As social media continues to wield its power over consumer purchasing decisions, there’s a reason brands are investing significant budget dollars into influencer marketing: It works. Based on 2018 figures, almost a quarter of 18-to-34-year-olds made a big purchase after seeing the item endorsed by an online influencer. Better yet, influencer marketing now delivers 11-fold higher […]

Are you boring? It strikes fear in the hearts and minds of consultants, salespeople and all sorts of professionals to think that we might be mediocre — or worse, the same as everyone else. Yet, to some extent, it might seem inevitable. After all, every one of us needs to build our careers and businesses […]

I recently took my car in for servicing and got it back the same day. But after less than an hour, the problem reappeared. I took the car back, and after some delay, the issue was resolved. While I was collecting the vehicle the service associate informed me I would be receiving a survey, and […]

Agencies love to wow their clients. A delighted reaction is a sign of a job well-done—and as smart professionals know, delighted clients often give referrals that lead to future opportunities. If you want to elicit this kind of response from your clients, you’ll have to earn it by going the extra mile. Not sure where […]

Any agency professional can tell you that it’s not always easy to onboard new clients, especially those who have never worked with an agency before. If they don’t understand the process of partnering with an agency, they may come into the relationship with unrealistic expectations. It’s important to dispel any misconceptions your new client may […]

Disruption is an oft-used buzzword, typically referenced in relation to Silicon Valley tech startups that upend a traditional industry. Think Warby Parker using the direct-to-consumer business model to significantly reduce the cost of prescription glasses or Uber using its on-demand ridesharing service to make public transportation more convenient. But what does it mean to disrupt […]

If you’re new to online reputation management, let’s start with a definition. In simplest terms, it’s the work of influencing and improving the digital content that consumers find when they look for information about your brand. With smartphones in virtually every pocket, consumers can research a brand, product or service anytime, anywhere, so online reputation […]

We hear a lot about the boom in the “gig” economy, but there’s one segment I’ve specifically kept a close eye on in the past 1o years: independent PR professionals (aka freelancers, consultants or contractors). I founded my company seven years ago, in part with an eye toward this workforce as an alternative staffing approach […]

Many agencies — including my own — use freelancers to get projects done on time and cost-effectively.  Outsourcing work that your in-house team can’t handle can be a great way to get more done without breaking your budget. Unfortunately, I’ve learned from experience that working with freelancers can present its own unique set of challenges. Because […]

To sell business to business (B2B) enterprise-level product, being included in request for proposals (RFPs) is a must. This is even more important for new companies that sell licenses at price points that are six-figures or more. Many young companies believe that simply having a better product, technology or price point will get them selected […]