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marketing
Working for your breakfast
Today is the 20th anniversary of my writing this column, and folks regularly ask how I come up with new material every week. Simply put,...
Why your business needs a soundtrack
Years ago, I ran in-house marketing operations for a balloon delivery service. Computers were fairly rudimentary in those days. Email and websites didn’t exist, and...
Getting customers to sell for you
Blue Gorilla Media has been my go-to website provider for years, and I regularly refer friends and clients to them for hosting, development, and maintenance....
Ask Mr. Marketing: Why I fired my accountant
I just fired my accountant. She did good work, but phone calls and emails consistently went unanswered. As a business owner, I need data to...
Digital 101: Does using AI in marketing put customers at risk?
That’s the voice in the back of your mind, isn’t it? What happens to my customers’ data when I run ads through AI tools? Is...
Ask Mr. Marketing: Can a company own a color?
Show a robin’s egg blue box to most people, and they’ll think “Tiffany.” Women’s shoes with red soles scream “Christian Louboutin.” Pink clothing? “Barbie.” Three...
Persistence helps you make the sale
My mother persuaded me to take typing classes in high school so I’d always have something to fall back on, workwise. Once in college, I...
Digital 101: What do I actually need to start using AI in my marketing?
Let’s demystify something right off the bat: You don’t need a robotics lab, a team of data scientists, or 14 monitors to start using AI...
Digital 101: Which marketing channels still matter?
The options feel endless, don’t they? Google Ads. Instagram. TikTok. YouTube. SEO. Facebook. Email. Local directories. Blog content. LinkedIn. Every week, a new “must-have” platform...
I want everything for Christmas
“My marketing isn’t generating the same results it used to,” my friend Charlie said. Increased competition and rising costs had deteriorated his advertising results, and...
Digital 101: Tourism marketing for 32 million San Diego visitors
San Diego isn’t a small market — it’s a visitor engine. In the last cycle, the region welcomed approximately 32.5 million visitors and set a record...
Want a free piano?
We have this gorgeous piano that we’re giving away. It’s a 1906 Chickering parlor grand, 8 feet long, and perfect for any music lover’s family...
Why buyballs are more important than eyeballs
Eyeballs don’t put food on the table, don’t keep the lights on, and don’t pay the rent. Let’s face it: In marketing, we love the...
The difference between advertising and marketing
Periodically I’m asked whether advertising and marketing are the same thing. To me the answer’s an obvious no, but I understand where such confusion comes...