Marketing, PR & Advertising

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Clicking through basic elements of a website

The basics of a good website have changed over the years. When the Internet was an infant, it was enough to have basic text organized...

Uncovering hidden marketing potential with Google Analytics

Google Analytics, the free website tracking tool provided by search behemoth Google, is beloved within SEO and webmaster circles. But to most marketers outside...

SEO is the new PR

Since the advent of public relations, earning positive coverage in the news media was perhaps the most important strategy of PR professionals. The news...

How do you measure social media?

After the last blog post about the use of social media by West Michigan organizations, a reader asked a question about how to measure...

The pros and cons of nonprofit fundraising stunts

There’s no doubt that you’ve heard about the “ice bucket challenge,” a viral phenomenon on social media and in mainstream news that has been...

Being the new kid

I started a new job this week, and like all new employees, I want to immediately provide value to my company, conquer every challenge...

Advice for new communications grads

Every spring, our agency is flooded with emails from recent graduates in the communications field looking to start their careers. We always love to connect...

What’s your digital marketing crash plan?

In business, we think of a ‘crash plan’ as it pertains to the backup of our critical infrastructure. Databases and information that need to be connected and backed up in order for us to run our businesses in a global economy.

The benefits of community engagement

Marketing relies on relationships, whether built online or in person. Customers need to connect with a brand on a personal basis and feel heard...

3 back-to-school lessons for marketers

A new generation of marketers, advertisers, public relations pros and other creatives is beginning their collegiate careers, while others are returning for a last...

Too many cooks in the marketing kitchen?

More than ever before, integrated communications strategies are needed to achieve success. New communications channels launch seemingly every day (okay, maybe not that often,...

Why media training is a smart investment

Everything you do, say — and don’t say — is now accessible to the entire world. The digital age means you cannot hide anywhere, meaning...

The iTunes model of media consumption

People aren’t consuming news or entertainment media the same way anymore. Many are consuming less news. In the case of young people, they hardly consume...

Are you shooting photos and videos?

It was only three years ago that I interviewed a professional at a local PR firm as part of a series of videos I...

Is PR your organization’s conscience?

A new study about ethics and communication has received a fair share of discussion in the public relations trade publications recently. The study, “PR Professionals...

Trust + reach = influence

About half of our team began our careers in the ‘90s (the other half don't even remember Girbaud jeans or Hypercolor shirts, which is...

The many faces of PR

I recently wrote on my GRPR blog about the city of Grand Rapids announcing a new position of communications director. In my post’s headline, I...

Why can’t I get instant marketing results?

In marketing, “good things come to those who wait” means progress and results take time. As much as we would love to snap our...

Trust and living at the speed of social media

Does your organizational approval process move at the speed of social media? If not, why not? Likely each of us has had occasion to marvel at...

Using emotional intelligence to combat burnout

You don’t need another article to tell you that the world has changed as a result of COVID – We all know that’s true. What some managers are already forgetting, though, is that the pandemic taught us an incredibly valuable lesson: Our employees are human.