A “funnel” is a definite, step-by-step progression towards some end goal. Many people are familiar with the idea of a sales funnel. It’s called a funnel for two reasons: You are funneling prospects towards a sale. Like a physical funnel, it narrows towards the bottom. In short, you don’t close every prospect. There’s also such… Read More »
Let’s talk about marketing strategy. If you don’t have one, don’t be surprised if you don’t get anywhere. Marketing is the engine that drives your company’s expansion. So if you are ambitious, you need to understand what a strategy is, and how to create one. Then you have a chance to develop and get done… Read More »
Is standing out from the crowd, being different or unique, a thing? I mean is this something you should strive for in your marketing? I’ve written before that one should be different, but not too different. But really, WHY be different? People often want to present a unique perspective in their marketing. And you know,… Read More »
Apparently, we aren’t all going to die, and the economy is not, it seems, going into the worst depression since the extinction of the dinosaurs. So, maybe it is time to speak again of how you really ought to be marketing? HOW BAD IS IT, RICH? We have, you know, had multiple shocks to the… Read More »
The current economic scene is not encouraging. Many of you read that and thought “You’re not kidding!” There’s a silver lining buried in this for many businesses. Warren Buffet is one of the wealthiest men in the world. For decades he has been an incredibly successful businessman. His famous saying: “Be Fearful When Others Are… Read More »
Here’s an important, but rarely used marketing term: “Brand Dissonance.” There are only 2000 references in Google. It is the all-too-common practice of doing things that conflict with each other. Result: conflicting pictures of a brand. If you are a Global Cyber-Security firm, advertising in primary colors would be an example of Brand Dissonance. Primary… Read More »
A slogan or tagline (really the same thing) is a part of the branding of a business, service, product or product line. Motto is another word that could apply. This is one of the most abused, misused and misunderstood of marketing concepts. To illustrate, here are some current and past company slogans: “We Power Success”… Read More »
Metrics, statistics, or stats, are measurements of performance. There are industries where these are more than just totally accepted – they are revered. As in, who has won the most Super Bowls? Athletes and sports teams run on metrics, from batting average to yards per carry to winning percentage and 60-yard dash time. High School… Read More »
Like everyone else, I get bombarded daily with emails attempting to interest me in some service or product. As a marketing professional I’m fascinated by what these “marketers” are doing. There’s a famous formula – there are different versions of it – called AIDCA – for Attract attention, build Interest, build Desire, build Confidence, and… Read More »
When you see McDonald’s Golden Arches or the Starbucks logo, you know what you are looking at. That’s branding. But It’s only a part of the story, which also includes logos, color schemes, fonts, use of graphical elements, slogans or taglines. You might think you are too small to have a brand. That this is… Read More »
Sometimes, we hit an SEO rut. Especially for mature businesses, who have had SEO services for a while, it’s easy to wonder “what more could I do?” Maybe you have a site that already ranks high for relevant search terms, already has high organic traffic, and already has a high-quality PPC campaign. In short, maybe… Read More »
The new year is here, and optimism is at its peak as everyone turns to setting goals for self-improvement. Besides personal resolutions like “exercising more” or “traveling more,” you should really think about laying out some New Year’s resolutions for your business as well. Now is the best time to reflect on your business’s progress… Read More »
Traditionally, an SEO specialist’s primary goal was to increase rank in the SERP (search engine results page) and drive traffic. Often times, these were numbers-driven strategies that tried to keep up with the constantly changing rules of Google’s many algorithms. But the fundamental flaw in this approach is that when practicing SEO, you can’t just… Read More »
It’s not often that we get a clear-cut answer from Google exec’s, so this week’s latest development comes as quite a surprise. Head of Search at the monster search engine confirmed that there isn’t one set of top ranking factors that apply to every search performed. In fact, depending on the searcher’s intent, what Google… Read More »
Machine learning is on the rise, and thinking about how it relates to SEO can be intimidating. In fact, depending on your approach to SEO, thinking about the impact of machine learning on the practice could be a little stressful. Those who have aggressively implemented a strong content marketing strategy may have less to worry… Read More »
