Ladders, a website focused on six-figure jobs, reported a 1,985% increase from January of 2020 to September of 2021 in remote marketing jobs. Based on independent research and overall market trends,…
-
Why Don’t Marketers Target People with Money to Spend?
You would think that marketers would want to target the people with disposable income that can most easily afford your products. Instead of constantly targeted the people in society that hold more than 60% of all wealth, there remains an obsession with going after the youngest group of consumers. That…
-
The World’s Top Websites in 2020
With people stuck inside their home, they relied on technology to stay connect more than ever. Businesses had to adapt to this online shift. It resulted in new online habits and the way people used the internet in 2020. A study done by the UK Domain has revealed the top…
-
US Is the Data Theft Capital of the World
A new report by Uswitch has revealed which countries have been the worst hit by data breaches and the US ranks first with nearly 19 million data records stolen. That’s more than 4X the next closest country (South Korea). Canada, the UK, and Australia rounded out the top five. China and…
-
When Can I Measure the ROI of My B2B Campaigns?
When you launch an advertising campaign, you want results. For B2C products, a digital ad with an incentive, such as a discount or limited-time sale, can lead ROI in short order. The sales cycle is short. Sales can also stop the minute you stop advertising. For B2B businesses, the sales…
-
SEM: Is There Value in the Google Guaranteed Program?
Here’s a new wrinkle to Google search for local businesses. Advertisers on Google can now display a green checkmark, which Google will tag businesses with either “Google Screened” or “Google Guaranteed.” It’s only available right now for certain categories of business, such as law, financial planning, and real estate for…
-
Anti-Trust Hearings Against Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google: What’s at Stake
Nearly half of Americans now believe major tech companies should face more regulation. That was one key finding in a new survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey was released as a House Judiciary Committee is looking into tech companies. Specifically, they are examining anti-trust concerns. Google, Facebook, Amazon,…
-
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): First Warning Letters Are Being Sent
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) went into effect on January 1st, but enforcement efforts were put on hold until July 1, 2020. Now that the deadline has passed, CA AG Xavier Becerra has issued warning letters to companies over alleged violations as reported by MediaPost. It’s the toughest law…
-
Mobile Speed is Crucial in Today’s Mobile World
Google and Deloitte combined forces to look at mobile load times for 30 days across four verticals: Retail Luxury Travel Lead generation (such as insurance or auto sites) The results, published in a Whitepaper titled “Milliseconds make Millions,” were clear: 1. Faster sites mean more customers will reach checkout 2.…
-
More than 200 Advertisers Join Facebook Ad Boycott
Facebook’s facing a revolt among advertisers. Where will it end up and will it have a real impact? The campaign is asking businesses to stop advertising on Facebook in July to send a message. “We are asking all businesses to stand in solidarity with our most deeply held American values…
-
Advertising During Uncertain Times: 11 Research Projects Tell the Same Story
If you’re looking for hard data on what’s happened to brands that increased or decreased marketing during and after a crisis or recession, I’ve compiled the results of 11 studies into this article. Every single one shows the same thing: the companies that stayed the course or increased their marketing…
-
Amid a Crisis, There Is Opportunity – If You Act Now
Consumer research and strategy company Magid works with brands and media companies and has been tracking media consumption and consumer attitudes for decades. Their April research shows significant opportunities for brands and publishers: 69% of consumers say they are trying new brands right now. This represents an incredible opportunity for…
-
What is the World’s Largest Advertiser Doing Right Now?
Procter & Gamble is generally considered the world’s largest advertiser. They are certainly TV’s largest advertiser and it’s where they spend the bulk of their money. P&G spent more than $100 million in TV, digital, and print last year. You would think if anyone could afford to take a little time…
-
Take Control of Your Brand Conversation or Someone Else Will
Not surprisingly, when you don’t control the conversation, it happens without you. Brands that stop advertising and sending positive messages are seeing huge drops in brand sentiment because they only thing people hear about you is nothing or negative. Those that continued to market saw a drop (people are thinking…
-
Advertising During Crisis Times: What You Do Now Will Impact Your Business Long-Term
You may not be thinking about advertising right now, but it may be smart to give it some thought. What you do today, can impact your business for the long-term
-
A New Era in Online Privacy Rights Begins: Have You Made the Required Changes to Comply?
January 2020 brings a new year and a new decade. It also brings new privacy laws for business. Have you made the changes you need to avoid being out of compliance? CCPA California’s CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) is one of the strictest laws in the U.S. and goes into…
-
Are You Willing to Pay More for 5G Wireless Service?
5G is coming soon to a neighborhood near you. As telecoms build out their 5G networks and start to look at services, the Wall Street Journal reports that it will likely cost you more. The cost to build out 5G nationwide is enormous. Companies are spending billions. 5G waves don’t…
-
When Can I Measure the ROI of My B2B Campaigns?
When you launch an advertising campaign, you want results. For B2C products, a digital ad with an incentive, such as a discount or limited-time sale, you can expect to track the ROI in short order. The sales cycle is short. For B2B businesses, the sales cycle is much longer. 74%…
-
A Guide to Building Trust in Your Brand
While it can take a great deal of time to build trust in your brand, you could lose it almost overnight by making one small or large mistake. If you want people to buy from your business and recommend you to their friends, you must create an organization that is…
-
Marketers #1 Goal in 2019? Get That Email Address
“Personalized experiences are about delivering contextually relevant experiences to your prospects and customers, based on what you know about them, where they are in the purchase journey, and what they are looking to achieve. It is becoming more evident that marketers who consistently deliver personalized cross-channel experiences are seeing moderate…
-
Changing Channels: Direct to Consumer Brands Are Moving Digital Dollars Back to Traditional Advertising
Many D2C brands are moving digital dollars back to traditional marketing channels. Rising costs of digital mediums Need to build brand awareness, trust, and credibility They are finding out that the direct response type campaigns that can work on search and social media channels will only take you so far. …
-
GDPR vs CCPA: How Privacy Regulations Affect Businesses
New privacy laws on the world stage are impacting businesses that have any online presence and capture personally-identifiable data. GDPR The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has already had a significant effect on companies doing business in the EU or doing business with EU residents. It’s affected most U.S.…
-
“Belief-Driven Buyers” Are Playing a Bigger Role in Brand Trust
Why do customers trust brands? The top reasons are all about product or service quality, according to the latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer. It delivers good quality products or services The brand gets good ratings and reviews It charges a fair price It has always treated me and…
-
Does your B2B website attract buyers? Apparently not
How effective is your website for building awareness and consideration? Most people would say it’s pretty good. In fact, the majority of B2B marketers say it is their most effective tool for the early stages of the buying funnel. In a report by Forrester, most B2B marketers said their business…
-
Internet Trends 2019: Mary Meekers’ Annual Report Shows Big Changes
Mary Meeker is a venture capitalist and former Wall Street security analyst. She’s ranked by Forbes as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. When she unveils her annual presentation on Internet trends, it makes news. This year’s report is no different. You read the full…
-
Despite What You Hear, TV is still the Dominant Medium
Despite all the talk about cord cutting, streaming, social media, and digital marketing, it’s easy to forget that TV remains the dominant medium. Here are four facts that demonstrate the continued power of television as the dominant medium. People spend more time with TV than computers, smartphone, and tablets combined……
-
Restaurants Are Spending Significantly More on Digital Ads
A new study shows that independent restaurants are dramatically increasing their spending on digital advertising. Within the last year, 68 percent of those surveyed report they are spending more on digital ads than ever before to attract customers. The restaurant business has never been easy. 17 percent of new restaurants…
-
How Digital Marketing Will Help Your Business Grow
If your business is going to be successful, you need to get your marketing right. Without good marketing, no one will know you exist, and it won’t matter what kind of goods or services you are selling—if no one has ever heard of you, you will have a very hard…
-
Basics in Sales & Marketing: Would You Hire a Milkshake?
The basic tenet of successful selling is to uncover a customer need and then find a way to fill that need. Salespeople sometimes forget to find the need and rush straight to selling products or services. Then, they wonder why people don’t buy what they’re selling. Clayton Christensen is a…
-
The Ethical Troubles Of Digital Marketing Tactics
Thanks to Facebook and Google, we all have access to more data than we probably should have access to in real life. The field of advertising in particular is becoming very inappropriate in certain cases, pushing digital marketing tactics to their ethical limits. Read More: The Ethical Troubles Of Digital Marketing…
-
When It Comes to Digital, Consumers Say One Thing and Often Do Another
Consumers overwhelming say privacy concerns are starting to have them rethinking rethink how they interact online. At the same time, however, their actions are telling a slightly less convincing story. People say one thing to researchers, but their actions demonstrate something else. A third of those surveyed think digital is…
-
Amid Privacy Issues, Facebook Promises Privacy Will Be the Foundation for the Future
“I understand that many people don’t think Facebook can or would even want to build this kind of privacy-focused platform — because frankly we don’t currently have a strong reputation for building privacy protective services and we’ve historically focused on tools for more open sharing,” wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.…
-
AI is changing the way we interact with brands
New advancements in AI-based search, including voice search, are fundamentally changing the way people interact with brands. Research from Yext Inc and Vanson Bourne shows marketers are struggling to evolve quickly enough for this new reality: only 8% of marketers believe their organization’s brand management strategy is completely effective to…
-
Digital Transformation Starts at the Top
One of the hardest things to do in transforming an organization to a digital world is getting cross-department support. Traditional boundaries between sales, marketing, IT, customer service, online and offline staff, impede these efforts. It’s tough to get everybody rowing the same way when they still have to take care…
-
The Number One Benefit of Post-Click Optimization
As simple as it may seem, a successful post-click optimization strategy will turn a more significant percentage of your company’s website traffic into profit by effectively engaging your potential customers after they’ve clicked on your sponsored post or advertisement, according to digital marketing firm fishbat. Here’s what else they had…
-
DirecTV Now Streaming Service Loses A Quarter-Million Subscribers
The future of TV is supposed to be streaming, right? In its 4th quarter earnings report, AT&T dropped a bombshell. The parent company of DirecTV announced that it had lost 267,000 streaming customers of its DirecTV Now service. The forecast for sub losses was 19,000 according to the Hollywood Reporter. …
-
85% of Websites Fail to Meet Google Page Load Speed Standards
The faster your mobile site loads, the better you’ll look to Google’s robots when it scans your site. Slow-loading websites are now being penalized in the algorithm while fast-loading sites are rewarded. Google recommend your site loads on mobile in 5 seconds or less. Research from Unbounce, however, shows that…
-
For Online Reviews, Recency Matters
Online reviews matter. 92% of consumers say they look at reviews. 68% say positive reviews increase their trust. In addition to looking for positive reviews, we now know that consumers also value recent reviews in far greater numbers. 85% of those surveyed say that reviews dated more than three months…
-
French regulators hit Google with $57 million fine for violations of GDPR
Google has been hit with a $57 million fine for violations of the EU’s GDRP privacy regulations. CNIL (French data protection regulators) concluded that Google had failed to comply with the law. Lack of Transparency When setting up Android phones, the regulators said Google did not disclose “essential information” to…
-
Trust in Social Media Continues to Plummet
If you thought public opinion on the trustworthiness of social media had bottomed up, you might want to rethink that a bit. A new study by Tapatalk polled 1,000 U.S. adults and found that trust in social media networks continues to decline. Get the full report here. 74% said the…
-
Optimizing Ad Performance: Measuring ROI for Digital Campaigns
The promise of digital was more transparency and access to metrics that demonstrate whether something is working or not. Too often, though, the metrics establish action without establishing conversions. In other words, the metrics show that someone clicked on an ad, but doesn’t demonstrate whether they bought the product. Clicks…
-
How Much of the Internet is Fake?
Seriously. If you haven’t read Max Reed’s article “How Much of the Internet Is Fake? Turns Out, a Lot of It, Actually” yet, stop what you’re doing and do it right now. Here are just a few of the gems Reed lays out: How much of the internet is fake?…
-
Facebook, Amazon Adding More Subscription Video Services
The social media giant is in talks with HBO, Showtime, and Starz about adding streaming video. Facebook would offer subscriptions to these channels which users would watch within the Facebook platform. It the deal consummates, Facebook would likely have to shell out money in advance to the streamers and then…
-
A simple guide to understanding Blockchain Technology
Blockchain is the technology the underpins digital currency (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and the like). The tech allows digital information to be distributed, but not copied. That means each individual piece of data can only have one owner. You may hear it described as a “digital ledger” stored in a distributed…
-
The Nightmare Scenario for Salespeople
Imagine this scenario: You’re a salesperson and you walk into a business for the first time to make a sale. You’re shown into the office of the big boss. Just as you start to launch into your pitch, she interrupts you and says: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know your…
-
Social Media Leads to Employee Turnover? It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way
Nearly everybody has experienced both the positives and negatives of social media: the connection with family and friends and the spreading of fake news. In the workplace, social media can be a force for good by helping employees share ideas and foster a positive culture. It can be a tool…
-
Screen Size Matters: TV Ads Lead to More Sales Than YouTube or Facebook Ads
Research done by Dr. Karen Nelson-Field, Professor of Media Innovation, University of Adelaide and Executive Director Centre for Amplified Intelligence, shows several important points: There is a significant relationship between the attention paid to advertising and sales People pay more attention to the same advertisement on TV vs. Facebook or…
-
Own a Vizio TV? You might be entitled to a 62 cent settlement
Vizio has agreed to pay some $17 million in an effort to settle a class action suit over privacy laws, according to the terms filed in court. The case revolved around consumer complaints that Vizio was tracking TV viewers by default, without getting consumer permission, and sharing data with third-parties. …
-
The Risk-Reward for Brands Taking a Public Stand on Social or Political Issues
When Nike chose Colin Kaepernick to be part of its marketing efforts, they took a risk. It was highly unpopular with a significant segment of the U.S. population, but not so much with Nike’s target consumers. In fact, Thomson Reuters reports that Nike has sold 61% more stuff since the…
-
Five of the Biggest Cause Marketing Fails
Cause Marketing has been a buzzword (or is it a buzz-phrase?) for years in advertising circles. Tie your brand or product to a popular cause and hope that some of the good will rubs off. It sounds good, but it doesn’t always work out the way you want. Even some…
-
Direct correlation between TV ads and auto website traffic: Ignore it at your own peril
If you want to increase the traffic to your auto dealer website, increase your TV ad spending. Cut back on TV advertising at your own peril. An in-depth investigation from the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) reveals that 76% of auto brands saw a direct correlation – good or bad –…
-
SEJ: Is Google My Business Stealing Your Leads?
Earlier this year, Google added a new option in their Google My Business platform. It let businesses add a link to click for appointments or services. Sounds good so far, but Shelly Fagin is reporting in Search Engine Journal (SEJ) that it may not be what it seems. In fact,…
-
Managing Your Growth Plan
One of the key jobs of CEO’s and CFO’s is to be looking out long-term. While your employees are looking at daily performance and your managers are focused on quarterly or yearly goals, the business is depending on you to be the forward-thinker. Whether it’s building for the long-term or…
-
Skills to Succeed for C-Level Executives
More than 7,150 executives across 100 nations in the U.S., North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa were queries on the most important traits to stay relevant and at the top of their game. The report from Harvard Business School’s Professor Boris Groysberg reveals the most important “soft skills” for C-level…
-
The Assumptive No: Why Salespeople Don’t Ask for the Order
Here is the opening section of the new book I’m writing. It’s still a little rough… any feedback is appreciated. The Assumptive No I’ve always been surprised by how many sales people do everything right, but then are seemingly afraid to ask for the sale. Maybe it’s because I grew…
-
Cross-Device Targeting and Attribution Can Improve Your Advertising ROI
When you are placing advertising on-line, you want to make sure you know how it’s performing and where your conversions are coming from. It sounds simple, but it can get complex very quickly. When you examine where conversions actually take place, the last click gets the nod in most reporting…
-
The Digital Work Tools Marketers Can’t Do Without
Marketers say the top digital tools their teams can’t do without are file sharing, customer relationship management, and email marketing services, according torecent research from Widen. The report was based on data from a survey of 583 marketers worldwide who work for firms of various sizes. Some 42.4% of respondents say file-sharing services…
-
Major Advertisers Shifting Dollars from Digital to TV
JP Morgan Chase is retreating on its digital ad placements. Instead, they will take dollars and move them back to television. That’s big news in advertising circle. The company has a $5 billion marketing budget. Perhaps it’s the logical outcome for the company that reduced their digital reach by more…
-
Net neutrality is dead – Here’s why FCC Chairman Ajit Pai thinks that’s a good thing
The FCC (Federal Communications Commision) repeal is now in effect. Under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the agency tossed out rules set in place by the previous administration that stopped ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from blocking traffic, or throttling back on traffic on the internet. Opponents have been concerned this will…
-
A Checklist for GDPR Compliance
When the European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into law, it gave EU residents more control over the personal information that is gathered and how it is used. Now that it is in effect, how organizations deal with data has changed for everyone. The penalties for failing…
-
In Programmatic Advertising, Timing is Everything
The best marketing campaigns deliver the exact right message, at the exact right time, to the exact right consumer. If it’s the wrong message, or even the right message, delivered at the wrong time, it won’t work. Timing is critical to the success of your marketing. Advertising can be a…
-
Cable, Satellite cord cutting accelerates while streaming service grow subscribers
As cord cutting in pay-TV (cable + satellite) continues to accelerate, subscribers of premium video streaming services continues to increase. The penetration of cable and satellite subscribers is now at 78%, the lowest it’s been in 15 years. SNL Kagan reports that 32 ad-supported cable networks EACH lost more than…
-
Lots of U.S. companies are not ready for new data protection policies
Something big happens this week. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) goes into effect in Europe. It provides strict regulations on privacy and how online companies can use consumer data. It can also enforce significant fines – up to 4% of gross revenues or $20 million. Even though it’s not…
-
Even small businesses have to make time for marketing
One of the most common complaints I hear from entrepreneurs and brand owners is the lack of time they have for marketing and branding. Marketing is so voluminous – I believe that many people get overwhelmed with the many aspects and options in marketing and its easier to become paralyzed…
-
Listen to Google Duplex AI calling a hair salon and make an appointment
This is truly mind-blowing sci-fi stuff. If you haven’t heard Google Duplex yet, get ready to be impressed. Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, wowed the crowd at I/O 2018 when he played back recordings of phone calls made by Google Assistant to book restaurant reservations and make hair appointments. You tell…
-
Responding to Reviews Can Increase Your Conversion Rates
Location 3, a digital marketing agency, reviewed 16 months of AdWords campaign data, 93 million impressions, 32 months of historical user reviews on Google, 72,000+ reviews for more than 7,000 businesses. The research showed a direct correlation between better reviews and ratings and improved performance. As stars increased, so did…
-
Amazon Digital Ad Revenues: $2 Billion in Q1 2018?
Look out Goobook, here comes Amazon. We’ve been talking for a while about the emergence of Amazon as an online advertising platform. The numbers from Q1 2018 shows it’s no longer just talk. In just the first quarter of the year, Amazon announced earnings of more than $2 billion in…
-
10 Steps to Getting Started on Social Media Marketing
At some point, every entrepreneur comes to the crossroads of whether they should engage in social media marketing or not. The quick answer is – yes! I know, I know! You don’t have time! You have a dozen appointments on the go, a million tasks on your to-do list…
-
Facebook Doesn’t Believe Recent Scandals Will Hurt Its Business — Fortune
Facebook’s recent data privacy issues and the recent Cambridge Anlaytica scandal don’t seem like they will impact the company’s business. That’s according to Facebook vice president of global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson who said at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council event this week that the social networking giant is “not anticipating major changes…
-
The worst social media marketing mistake you are probably making
Social media marketing is the new black. It’s not even a question anymore of whether you should be on social media, but rather what social media you should be on. Even though social media have been around for a few years now, I still constantly see companies that make the worst…
-
Youtube Reminds Publishers who is in Control – Cuts Revenue to Small Guys
“One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel,” said the email I got from YouTube. Apparently their “anyone” doesn’t include me. YouTube says it is tightening its rules and raising the minimum threshold of subscribers you must have in order to…
-
8 Ways to Build a Personal Brand
For years, marketers have worked with companies to build their brand. Cementing a brand message into a consumer’s mind makes sure you’ll get a shot at their business when they need your service. Imagine your air conditioner stops working and it’s 95 degrees outside. You’ll head to your computer and…
-
Social Media for Publishers: Revenue Doesn’t Match Investment
Despite all the work media companies put into their Facebook and other social media channels, it has not turned into any significant source of revenue. If you’re in the business you know that. You get some traffic from social media, but not any real dollars. A research report by trade…
-
P&G Cuts Programmatic Ad Spend by 90% Due to Brand Safety Concerns
SUMMARY: The world’s largest advertiser is cutting back dramatically on ad networks and going back to traditional advertising. The result? Increased reach and decreased spend. The world’s largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble, announced they cut digital advertising spend in 2017 by a whopping $200 million dollars. Halfway through last year,…
-
Restaurants are going cashless – how will it impact customers?
Sweetgreen restaurant chain is in the “fast casual” category, serving up healthy food choices. What isn’t on the menu is… cash. In 2017, they stopped taking cash at 64 locations. They are not alone. Cashless retailers are growing, especially in the restaurant category. Sweetgreen says it speeds up transactions by as…
-
You’ve heard the term, but what is Blockchain?
Blockchain is the technology the underpins digital currency (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and the like). The tech allows digital information to be distributed, but not copied. That means each individual piece of data can only have one owner. You may hear it described as a “digital ledger” stored in a distributed…
-
46 Ways To Improve Your Page Loading Time Instantly
Guest Blogger: Josh Wardini Page loading time refers to the time taken to transfer and show the content of a website page in a web browser window. This process is measured in seconds and it has direct implications on how visitors are engaged and the success of a brand. Even one-second…
-
B2B Sales Techniques: Improve your Closing Ratio
If you’ve done your job right in leading your customer through the sale process, you’ve already done a needs analysis, customized a proposal, had some trial closes, and you’re ready to get down to business. The art of the sale is to find the customer’s pain points and then demonstrate how…
-
Making More Effective Sales Calls by Phone
Effective sales calls can be the difference between success and failure. Here are 9 things to keep in mind when you sit down to do sales calls. Never make a cold call. It’s so easy these days to go online and search someone’s business to learn enough about their business…
-
Simple, Effective Hacks to Maximize Conversion Rates
OK, you’ve got a great website. Congrats! Now you’ve got to get people to visit and then convert them to customers. Conversion Rate Optimization Conversion rate optimization is a systematic process of increasing the percentage of your website’s visitors that take a desired action on a certain page. This includes…
-
30 Social Media Stats Every Local Business Should Know
For help with your digital and social media, contact PulseLocal Marketing. In Huntsville, AL, call 256.533.3131.
-
4 Keys to Effective Coaching and Leadership
A coach is only effective if the person they are trying to help is open to the concept. It’s important that you match the right coach to the right leader and set clear expectations and boundaries. The key to the relationship is mutual trust and respect. If the leader sees…
-
Online Reviews Really Matter in Business
If you think online reviews aren’t affecting your business, here are a handful of statistics that might change your mind. SOURCE: Forbes The Value of Positive Reviews 90% of consumers say they read online reviews before ever visiting a business 85% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much…
-
Insider Secrets of the Google 3-Pack
Getting ranked in the Google 3-pack of local businesses has never been more important. With the big shift from desktop to mobile in the past couple of years, it has become easier for local businesses to get featured based on proximity to the mobile user. That opens huge opportunities for…
Paul Dughi.com 