What’s Brand Got to do with it?
Art museums typically are thought to be serious institutions. Stalwart supporters of good taste and high society. Steadfast in preserving our precious past. Some might describe them as stuffy, prim, proper or straight laced. And then there is this from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts: Fun, frivolous, bold, daring, edgy and risky. They took the chance of upsetting Eagle’s Fans along with the part of...
read moreA Short Cut to Better Copy
My friend Bob has a sign on the wall of his screen printing shop just to the right of the desk where he sits with customers to take their orders. It says: You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. You can have it be good. But you can’t have all three. For Bob, it’s a constant reminder that he can’t be all things to all people. For his customers, it’s a subtle reminder of what they should expect. In business, we have to choose our focus or we’ll exhaust ourselves trying to be all things to all people. What sets you apart? What do you value?...
read moreLessons from the Inktober Drawing Challenge
Every October, artists from around the world put pen to paper to create drawings for a daily challenge called Inktober. They can follow a list of official prompts or one of several spin offs. Or, they can just wing it. The only “rules” are to draw every day and post on line with #Inktober.
read moreThe Problem with Trying to Be All Things
When I work with clients, we talk a lot about who they’re trying to reach. We spend a great deal of time defining and honing in on the ideal customer, called a “buyer persona” in marketing speak. It’s a good place to start. Afterall, the more you know about who you are trying to reach, the easier it is to develop content that will appeal to that person.
read moreHow to Make a Marketing Plan for the Rest of the Year
Yeah for summer finally being here. Barbecues, beaches, sailing and sun. It’s a great time to relax and recharge, which is vital to your business success. And, it’s a great time to do a mid-year check in on all those fantastic plans you set up in the beginning of the year. As you’re scheduling vacation and Friday afternoons out of the office, schedule some time to work on your business. My colleague Tara Gearheart at TMedia Consulting offers these tips to help with strengthening your marketing efforts for the second half of the year.
read moreWhat is a Pain Point and Why Does it Matter?
It’s important in business to understand what your customer wants, but it’s even more important to understand why. What are the underlying needs, issues, concerns or problems that are driving people to seek out a particular product or service? Knowing the answers will help you create better content for your blog and social media.
read moreHow to Find the Best Day and Time for Blogging
Most people think successful blogging is about writing, but that’s only part of it. It’s really about decision making. What are you going to write about? How are you going to write it? And finally, when will you post it?
Should it go up first thing Monday morning so people can start their week right? Or is Friday afternoon better because they’re winding down? Maybe Wednesday morning as a mid-week boost?
read moreWhat Will You Do When You Hit Your Heartbreak Hill in Business?
As someone from the other side of the city, I’m not always clear where on the route of the Boston Marathon I am. I drive until I hit the road blocks then I park and walk toward the cheering crowds.
read moreHow to Get a Headshot that Says 1,000 Words
It seemed like a simple request from my client. She wanted a serious headshot and one that showed the lighter side for her website. But how often is it simple when it comes to photos?
My last headshot was taken more than two years ago when I had shorter hair. In the one before that, I had almost curly hair and fewer worries. Neither fit her goal. Besides, they were no longer quite accurate, which means they aren’t quite authentic. And went it comes to online marketing, authenticity matters.
read moreHow to Build Systems You Will Love
The sun finally came out on Sunday bringing a welcome warm breeze. I know because I glanced at it longingly from my desk in between furtive bursts of working to catch up on a year’s worth of bookkeeping. I would love to have been outside, but instead, I was at my desk going through my calendar and crunching numbers.
At some point in the afternoon, a little piece of advice I was once given floated into my brain: Systems will set you free.
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