The mark of a great leader is the ability to take charge and get things done. Conversely, a difficult part of leadership is letting go of the reigns and delegating responsibilities to those entrusted to your charge. Harder yet is then giving those people feedback and guiding them on what they did right and where there is room for them to grow. In short, leadership isn’t for those with sensitive stomachs or timid hearts.
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Two must-ask questions when critiquing creative
I didn’t expect to learn a lesson in art appreciation while attending the Digital Branding Analytics Miami 2019 Conference (#DBAMiami), and I don’t think Michael Kappitt realized he gave one. But he did. During his presentation, the President of Carrabba’s Italian Grill and FIU alum stated there are two things you should ask yourself when looking at creative:
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The end is near(er): a sign of the times for marketers
As marketers, we know we should begin every campaign with the end in mind. You want to have an end goal established so you know whether or not your marketing efforts were successful. At the Digital Branding Analytics Miami 2019 Conference (#DBAMiami), Britney Muller challenged me to think about a different end in mind – how people consume your content. For instance, if your product is a new line of cosmetics, there’s a good chance your target audience will want to see a tutorial on how to use them. In that case, you wouldn’t recommend the company utilize a LinkedIn article to introduce their product line when watching YouTube videos…
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Mastering the art of the nudge
As marketers, it’s our job to influence purchase decisions. Connecting with consumers with a relevant, customized message at the right time on the road to conversion is crucial. However, when we nudge them towards a purchase, we don’t want to rub them the wrong way. There’s a fine line between influencing and an invading someone’s privacy.
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Why customer relationships should matter to marketers
Consumer behavior dictates marketing strategies. It really is as simple as that. Fortunately for marketers, science shows that people are easily influenced at the subconscious level. With a little work, they can be persuaded at the conscious level if you can speak to their immediate pain points at the appropriate time in the customer’s journey. What companies do after they obtain their customers is even more important than the measures they took to reel them in. According to Rightnow Technologies, 73% of customers leave a brand because they are dissatisfied with customer service.
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How Best Buy took the gloom and doom out of Showrooming
People’s shopping habits have changed dramatically since the inception of the smartphone. Consumers can now ‘shop’ for a specific product in person while viewing the selling price for that item from worldwide vendors on their phones. This relatively new approach to shopping is called showrooming.
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Walk beside me, be my brand
I recently came across a shocking statistic: just 36% of companies have a process in place for tracking the customer journey process. Brands spend way too much money trying to acquire new customers to be so laissez-faire about securing their business.
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People are strange, when you’re a marketer
It’s interesting to reflect on how the price of an individual’s privacy has plummeted over the years. I remember when Facebook first came out and users were reticent to give up their date of birth so they could register to be part of the social site. (I, for one, initially gave them a fictitious birthday. Later I corrected it when I realized it might be nice to have hundreds of ‘friends’ post on my wall and wish me a happy birthday.) Jump forward ten years, and we reflexively grant permissions and quickly click through user agreements without reading them, and without a second thought, to join online communities with our…
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Is the ‘Hook’ harmful?
In his book, Hooked, Nir Eyal explains the Hook Model – a formula he developed to explain why users of particular products feel compelled to keep coming back for more. The model consists of four progressive steps: trigger, action, variable reward and investment. It’s hard to think about the Hook Model without social media coming to mind. For many people, checking their social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram, have become as reflexive an activity as turning on the lights upon entering a room. While some experts say this addiction to online interaction is harmless, others refer to it as “digital heroin.” Simon Sinek goes so far as to…
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License to thrill: adventures in email marketing
Venture capitalist Fred Wilson calls email a “secret weapon.” I, for one, wholeheartedly agree. Just today I had an email assail me and aggressively demand $40…or else. In actuality, I opened an email from Ulta and before I knew it, I went to their website and spent $40 I had no intention of parting with when I woke up this morning.
