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Latest Blog :
Four Advertising Mistakes and One Solution: Content Marketing
Avoid these four advertising mistakes and learn the one solution to make your marketing more effective long term. This video features: mind blowing stats about ad mistakes you're probably making (like pop-ups ads and tricky copy)real life examples from my successful...
How to Use Spotify Playlists to Grow Podcast Plays – Guest SEO Hack
Most podcasts downloads happen within the first week of a new episode airing then sharply drop off. If you're a guest, this is a waste because your appearance is not only short lived and briefly promoted, but it becomes hard to find due to podcast SEO still lacking....
The Story Behind The THX Deep Note
Marketing :
“Not sure if you saw my last email” – Top 5 Email Marketing Tips and Stats
Here are my best tips, surprising stats, and Dos and Don'ts for sending email. This is from our Flash Briefing week about email marketing. Each audio is about 1-3 minutes. Subscribe free to this show on Alexa or as a podcast to get new episodes about voice, marketing,...
What is Voice Marketing?
Voice Marketing definition: Voice Marketing is the strategies and tactics used to reach your target audience through voice-enabled devices powered by AI assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. It includes sonic branding, recorded audio...
Marketing Tomorrow: What’s the Sound of Your Brand?
Packaging will take on new meaning for brands, expanding from visuals into sound. Logos and text won't be enough in a voicefirst world. In the next couple years, the visual look and feel of a brand will not be enough to compete. Packaging will be more sensory and...
My OG Etsy Shop – An Ecommerce Education
This is the story of my Etsy shop from the early days of selling handmade online. It's also how I cut my teeth in online marketing and ecommerce. In 2009, I had recently graduated from the university of Michigan and had Fridays off from my job at a the Aggression...
Pricing Marketing and Advertising Services
Doctors, lawyers, and journalists have codes of ethics. They are trained on and continually reminded of their ethics guidelines. Advertisers don’t have standard ethics. But we're responsible for influencing culture, which is huge. Doctors and lawyers charge fees that...
Why I’m a Rude Shopper
I can't remember the last time a Kroger cashier thanked me first. They've reduced the number of staffed checkout lines and replaced them with mostly self check-out, which is a topic for another post about stealing. So there is at least 60% less human interaction than...
Target With Digital Then Lick a Stamp
After a MapMyRun jog last week, a Houlihan's ad pop up promoting their Inspiralized Menu. I follow the trend toward healthier menus and food labeling transparency, so I tweeted about the ad from a marketing angle, not intending to promote the restaurant....
Why a 1960s Ad Man Understood Social Better Than You
Howard Gossage believed that most of the advertising of his time was manure. The Socrates of San Francisco died more than forty years ago, but his radical approach is as important now as ever. Gossage was irreverant, inquisitive, and creative. At a time when...
Girl Scout Cookies: Millennials Won’t Bite
Innovation is a word that gets thrown around too often. Things have changed since Girl Scouts walked door to door with clipboards and pencils taking down orders that took weeks to process. Recognized by Fast Company as #10 of The World's Top 10 Most Innovative...
Voice :
How to Use Spotify Playlists to Grow Podcast Plays – Guest SEO Hack
Most podcasts downloads happen within the first week of a new episode airing then sharply drop off. If you're a guest, this is a waste because your appearance is not only short lived and briefly promoted, but it becomes hard to find due to podcast SEO still lacking....
The Story Behind The THX Deep Note
Best Easy Podcasting Equipment – Microphone and More
Since I started podcasting in 2012, the technology and equipment available to anyone who wants to make a podcast or Flash Briefing has improved considerably and prices have dropped. You can get a good quality setup for a couple hundred bucks. There's no reason you...
Why You Need a Voice Marketing Strategy NOW
A #VoiceFirst marketing strategy is a must. Brands and marketers - get ready. We aren't gonna be typing and squinting at GUIs much longer. Why you need a voice marketing strategy now: https://youtu.be/JPV2l2pMAqs Smart speakers are the fastest growing consumer...
Trick: How to Hear Alexa Flash Briefing on Your Phone (No Echo Required)
Want to listen to Alexa Flash Briefing but don't have an Amazon Echo? You can hear it on your smartphone. Here's how: Download the Amazon Mobile App if you don't already have it. Open the Amazon shopping app. On the home screen, tap the circle icon (Alexa logo) on the...
How to Create an Alexa Flash Briefing for Free – 3 Tools Reviewed
Want to create your own Alexa Flash Briefing but don't know how to code? This article explains 1) why smart speakers are a great marketing opportunity and 2) how to create your own briefing for free (click here to skip to setup instructions). Most other guides out...
Four Most Useful Alexa Skills
I have an Amazon Echo in my bedroom and an Echo Show in my kitchen. I use both daily. They have more than paid for themselves in helping me get hands-free information or assistance quickly. Echo is far from perfect but she beats Siri to a pulp and Echo will only get...
Personal Finance :
How to Avoid Being Taxed Twice! Use LLC to Write Off Business Expenses
How to Write Off Business Expenses - and Why You Should One of the best parts about having your own business is writing off expenses (which are tax deductible). Let's be clear: this is not tax evasion: it is tax avoidance. There's a big difference. Having your...
Tipping is Broken (And Don’t Tip on Tax)
According to a new creditcards.com study, nearly 2/3 or 66% of millennials typically tip below the standard 20% suggestion at restaurants. About 50% adults older than 38 say they tip less than 20%. Source: Millennials Are the Worst When it Comes to Tipping. Three...
Travel for Free on Credit Card Points – The Chase Trifecta
Are you still using a debit card or cash? STOP leaving money on the table! You can earn reward points on everyday purchases with many credit cards. However, I recommend Chase credit cards, in particular the strategic Chase Trifecta. With a little effort (using the...
The Budget Keeper: Three Money Saving Tips for Your Twenties
This advice is geared toward your early twenties but is applicable to any stage of life. Whether you're a recent college grad or a bit older, these tips will save you and make you the most money, based on my experience and calculations as a woman in my latest of...
Tips and Advice :
Six Lessons on Health and Happiness (Part 1)
2016 was a year that everyone (in my echo chamber) was happy to see end. I reflected for a month, and here are six takeaways regarding health, happiness, social life, and apps: There is usually no Ctrl+Shift+T for life, but you can always open a new tab. Retweet....
The Budget Keeper: Three Money Saving Tips for Your Twenties
This advice is geared toward your early twenties but is applicable to any stage of life. Whether you're a recent college grad or a bit older, these tips will save you and make you the most money, based on my experience and calculations as a woman in my latest of...
5 Resources to Help You Learn UX
Here are five helpful resources about UX (user experience) design and copywriting. These are a great place for a beginner to start. If you're already in marketing, you're probably less of a beginner than you may think, if you've been paying attention. Pay attention...
How to Manage LinkedIn Privacy – Stop Sharing Your Contacts
You may have unknowingly granted LinkedIn access to hundreds of your contacts and emails. The confusing privacy policy and slippery UI make it difficult to tell how much data you're sharing. It's probably a lot more than you realize. Read on to learn how to reclaim...
Three Reasons a Standing Desk Will Save Your Life (Part 1)
The average American adult sits 15.5 hours per day.1 I've had a standing desk for almost a year and half and I plan to keep it that way. Many people don't realize that it's not just how much physical activity you get, but also how much time you spend sitting that can...
Career :
How to File an LLC – Best Tips No One Told Me
Ready to start a business? Here's the simple, most helpful advice that's hard to find. https://youtu.be/TgGRM7hcUXw When researching how to start my marketing business and form an LLC, I was overwhelmed by the confusing information online. I just wanted simple answers...
Salary Negotiation Tips – Why Your Current Salary is Like Your Weight
"So, where are you now in terms of salary?" Never answer this question in a job interview. Treat it like "How much do you weigh?" Because it's equally personal and inappropriate. It just happens to be incredibly common - but that is already changing. Salary history...
My First Boss
I just found out that my first marketing boss, Kris Hart, died four years ago at the young age of 48. Somehow I hadn’t heard, and I’m processing. I want to tell you about what she meant to me. While I'm late in the sense of her passing, I'm right on time from a career...
Two Simple Career Tips with Big Impact
Harry Joiner knows how to get a good job. Sandra Chesnutt knows how to keep a good job. Here's a bit of what they taught me. If you understand and apply these tips, your career will benefit. 1. "The richest actors aren't rich because they're the best actors. They're...
Reviews :
Best Video Podcasting Equipment for Zoom – 2020
YouTube is the #1 destination for podcast consumption, with 70.2% of respondents accessing podcasts there, followed by Spotify at 33.9%, according to a University of Florida study, 2019. What is the best video podcasting setup for Zoom? Logitech BRIO webcamRing...
Best Easy Podcasting Equipment – Microphone and More
Since I started podcasting in 2012, the technology and equipment available to anyone who wants to make a podcast or Flash Briefing has improved considerably and prices have dropped. You can get a good quality setup for a couple hundred bucks. There's no reason you...
Top 4 Reviews: Standing Desks and Ergonomic Products
You need honest, quality reviews when purchasing ergonomic products. Your health is on the line. I've been reviewing standing desks, floor mats, balance boards, and compression socks since 2012 before everyone was worried about sitting. Read more about why you should...
MacBook vs. MacBook Air: Which should you buy?
I am so happy with my new 12-inch MacBook. I wanted to share my buying experience comparing it to the 13-inch MacBook Air to help you decide between the two. This review focuses on the MacBook. Friends love their 2011 MacBook Airs, so I initially thought I would go...
Ergodriven Topo Mat Review – Inspired by Nature
Topo by Ergodriven is the standing desk mat inspired by nature. After 5+ years of standing at work and testing several types of flat cushioned floor mats, Topo is the most comfortable and ergonomic anti-fatigue mat I've tried. Addressing the hidden problem with...
2020 Updated Standing Desk Review: Ergo Desktop Hybrid Kangaroo
An ideal standing desk supports good posture and lets you easily switch from sitting to standing. The Ergo Desktop Hybrid Kangaroo delivers on these elements and more. 2020 updated standing desk video review here or watch below: There is no question that prolonged...
FluidStance Level Review
Standing beats sitting - this is known. But how can we stand better? I have been testing a standing desk accessory called the Level for three months. As a 3+ year standing desk advocate, this is the first time I've used a balance board. Until recently, I had relied on...
Standing Desk Product Reviews: Desks, Mats, Socks (Part 2)
Why you should get a standing desk (Part 1). Standing Desk Product Recommendations: 1) Desk: I have the adjustable height Dual Kangaroo from Ergo Desktop ($599) - made in USA. There are dozens of brands and types of desks out there. When narrowing down my choices in...
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