Blog

Why Passion Matters For Your Brand

2/12/2015

by Mary C Long

If you saw the Super Bowl this past February 1st (and odds are you did, since it was one of the most- watched broadcast events in history), you probably came away with mixed emotions - and not only concerning the dramatic comeback by the New England Patriots. Two commercials in particular resonated with viewers worldwide as evidenced by the massive social media response, and both prove that when it comes to promoting your product, you shouldn't start a conversation you can't finish...

Passion for Profit: Giving eBook Readers What They Love

2/11/2015

by Will Viharo

Some write for love, some write for money, many write for love of money – and of writing! That’s where Romance comes in, meaning the genre –one of the most popular fields for indie authors to introduce themselves to a built-in, pre-sold audience. But as with any intimate relationship, getting a date is only the first step in the courtship process…

Happy Tears — Why We Love Sappy Campaigns

2/10/2015

by Lily Bradic

When marketing products or advertising your brand, you have two choices: appeal to reason, or appeal to emotion. Both can be effective, and both can be successfully combined to create a campaign that resonates with your audience on multiple levels. This week, we’re going to focus on the emotional side of advertising. Here’s how (and why) to create a campaign that will get your audience crying happy tears:

Selling Love in 30 Seconds

2/10/2015

by Geoff Gillette

Marketing gurus have been trying for years to find just the right alchemical formula to make an ad campaign work. To create a sense of urgency in the viewer to click that mouse or pick up that phone and BUY BUY BUY! And let’s be honest, sometimes it works. Sometimes they catch lightning in a bottle.

The big question though is why? What makes one campaign work and another flop?

Social Marketing That Makes Teens Want to Shop

2/9/2015

by Olivia Collins

Advertising to teenagers can be very tricky, but effective if done right. A new trend is stores paying famous teens to simply wear their clothes and say where they got them – mostly using teens famous on tumblr and Instagram. I really like this method because it doesn't feel like some random advertisement is being crammed down your throat.

Blogspiration For Those Lonely Nights

2/6/2015

by Kim Niemi

Blame it on the recently passed New Year, or the upcoming romantic/chocolate holiday, but there’s something about this time of year that makes us seek out inspiration (it could also be a coping mechanism for those buried under record amounts of snow in the Northeast). Whatever your reason, there’s an inspirational blog out there for everyone.

Social Success Stories of Self-Published Writers

2/5/2015

by Will Viharo

Congratulations on writing that book, and publishing it yourself. So now what? How do you connect with its potential audience, regardless of the subject or genre? Surely there are others out there who share your interests and would appreciate your efforts? Of course! But it's like a dating service. Just being a nice person with some good qualities isn't enough to make the right “love connection.” You have to know how to present yourself in your best possible light, and on which strategically chosen social platform…

4 Great Social Apps To Make Your Life Easier

2/3/2015

by Lily Bradic

Most people have a love-hate relationship with social media — especially those of us who work with it. While our favorite platforms make it easier to network, find information and discover things we wouldn’t have found otherwise, social media can also wreak havoc with our productivity. Why reach out to someone now, when it only takes two seconds and you can do it later? Why use Twitter for networking when you can use it to share hilarious marketing fails with your work friends? Why create Vines for your own brand when you can watch thousands of other brands’ Vines “for inspiration” instead? This is an easy trap to fall into, and a much harder one to escape from.

Facebook Reach - There's Still Plenty to Love

2/2/2015

by Geoff Gillette

Over the past few years, many companies have been working to foster a following on Facebook. It was a way to directly communicate with consumers, give out special bonuses to those who showed their brand allegiance and in general it was just a good communications channel.

That channel has shrunk down with time (and numerous alterations of Facebook’s algorithm determining who sees what) to the point where 85% of your followers won’t see your posts unless you pay for it. People love being able to communicate on this social media platform, but they sure hate being forced to pay for it.

Is it worth it to keep Facebook if you’re not going to pay?