This weekend we were eating lunch in a mall food court when we noticed several police officers and mall cops near the closed patio area outside. We asked them what was going on. “Country music singer Hunter Hayes is doing a sound test. He is putting on a free concert here in a few hours.” As it turns out, we
Whether you’re a startup, a non-profit, or just a small business struggling to make payroll, you can’t escape the need to utilize images in a digital world, where communication with your customers and prospects is now defined by online marketing principles. So how can you incorporate images into your marketing strategy without breaking the bank? Hiring a professional photographer to
On a recent trip down memory lane, I took my family to the creamery in Brenham, Texas, so they could see how the delicious treat is made. A lot has changed for the company since I first took a tour of the factory more than 25 years ago, but one thing still remains. Those who love Blue Bell ice cream, love Blue Bell ice cream.
It’s been more than 12 years since I was a new college graduate, sent to cover my first wreck as a budding journalist. As I pulled up on the scene, my heart racing fast, I was quickly met by the DPS Trooper working the accident in the rain. “You must be the newbie at The Meteor. Stay out of the
When I took my first job as a “Director of Marketing”, I had two years of experience under my belt coordinating mail-outs, graphics, and tradeshows. That was my narrow view of “Marketing” at the time. Since then, I have come to learn that marketing is truly at the heart of a company’s operations. Every employee you have is a brand
Have you ever spent weeks or months planning your booth for a community event, tradeshow, or seminar, only to be left disappointed after the event by the results of your efforts? Worse yet … have you ever left the event overjoyed by the number of people who came by your booth, only to never see any of them convert into
When I look back on the presentations I was proud of making during my college days almost two decades ago, I shutter. Not because they weren’t impressive for my skill level at the time. Simply because they focused too much on showing off my PowerPoint skills that they lacked any true marketing strategy. Over the past five years, I have
Marketing has a lot of responsibilities, but all of them lead to one goal … generating marketing qualified leads that help sales generate the revenue that grows the business. Just like Sales is held accountable for pipeline growth, Marketing, too, should be measured on the value of the pipeline. Why? Both teams now play an ongoing role in the sales
Recently I received an email from someone wanting to pick my brain. They had read an article I had written about marketing an urgent care center, and they wanted to know my thoughts on something. Their email had one simple, yet very complex, question. “We are looking at adding a marketer to our team. What are the skills they need
Growing up, my dream was to be an elementary school teacher, but after a foreign exchange trip to Germany in high school, I declared my major in college would be international relations. I dreamed of working for the United Nations or being an ambassador for the United States to a foreign country. I had planned to spend two years in
