06Jul 2018 by Kendall Howard No Comments

The Rise Of Social Media In Business Communications

Blog, Social Media
The rise of social media presents unparalleled opportunities for businesses to sell their products and services to large, targeted audiences. According to socialmediatoday.com, the average American spends about 30 percent of their daily online time on social media, where they will be exposed to a huge variety of content. Traditional marketing methods are facing a time of change. While television and radio use are still relevant, the tables are quickly turning with the rise of Video on Demand services and internet radio. To ensure marketing reach isn’t lost as more people “cut the cord”, businesses must adapt to make social media their new place to market their content and products, or risk going under due to not adapting – consider Kodak and the rise of the digital camera. Perhaps the…
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05Feb 2018 by Mike Winter No Comments
Marketing and Demographics: The Driving Forces in Building Revenue

Marketing and Demographics: The Driving Forces in Building Revenue

Blog, Featured, Social Media
Are you a crazed sports fan, foodie, movie critic, or book lover? In society, many of us are broken into groups and categories, based on important information about us, as well as our likes and dislikes. Most people identify with these groups and categories. In fact, people pride themselves on having these characteristics, and it also brings folks together as … well, groups! Such traits have become so embedded into our culture that often, they are passed down from parents to their children. For example, some families may be Chicago Bulls fans throughout multiple generations. These traits and behaviors can define demographic audiences, and these demographics offer valuable information. According to www.merriam-webster.com, Demographics is described as 1: the statistical characteristics of human populations (such as age or income) used especially…
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16Jan 2018 by Mike Winter 1 Comment
Marketing and Sales: What’s The Difference?

Marketing and Sales: What’s The Difference?

Blog, Featured, Social Media
Marketing and Sales: what’s the difference? Sometimes it seems like the two terms are used interchangeably. In fact, these terms are so interwoven, it can be hard to tell where the concept of Marketing ends and the art of Sales begins. They are two completely different entities that both focus on revenue, but without one, you cannot have the other, they support and compliment one another. According to www.diffen.com, Marketing is, by definition, “the systematic planning, implementation and control of business activities to bring together the buyer and seller.” Also, Sales is, by definition, “a transaction between two parties where the buyer receives goods, services, and/or assets in the exchange for money, an agreement between a buyer and seller.”   Often, smaller organizations/startups struggle to get the business they desire because…
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02Jan 2018 by Mike Winter No Comments
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Controlling a Natural Phenomenon

Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Controlling a Natural Phenomenon

Blog, Featured, Social Media
Have you ever talked to a friend or colleague about a business, a specific good, or a service? Of course: most people have! Sharing reviews in this technology-savvy age has never been easier and has become very common among shoppers – it’s practically a natural phenomenon, as omnipresent as the weather. This occurrence is called word-of-mouth (WOMM) marketing and companies often hope they can rely on its benefits. However, they may not realize that they can strategically channel this behavior to their benefit. According to Investopedia.com, word-of-mouth marketing is “when a consumer’s interest for a company’s product or service is reflected in their daily dialog.” Meaning, if you are interested in some good or service, you’re naturally drawn to telling someone about that experience. However, you’re also compelled to tell…
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14Dec 2017 by Mike Winter No Comments
Does Your Brand Have Enough Sizzle?

Does Your Brand Have Enough Sizzle?

Blog, Clients, Featured, Marketing, Publication, Social Media
Imagine you’ve recently moved to a new city, or maybe you’re on vacation in a state or even country you’ve never visited before. It’s a new area and you’re unfamiliar, perhaps even a little culturally shocked. You’ve just landed, and you hear that grumble in your stomach. You’re thinking it would be great to have a home-cooked meal, but you know that isn’t going to happen. So, what do you do? You look for something you can relate to, something you recognize. After carefully observing the area, something appears: it’s the familiar sign of one of your favorite restaurants. You know when you enter, you’ll be able to order something you’ve once enjoyed. This is called brand recognition and it’s done by design. Does your product or service have a…
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25May 2017 by Mike Mickle No Comments

What Social Media Should Job Seekers Use?

Blog, Featured, Social Media
When it comes to searching for a job, there are many options. The vast expansion of the Internet has created many different websites that are used for job searching. monster.com, Indeed.com, and ZipRecruiter.com all give people the option to search for jobs in different departments or categories, while also being able to specify a geographic area. Social media has also become a way for people to search for jobs. Since the main premise of social media is for people to get connected, it has now become very easy for people to also connect with different groups and businesses. Twitter is one way for people to understand a business to which they’d like to apply. The possibility of coming in contact with someone about a specific job position through Twitter may…
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23May 2017 by Mike Mickle No Comments

How Using Snapchat Can Help Your Business

Blog, Featured, Marketing, Social Media
Social media is viewed and used by people on a daily basis. Over the last 10 years, social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become easily accessible to anyone with a smartphone or tablet. These social media applications have become great platforms for major businesses to advertise and connect with customers and clients. In September of 2011 the social media application Snapchat was launched and soon became very popular. According to the website Social Media Examiner, as of February 2017, Snapchat had 158 million users, with the average number of snaps per day at 2.5 billion. 45% of the daily active users live in North America. Many Snapchat users are young people between the ages of 18 to 35, but as time goes on, the statistics show that…
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12Jul 2016 by Mike Mickle No Comments
Quad City Instagrammers to Check Out

Quad City Instagrammers to Check Out

Social Media
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Many of us already turn to Instagram to share, explore, and connect with others, but may not be aware of the Instagramers based in our own area that have gained a prominent following online. These Quad-Citians have found an online platform, with followers both near and far, in which they can regularly express their creativity and skill. Their Instagrams will improve your social media experience in a variety of ways and are definitely worth a follow. @twistinbangs //Followers: 66.2k Corie Willet’s account contains regularly posted photos of herself with body-paint carefully applied to her face, neck, and sometimes body. Many things, from zombies to outer space, inspire her always creative and visually striking artwork. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label="Code"]<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style="…
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08Jul 2016 by Mike Mickle No Comments
Social Media Takes Us to Places Live We Might Not Want to Go

Social Media Takes Us to Places Live We Might Not Want to Go

Social Media
The nation is trying to come to grips with what has happened in the last few days. Many of us sat in shock and disbelief last night as we watched the Dallas sniper attack unfold live on social media. The gunmen were reportedly upset over recent shootings of two black men. 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot several times while being held down by two white police officers outside a convenient store in Louisiana. A very graphic video taken by a bystander hit the internet shortly after Sterling’s death causing uproar across the nation. You can watch the video here. Warning! This video contains graphic images. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckuUk9R5ES0[/embed]   Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, who was shot during a traffic stop in Minnesota. Castile was with his girlfriend and their two-year-old…
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30Jun 2016 by Mike Mickle No Comments
Five Social Media Apps to Check Out

Five Social Media Apps to Check Out

Social Media
The content we consume on social media plays an increasingly prominent role in our daily interactions. Applications and websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are now used frequently as tools for communicating and connecting with others. The growing importance of social media in our lives has led to the regular creation of new social media platforms, each hoping to become the next Facebook, but only a few gaining widespread traction. Here are a few emerging social media platforms that you will want to pay attention to as they begin to find a wider audience.   Periscope Periscope is a video-streaming app that allows users to share presentations, conversations, and other important moments live. It can be used in a variety of ways—from product demonstrations, interviews, behind the scenes tours, to…
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